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Eschatology

The Possible Revelation 12 Connection to the Gog of Magog War

Due to losing the war in the heavens (Revelation 12:7-9), Satan is filled with great wrath. First and foremost, this wrath is directed towards the Jewish people; God’s chosen people, as seen in Revelation 12:13: “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [Israel] which brought forth the man child.” In Revelation 12:15-16, we see Satan’s wrathful response to losing the war in the heavens, which is to send a “flood after the woman”; the woman representing Israel. In his hatred of the Jewish people, Satan wishes to destroy Israel all together with this flood; he wishes to wipe off the nation of Israel from the face of the earth.

From other verses in Revelation, we learn that waters can symbolize peoples, such as in Revelation 17:15: “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Could it be that that the flood which Satan sends after the woman (the woman being Israel) is actually “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”; people who are sent to attack Israel in an attempt to destroy it, these people being represented by the flood? If so, who could these people be? I believe that the answer is clear: the people which Satan sends against Israel are none other than those in the Gog of Magog prophecy found in Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39; people who consist of the modern day nations of Russia, Iran, Libya, and Turkey. According the the Gog of Magog prophecy, these people will go to war with Israel in the “latter days” (Ezekiel 38:16); that is, in the end times.


In other words, Revelation 12:15-16 (where Satan sends a flood after Israel) could very well be speaking of the same prophecy found in Ezekiel 38 & 39; the Gog of Magog prophecy where several nations shall go to war with Israel; that the flood which Satan sends is, in fact, the armies who go to war against Israel.
Revelation 12:16 suggests that Israel will receive supernatural help to protect her against this flood: “And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” This is precisely what we learn of in Ezekiel 38 & 39: that God will intervene and supernaturally protect Israel from its enemies.

This possible connection between Revelation 12:15-16 and the Gog of Magog war suggests something profound: that the armies sent against Israel are, in fact, sent by Satan (it is Satan who sends the flood); that these armies are satanically influenced. This fits in perfectly with Satan’s hatred against the Jewish people and his desire to destroy the nation of Israel. No doubt, these nations (Russia, Iran, Turkey, etc.) that desire to destroy Israel will be filled with supernatural hatred towards the Jews; hatred that comes from Satan himself. Satan will be using these nations as his pawns in his attempt to destroy Israel. Filled with this supernatural hatred towards the Jews — hatred that comes from Satan — the people of these mostly Muslim nations will be powerfully compelled to attack Israel, resulting in the Gog of Magog war prophesied in Ezekiel 38 & 39.

This possible connection also reveals another aspect: the timing of these end times events. Since Satan sends the flood immediately after losing the war in the heavens (“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child”, Revelation 12:13), this indicates that the Gog of Magog war will occur at the end of the war in the heavens; after the archangel Michael and his angels win the war in the heavens (Revelation 12:7-9).

This, of course, leaves the question: “When does the war in the heavens take place and when does it end?” From my own understanding and from my own involvement in spiritual warfare, this angelic war of Revelation 12 began back in 2017 on September 23rd, coinciding with the appearance of the sign in the heavens described in Revelation 12:1: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars”. This has been an ongoing war, lasting for nearly seven years already. It is likely that this war will end seven years after it started (seven being the number of completion in the Bible); ending around late September of this year (2024). This also means that the Gog of Magog war (represented by the flood of Revelation 12:15) must begin very soon; coinciding with the end of the angelic war of Revelation 12:7-9. Almost certainly, the current conflict in the Middle-East (that began on October 7th of 2023) will end up triggering this Gog of Magog war where the nations of Russia, Turkey, and Iran go to war against Israel.

Categories
Eschatology

Why Taking the Mark of the Beast Will Be Horrific

Here is why the mark of the beast will be so insidious and evil: if having the mark is the only way to buy or sell, that means that one must belong to the system that the Antichrist has created in order to participate in society. In this way, one is endorsing the Antichrist by using his system.

The Antichrist is the one who will establish this monetary system. Therefore, if one buys food using the mark, one is endorsing the Antichrist’s system. This is why all those who take the mark will be cursed and have plagues befall on them as described in Revelation: because they have chosen to eat of the corrupted fruits of the Antichrist.

The Antichrist will likely make this mark seem like a very sweet deal by promising everyone a stipend of money to live on. For this reason, the mark of the beast may be introduced as a cure for a failing economy. In this way, the Antichrist will become like the husband and provider for mankind, offering his corrupt fruit for everyone to live off of.

The mark of the beast will almost certainly be a type of chip or similar technology which connects to one’s financial accounts. And this chip will almost certainly contain tracking technology to track where everyone is. This is a form of slavery, as accepting this device will mean that one belongs to the Antichrist like a slave; a slave who is tracked by his owner; a slave who bears the mark of his owner. In the original Greek that the book of Revelation was written in, the word used for “mark” can also mean a “brand”; the kind of mark which is used to brand cattle or slaves, showing that they belong to their owner.

And so by taking this mark, one is saying “I belong to the Antichrist.” This mark is a sign of ownership, like how cattle are branded and how some slaves were branded throughout history. Those who take the mark will belong to the Antichrist. This is a parallel of how the seal of God (mentioned in Revelation 7) shows that one belongs to God. The mark will be Satan’s counterfeit version of the seal of God.

At the point when the mark of the beast is put into place, the entire world will essentially be under the Antichrist’s control, and so partaking in his kingdom would mean to endorse his leadership and to endorse what he is actively doing. This is why God commands of mankind to take no part in the Babylon world system which the Antichrist will establish and control.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:4-5
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Eschatology Scriptural Study Theology

The Mission of Christ Summarized

The mission of Christ is to destroy the works of the devil, as described in 1 John 3:8:

He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8

But what does this mean? It means that the mission of Christ is to reverse all the damage that was done when Satan lied to and deceived Eve, and to reverse all of the corruption and wickedness that followed as a result of this.

The mission of Christ is to restore humanity and the world to its former state of glory; of the holy, pure, and uncorrupted state before man fell; restoring the world to the perfect paradise that once existed with the Garden of Eden. And most importantly, the mission of Christ is to restore the broken relationship between man and God which occurred when mankind first disobeyed God by eating the Forbidden Fruit.

The restored paradise is the New Jerusalem as described in the book of Revelation, which shall be established on earth immediately after the Second Coming of Christ. It shall be like the Garden of Eden but far more glorious. In this paradise man will have glorified, immortal bodies like the body Jesus was given in His resurrection. And God shall make New Jerusalem His dwelling place, dwelling among men, signifying mankind’s restored relationship with God.

The entirety of Christ’s mission on earth in His First Coming was to set in motion all of the events required for the New Jerusalem to be established in the future; to restore everything as it once was in the Garden. In saying the Lord’s Prayer, one is asking for this mission to be fulfilled; asking for God’s kingdom and His law to be re-established on earth as it once was in the Garden of Eden.

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Eschatology Scriptural Study

Identification of the Whore of Babylon

Many individuals throughout history have attempted to identify Mystery Babylon as well as the Whore of Babylon. Far too often do these interpretations attempt to pinpoint a single institution, city, or group of people. Much of the symbolism in Scripture points to hierarchical representations of certain groups and structures. For instance, the archangel Michael represents all of the warfaring angels in Heaven under his control, that is, his army. When Michael goes to war, his army follows with him as though they operate as one body. Throughout Scripture, the church is personified as a woman, this woman representing everyone within the body of Christ. Cities and nations are also personified in Scripture. In chapter 16 of Ezekiel, Jerusalem is personified as a woman. This woman becomes whorish when the people of Jerusalem start adopting the practices, customs, and religious beliefs of the neighouring heathen nations. Spiritually, this woman (representing Jerusalem) has fornicated with the heathen nations and with the lesser gods of those nations.

The book of Revelation describes how Jesus Christ will be married to the church, personified as a pure, virginal woman “without spot or blemish” (having been washed in the blood of Christ and made clean). The church consists of all of the followers of Christ. This type of symbolic mindset, of how groups of people can be personified, is needed to understand much of the book of Revelation.

Many have identified Jerusalem as Mystery Babylon, given the many parallels between Mystery Babylon and descriptions of Jerusalem throughout Scripture. For instance, the inventory of merchandise within Babylon the Great listed in Revelation 18:11-16 closely parallels passages in the Old Testament which describes the riches of Jerusalem and of the Temple.

Many have also identified Rome as Babylon and that the Roman Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon. The Roman Catholic Church is represented by the Whore in the same way that Jerusalem is personified as a whore in Ezekiel 16: because the Roman Catholic Church has adopted pagan practices, customs, and religious beliefs. Through the centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has accumulated many unbiblical teachings which were codified into Church doctrine. This is the reason why in 1517, Martin Luther wrote his Ninety-five Theses to protest against the Church and its unbiblical teachings. Because of the Church’s unbiblical teachings, many have identified it as the Whore of Babylon in Revelation.

Interestingly, Scripture indicates that Babylon the Great is spiritually connected to each and every kingdom and city of the world, with Babylon the Great being the center of it all. This is stated in Revelation 17:18: “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth”. This passage states that Babylon reigns over “the kings of the earth”. This suggests a spiritual hierarchy, where Babylon is at the top of this hierarchy, ruling over every other nation and city in the world.

And thus, Babylon is where the throne of the king of the world presides. And who sits on this throne? It is none other than Satan, who the Bible declares to be the god of this world, thus having power and authority over the nations and kingdoms of the world. This is best demonstrated when Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, if only Jesus would bow down to him.

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Luke 4:5-6

In Luke 4:6, Satan says how all the kingdoms of the world were given to him. This was the result of man’s disobedience in the Garden, where man chose to believe in the word of Satan (“Ye shall not surely die [by eating the Forbidden Fruit]”) instead of believing in the word of God (which says that sin leads to death). By this simple act, Adam and Eve were disobying God while trusting in Satan, putting Satan in the place of God as their master (this principle is described in Romans 6:16). Numerous passages throughout the Bible reaffirm that Satan is the god of this present, fallen world.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

1 John 5:19

Satan is not alone in ruling over the world. His fallen angels rule over the nations with him. Deuteronomy 32:8-9 describes how, following the events of Babel, the heathen nations were given over to the fallen angels. These fallen angels thus became lesser gods who ruled over the heathen nations. These lesser gods are mentioned in Psalm 82, which describes the unjust rule of these lesser gods, and how so much of the wickedness in the world is caused by their unjust ways. These powers of darkness which rule over the world are perhaps best described in Ephesians 6:12:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

As Revelation 12 prophecies, in the future, Satan and his fallen angels shall lose their heavenly seats, no longer ruling over the world, but instead thrown down to the world.

At this point, Satan will pass down his kingship of the world to the Antichrist, as described in Revelation 13:2: “the dragon [Satan] gave him [the Antichrist] his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Afterward, the Antichrist will declare himself to be God, and he will rule over the world, controlling a one-world-government.

The Whore of Babylon can be seen as a representation of the portion of mankind who are slaves to sin, with Satan as their master, living in sin. This portion of mankind follows in the spiritual footsteps of the ancient city of Babylon, hence why they are represented by Babylon the Great in Revelation. This representation is made most clear in Revelation 17:15: “And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” This passage demonstrates how the whore is really a representation of sinful mankind as a whole, consisting of all the different nations of the world. The reason why the wicked portion of mankind is represented by a whore is because in the beginning, mankind as a whole was married to God. The relationship between man and God was supposed to be like that of a marriage, with God being the Husband, serving as the provider for His wife (mankind), having a loving, intimate relationship with mankind.

For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

Isaiah 54:5-6

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

Jeremiah 31:31-32

Mankind (the wife) committing sin is the same as committing adultery against God (the husband), cheating on God by fornicating with lesser gods. In many passages, the Bible even speaks of entertaining other gods and worshiping things other than God as infidelity against God (Exodus 34:16), that committing sins against God is like taking part in harlotry and adultery since mankind is meant to be in a marriage with God; mankind is to be faithful and practice fidelity and loyalty with the Lord just as a woman does with her husband. Yes, the story of the world is of a marriage gone wrong, with mankind (the wife) cheating on God (the husband) with lesser gods (Satan and the fallen angels) .