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The Returning King | TheLast Days

With all the focus you see on the web, or on the bookshelves, you would think that the Last Days are all about the antichrist. They’re not! Jesus is the central figure. He is the soon coming King which all the tumultuous events are preparing the earth to receive. Moreover, He is the One continually at work through His Word and His Spirit to help His believing people endure all that He will be asking of us. Nor is the Rapture primarily about our ascent. It’s us joining Him in His great descent. We’re not leaving! And neither is He…

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

Chief Characteristics

Whole books are written about most of these crucial components. These characteristics are summaries of what is grounded in scripture, not fabricated through speculation.[1] Speculation is trying to “see” more than we are being shown. What we see by Biblical revelation is real enough, but a fuller view will only come as these still distant components draw nearer.

Consider the pleasant irony of what we have here. All of Christendom has been praying, waiting, and watching for Jesus to return—for two thousand years. For even longer, the hope-filled yearning of the Jewish people for over three thousand years has been to behold the advent of their Messiah.[2] Not only that but all history has been moving towards this moment. The entire planet and all on board are lurching towards a bloody, torturous, yet heroic finale with Wagnerian-style orchestration directed by the hands of a consummate Master. It has taken the Bible over 700,000 words to prepare us for this one event. Yet, when the Author finally takes the stage, what are we given? Sixteen scant verses!

Jesus said He did not come “to bear witness” of Himself.[3] Nowhere is that laudable intention more evident than in the prophetic vision about His return which He personally conveyed to John. Nevertheless, in the same passage quoted above, Jesus said that there was one who would bear witness about Him. In fact, the scriptures reveal that both the Father and the Holy Spirit give witness about Him. Couldn’t They have filled in some of this outline that Jesus left blank? Evidently, all Three of Them chose to leave us in the half-light of earth’s Daystar being only partially revealed—just at the moment when He arrives at long last in full view.

Names of Jesus in the Book of Revelation

If the Book of Revelation gives us precious little on the moment of our Lord’s return, it showers us with an abundance of ways to view Him. We could easily look elsewhere for many of these images. Jesus said, for instance, that the whole of the Hebrew scriptures speak about Him.[4] Naturally enough, the New Testament gospels are also is filled with living portraits of this amazing God-man. Even so, it may prove especially instructive to let our hearts and imaginations pass lovingly over these snapshots gathered in John’s family album, so to speak. For this review, we won’t try to go deep, so much as long—they’ll be longingly brief.[5]

1. Jesus Christ

The very first phrase of the very first sentence of John’s prophecy sets before us the Name that is above every name, the Name that was given to Him at birth: “Jesus.”[6] His name means “Yahweh saves.” Indeed, He does. He has. And He will! Nothing can thwart His desire to save us “to the uttermost” unless we resist Him to the bitter end.[7] But we’re not going to do that! This divine Savior is the “Christ”—the “anointed one.” He has been anointed by God for this very purpose of winning us by His love and protecting us by His power.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. Revelation 1:1

2. Him Who Is and Who Was and Who Is to Come

Jesus “is” because He is life, but this also can mean that He is always with us in the present. He “was” because He is the eternal, pre-existent Son of the living God. He was always there in the past—long before time began. He also “was” because there was a time when He chose to become human, emptying Himself of His eternal, divine attributes.[8] For just a brief season He was fully if not merely human, but He is now raised back into full divine empowerment. The new Being that He “is” is the God-man—the eternally begotten Son of God and the resurrected Son of Man. This is the One who is soon to “come.”

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne. Revelation 1:4 (See also Revelation 1:8)

3. The Faithful Witness

The third title that John applies to Jesus is an unexpected one: “faithful witness.” For those of us schooled in the requirements of discipleship, it sounds like a reversal of the divine order. Jesus is the One who acts; we are the ones who give witness to what God has done through Him. Yet, Jesus in His earthly ministry became the greatest of all human witnesses to the reality of God’s love and saving works. At the very moment when His life was on the line, Jesus told a disbelieving Pilate that His divine assignment was to “bear witness to the truth.”[9]

And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. Revelation 1:5 (See also Revelation 3:14)

4. The Firstborn of The Dead

As the eternally begotten Son of God, Jesus has never been born. As one us, however, Jesus had to be born twice to complete His divine commission—saving us from sin and death. He was born the first time of the virgin Mary. Sin (ours, not His) took Him down to death. His second birth came when God raised Him from the dead. That’s where this very interesting preposition comes in: “of.” It is a word that can mean of or from, after or among, by or for.[10] His first birth came from life; the second is from death. He is the first to be “born of the dead.” Who are they? According to scripture we are already “dead” in our sins.[11] He was made to be sin—our sins—then raised to new life.[12] By spiritual rebirth, we were first raised from a living death to new life. By the resurrection to come, we will be raised (a second time) from physical death to eternal life.

And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. Revelation 1:5

5. The Ruler of Kings on Earth

Jesus already rules over the “kings on earth” in two ways—yet desires a third. As Sovereign Lord, the earth’s rulers (any in authority) would have no power did He not grant it to them. Second, what power they do have is subject to His Hand upon them, directing them to fulfill His hidden purposes.[13] Often enough, they may find themselves blocked from what they’d prefer to do and grudgingly carrying out tasks they would rather avoid. Even at their most rebellious, they end up playing into His Hands. Still, He would far prefer to have a team of leaders who know Him and willingly submit to His leadership. That’s coming soon.

And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. Revelation 1:5

6. The Alpha and the Omega

“The alpha and the omega” are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Accordingly, this title carries the meaning that He is the beginning and the end of all things. He is the beginning in that He (with the Father and the Holy Spirit) were here long before anything came into being. He is the end in that all the Father’s work is heading towards summing up or uniting all things in Christ.[14] As often in scripture, there are other layers here. Jesus is the eternal Word. He spoke all creation into existence. Under redemption, His Word—administered by the Holy Spirit—is bringing creation back to Himself. Words, of course, are made of letters.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

7. The Son of Man

In this verse, John describes Jesus by a title that was by far His most preferred way of referring to Himself when He walked the earth— “son of man.” That Jesus used it so much is curious because it occurs in the Hebrew scriptures primarily as a reference to ordinary human beings. In fact, the only clear use of it as a Messianic reference comes in Daniel 7:13, "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” As it happened, one of the earliest and most persistent of the heresies had to do with the false idea that Jesus only “appeared” to be human (but was really God in disguise). We evidently have a hard time getting this and need frequent reassurance: yes, Jesus is God with us, but He is also one of us. He forever is a true son of man.

And in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. Revelation 1:13

8. The First and the Last

We can readily see many ways in which Jesus is first. He is beyond all things, above all things, before all things. He is the firstborn of the dead and the firstfruits of redemption. The word here suggests foremost in time, place, order, or importance.[15] He is all that! In what way, then, is He “last”? At this point, our English translation fails us, and we have to dive into the Greek which reveals that “last” here doesn’t mean last in time or line, but farthest out or “a latter end.”[16] The One through whom creation began is the One to whom all creation is headed.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last.” Revelation 1:17 (See also Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:13)

9. The Living One

Earlier, John called Jesus the firstborn of the dead. Here, He is “the living one.” Although it’s true that Jesus spent time in the realm of the dead and for our sins actually died, we are not to imagine that there is anything of death clinging to Him. He is gloriously alive! Because He lives eternally, so will we. Better, through His life all creation lives both on earth and in heaven for (with the Father and the Holy Spirit) He created and sustains it all. There is no life apart from the One who is “the way, the truth and the life.”[17] Perhaps, best of all from the standpoint of our own encouragement, this living one is with us on the inside. The same “indestructible life” is at work in us.[18]

And the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1:18

10. The Son of God

When Jesus is referred to as “the son of man” in the scriptures, He usually is looking and acting somewhat like one of us—if only we could do things perfectly. As the Son of Man, it is possible to draw close and find an easy-going fellowship with the Lord such as John enjoyed when he reclined at Jesus’ side at the Last Supper.[19] In this passage, however, there can be no question that Jesus is also radically different from any of Adam’s children. The church is being put on notice that in this letter, they are being addressed by no less a Personage than God’s eternal Son. Sit up, take notice, and be prepared to give your full obedience.

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.’ Revelation 2:18

11. He Who Searches Mind and Heart

This title can convey the utmost comfort or strike a note of terror. It all depends on what we’re carrying on the inside. For those who don’t want their sins brought to the light, it is a terrifying thing to suspect that there is One “who searches the mind and heart”—and will deal with what He finds that’s not to His liking. If only those poor lost souls knew what the redeemed are discovering—that our Lord only brings our darkness to His light so that He can free us from it. The problem is never the sins that we carry. It’s always whether we have faith to believe He will carry our sins away. Keep carrying that kind of faith on the inside and all will be well.

And I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. Revelation 2:23

12. The Holy One, the True One

This is a beautiful, even glorious side of the Lord, but it is a hard side from the standpoint of wayward humanity. As the “Holy One,” He will not bend an inch in the direction of anything that is unholy, impure, or immoral. As the “True One,” He will not be manipulated by any excuse we may use to try to cover our fallenness. Holiness and Truth are forever set in the perfection of God and no pleading or prevarication on our part can change them. These are the rocks upon which our wayward self-will breaks. Yet, seen from a better perspective, out entire hope is built upon there being just such a perfection in the universe, provided there is also a kind, loving and compassionate God (with a softer side) who can lead us there.

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” Revelation 3:7

13. The Head of the Creation of God

From Paul’s writings, we are familiar with the idea that Jesus is head of the church, the Body of Christ on earth.[20] This less well-known title carries the idea of Headship even further. Jesus is “the Head of the Creation.” It brings to mind the disciple’s astonishment at discovering that “the winds and sea obey Him.”[21] This same thought is there when we read Jesus’ words that the “the very stones would cry out” if His disciples kept silent about Him.[22] What? Is all creation somehow mysteriously alive? And we don’t know it? Further, does the created order recognize its rightful Head better than we? Just how much connectivity to the creation did we lose when Adam fell?

And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God, says these things. Revelation 3:14 MKJV

14. Our Lord and God

Those who work with people with addiction quickly discover that many of these poor, enslaved souls have known Jesus from their earliest years. Unfortunately, they only knew Him as the Savior who shed His Blood so they could get to heaven when they died. Somehow, they missed the part about Him being the Lord that they owed entire obedience to and the God who could make all that obedience work for their blessing and enjoyment in this life—if only they would start trusting and obeying him as Lord. Yet, it is gloriously true that if we abandon our “right” to be our own boss and let Jesus take over as Lord, our God works miracles of transformation in our lives.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Revelation 4:11

15. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Want to hear a lion roar? Just wait until Jesus returns! This lion will be roaring as He swoops down to our rescue. If we have remained faithful, that’s the side of Him we will want to see: fierce, aggressive, and powerful. That’s not our usual image of Him. He is best remembered as the Lamb of Calvary and best loved as “Jesus meek and mild.” That side will always be there (thank God) but a terrible trial is coming when His beloved Bride will be mauled by that other lion—the one who seeks only to devour.[23] When these two lions square off it won’t be much of a match.

And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." Revelation 5:5

16. The Root of David

It was well-known that the Messiah would be an offspring of David due to the word of the Lord given to Israel’s great king by the prophet Nathan. Jesus used that understanding to throw His opposition into confusion by asking them a puzzle from Psalm 110: How can the Messiah be a son of David if David calls him lord?[24] Jesus was trying to get the Pharisees to realize that as Messiah, He was not only a son of David, but uniquely the Son of God—the divine “root” from whom David had come. Just as David called Him lord in the Psalms, they should also be bowing to His rank and His calling. Either He was being too subtle, or they were too dense. Fortunately for us we get it—and give thinks!

And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." Revelation 5:5 (See also Revelation 22:16)

17. The Lamb Who Was Slain

Like a lamb, Jesus went peacefully to the slaughter. Lambs are known for this; we aren’t. Abuse and false accusations were hurled at Him. So were fists. He was beaten, scourged, and crucified—all without fighting back. He accepted an entirely unjust and unfair verdict without complaint. Why? His Father asked it of Him. Had there been another way to save us, He would have taken it. There wasn’t. So, in a quiet display of incomprehensible love for us and magnificent trust in His Father, Jesus willingly endured unimaginable suffering. At this point, there is no point in adding words. Only an enduring devotion.

Saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" Revelation 5:12

18. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings

Parallelism like this are a frequent way in Hebrew for emphasizing the superlative nature of a characteristic, such as the holy of holies. In this case, what is being compared are not quite the same things. For instance, “the holy” is the holiest of holy things. Yet, Jesus is “Lord of lords” not because there are lords by any inward reality of their own, but only because He makes them so to suit His purposes. He is in a class all by Himself. He alone is the one and only true ruler of anything anywhere in this universe He created. Keep that in mind all other “lords and kings”!

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. Revelation 17:14

19. The Faithful and True Judge

Jesus said that He had not come to judge us (the first time around) but He will when we are brought to Him after He returns. Some of us will have already judged ourselves and will have gone to Him for mercy and new life long before He arrives. Sadly, many of us won’t have used the time of His delay so wisely. Even with His first coming, Jesus was judging faithfully though not in the sense intended here. Then, He was leaving judgment of souls to the Father and only faithfully seeking to judge with truth just what it was the Father wanted Him to do or to say. That’s the kind of judging we can share in with Him now.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Revelation 19:11

20. The Word of God

This is one of the most powerful titles that we have for Jesus. Like 220 volts, however, it needs to be handled carefully. We also call the Bible the Word of God which it is. It is God’s word to us brought to us in time and space through us by means of our languages. It is, therefore, both a work of God and of the earth which could have but little meaning apart from conditions upon the earth. The people, places, and events in it are all part of creation. Because it is a divine work, the scriptures are of eternal significance. However, Jesus is the only eternal, uncreated Word of God.[25] From before time or creation began, He has been the image, the ultimate expression (the Word) of the invisible God (Yahweh, His Father).[26] The Bible is His Story just as our history is His Story, but every Person is far greater than the stories told about them and exists apart from them.

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. Revelation 19:13

21. The Bright Morning Star

When this bright star rises in our hearts, our lives are translated from the surrounding darkness into His kingdom of light.[27] Our spiritual birth literally ushers in the morning of a new day, an unending Day which can only grow brighter into eternity—if we keep our awakened eyes on Him! Interestingly, the Morning Star is most frequently associated with the planet Venus which often appears in the East before sunrise. Venus is associated with love due to the name it bears of the Roman goddess. So what if the pagans desecrated this title for Jesus by mis-naming the Morning Star after one of their own? They, nevertheless, saw something of love and beauty about it. Indeed, this bright “star” rises first and best—just as our Lord does in our hearts.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:16

Pre-Figured in Scripture

Every crucial component of the Last Days has already “appeared” in the Biblical prophetic narrative in the past, somewhat like a dress rehearsal for the final drama. These foreshadows are called “types” because they precede their ultimate expression (the “antitype”).[28] As shadows of the future reality, however, they cast a revealing light of their own.

In the Bible, Jesus is described with beautiful, poetic language as the Suffering Servant by Isaiah and as the self-emptying One by Paul in his letter to the Philippians. Jesus and His work are thoroughly described by both the prophets and the apostles in theological terms. In the gospels, on the other hand, we get to see the carpenter from Nazareth in action. Sadly, we aren’t given, however, anything remotely like a description of His features. Even so, what emerges through all this is more than enough for us to have an assurance we know Him and will easily recognize Him when He appears. The icing on the cake is that we are given, not just these ways that Jesus is directly portrayed, but further ways of seeing Him through the persons who foreshadowed Him.

1. Adam

No one has to work hard at comparing Jesus with Adam. Scripture does it for us. Twice Paul pursues the analogy: first, in Romans 5 and again in 1 Corinthians 15. In fact, he calls Jesus “the second man” and the “last Adam.” There won’t be a third. There won’t need to be. This One did it all! Where Adam rose into the pride of his rebellion, Jesus descended into the depths of humility. Adams’ fall cast all who followed him into sin and death; Jesus’ resurrection raises all who follow Him into eternal life. We know the oppositions. However, imagine for a moment, Adam in his unfallen state. That’s harder to see but an image lingers despite the tragic history of all the intervening centuries. The Adam who walked with Eve, united in love, at one with creation, and resplendent with untrammeled innocence and grace, is the “foreshadow” who gives us one of our best glimpses of the Lord in whose image he came stunningly to life.

Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45-49

2. Moses

Moses told the people that the Lord would one day give them a prophet like himself. Considering the rough time he had of it, one wonders if this wasn’t a case of misery wanting company. Just kidding! It’s unlikely that he was looking far enough into the future to see that the Lord would one day come down and try shepherding the sheep Himself without an intermediary like Moses to take the brunt of their resistance. Thank God for us that Jesus managed to keep His composure unlike Moses who, in an unguarded moment, let his frustration with the people get in the way of his obedience to the Lord. That one missed step was enough to keep him out of the Promised Land. Because He never missed a step, Jesus opened wide our promised entry both to life in heaven above and to a heavenly life down here. Even so, by his humility, by his obedience, by his devotion to God, the Christ life shines out through this great prophet. All Israel was looking to see a Messiah who resembled Moses.[29]

And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” Deuteronomy 18:15, 17-18

3. Joseph

With Joseph it is not so much his character as what happened to him that casts him as a true foreshadow, or type, of the Messiah who would come. Beloved by his father and with a bright future opening before him, Joseph was treacherously betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and shipped off to Egypt, the very fountainhead of spiritual darkness and oppression in the ancient world. There he is wrongly accused of crime, clapped into prison, and numbered among the dead by his distraught father. Then, miraculously, comes the great reversal. Just as the Father would one day resurrect Jesus by His own mighty Hand, so here in Joseph’s life that same Hand of providence opened all the doors. Joseph is not only raised from a living death, he is given a new name and raised to the greatest height Pharaoh could bestow. This outward pattern, which so vividly traces the outline of Christ’s life, would likely not have been possible had not Joseph embraced the grace of forgiveness in that lonely dungeon cell. Somehow, he managed to say with Jesus, “Father forgiven them they knew not what they were doing.”[30]

When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. Psalm 105:16-18

4. David

The prophet Samuel anointed David to be the next king over Israel while David was still tending sheep. This was not an event that David’s father Jesse expected, nor any of his seven brothers desired to see. Yet, caring for the sheep, especially when they were attacked by a bear or lion, prepared the young shepherd boy for his first assignment—conquering the giant Goliath. David told the skeptical king that he had full confidence in his ability to take down the giant. It almost sounds like boasting which is exactly how his brothers cynically viewed it. Yet, David knew what righteous indignation rose in him when it was a matter of rescuing the innocent. He also knew it was “the living God” who gave him strength and cunning. Jesus also had a giant to conquer: sin and death. To this day not a single one of Adam’s children has ever made any headway in that life or death struggle. Yet, Jesus kept His eyes fixed on the faithfulness of His Father and on restoring us to innocence. He is the ultimate Shepherd King.[31]

But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God." 1 Samuel 17

5. Elijah

Elijah is clearly marked out in scripture as a foreshadow of the forerunner, John the Baptist. There are many excellent for this completely accurate comparison, not least of which are the words of Jesus Himself.[32] Nevertheless, Elijah also doubles as a type of the Messiah in that he had, perhaps, the most notable miracle-working ministry of all the prophets. He not only called for a drought to parch the land, he orchestrated a showdown with the wicked king that ended it. Better yet, by this dramatic event, the people of God repented of their wayward ways and returned with believing faith to worship their God alone. Jesus accomplished a companion work. Through his showdown with the wicked “ruler of this world,” Jesus accomplished such a miracle of reversal that the people have been returning to the true and living God ever since.[33] Beyond this obvious comparison, there is yet another parallel. Elijah was an outsider, rejected by both the political and religious factions of the Northern Kingdom. Some of his most notable miracles were done for those outside the covenant. When Jesus pointed out His likeness to Elijah in this regard, the people rose against Him “with wrath.”

And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. Luke 4:24-26

Revealed by Scripture

The Bible exposes the secret plans and deceptive operations of the dark kingdom, even as it unveils the glorious realities of what our God is doing. The truths of scripture are, therefore, our rock-solid building blocks for interpreting the times we are entering. Nevertheless, for biblical information to become true revelation both prayer and the Holy Spirit are needed.

The mission of this white horse stands in stark contrast with that of the one which rode forth at the very beginning of the judgment series when the first seal was opened (See “The Four Horsemen”). The rider of that white horse—the first of the notorious Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse also came “conquering and to conquer.”[34] However, that dark angel came as a mere destroyer of which we have seen far too many throughout our long dark history. Jesus will do battle as a liberator! This will bring our history to a glorious end and His Story to a wonderful new beginning.

The Rider on a White Horse

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Revelation 19:11

John is in heaven within full view of the throne, having described to us the preparations for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the previous ten verses of this chapter. Yet, now he says he “saw heaven opened.” What can this mean? It can hardly mean—as it would for us who dwell on earth—that John saw into heaven because it had just been opened to his view. No, he is already seeing everything from a perspective within heaven. This can only mean that he sees heaven opening towards the earth—an interpretation which fits the context perfectly for the great moment of Messiah’s triumphant return to earth has finally arrived!

“Behold” is almost too tame a word for John’s use of it. The sound of it to our ears is archaic, even poetic, but hardly dramatic. John wants it to shatter our complacency. “You’ve got to see this!” would convey his meaning better. Having so forcibly grabbed our attention, he points us to... “a white horse.” That’s it? No, that can’t be it. We’ve already seen a white horse once before, when the first Horseman of the Apocalypse rode forth. What makes this horse so riveting to behold is the “one sitting on it.” It’s Jesus!

This is the grand moment when His Return begins. In a very real sense, Our Lord Jesus has been preparing for His Return ever since Adam and Eve transferred their authority over the earth to their Enemy and God’s. That was roughly six thousand years ago. The fallen couple were driven from Eden, but Our Lord had already been eased out of their hearts and from His rightful position as earth’s sole Ruler. He has been working in hidden ways since then to reestablish His reign upon the earth—one heart at a time. Now, He is returning to take up the reins of direct and overt command.

Jesus’ royal restoration cannot happen without first facing a final, desperate resistance from those who refuse to bow the knee to the coming King. This last battle—Armageddon—has been long prophesied and cannot be avoided. Its outcome is as certain as its end will be swift. John can hardly be surprised to see that the gentle Healer he walked beside along the shores of distant Galilee is now prepared to “make war” with the armies of heaven following close behind. One of the most frequent names of God in the Hebrew scriptures is Yahweh Sabaoth—the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.[35] Nevertheless, the sight of this Commander and this army surely fills him with awe which more than accounts for the excitement of his startled, “Behold!”

Unlike the fierce conquerors of our bloody histories there is nothing of self-aggrandizement about this invading King. Jesus may not be entering as He first did “humble and mounted on a donkey” but He is still coming as Zechariah foretold, “righteous” and “having salvation.”[36] John declares that this mounted warrior is “called Faithful and True.” Neither power nor pride will ever go to His Head! In faithfulness He is coming to liberate His faithful people, so cruelly oppressed by the antichrist’s brutal domination. In perfect “righteousness” of motive and action he “judges and makes war.” That time has come.

His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. Revelation 19:12

Those who have seen Him at other times have testified to the superabundance of love which pours from our Lord’s eyes. The Jesus that John sees has fire in them instead! “Flames of fire” signify passion, one side of which would be a burning desire to rescue His beloved—us. The other side may be what’s rising in Him in this moment—vengeance. We’re seeing the fury of One who has waited long—almost too long from our point of view—to deal with His enemies and ours. This is “the day of vengeance of our God” prophesied by Isaiah.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God. Isaiah, 61:1-2

To our ears, Jesus’ reading of this passage seems curiously out of context when He first announced in the synagogue of Nazareth that He had come to bring healing to the multitudes. Perhaps because it really does seem so out of place, Isaiah’s words were abbreviated by Luke (or one of his translators) to leave out “the day of vengeance of our God” and only include “the year of the Lord’s favor.” [37] However, it is inconceivable that Jesus would have “edited” a text of scripture so high-handedly during of a public reading of the Word. He would not suffer “one jot or tittle” of God’s Word to be altered.[38]

In retrospect, we understand that Jesus would have been well-aware He was leaving some unfinished business (vengeance!) upon the table, but first things had to come first. The Messiah came first to “seek and save” those who were lost—that’s been billions of us and still counting.[39] Seeing Jesus mounted now for His second coming means no more of the lost can or will be saved from this point forward. Having refused every effort of God to save them, their doom is upon their own heads.

In contrast, it is not doom, but “many diadems” that rest upon Jesus’ head. Our Lord and Savior has many names and many titles. Is it any wonder that He would be wearing many crowns? He rules over all the orders of creation, over all the nations, and over every individual, whether they desire Him to or not. The only mystery about this is how to imagine how they would appear. By now most of us have seen the heroic attempts of sincere individuals to depict the many heads with their many crowns that the antichrist—that beast! —is said to be wearing. Don’t they all seem preposterous, even ridiculous? We simply do not have “eyes to see” things that are only visible in the unseen realms. John is doing his best to convey the sense of mysteries that he sees and hears, but he cannot convey the reality.[40]

An even greater mystery now presents itself. Jesus has a name written upon Him “that no one knows but Himself.” Let’s don’t even try to puzzle this one out. We will have to wait to see it. Is not the Word clear enough? No one knows what this name is, but Jesus and that One can truly keep a secret. Of course, He also told us that He didn’t know the day and hour of His Return, and that admission hasn’t stop lesser mortals from trying to solve the riddle.

We don’t even know (from this passage) where this name will be written or how it will be inscribed. Perhaps other names that this book mentions can provide the clues. There are the 144,000 faithful of Israel who are sealed on their foreheads in Chapter 7, though nothing is said that describes the seal. Two chapters later, all the faithful on earth are given “the seal of God” on their foreheads to protect them from the judgments that are coming. Then, in Chapter 14 we are shown a second 144,000 who will have the “Father’s name written on their foreheads.”[41] Most tellingly, Jesus told John to write this message to those who overcome:

I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Revelation 3:11-12

This passage from the letter to believers in Philadelphia provides a wealth of insight. Here we have a direct connection to “the Father’s name” which is said to be written “on the foreheads” of the second 144,000. Almost certainly, this is the same name that Jesus calls here “the name of my God” for always on earth He used the name Father to speak of His God and ours. To this name He says that He Himself will add “my own new name.” That must refer to the new name which “no one knows but Himself” of our present passage! For confirmation we have a description from the final chapter of this book. His name—very likely His new name—will also appear on our foreheads in mirror reflection of His own.

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4

As a final note, mention must be made of something extremely curious about all these inscribed names that we are seeing in the Book of Revelation. The Hebrew scriptures explicitly and strictly forbid tattoos.[42] Yet, even Jesus is wearing a one! Presumably, God forbade such “cuttings” or “marks” to the Israelites because of their close association with pagan worship and its unseemly practices which had to be avoided at all costs. Certainly, none of us who believe in Jesus should ever have any participation or association with the occult or with pagan religious practices, either. But that is a different issue from how we are to relate to external things.

The Israelites were set apart as the Lord’s special possession, but it was under a different covenant than ours.[43] Where ours focuses on inward and invisible spiritual realities, theirs looked outward to a visible Temple, a promised Land, a priesthood, and physical warfare just to name a few. Accordingly, God called them to exhibit visible signs of their separation from the world around them, as a reminder to them and a witness to the Gentiles. Circumcision is the most obvious and well-known example, but specific foods and even hairstyles were also included on the forbidden list.[44]

No one is suggesting that any Christian believer must be circumcised (if male) or eat Kosher. You can if you want to. You can also never trim your hair or beard (if you’re a guy), but who wants to do that? From all these outward signs of separation the Christian has liberty. Naturally, we have no liberty to sin. In fact, our covenant has a much higher standard. We are not simply to live within the moral boundaries of the Law, reflecting God’s principles, we are to exactly live as Jesus would have us live, reflecting Him in all our ways. Curiously, that even might mean getting a tattoo now. It surely will sometime in the future!

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. Revelation 19:13

John continues with his description of Jesus, still seated upon the white horse, crowned, emblazoned and wearing a robe “dipped in blood.” Our translation (the ESV) doesn’t say that the entire robe was drenched in blood, only that it had been dipped. Other translations go with “washed”, “sprinkled” and “covered” as well as dipped. The Greek word (bapto) according to Strong’s can mean either to cover wholly, to stain, or to moisten. Hence, the lack of unity in the translations. Nevertheless, if what John was seeing was a robe entirely red, he could easily have expressed it as a “blood-red robe” or used a word which would have made it clear that the robe had been completely drenched by blood.[45] Dipped, sprinkled, or partially stained is likely what he saw.

Since the blood on Jesus’ robe is there in advance of the great battle, it cannot be the blood of His enemies. It can only be His own incomparable Blood, the Blood that He shed for the salvation of the world. Is it there as a statement of His right to return and reign? Is it there as a comforting sign to us—a way of inspiring the troops so to speak (for it would certainly do that)? Or, is it there as a reproach to the ones He is coming to defeat—the ones who refused all attempts by heaven to rescue them by this Blood? Sometimes pictures and signs speak louder than words.

This One, however, is the Master when it comes to using words. He is none other than “The Word of God”—the “logos” of John’s Prologue, who brings to earth the eternal counsel of heaven’s All-Wise Father. This is the Word of God who inspired the prophets to write the scriptures. Yet, we should never think of the Word of God as being limited to a Book, no matter how inspired that Book truly is. This Word is Jesus—the exalted Second Person of the Trinity, whose testimony (as we have seen) is the on-going spirit of prophecy. He is the ever-speaking voice inside every surrendered heart. But He is more: He is the lover of our souls! Let’s be sure to get this Word into both our head and our heart—and hold Him fast there where life springs forth.[46]

And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. Revelation 19:14

Now we see that a battle truly is in the making. Close behind their mounted Leader ride unnumbered multitudes— “the armies of heaven.” These too are riding “white horses” just as Jesus is. They are also “arrayed in fine linen” just as the wedding guests had been described, previously in this chapter (see “The Marriage Supper”). The consistency of how their appearance so far matches that of Jesus creates a further impression. It is likely that Jesus, too, would be wearing a robe that is primarily “white and pure” like theirs, but partially dipped in or sprinkled with His Blood.

It only remains to ask who composes these armies? Are these warriors angels, or redeemed saints, or both? Jesus told us that when He returns His angels will go out to gather His elect. The dead will rise first and those who are still living upon the earth will join with the Lord in the air when He returns. Then, we will all come back with Him to Jerusalem.[47] This might lead some to think that we will engage in the battle, but that is not supported by the text. These are “the armies of heaven”, a phrase that always signifies the Lord’s angelic warriors. We will be brought to earth once the battle is won for us, though that may not require much of a wait. The end comes mercifully swift.

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. Revelation 19:15

As brief as this battle appears to be by the scant words devoted to it, it still may cover a good bit of time and territory. Jesus will be striking down “the nations” which could mean more than just an army assembled out of the many nations who oppose him. He may invade all the recalcitrant nations that defy His right to reign. Even so, it will be brief and entirely one-sided. This is the Eternal Son of God Almighty! Out “from His mouth” shoots forth a “sharp sword” that shatters all resistance, both human and demonic.

The writer of Hebrews described the Word of God as “living and powerful” and “sharper than any two-edged sword.”[48] Such is the power of the written Word of God. It can turn our lives inside out and upside down. This is the Living Word! The word Jesus now speaks is a word of unbridled vengeance, for He has come to unleash “the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” The wrath of God has waited for thousands of years to reap this harvest of evil from the earth. To “tread the winepress” gives us a graphic image of life blood being squeezed out and flowing beneath the fury that is crushing beneath it all “ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”[49]

The story will not end here with this terrible outflow of blood and destruction. John says that Jesus is coming to “rule” the very nations He is defeating. Not all will die in this assault by any means. There will be some left who are not “us” (if you are a fellow Christian reading this) for all of us will be with the Lord “in the air.” Then, when we return with Him, He will be ruling through us and with us, not over us “with a rod of iron.”[50] So, these who remain will not be us. Neither will they be the adamantly unrepentant who have served the beast and his system of oppression. They are the ones whose life blood is at this moment in the text flowing from the winepress of God’s wrath. Who does that leave?

One ministry calls them the “resisters.”[51] These are apparently the people who have resisted the antichrist (or the wrath would have consumed them), but they have also resisted God (or they would have joined us). Because they are unconverted, they will indeed need to be ruled over with a “rod of iron” for sin will not be tolerated under the new Leadership. Their inward impulse towards the dark side will be eased because of two factors. First, the Tempter will be imprisoned for 1000 years and second, the Lord’s glory will cover the earth. During the Millennium there will be plenty of time and opportunities for these resistors to learn the way of the Lord and come around to worshipping and serving Him. Nevertheless, the truly final battle will gain its recruits from this group, not from us!

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16

Again, we see that markings are allowable, even desirable, under the New Covenant. Who doesn’t want to be marked with either the seal of God or the name of God? A sane person would take both! John’s continuing description of Jesus now reveals that “his robe” and “his thigh” are imprinted with a regal title. The name that is written both places is “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Since John would likely be able to read Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, the tattoo is probably inscribed in one of those languages, though by all accounts there is a “knowing” in heaven that transcends the limits of human understanding.[52] Nevertheless, if we have to pick which language (and we don’t), Hebrew would be the hands down favorite. The pagan world with its vile and idolatrous worship spoke Greek. Aramaic was the language the Israelites brought back from their years of exile in Babylon. It is inconceivable that Jesus would choose either of those tongues in lieu of the one He used to communicate the scriptures to the prophets.

His two-fold title emphasizes that the coming Conqueror already holds the position of supreme headship which this invasion of earth will manifest. Jesus even now is the King over all kings and the Lord over all lords. Simply put, He holds authority and power over all who hold authority and power, whether they know it or not. The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord.[53] This King turns earth’s kings into the fore-ordained path of His will. In the Last Days, even the most powerful and ruthless “king” who has ever lived—the Antichrist—will end up playing right into Jesus’ Hands.

Between kings and lords there may be little discernable difference. Kings traditionally are those who hold positions of authority and power over domains—over landed territories inhabited by their subjects. Lords, under feudal systems, are those who hold power and authority within a king’s domain and under his dominion. That may be tethering the word too tightly to a use of it which is familiar to us in the West. The scriptures, for instance, have no trouble referring to Abraham as a lord, though he rarely had a king over him, yet engaged kings in battle as an equal.[54] Nevertheless, kingship requires subjects, people who have no choice but be subject to that person’s rule. Lordship is exercised in many ways, only some of which imply the subjugation of individuals. Abraham was just such a lord. His servants were free to seek employment elsewhere. A king’s aren’t.

We are told in Psalm 2 and the Book of Revelation that “the kings of the earth” will rise to fight against God and His Messiah.[55] That’s what’s coming here and yet by our mere use of the title, kings are a diminishing breed upon the earth. We have far more presidents and premiers, dictators and generals, than we do proper kings in charge of the nations. The kings (and queens) who remain sit upon thrones that are largely bereft of power. Hence, this title of Jesus needs expansion to cover the realties on the ground for this fallen world has no shortage of those who hold power and authority over its huddled masses. We just don’t call them kings or lords generally.

We don’t even call ourselves that. Yet, scripture does. We who believe are a “royal priesthood.”[56] We have been reborn with kingship in us through our new covenant bloodline. The King of kings and Lord of lords is living in us! His Blood is in our spiritual veins. By this we can now see that as King of kings and Lord of lords Jesus will return not just to re-establish His direct rule over earth’s present rulers. He is also coming to bring His own royal children (us) into their full inheritance as those who will reign with Him in the Millennium.[57]

Other Scriptures to Study

"Men of Galilee," they said. "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 3:19-21

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5

But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:23-24

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4

According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of god, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:4

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

#16. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:13

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:4

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is the 'coming' he promised? …But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 2 Peter 3:3, 8-10

Dear friends, now we are like children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 1:14-15

Next Crucial Component

The Rebirth of the Earth Most of our attention is given to the destruction of the earth during the Last Days. However, we should never lose sight of something wonderful taking place behind the scenes. Not just Adam’s children, but the entire earth bore the weight of Adam’s sin. Throughout our fallen history, the natural order suffered corruption and cataclysmic destruction. In Romans, Paul tells us that “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” The Birth Pangs and the trauma of Tribulation are for ushering in the “one new man” and a “born again” earth for the dwelling place.

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Endnotes

[1] Cambridge Dictionary defines speculation as “the act of guessing possible answers to a question without having enough information to be certain.” It derives from the Latin word “speculari” which means “to look at, view, observe” and originally indicated “close observation and intelligent contemplation.” By the late 1500s it gained the disparaging sense it carries today of “mere conjecture.” See etymonline.com.

[2] Prophecies of the Messiah go back to Isaiah and earlier, but I chose three thousand years to mark the time when the covenant with David was made and the messianic promise given (ie. @ 1000 BC).

[3] "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. John 5:30-32

[4] You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. John 5:39

[5] My apologies to those who don’t know the slang phrases of American football. “Long and deep” is the ideal, high stakes pass toward the end zone.

[6] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11; and: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

[7] Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

[8] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7

[9] Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." John 18:37

[10] Strong’s G1537: ek. A primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds), from, out (of place, time or cause; literally or figuratively; direct or remote): - after, among, X are, at betwixt (-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for (-th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, . . . ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with (-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.

[11] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 2:1-2

[12] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

[13] The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

[14] Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:9-10

[15] Strong’s G4413 prōtos: Contracted superlative of G4253; foremost (in time, place, order or importance): - before, beginning, best, chief (-est), first (of all), former.

[16] Strong’s G2078 eschatos: A superlative probably from G2192 (in the sense of contiguity); farthest, final (of place or time): - ends of, last, latter end, lowest, uttermost.

[17] Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

[18] Who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. Hebrews 7:16

[19] One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?" John 13:23-25

[20] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18

[21] And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" Matthew 8:27

[22] And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Luke 19:39-40

[23] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

[24] Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:41-46

[25] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3

[26] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. Colossians 1:15

[27] For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Colossians 1:13

[28] Adam is the type; Jesus, the “second Adam” is the antitype: Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Romans 5:14

[29] When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" John 6:14

[30] As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

[31] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:11, 14-15

[32] For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Matthew 11:13-14

[33] Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." John 12:30-32

[34] And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. Revelation 6:2

[35] Sabaoth is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning “hosts” or “armies.” It is used with Yahweh 261 times and with Elohim 24 times.

[36] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

[37] "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19

[38] “One jot or tittle (similar to punctuation points)” is how this famous phrase read in the old King James but for moderns, the ESV has it as: For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:18

[39] And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:9-10

[40] Robert Browning seems to allude to this inevitable, even praiseworthy, but impossible “reaching” we do when he writes: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?”

[41] Revelation 14:1

[42] You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28; Also: Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28 KJV

[43] For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 14:2

[44] You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. Leviticus 19:27

[45] The close association of this word with the one for baptism is fascinating: “The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g.Mark 16:16. 'He that believes and is baptised shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle!” Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.

[46] Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

[47] Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:30-31.

Paul elaborated on this scenario: For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

[48] For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

[49] For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because the thing which may be known of God is clearly revealed within them, for God revealed it to them. Romans 1:18-19

[50] If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12

[51] The International House of Prayer (IHOP) at Kansas City has tons of information on the Last Days on their website.

[52] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know even as I also am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

[53] The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

[54] Peter passes this on to us: For so once indeed the holy women hoping in God adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children you became, doing good and fearing no terror. 1 Peter 3:5-6; Genesis 14 recounts the story of Abraham’s battle with the four kings.

[55] Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers plot together, against Jehovah and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands in two and cast away their cords from us. Psalm 2:1-3

[56] But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

[57] To 2 Timothy 2:12 previously cited we can add Revelation 20:4: And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

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The Dragon | TheLastDays

What monstrosities dragons are! In legends, the mere sight of them inspires terror, panic, and mind-numbing fear. Swooping down suddenly upon helpless villagers they wreak havoc from the skies with no thought of mercy, spreading confusion and destruction in their wake. Slaying the living, stealing their treasures, and hoarding the wealth—that’s what they do. It’s what our enemy does, too. Also called the prince of the power of the air, this evil one roams the heavens, the earth, and the realms of the dead. Like the fire-breathing dragons of old, this ancient deceiver cannot be killed by human hand. Its going to take the Lord and His holy angels to defeat him. And defeat him they will. But we will have to wade through his havoc to get there.

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

Chief Characteristics

Whole books are written about most of these crucial components. These characteristics are summaries of what is grounded in scripture, not fabricated through speculation.[i] Speculation is trying to “see” more than we are being shown. What we see by Biblical revelation is real enough, but a fuller view will only come as these still distant components draw nearer.

What’s in a name? In the Bible, names carry meanings and connotations which provide genuine insight into a person’s character, or in this case, lack of it. Many of the chief characteristics of the Dragon are revealed by the names he is known by. So that you can do further study on the nuances, some of the Hebrew and Greek words are given with their Strong’s definitions.

1. Devil

We never say of a mischievous friend, “Oh you’re being a perfect Lucifer now,” but we would insert the word devil. Similarly, we could easily say of someone who is atrociously wicked or ill-tempered that they’re a devil to deal with. We might even say we’re being bedeviled by an annoying insect or a thorny problem. In all this few moderns would draw a conscious connection from their words to the devil himself. Yet, he is there invisibly operating behind the scenes as an all-purpose spoiler of the good life. However, Jesus said that the devil is more than a pesky irritant whose unseen interventions frustrate the living daylights out of us—though he is that. He is also “a murderer… a liar and the father of lies.” His devilish mischief always has dark ends in view.

You are of your father the devil [diablos], and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Strong’s G1228 - diabolos: From G1225; a traducer; specifically Satan (compare [H7854]): - false accuser, devil, slanderer. Strong’s H8163 - salyr: From H8175; shaggy; as noun, a he goat; by analogy a faun: - devil, goat, hairy, kid, rough, satyr.

2. Satan

Satan is perhaps the devil’s most formidable name in English. We use it when we want to stress that the one we’re describing is the most evil being imaginable: deadly, vicious and implacable. Devil, or dark lord are good names for him, but they don’t get us halfway there. The name Satan is a reminder that he stands in absolute opposition to us and to everything good that God has created. This name for him means adversary, the one who both attacks and withstands. We use it when we feel under attack or blocked in our path by an enemy both ruthless and powerful. That’s why its good for us to remember that Satan has a flip side. Although he loves to terrorize his victims with his dark side, he also enjoys transforming himself “as an angel of light”—if that’s what’s needed to advance his evil agenda. Darkness is his nature; light is his disguise.

And no wonder, for even Satan [satan] disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

Strong’s H7854 - satan: From H7853; an opponent; especially (with the article prefixed) Satan, the arch enemy of good: - adversary, Satan, withstand. Also H7853 - satan: A primitive root; to attack, (figuratively) accuse: - (be an) adversary, resist.

3. Lucifer

This name for the evil one is used only one time in the whole of scripture. What’s more, most modern translations use terms like “Day Star,” “Shining Star,” or “Morning Star” instead. The Hebrew word means the planet Venus, the morning star. Nevertheless, the passage is clearly about a divine being who fell from grace due to his pride in thinking he could “ascend into heaven” and “be like the most High.” Saint Jerome translated “heylel” with the perfectly suitable Latin word “lucifer” and the name stuck. Then the King James followed suit and the rest is history. Somehow it really suits him, so despite the wave of new translations, we still want to use this name. It reminds us that Lucifer is the ultimate pretender—the one who claims to be a light-bearer (luminescent comes from the same root). Watch out: he will do anything to get you to fall into pride with him and share his doom.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [heylel], son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV

Strong’s H1966 - heylel: From H1984 (in the sense of brightness); the morning star: - lucifer. Strong’s H1984 - halal: A primitive root; to be clear (originally of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show; to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish.

4. Deceiver

Deception is the devil’s subtle ability to make the wrong thing seem right and the right thing seem wrong. Don’t think he’s not good at it. He deceived a perfect couple filled with the glory of original innocence into trading their inheritance for the bite of forbidden fruit. He is credited by scripture with being “the deceiver of the whole world.” It is a mark of his pride, but also a sign of his ability, that he even tried to deceive Jesus in the wilderness. It is said that the evil one has four main powers to use against us: deception, temptation, accusation and destruction. Deception is the driving force behind the other three. We must first be deceived for the temptation to be accepted and acted upon, or for the accusation to be believed. That’s all that he needs to power up his more destructive operations through us or against us.

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver [planao] of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9

Strong’s G4105 - planao: From G4106; to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. Strong’s H5230 - nakal: A primitive root; to defraud, that is, act treacherously: - beguile, conspire, deceiver, deal subtilly.

5. Tempter

Several terms merge in general use but should be kept clear in our thinking: tests, trials and temptations. All are usually working at the same time. Situations of challenge—whether problems in the outward world or the inner life—confront us daily. These are the ordinary tests of life. If a test goes on too long or is too intense, we call it a trial. On this side of the equation it is a matter between God and us. The Lord uses events to “test” us as a refiner tests metal. With them He probes our character, not for his information, but for our discovery—so that we will see where growth is needed. This testing by God, however, creates endless opportunities for the devil to tempt us to go the wrong way in thought, word or deed. The pressure of unwanted events, the pull of negative feelings and insufficient information are all he needs to give his temptations traction.

For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter [peirazo] had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. 1 Thessalonians 3:5

Strong’s H974 - bachan: A primitive root; to test (especially metals); generally and figuratively to investigate: - examine, prove, tempt, try (trial). Strong’s G3985 - peirazo:From G3984; to test (objectively), that is, endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline: - assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.

6. Accuser

Accusation is an incessant activity—“night and day”—of the evil one. It goes out in three directions: towards God, others and our self. As a slanderer the enemy makes sure that no one gets a break. A brazen hypocrite, he rails against God blaming Him (through us) for everything wrong down here, which by the way are things he himself instigated. An unforgiving legalist, he works to get us holding grudges and offense, never once reminding us that Jesus grieves when we condemn each other. And then he turns these weapons of accusation against us. After we have forged them to fire at others, we find it extremely hard to believe in grace for ourselves. We live hoping for mercy, rather then swimming in it. No wonder heaven rejoices as all this accusation ceases when the “accuser of our brothers has been thrown down.”

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser [kategoros] of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelation 12:10

Strong’s G2725 - kategoros: From G2596 and G58; against one in the assembly, that is, a complainant at law; specifically Satan: - accuser.

7. The Ruler of this World

This surprising title for the enemy is bestowed upon him by our Lord Jesus Christ. On the evening before the cross, Jesus called Satan “the ruler of this world.” Previously, He predicted that this world ruler was about to be “cast out.”[ii] He had also much earlier been shown the kingdoms of the world while the Devil boasted that they belonged to him because they had “been delivered to me.”[iii] Jesus did not deny the claim. What does this mean? The title must mean that up to the time of the cross, the evil one held a recognized position of legal authority over the world. In this sense, legal would not imply legitimate or moral. The enemy is a usurper who gained his position by deception, playing unfairly upon the credulous innocence of Adam and Eve. Their dominion authority was transferred to the Tempter. At the cross Jesus got it back.

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler [archon] of this world [kosmos] is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. John 14:30-31

Strong’s G758 - archon: Present participle of G757; a first (in rank or power): - chief (ruler), magistrate, prince, ruler. Strong’s G2889 – kosmos: Probably from the base of G2865;orderly arrangement, that is, decoration; by implication the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]): - adorning, world.

8. The Prince of the Power of the Air

Paul, writing several decades after the cross, does not call Satan “the ruler of this world” as Jesus did, for that he no longer is. By Jesus own words, that aspect of his rule has been “cast out”—at least as far as redeemed humanity is concerned. At the cross the enemy’s universal death grip was broken. Nevertheless, Satan is still “prince of the power of the air” working with unchecked resolve against every child of Adam and Eve he can tempt into being “sons of disobedience.” The battle continues. In some way, we grant him genuine spiritual authority over the earth by giving our allegiance to his demented perspective and walking in his perverted footsteps. Following this prince is what keeps him in power.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince [archon] of the power [exousia] of the air [aer], the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3

Strong’s G758 - archo¯n: Present participle of G757; a first (in rank or power): - chief (ruler), magistrate, prince, ruler. Strong’s G1849 – exousia: From G1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, that is, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: - authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength. Strong’s G109 - aer: From (to breathe unconsciously, that is, respire; by analogy to blow); “air” (as naturally circumambient): - air. Compare G5594.

9. The God of this World

Lest we think the enemy was entirely stripped of power by the cross, we see by means of this title that he still holds high position. Paul calls him “the god of this world.” Satan is a spiritual being of supernatural intelligence and power—a little “d” divine being. Was he originally ordained to be prince of this world—as Jesus called Him—under God’s leadership? Did he then fall from grace? Or did he usurp his position as prince though tempting Adam and Eve to fall with him? Whatever the case, his power as god of this world is staggering. Through his arts of deception, this fallen ruler still holds sway over un-regenerated humanity. He has “blinded the minds of unbelievers” everywhere, so that only the gospel can open their eyes. That is a power as astonishing as it is infernal.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god [theos] of this world [aion] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Strong’s G2316 – theos: Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward]. Strong’s G165, aion: From the same as G104; properly an age; by extension perpetuity (also past); by implication the world; specifically (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future): - age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end). Compare G5550.

10. The Evil One

This title sums it up. He truly is the evil one. Anything evil you can think of or name belongs to him. All the evil deeds ever done on the earth have their source in him. No doubt there are evils beyond our imagining that dwell within his dark heart. Its best not to go too far in that direction. Joseph Conrad in the “Heart of Darkness” wrote of something he called “the fascination of the abomination.” This dark lord is so evil that dwelling too long on things of darkness causes them to grow and draw. Don’t have any misplaced sympathy for this devil—he would despise you for it anyway. He holds in contempt his servants’ ignorance in thinking he wants anything from them but their permission to lay their soul to waste. Be vigilant. Never let him “snatch away” what has been sown in your heart by the Lord.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. Matthew 13:19

Strong’s G4190, pone¯ros: From a derivative of G4192; hurtful, that is, evil (properly in effect or influence, and thus differing from G2556, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from G4550, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively calamitous; also (passively) ill, that is, diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, that is, derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners: - bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked (-ness).

11. The Enemy

You have an enemy. He is relentless and cruel. He hates you without cause. He and his kingdom have been working to overthrow you from the moment you were conceived. He works to deceive you, tempt you, condemn you and destroy you. Along the way he delights in stealing from you all the good things that God gives you.[iv] C. S. Lewis wrote that every square inch of the earth is contested territory—either God is advancing His kingdom, or the devil is taking ground for himself. There are no inches more hotly contested than the ones that lie between your head and heart. See that he stays out of both! For the truth is that we have a gracious Lord who knows how to help us in this battle. But it really helps to know that we have a battle to engage. Spiritual warfare is that part of our prayer life that is directed against the enemy—by rebuking him and commanding him to go in Jesus Name. Jesus won't do this part for you, but He will do it with you.

The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy [echthros] who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Matthew 13:38-39

Strong’s G2190 – echthros: From a primary word echtho (to hate); hateful (passively odious, or actively hostile); usually as a noun, an adversary (especially Satan): - enemy, foe.

12. The Dragon

Unfortunately, the myths have it right. Dragons exits. At least, we know of one that does. The fierce, dreaded dragons of legend have an all-too-real counterpart in this evil personage. In his vision on the Isle of Patmos, John was shown the enemy looking exactly like a giant dragon. Adam and Eve first encountered this same wicked being looking like a serpent in the Garden of Eden. Taking the image as a living metaphor, how could a small reptile become a large one? By feeding—by feeding on the countless millions of souls it deceived to their destruction. Like all reptiles it is cold-blooded, an image of heartlessness and cruelty. This one is also powerful, a mighty leader with legions of fallen angels to back it up. But it is not invincible. It will be fully and finally defeated in the end. Just as “there was no longer any place for them in heaven,” a day is coming when there will be no place for them outside the lake of fire. But we are not there yet.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Revelation 12:7-8

Strong’s G1404 - drakon:Probably from an alternate form of derkomai (to look); a fabulous kind of serpent (perhaps as supposed to fascinate): - dragon. Also Strong’s H8577 : (The second form used in Eze_29:3); intensive from the same as H8565; a marine or land monster, that is, sea serpent or jackal: - dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale. Strong’s H3882 - livyathan: From H3867; a wreathed animal, that is, a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea monster); figuratively the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of Babylon: - leviathan, mourning.

Pre-Figured in Scripture

Every crucial component of the Last Days has already “appeared” in the Biblical prophetic narrative in the past, somewhat like a dress rehearsal for the final drama. These foreshadows are called “types” because they precede their ultimate expression (the “antitype”).[v] As shadows of the future reality, however, they cast a revealing light of their own.

1. The Serpent in the Garden

This serpent is a fascinating intruder into the Garden to say the least. The image of a snake slithering towards its goal helps us see the low-lying (pun intended), underhanded way the enemy advanced upon Eve, approaching her as a friend who had her best interest at heart. Slithering also speaks of the side to side way the enemy can play either side of a question, always evading the center line of truth. A snake’s hissing brings echoes of murmured innuendo to mind, intended to plant in someone’s mind things the whisperer wouldn’t want overheard. The Native Americans would say of a deceiver that he “speaks with a forked tongue”—a snake’s tongue—meaning his words aren’t what they mean. We have that here as well. Adam and Eve were never meant to be deprived of knowing what good and evil are, only from knowing what it is to have the battle between them on the inside.

Not surprisingly, there is more to this image than meets the eye. An excellent case can be made that the Hebrew word used here has a wealth of other meanings attached to it. One meaning has to do with the Strong’s root listed below that traces “nachash” to the spells and enchantments associated with divine prognostication—the attempt to discern the future with the help of the gods. In fact, the verb form of this same word means a diviner of hidden truths. Another shade of meaning in this family of words is that of being shining or brilliant. Throughout the ancient Middle East shining serpent beings were throne room guardians of the gods.[vi]

All of this says little to us through the translations we have, but to the hearers of the original text in the original context of their times, it would have brought a different picture to mind. The Jewish readers for whom this was written may have thought of the talking snake the way we think of the dragon in Revelation or of Jesus as the Lamb. They can be seen that way (at times), but their primary visage is of human appearance. Eve may have been talking to the Prince of this World (so called by Jesus) whose advice in divine matters—due to his access to the throne—she was accustomed to seeking. We know from Isaiah and Ezekiel that his appearance was indeed that of a brilliant and shining one. But his ways were the ways of a serpent.

And the serpent [nachash] said to the woman, You shall not surely die, 5 for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:4-5

Strong’s H5175, nachash: From H5172; a snake (from its hiss): - serpent. Strong’s H5172, na^chash: A primitive root; properly to hiss, that is, whisper a (magic) spell; generally to prognosticate: - X certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) X enchantment, learn by experience, X indeed, diligently observe.

2. The King of Tyre

The king of Tyre is a nameless, hapless tyrant, unknown to history, who holds the unique distinction in scripture as a stand in for Satan. That invisible, malevolent ruler of the dark kingdom is known all too well to us! In truth, any of us could take this poor king’s place. Perhaps that’s why he is left anonymous in the text. All of us to some degree try to be the god of our own little world, putting Self with its demands at our cosmic center.

Like this king, we began “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” as little children. Then, inevitably, we lifted ourselves up in (often unrecognized) pride, thinking more highly of our good qualities than of the One who gave them to us. Perhaps we weren’t “cast to the ground” as this king was, but have we not all been laid low at some point by the mighty Hand of God? The reason for these ups and downs is because we were “fathered” into the way of pride by the one who rebelled against God first.[vii] That would be Satan, the dragon—the one who “drags-us-down” by foolishly imitating his soaring self-absorption.

Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty… Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” Ezekiel 28:11-12; 17; 19

Revealed by Scripture

The perplexing question about the dragon passages in Revelation 12 is when they take place. Are all or part of them happening during Satan’s original fall from grace, or during the birth of Jesus, or sometime during the End Times, or at the very end? If we cut these Revelation passages into pieces and scatter them throughout history, some parts seem to work better as past events. But is that the best way to go? Should the Revelation timeline be left intact? In other words, was John being shown events that were all in the future and that would unfold in the future in the same order as they progressed before him in his vision? The enemy is a deceiver who loves to spread confusion. Is there any hope that studying the dragon will clear up this riddle?

1. The “Great Sign” of the Dragon

NOTE: For a discussion of the woman, see The Woman and the Dragon in the Book of Revelation section.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. Revelation 12:1-3

The first appearance of the dragon in the Book of Revelation is in this passage. Indeed, it is the first time that the enemy is identified by name as the dragon in the whole of scripture. Is this a bizarre example of saving the best for last? That is probably not what the Lord had in mind by holding back this revelation of his character until the end—he had to grow into this name. This passage includes a description of the dragon as having “seven heads and ten horns”—an image that exactly matches that of the first beast, the antichrist. This means at the least that the antichrist is the human embodiment of the dragon, just as the dragon is the spiritual embodiment of the evil one—devoid of any “human” appearance.

This supernatural shape-shifter who can transform himself into an angel of light when it suits his diabolical purposes, now is revealed to be anything but angelic. It is as a monstrous beast—the hideous stuff of nightmares and camp fire tales—that we see him now. This entity began life as an elohim, one of the sons of God sharing His divine image, a valued and honored member of the divine counsel. But pride lifted him; and judgement felled him. He who once sought his apotheosis as God; now is revealed to be less than the angels whose ranks he corrupted, far less even than the humanity he despised and led to slaughter. He is revealed as an unsightly beast and worse, a reptilian scaly creature of deformed dimensions. Only the featherless wings remain as a perverted reminder of the heights he reached before his fall.

The dragon is red, the color of chaos and disorder.[viii] Is this from the blood of the saints which he martyred in murderous rage? Or, is it the blood of innocents slaughtered by his twisted ways upon the earth: war, violence and abortion? Just as dragons twist as they fly, so this beast twists the thoughts of the ones he deceives. Even the murder of the unborn is believed to be a guiltless act by those who succumb to the noxious breath of his logic, rather than the inbreathing of the Spirit. On the other hand, is his color a self-chosen mockery of the Blood of Christ? Always an imitator, he began by promising divine life could be ours if we went his way in the Garden. Endless life will indeed come to those who follow him, but it will be a life of unending torment in the lake of fire. Is this color then a God-given sign of his fiery doom?

His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. Revelation 12:4a

From this single verse arose the idea that a third of the heavenly hosts fell with Satan when he fell. The “stars of heaven” often signify the heavenly host of angels in many passages of scripture, so the connection may be valid. In that case we would still have no idea of the number, only the percentage. That’s a whopping one third of all the supernatural beings God created to populate the invisible realm. It certainly gives a sense of heft to the enemy’s army, but even if two thirds fell with him, the ultimate battle would still be ludicrously weighted against him. Our God is the all mighty One. He is the One, the only One, who has all the might.

When did this cosmic disaster take place? Satan fell at least by the time of Eve’s temptation in the Garden. Certainly, judgment is pronounced there as a curse upon the serpent. That scene is amplified by the companion texts of Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 (see below for Other Scriptures to Study). The enemy’s fall may, therefore, have occurred at the time when he broke ranks to cause the downfall of the human couple. This still doesn’t give us a time for when his tale “swept down a third of the stars of heaven” unless others joined him in rebellion at that time. That may have been the case. Many divine beings may have fallen with Lucifer or as a result of rejecting the justice of God’s judgment upon him. Even so, more would fall later.

The Genesis story gives us further insight. Some of the heavenly beings or “sons of God” (elohim) as the texts calls them, “came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them.”[ix] These hybrid children (part supernatural being; part human) became the race of giants, further corrupting humanity and necessitating the flood of Noah’s day. Jude tells us that those angels who “left their first estate” were judged for their crime and have been kept in chains “under darkness” ever since.[x] This is the second angelic rebellion.

Even more “sons of God” failed in their assignments as guardians over the nations which God dispersed after the Tower of Babel judgment. Although He kept Israel as His own heritage, the Lord divided the nations “according to the number of the sons of God” that they were placed under.[xi] They were to govern as God’s representatives. Instead, they sought to be worshiped in His place. Psalm 82 records God’s judgments against them for failing to govern the nations properly.”[xii] This is the third angelic rebellion. There may have been others.

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. Revelation 12:4b

When did this event occur? As we see in the next verse, the dragon could have only “stood before the woman” at the time leading up to Jesus’ birth, because it is Jesus who will ascend to heaven’s throne and “rule all the nations.” Jesus is this woman’s child, the one Herod “sought to devour.” That much is certain. The woman, therefore, could be the Virgin Mary or the nation of Israel. Naturally, opinions are divided on this. Mary, of course, is the human individual God recruited to bring His Son to birth, so she comes to mind first. However, nothing else in the prophecy fits her. How was she dramatically withstood by Satan? She had some trouble with Joseph at first that’s true, but his doubts were cleared up by a mere dream, not a battle. After Jesus was caught up to God at the Ascension there is no record of Mary fleeing persecution. She is remembered as having lived to old age under the disciple John’s care in Ephesus.

The Jewish people, on the other, are a perfectly suitable candidate. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures Israel is described as God’s beloved, whom He married by means of the covenant at Mount Sinai.[xiii] As we know it was a stormy relationship—He divorced the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but not Judah, though she committed adultery, too. It was through the faithful remnant in Judah that God brought forth the promised Messiah. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a divinely prepared nation to raise a Messiah. The scriptures and prophecies had to be sown into the faith womb of the Jewish people and cultivated through their national life for Jesus to not only be born but also to be raised in the knowledge and holy fear of God. No other nation on earth could have done it. That’s why God had to choose one nation (ethnic group), marry her, and impregnate her with longing for the coming Child.

That the enemy has a murderous rage directed against the Jewish people—continuing through to this day—is well-attested to by the events of history. Pharaoh enslaved them, then sought to reduce their numbers. The nations in the Promised Land tried to fight them to death. So did the Philistines. The Assyrians succeeded in conquering and carrying off the northern kingdom. Babylon came and destroyed the southern, carrying them off captive as well. The Lord preserved a remnant every time. The Greeks and Romans also fought wars to destroy their cultural cohesion and national life. Rome succeeded better than any enemy previously. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the obliteration of the nation in 132 AD, the Jewish survivors “fled into the wilderness”—forced to live in Diaspora, scattered among the Gentile nations. Then, with the Zionist movement of the late 1800s God brought a remnant back to the land. The enemy still attacks them there.

She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. Revelation 12:5-6

Even though he “stood before” this vulnerable woman giving birth, the dragon-who-would-be-god proves powerless. His deadly efforts are entirely unsuccessful. She gives birth to a male child who is “caught up to God and his throne.” Jesus is the only person in scripture who could fit the description of one who “is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” If it is indeed our Lord, then obviously, there is a compression of time in the sequence. Between the birth of Jesus and His being “caught up” to heaven by means of the Ascension, there was an interval of 33 years. If true so far, this gives us a template for looking at other passages in this sequence and perhaps also throughout the Book.

Prophetic vision (alas!) rarely comes with a set pattern for interpretation. From a beleaguered human standpoint, it really doesn’t help that the Lord enjoys playing with words and images, even sequences. But it sure makes the effort to decipher the text feel far more rewarding when understanding comes.

So, let’s take a leap here with the text. In verse 5 we have Jesus ascending to the throne. That was 33 AD by traditional dating. Next, we are told that the woman “fled into the wilderness.” That could be the Diaspora of the past two thousand years. Then we see her in “a place prepared by God.” That could be modern Israel. Finally, at the end of verse 6, we are told that she will be “nourished for 1260 days.” Where have we heard that number before? It just happens to be 42 months—the terrible period of the antichrist’s reign of terror. It is the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation.

2. The Dragon Is Cast to Earth

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Revelation 12:7-8

Enquiring minds want to know: When do these events happen? We are told that “war arose in heaven” so we know the location, but the time eludes us. Are we seeing the original fall of Lucifer and the expulsion of the disgraced and defeated the rebel army? That would place this cosmic battle at or before Eden. Or, if we follow the sequence of this chapter as a timeline, does this happen sometime after Jesus’ birth? Jesus Himself said He saw Satan “fall like lighting from heaven” when the 72 disciples reported back to Him about their success in ministry.[xiv] It seems too much to believe that the first shot across the bow brought the whole infernal enterprise down. Jesus must be referring to the beginning of the end of Satan’s rule. What about the crucifixion? That ended the enemy’s reign as “Prince of this World” (see Chief Characteristics above).

What about the End Times? Does this scene take place at the time of the Last Battle or before? Because of the 3 ½ year period mentioned previously in verse 7, the likely connection here is to the End Times. Further, we are told that the woman “is to be nourished” during that time. This means that she will somehow be under the Lord’s special protection, but it also indicates that on the timeline of these verses, she’s not in that place yet. We are told that her 42 months of shelter are coming up, then we get verse 7 with its “now”—“Now war arose in heaven.” This could put this epic conflict right at the beginning of the worst part of the Tribulation. We’ll return here when we get to verse 12. The next few lines of text describe the battle itself.

A variety of names are used in rapid succession to describe the leader of heaven’s rebellion. He is identified first as “the great dragon” in which gargantuan guise we see him now. Then, we are reminded that way back in the beginning he was “that ancient serpent.” This is an indelible image of growth on a colossal scale (pun intended) from small scaly reptile to large, but also of domain from land crawling to sky flying. Having begun the rebellion on earth, this “Prince of the Powers of the Air” headquarters in the second heavens—stationing himself and his troops between God (in the third heavens) and us.

His airborne reign is not to last. He and his angels are “thrown down.” Who is he? He is none other than “the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” (See Chief Characteristics above for more on these three titles.) Let’s note that this rebel horde is not thrown down to hell, or imprisoned in chains in darkness as their compatriots, the “Watchers” of Genesis 6 had been.[xv] Instead, to our woe they are thrown down “to earth.” Heaven is swept clean of this infernal problem, but the mess falls onto the earth. That’s a bit like your neighbor blowing his leaves over to your yard. What is our God thinking? Could not our heroes have thrown these malcontents to another galaxy?

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelation 12:10

The question in the last paragraph finds an answer (of sorts) in the proclamation of verse 10. A great many benefits come to the earth precisely because “the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down” to the earth. Every temptation, every deception, has at its heart an accusation that there is something wrong with God and/or something wrong with us that only the false ways of the enemy can fix. The serpent’s whispered hiss to Eve—“you will become as God”—insinuated that God was withholding her true status and that she would forever lack what she needed without it. With the accuser and his team cast down four tremendous benefits “now” come: salvation, power, kingdom and authority.

What these are and what they mean could easily take too much space here to unpack. Suffice it to say that even now we drink in the blessing of these higher states whenever we too cast down accusation from our hearts, minds and tongues—by refusing to play the enemy’s game. After all, how is it that the enemy was able to accuse our brothers “day and night before our God.” Are we to imagine that this beastly being is allowed in heaven around the clock, rather than only at carefully guarded intervals? Or that he would even want to be there in the celestial heights where our God reigns instead of him? Why the very sound of laughter is like fingernails on blackboards to this monster. No, the only way he can get daily into God’s ear is through us. We’re the ones seated with Christ in the heavenlies.[xvi] Any accusation we make against anyone is immediately heard by God. Every condemning accusation we make is Satan speaking through us!

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11

Those who would place this war of the dragon in the past must have a difficult time with this verse. How can any of this yet be true? To say that “they” (the believers in Jesus men and women) have “conquered him” so far is a stretch. Satan, the Accuser, seems to be alive and well on the earth to this day as evidenced by the way both the world and the Body of Christ behave. Giving voice to the accusations of the Accuser is still going great guns. Social media, especially Twitter, runs rampant with this. Furthermore, he will not be conquered until the day when Christians in mass prove that “they loved not their lives even unto death.” The most likely candidate for that demonstration of faith will come when the mark of the beast is revealed. To refuse it will mean starvation, martyrdom or a hunted life.

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” Revelation 12:12

That this is good news for the heavens is perfectly understandable and an excellent cause for rejoicing. The second heavens have been swept clean. But “woe” to us for this cosmic debris falls to the earth. Worse, earth is now warned that the devil will “come down to you in great wrath.” If he was “a roaring lion” before, seeking those he could maul and devour, what will he be like now?[xvii] This cannot be good. The devil knows it—it’s not good for him either. He now knows that “his time is short.” Not cut short. That would imply that he wanted more time in the second heavens. No doubt he did.

Much of what the devil does on earth could be compared to a terrorist holding hostages. We are the hostages. Because God loves us, He cannot or will not destroy the devil whose holds us captive by his spells. The evil one is too deeply embedded in us—in our thoughts, words and deeds. The wrong kind of cure would kill the ones who carry the disease. It took time to get things on earth to this point of dislodging the enemy from his airy abode. Now that he has been cast down to earth, he knows that his time is short—only 3/ ½ years will be allotted to this phase of his removal from power. He hates that limitation, but he will be determined to make the most of this new opportunity. The “restrainer” will be removed. At last he can put his infernal “son of man,” the antichrist, in a seat of unbridled earthly power.

3. The Dragon Pursues the Woman

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. Revelation 12:13

As discussed, we have two possibilities for this woman based upon verse 4b above: she is either the Virgin Mary or the Lord’s Beloved, Israel. However, at this point, some believe that we are being shown a third possibility: this woman is the Bride of Christ. But how can that be? This is the same woman that we were shown in the earlier verses as giving birth to the male child who would rule the world. How can the Bride of Christ in any way be thought of as giving birth to Jesus at His first coming? This would be a historic impossibility. The Bride can only be said to appear once the gospel and faith arrive—and that is after Jesus resurrects and leaves. Let’s don’t even consider the incestuous application if we press the metaphor to make the one who mothers Jesus into His future Bride.

The wedding of the Bride with Her resurrected Bridegroom awaits His Return. We are not told what that union may produce by way of divine-human offspring. Meanwhile, the one who mothered the one and only God-Man, Jesus, in the earlier verse must be Mary or Israel. At last, the identification becomes positive. Because of this same woman’s appearance in this and the following verses, she cannot be Mary. What could the Virgin Mary possibly be doing in these End Times verses? That leaves us with Israel, the Jewish people. If there is a woe for the inhabitants of the earth because the accuser was thrown down our way in anger, that woe is doubled for the non-Christian Jews who—in the person of this woman—are now “pursued’ by the dragon himself.

But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. Revelation 12:14

Something or someone comes to the woman’s rescue. She is given “the two wings of the great eagle” to flee from immediate danger. That’s an interesting turn of the phrase. She is given the wings, not the eagle. It is she who “flies” with the help of these wings, rather than what we would expect—the eagle flying her. It is tempting to see here the eagle as the national emblem of the Untied States. The US has maintained a stance of friendship and protection towards Israel right from its national beginning in 1948. Not only that, but the largest population of Jews in the world (outside of Israel) is in the US where they have been protected and have prospered to a degree never reached in other nations.[xviii]

The American eagle would be the ideal candidate for this identification if it weren’t for the odd fact of its dismembered wings. What could that possibly imply? Many people indeed see America as having a destined role to play in the End Times protection of the dispersed and hunted Jewish refugees pictured here. However, refer to “Mystery Babylon” to see that America also fits the bill as the Harlot which will be judged in a day, resulting in national devastation. Will Christian believers in America still be able to shelter Jewish refugees? Many believe this will happen. If that’s the case, the eagle may indeed be gone as a power among the nations, but enough of her faithful people—the wings (think wings of faith)—may still be around to help carry the woman to safety.

The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Revelation 12:15-16

Whatever this crisis represents it clearly has a supernatural ending to it. At the beginning of the verse, the vision describes the flood as pouring “like a river” out of the serpent’s mouth. Why are we being shown the serpent and not the dragon? This takes us back to the source of the deceiver’s work. The original lie may be mingled somehow in these waters that are intended to “sweep her away with a flood.” We often speak of a “flood of lies” and “sweeping accusations.” It is not hard to imagine the evil one and his puppets—the antichrist and false prophet—pursuing Jews with a propaganda campaign the likes of which Goebbels never dreamed in his wildest fantasies.

It will take a miracle to save them and that is just what we are shown. The earth “opened its mouth and swallowed” this river of lies. By earth here are we meant to see the “salt of the earth”, the humble people of the earth, opening their hearts to absorb the lies without believing them? It may not just be Christian believers giving aid to Jews. Watch for humble, God-fearing resisters of the antichrist to also do the right thing.

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. Revelation 12:17

This on-going rescue of the Jews creates an additional problem for people of Christian belief—the “rest of her offspring.” Our descent as believers in Jesus is through the Jews for "salvation is of the Jews."[xix] That makes us the target of the dragon’s fury. Wait a minute. Just one verse earlier he was a serpent. As serpent, he went after the woman. As a dragon, he goes after the Church. This one verse tells us that there will definitely be Christian believers on the earth during the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation—the period we would all want to avoid.

We won’t be compromised believers trying to hang on to scrapes of faith, but deeply committed followers “who keep the commandments of God.” With a courageous and faithful grasp of truth, these offspring of the woman “hold the testimony of Jesus.” This verse also tells us that there will be a lot of us. The dragon, not the serpent of old, is the one who covers the earth. The final image of the dragon in his freedom is of him standing “on the sand of the sea.” Sea often represents humanity. The dragon towers over all he conquers, but he stands on sand. Jesus warned us about building on sand. There is no solid foundation to support him. Lies, threats, and brides are not enough to secure an empire. Especially, if the invading army is being led by our Lord.

4. The Dragon Is Bound for 1000 Years

I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years… Revelation 20:1-2

Thank God! At last the evil one meets his match and receives his doom. He who “deceives the whole world”, enslaving humanity with his lies now is bound himself. One can’t help but smile thinking about it. Will this deceiver, who deceived himself into thinking he could overthrow the rule of the All Mighty, be undeceived? Or will he continue to plot and scheme? We will see that he insanely follows the latter course.

For now, it is marvelous to see that when the right moment comes, it doesn’t even require the presence of Jesus to wrestle this foe to the ground. An angel—one single solitary angel—descended from heaven and “seized the dragon” just as if he were a paper tiger. This angel has the keys and the great chain required for the job, but he needs no extra spiritual “muscle” to accompany him. Did the angels draw straws hoping for this assignment? You can be sure that if jealousy were possible for holy beings, his good work this day might be envied as well as praised.

Then, we learn that the dragon will be bound “for a thousand years.” Imagine the earth without this deceiver, tempter, accuser and destroyer roaming the grounds. Imagine this lovely absence of evil going on for a thousand years. Imagine also that our glorious Lord will be reigning in Jerusalem for those thousand years, filling the days with freedom, peace and true progress such as the world—since Eden—has never known. Now ask yourself: Why in heaven’s name are they only locking the dragon up for a thousand years? Why not throw away the key?

and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time. Revelation 20:3

The angel casts the dragon “into the abyss.” This is a prison area of hell which is shut over him and sealed, but it is not yet a place of torment. It is by no means the punishment that will be his in the lake of fire. But the punishment will be real enough. He will have no one above ground that he can deceive, no one to slander for a thousand years. Think of it. His daily bread, the thing that made him hold humanity in such cold contempt, had been the way he so easily deceived us. This fed his incredible ego. He feasted upon our gullibility, imagining himself to be so wise, so superior. For a thousand years he will be forced to live with the reality of his failure and his fears.

For some inmates, solitary confinement is the worst punishment of all. It imprisons them with only their own black heart and mind to keep them company and as we know, misery loves company. Misery wants to make others miserable. He won’t have that opportunity. Instead, he will have a millennium to accuse himself for having failed and to rant and rave at others on his team that he can blame but not throttle. Then, inexplicably, he is released “for a short time.” Thank God for that, but why “must he be freed” in the first place? Of course, an escape is out of the question. It is impossible to escape from the grip of God, as many of us know who’ve tried. Thank God we couldn’t get away! But this one is let loose. Why?

5. The Dragon Is Damned Forever

And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison, and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. They went up over the width of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. Revelation 20:7-9

The reason for his release is now revealed. For a thousand years the entire remaining population of earth will have experienced the best Ruler and most enlightened and liberating government that humanity could ever hope to experience. The full Edenic beauty of the earth will be restored to the whole earth. Christian believers who met the Lord in the air will be living the dream in glorified bodies serving their beloved Master. Other inhabitants of earth who resisted taking the mark and somehow survived the antichrist’s reign will be here too. They will be forming families and raising children under the new ideal conditions.

These “resisters” will have to be believers—they will see Jesus with their own eyes from time to time. But they will be untested as believers. They will have sight, not faith. At some point they will have to make a faith decision to trust in and believe in Jesus as their ultimate hope for the future. Free will is not free unless it is genuinely tested. That’s one reason for the enemy’s release. The other may be a demonstration to the entire host of heaven that God’s judgments are just—that from the beginning He correctly foresaw that no matter how He worked with Lucifer, he would never repent. In this context, the release of Satan will prove that God’s judgments on fallen humans and fallen angels is without reproach.

Not much time will be needed for this final show down. Those that give way to deception and temptation will quickly assemble and just as quickly perish. Incredibly, the number of this army of the deceived will be “as the sand of the sea.” This is a testimony to how good the devil still is at deception and how foolish humanity can be at believing him. The vast army surrounded the camp of the saints and “the beloved city” (rebuilt Jerusalem)—all to no avail. Not a single warrior from heaven’s side suited up. Instead, in a blazing moment of judgment, “fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them.” See the Very Last Battle to follow this episode further.

The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10

The long-awaited, perfectly prophesied end arrives. We are not even shown who does the heavy lifting. It is as if no effort is required. Without fanfare or sign of struggle the devil is “thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur.” This is that eternal fire which Jesus said was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”[xx] Finally, he receives in his own person the doom he led so many other poor souls to suffer. Two unpitiable once-human souls in that lake are the beast and false prophet. Will the unholy trio engage in mutual imprecations? Will tormenting each other be part of how “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” We can be sure divine justice will leave nothing out. There will be no mercy shown to those who showed no mercy.[xxi]

Other Scriptures to Study

1. Genesis: The Serpent in the Garden

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Is it so that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 4 And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, 5 for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves… 14 And Jehovah God said to the serpent, Because you have done this you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every animal of the field. You shall go upon your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:1-7; 14-15

2. Isaiah: Day Star, Son of Dawn

9 Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. 10 All of them will answer and say to you: ‘You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!’ 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers. 12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 14:13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ 18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; 19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. “May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! Isaiah 14:9-20

3. Isaiah: The Dragon in the Sea

In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. Isaiah 27:1

4. Ezekiel: An Anointed Guardian Cherub

11 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” Ezekiel 28:11-19

Next Crucial Component

Overcomers and Martyrs We don’t get to choose which we will be, but we do get to choose if want to be in this glorious company. During the Tribulation, things will get so intense in terms of religious persecution and economic pressure that death by sword or famine may challenge us all. Jesus warned us that there will be a great falling away as many believers renounce their faith and seal their fate in a vain attempt to save their lives. Mark this: the faith of everyone will be tested. Be encouraged that those who die faithfully as martyrs will receive the martyr’s crown. Those that survive faithfully will receive the overcomer’s crown. The Lord will prove that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

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The Dragon

Endnotes

[i] Cambridge Dictionary defines speculation as “the act of guessing possible answers to a question without having enough information to be certain.” It derives from the Latin word “speculari” which means “to look at, view, observe” and originally indicated “close observation and intelligent contemplation.” By the late 1500s it gained the disparaging sense it carries today of “mere conjecture.” See etymonline.com.

[ii] Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself. John 12:31-32

[iii] And leading Him up into a high mountain, the Devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said to Him, I will give all this authority and their glory to You, because it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Luke 4:5-6

[iv] The thief does not come except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly. John 10:10

[v] Adam is the type; Jesus, the “second Adam” is the antitype: Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Romans 5:14

[vi] For more on this search Dr Michael Heiser on YouTube for videos about the snake in the Garden or buy a copy of his excellent book, The Unseen Realm.

[vii] You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

[viii] For color coding in ancient Egypt see: https://www.thoughtco.com/colors-of-ancient-egypt-43718

[ix] Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:3-5

[x] And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:6

[xi] When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. Deuteronomy 32:8-9

[xii] I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! Psalm 82:6-8

[xiii] For your Maker is your husband; Jehovah of Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5

[xiv] The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Luke 10:17-18

[xv] See the Book of Enoch for this description of the angels who left their first estate in order to cohabitate with the daughters of men.

[xvi] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6

[xvii] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

[xviii] As of February 2019, roughly the same number of Jews live in the US as in Israel—6 million.

[xix] Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. John 4:21-22

[xx] "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41

[xxi] For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13

Details: Written by Super User; Category: Components; Published: April 09 2019; Hits: 5245

The False Prophet | TheLastDays

Just as the antichrist is a counterfeit messiah, so the false prophet is a pseudo John the Baptist. His nefarious role will be in preparing the world to receive the lawless one as a man of peace and the answer to the world’s problems. This he will accomplish by creating a one world religion, something that for centuries has seemed utterly impossible. Nevertheless, there are already signs that this merging of the world’s religions is in the making. Even Christians and Jews will be taken in by this deception, so it’s worth understanding in advance all that we can know of the false prophet’s ways.

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Matthew 24:24-25

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

Chief Characteristics

During the time of the world’s greatest need, a new spiritual leader will arise. Always throughout history in times of crisis people have looked to God and religion for comfort, guidance and strength. Only a few looked exclusively to the God of Israel, of course, but looking for divine encouragement in dark times is something of a human reflex. The sailors on Jonah’s boat cried out to their gods in the midst of the storm, not realizing (yet) that it was Jonah’s God who was behind it.[ii] We know in advance that the enemy will take advantage of this instinctive desire to seek God’s help and turn it to serve his own cruel designs.

Satan’s answer to the world’s spiritual crisis will be none other than the False Prophet, described in Revelation. He appears only in twelve verses: nine that describe his rise and activity (Revelation 13:11-18; 16:13); three that depict his destruction (Revelation 19:19-20; 20:10). We could want more about him and less of him! Even so, there is much to know him by. The true Church should have no problem identifying this monster—he is called “another beast”—but the world will be completely taken in.

Before painting his portrait in the scripture section below, we should remind ourselves that he is not alone. There will be a lot of false prophets traversing the landscape. Some will likely be in lock-step with this beast as their exalted leader. Others will be going their own way, possibly at some variance from the official line. Nevertheless, all will be serving the Evil One is some way. Don’t identify this easy target and miss all the others! We can spot them best by the way they’ve shown themselves in the past.

Pre-Figured in Scripture

Every crucial component of the Last Days has already “appeared” in the Biblical prophetic narrative in the past, somewhat like a dress rehearsal for the final drama. These foreshadows are called “types” because they precede their ultimate expression (the “antitype”).[iii] As shadows of the future reality, however, they cast a revealing light of their own.

1. Pharaoh’s Priests of Egypt

Never let it be imagined that the practitioners of false religions don’t have power. Many do. Certainly, the priests of Egypt did. Up to a certain point they were able to match the supernatural signs Moses worked, step by step. They couldn’t keep up because the Lord had purposed to demonstrate to Pharaoh (as well as to the Israelites) that His power far surpassed the dark arts of Egypt. He wanted to make believers out of His chosen people. The children of Israel, like us, could easily have been over-awed by supernatural power coming from the dark side, especially if they hadn’t seen enough of the Lord’s own wonder-working abilities. This lack of experience and familiarity with the supernatural will set many Christians up in the Last Days for being deceived by signs and wonders that the False Prophet and others will be doing. We will need to not only recognize false prophets by their deceptive messages, we will also need to discern the source of power behind their deceptive miracles.

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Exodus 7:10-12

2. The False Prophets of Israel

Unlike the priests of Egypt, the prophets of Baal or the magi of Babylon, the false prophets of Israel weren’t promoting a false religion. The religious proponents of the surrounding nations made no effort to disguise their gods, rituals or sacrifices as anything other than contradictions to the God of Israel. They believed that their gods were true, and Israel’s was false. Ironically, the false prophets of Israel had been given the true religion to practice and were shown the true God to worship but failed to embrace it. In turning away from pure biblical faith, they inevitably brought in ideas and practices that caused compromise. There are only two spiritual powers in the universe. To be with the true God you have to be all in. Any step into compromise joins you to the Great Rebellion. That’s the warning we take from seeing these false prophets.

What characterized them the most, perhaps, was that they gave out false messages, “words from the Lord” that the Lord had not spoken.[iv] These were often messages of peace and safety, when what God wanted was a strong word of correction so that deep repentance of the people could avert the judgments that were coming. Their own compromise, however, kept them from seeing God’s requirement of holiness in its proper light. They seemed to have thought that compromise with sin would never lead to national disaster. Their own compromise led some to promote child sacrifice and the worship of false gods. False prophets already abound in Christian churches garbed as ministers of the gospel who promote the idea that the God of today no longer brings chastisements (punishing judgments) upon individuals or nations. Some even promote child sacrifice by championing “the woman’s right to choose.” We should all remember that the God of Jeremiah and Jesus are One.

For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the LORD. Jeremiah 6:13-15

3. False Teachings of the Last Days

Paul in this passage reveals that one of the “powers” of false prophets is that they play upon something in us. Our own uncrucified passions and false hopes give believers “itching ears” so that we want to listen to someone who is deceiving us. Why? They are telling us exactly what we want to hear. This gives a veneer of justification for us then doing exactly what we want to do. After all, “the man of God said it would be ok.” The second half of this warning shows that if we are willing to be deceived about personal issues—whatever might suit our “own passions”—then the likelihood is that it won’t stop there. The deception next takes aim at our understanding of God, seeking to draw us away from even larger truths “into myths.” What is ultimately at stake here is worshipping the true God “in spirit and in truth”—not according to our own myth-making.[v]

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

What a rogues’ list we have here! All in a row, Paul lines up deceitful spirits whose message is nothing less than the “teachings of demons” and these are purveyed to the unaware by “liars whose consciences are seared.” You would think that anyone could spot something this diabolical a mile off. But that’s the problem with deception and false teachings. Spiritual evil has been around a lot longer than any of us. These beings are highly intelligent and thoroughly ruthless. They know exactly how to make wrong seem right and right seem wrong. They know how to hook believers by their “itching ears” and lead them step by step further into darkness. If you don’t think that this could ever happen to you, you are a prime candidate.[vi] By the way, please note that vegetarian and other restrictive diets—“abstinence from foods”—are prophesied here as false beliefs of the Last Days.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-5

Jesus combines false christs with false prophets and warns that both groups will arise and “perform great signs and wonders.” False prophets are those who direct people towards worshipping false gods and leave them comforted and complacent in their sins. “False christs” does not mean people who say that they are “Jesus Christ.” Only a lunatic would believe a claim of such obvious lunacy. No, by “false christs” Jesus was using the word in its first century context as a description of anointed individuals sent by God to save and heal. False messiahs (Christ = messiah = anointed) direct people towards themselves as promised saviors, gurus or guides. Combined with powerful signs and wonders and the desperation of the times, this grand company of deceivers will “lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Thankfully, for those who keep seeking the Lord there will be protection against deception, but let’s make no mistake about it: The master deceiver is all-too good at his evil game and has trained his tools well.

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Matthew 24:24-25

Revealed by Scripture

1. The False Prophet Rises

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. Revelation 13:11

On the Isle of Patmos, John saw this second beast “rising out of the earth” which is significant because the first beast—the antichrist—rose from the sea. From the earth may indicate a man who seems to be marked by humility. Our word humility can also be translated as “grounded” or “of the earth” and derives from the Latin word “humus” which means earth. So, this deceiver will appear to be humble, someone who portrays himself as “one of the people” or on the side of the common man. But he will be filled with pride and ambition.

John said that this beast of a man had “two horns like a lamb” indicating that he presents himself like a lamb with a mild, Christ-like manner. Horns usually refer to authority. Even before, the beast “rises” into public view as the False Prophet, he may possibly hold two positions of religious power. John said that this lamb-like leader “spoke like a dragon.” We know that the Dragon is “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” This identifies this beast as someone who is under such complete control by the Evil One that he is essentially the Dragon’s mouthpiece. When he speaks, the devil speaks directly through him.

2. His Deceptive Work Begins

It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. Revelation 13:12

Once this beast begins speaking it really goes to work, spreading a deceptive message about the first beast. He will champion the antichrist and his “mission” so convincingly that “the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast.” Remember that the mission of the antichrist will be to bring peace by uniting the world under his leadership. With world peace established, he will go on to “solve” many of the worlds’ problems, including what to do about those Christin fanatics who refuse to go along with the program (think Hitler’s “Final Solution” of the Jewish problem).

This first beast will have received a “mortal wound” by this time. That wound will be healed, perhaps by the False Prophet as the first of his miracles, though who heals the wound is not mentioned in the text. Nevertheless, by drawing the whole world into worship of the beast, the one world religion is now in place with the False Prophet as its leader. Although we have only covered two short verses, the span of time is probably longer than such brief notice would suggest. The second beast first ascends to his position, perhaps of a dual authority. Then the antichrist is revealed and championed as the world’s savior. Eventually, after sufficient “preaching” and attention, the world begins to worship him. This cannot be referring to an overnight phenomenon.

3. Signs and Deceptive Wonders

It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. Revelation 13:13-14

The spiritual “ministry” of this new religious leader moves into high gear as he “is allowed” to perform powerful signs. Who allows him? Most likely this is referring to the providential Hand of God which acts as a restraint upon sin, unless it is lifted. Although it is fearful to imagine such a moment, the impression we are given is that God’s sovereign power still holds sway over the second beast’s activities. He can only do what God allows in God’s time.

As to this time, Paul foretold that the rise of the “lawless one”—the antichrist—would be accompanied by “all power and false signs and wonders.”[vii] Some of these are coming now (in the text) through the handiwork of the False Prophet. Upon this new wave of deceptive signs, the False Prophet launches a campaign to create “an image for the beast.” Will this be a holographic image—one that could be shown world-wide?

4. The Image of the Beast

And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Revelation 13:15

Here is one of many places where science fiction, present technology and biblical prophecy collide. With our present technology a holographic image of the beast could even be animated by artificial intelligence and seem to have a life of its own. We are being shown an image which “might even speak” and set in motion the death of those who refuse to offer it worship. Holograms and AI were unthinkable possible interpretations of this passage a mere century ago. Then came science fiction. Then came modern technology. Soon, the biblical reality will also come.

We should note the importance of image to this growing beast system. Just as God created mankind in His image, the enemy has a counterfeit image here. Additionally, Jesus is both the express Image of the invisible God and the true Son of Man.[viii] Not to be outdone, the enemy has a counterfeit: His lawless one is his ideal “son of man” and the visible image of his father the devil.[ix]

5. The Mark of the Beast

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Revelation 13:16-18

The image of the beast, the false prophet and the antichrist all work together in a satanic concert of oppression, a kind of unholy trinity visible on the earth. The word goes out that everyone must be marked “on the right hand or the forehead” in order to engage in commerce or purchase daily supplies. But for the grace of God this is a virtual death sentence—death by starvation—for all who will not take the mark. It is intended to be.

The evil one is out to eradicate all of God’s people. Why? Obviously, he wants to consolidate the rule of the antichrist, but it goes deeper. First, he hates God and all who stand with Him. Second, he is jealous of us. Wait, I thought he despises us. He does, but many believe that his envy of our position provoked his rebellion. God placed us a little lower than the angels, but the plan all along was to elevate us above them. This the evil one could not abide. Third, the Lord God is just. Jesus cannot return to earth if no one wants him to reign down here. Our Lord would never “steal” the earth away from Satan who legally (though dishonorably) gained his position as “god of this world” through Adam’s sin. But if the Lord has a large enough remnant on earth calling for Him to come and laying down our lives in utter devotion to Jesus as earth’s rightful Lord, then the way has been made straight for the Return. Just as the False Prophet prepares the way for the antichrist, so the Bride prepares the way for the real Christ.

6. The Ultimate Deception

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. Revelation 16 12-14

This gruesome image shows us further diabolical cooperation between the antichrist and the false prophet, this time in conjunction with the dragon, rather than the image of the beast. From “out of the mouth” of all three evils spirits gush forth with the appearance of frogs. Not to pick on frogs, but as reptiles they are cold-blooded and “relatives” of snakes and crocodiles. All these hearken back to the Nile, Egypt and the plagues sent by God in that first mass liberation of His believing people. So now, these frog-like spirits swarm upon the earth carrying a plague of deception which will lead many to their doom. They perform signs which target the “kings of the whole world” with a brazen lie, causing them to believe that they can withstand God Almighty in the Last Battle. Again, here is the power of deception: We know God is “Almighty”; they don’t.

7. Captivity and Punishment

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Revelation 19:19-20

The final battle doesn’t go well for the unholy trinity. The first beast evidently leads the kings into battle but all who follow him are slain.[x] Only the first beast and the false prophet are taken captive. Did the second beast set religion aside to don the battle gear of a warrior, or was he stationed nearby in a vain attempt to “bless” the campaign? We can be reasonably certain that as the head of luciferian worship world-wide, he would be well-practiced in satanic ritual and sacrifice, though this is never specifically mentioned.

Incidentally, this is only the second time in Revelation that the second beast is called by the title he is best known for, the False Prophet. We will hear it again in the next chapter. For now, both the false prophet and the first beast are “thrown alive” into the lake of fire, there to be “tormented day and night forever and ever.”[xi] When it is considered that this dire ending was prophesied in advance, one can only wonder how this deceiver of the nations was himself deceived. Did he really think his ‘’god” was greater than ours?

8. One Final Mention

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:7-10

A final mention is made of the false prophet in this passage describing events that occur one thousand years into the future. At the end of the millennial reign of Jesus, the devil is released from captivity in hell, and goes forth with another mad plan to stir up rebellion. Amazing, a great mass of people buys into his deception and joins up to attack the One whose kingdom ushered in the greatest time of restoration, peace and well-being that the earth has ever seen.

How is it possible that so many will want to throw off that yoke? And yet, even the angels in heaven cast off His benevolent reign eons ago at the promptings of this same master deceiver. Nevertheless, the rebellion is quickly crushed. The thoroughly disgraced and defeated foe is at long last thrown into that same lake of fire which he led millions of others to perish within. We are told that two who are still burning with him are the antichrist and the false prophet. This most unholy trinity receives its eternal reward.

Other Scriptures to Study

1. Zechariah: Speaking Lies

And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. Zechariah 13:2-4

2. Jesus: Recognize Them by their Fruits

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:15-23

3. Peter: They Will Be Among Us

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

4. John: Test the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

Next Crucial Component

The Antichrist Here’s the villain of the story. This archenemy of humanity and of the Lord Himself is going to make his way onto the world stage several years before Jesus arrives. And there is nothing we can do to stop him. Trained by the Enemy and likely possessed by him, this cruel deceiver will be deceived. He will be fully convinced he can succeed in destroying the church, enslaving humanity, and seizing the earth as his own dominion. But the Lord will overthrow him “with the breath of his mouth” and destroy him “by the splendor of his coming.” Don’t overrate his power, but don’t underrate his cruelty. Here’s what we can know about him now.

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The False Prophet

Endnotes

[ii] But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” Jonah 1:4-6

[iii] Adam is the type; Jesus, the “second Adam” is the antitype: Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Romans 5:14

[iv] Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. Jeremiah 23:16

[v] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

[vi] Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

[vii] The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

[viii] Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:3 KJV

[ix] You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

[x] And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. Revelation 19:21

[xi] And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10

Details: Written by Super User; Category: Components; Published: April 09 2019; Hits: 10090

Crucial Components of the Last Days

What an incredible cast of characters fill the events of the Last Days! If Jesus' life could be called “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, what superlative can we reach for to describe the culmination of His Story? For all of our history reveals His Story, the story of the long-awaited, highly-contested return of an all-conquering King and of a people being prepared through the ages to receive Him.

Naturally, there are villains enough to go around, even villains on a cosmic scale. But there are heroes aplenty, too. Some of them may be some of us. Lord, let it be!

List of Articles

The Birth Pains The steady increase of calamities both natural and man-made have many thinking (fearing) that the “end of the world” is upon us. Wars and threats of war, freakish weather, earthquakes and famines are certainly signs of an end, but they are not signs of the End. They are signs warning us that the age of grace (begun at the cross) is drawing to a close. Jesus calls these events “the beginning of the birth pangs” and says that we are not to be alarmed by them. Why? Far worse is coming!

The Great Tribulation How many times do we Christians complain that the Lord doesn’t tell us enough about what’s coming up in our lives? It’s the unknown that scares us when He leads us beyond our comfort zone. A little extra information would sure help us trust Him better, or so we think. Unless you carry that thought into all the revelation He has given us about the greatest time of trial of them all—the Great Tribulation. We know more about Jesus’ Second Coming, than Israel knew about His first coming. Yet, rather than feel prepared to go through it, many devoutly wish to be whisked away! This time of trial is worth a much closer look.

The False Prophet Just as the antichrist is a counterfeit messiah, so the false prophet is a pseudo John the Baptist. His nefarious role will be in preparing the world to receive the lawless one as a man of peace and the answer to the world’s problems. This he will accomplish by creating a one world religion, something that for centuries has seemed utterly impossible. Nevertheless, there are already signs that this merging of the world’s religions is in the making. Even Christians and Jews will be taken in by this deception, so it’s worth understanding in advance all that we can know of the false prophet’s ways.

The Mark of the Beast Whatever you do, do NOT take this mark! Some of the direst imprecations (curses) in scripture are spoken against those who take the mark of the beast. Without question, the unbelieving and unperceiving world will take it to their doom. Either they will be wooed by worshipping the beast into thinking it is somehow for their good; or they will take it against their better judgment due to the threat of death or slow starvation that are imposed on those who refuse it. Christians will know better, but this gift of revelation comes at high demand: Even Christians who take it will be damned forever. Don’t take it!

Mystery Babylon Though there are many contenders, one of the most riveting images from the Book of Revelation is that of the “Great Whore” riding a scarlet beast—the antichrist himself. She doesn’t know it, but she is being carried to her doom. Such a divine judgment is pronounced upon her that all her wealth and worldly glory are destroyed in a single day. Even the beast is said to throw her down, trampling her the way rodeo bulls do their unseated riders. She is called “Mystery Babylon.” The larger part of that mystery, no doubt, is the “mystery of lawlessness” at work in the Last Days. The abiding mystery for us, however, is just who this fallen woman represents. Does she represent the United States of America?

The Dragon What monstrosities dragons are! In legends the mere sight of them inspires terror, panic and mind-numbing fear. Swooping down suddenly upon helpless villagers they wreak havoc from the skies with no thought of mercy, spreading confusion and destruction in their wake. Slaying the living, stealing their treasures and hording the wealth—that’s what they do. It’s what our enemy does, too. Also called the prince of the power of the air, this evil one roams the heavens, the earth and the realms of the dead. Like the fire-breathing dragons of old, this ancient deceiver cannot be killed by human hand. Its going to take the Lord and His holy angels to defeat him. And defeat him they will. But we will have to wade through his havoc to get there.

Israel and the Jews It may come as a shock to some Christians who think that Israel has been supplanted by the Church, but the final outcome of the Last Days will be a glorious restoration of God’s first-chosen people. The Bible is filled with prophecies describing this still future destiny for the Jews and Jerusalem. Let us remember that Jesus Himself is a Jewish man and will be so forever. That is by His choice. So, let us watch over our Jewish brethren worldwide with prayer and great care as the Lord works through the terrible events of the Tribulation to break down the dividing walls separating His Jewish Bride from Himself.

The Two Last Battles How is it possible that there are two last battles? Shouldn’t one have been catastrophic enough? Couldn’t one have decided the issue once and for all? Wouldn’t one have taught everyone which side to be on for the second? Evidently not. Because there are two “last” battles confusion naturally spreads around them. This makes it difficult to know how they match up with the prophetic texts that describe wars that happen in “the latter days.” The Latter Days cover a lot of time! These colossal conflicts serve as bookends to the Millennium—the thousand years of peace. The first one erupts when Jesus returns to reign and the other explodes after He reigns for one thousand years of unprecedented peace and prosperity. Both battles are gathered into one article here in hopes that it will lessen the confusion to see these accounts in close succession. They have one thing in common: an undefeated Commander.

The Return of the King With all of the focus you see on the web, or on the bookshelves, you would think that the Last Days are all about the antichrist. They’re not! Jesus is the central figure. He is the soon coming King which all the tumultuous events are preparing the earth to receive. Moreover, He is the One continually at work through His Word and His Spirit to help His believing people endure all that He will be asking of us. Nor is the Rapture primarily about our ascent, as it is us joining Him in His great descent. We’re not leaving! And neither is He…

The Two Last Judgments Just as we have two Last Battles, so we also have two Last Judgments. It’s no wonder that the Last Days are so confusing. It’s typically very hard for the average person to keep these dual events straight, much less sort out all the other mysteries. Here is a rule of thumb: The Judgment Seat of Christ is the First Last Judgment. It comes right before the Millennium. Jesus does the judging and this one is primarily for believers. The Final Last Judgment is The Great White Throne judgment. It comes right after the Millennium. Father God does the judging for that one and it is primarily for non-believers. Got it? Good because from here on in there are complications and exceptions too numerous to mention! Mercifully, we don’t have to know the details in advance. We just need to be on good terms with the “Judge of all the Earth.”

Jesus Own Timeline With all the hoopla about the Rapture, one could easily suppose that rising to “meet the Lord in the air” will be the high point of the Last Days. Not on your life! He is coming down with us, not going up! The whole point and purpose of the End Times is to bring to an end humanity’s reign on earth—the kingdoms of fallen man—so that His own glorious kingdom can come. Jesus will be with us on the earth reigning as King, unhindered by Satan for one thousand years. What a strange and wonderful time that will be. Good thing we have scriptures to help us imagine it.

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