Embedded Files
71. (PART 1) -Revelation Chapter 12
and Revelation Chapter 13.
-Revelation Chapter 1-
I will only touch lightly on a few chapters within the book of Revelation, because it is prophecy towards the "end time" of mankind's history, into the years of the Sixth Kingdom of The Lord Jesus, which as I have said before, verifies Daniel's prophecies.
As we know, Jesus revealed factual historical prophecy to the people, when "He" walked the earth centuries ago. Matthew chapter 24, is a good example of this.
Jesus also placed in Matthew's chapter, and verse 15, the "key" to unlocking this prophetic door. When the "key turns" in the door of Daniel's chapters, the door to prophetic understanding is opened wide and historical fact begins to pour out.
Many a biblical student has tried to understand Daniel's prophecies and at times used guesswork and conjecture, overlaid with some historical events.
One must work in a roundabout way to get at the absolute truth, this is the way prophecy has been hidden for so long. The truth to work from, is the "ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION", (Matthew 24 : 15), which Daniel explains over and over and Revelation expresses the same view again.
We know the book of Revelation was written by Saint John. The Lord Jesus's Angel appeared to Saint John, giving him the happenings for future history and cementing past history from his time, which was approx; AD 96.
It is apparent again, that we must clarify both the position of God and Jesus, before we enter into the words of Revelation.
Revelation 1 : 8. "I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING, SAITH THE LORD, WHICH IS, WHICH WAS AND WHICH IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY".
These great words do not amalgamate Jesus Christ "as" God The Father, as the one same Person. These 2 Great Persons are 2 separate entities, sometimes endowed with similar titles. Verse 8 is placing the "seal" of God Almighty, on the words spoken by the Angel of Our Lord, in the same manner that the angel, as a messenger from the heavens, gives Saint John the meaning of Christ's role between God and man, in Revelation verses 5 to 7. Verse 6, verifies the 2 persons of Jesus and God His FATHER! But, because they are so much alike genetically and spiritually, heaven classes them as "One", in action and thought always, which we read of in John 10 : 30. "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE".
Earthly persons who see father and son so much alike in families, use the expression, "that the son is the spit of his father". So, it is with God the Father and His Son the Lord Jesus.
The big mistake many people make is to call Jesus, God, or calling upon Mary as the mother of God. Jesus is "a" God, but "not" God the Father. Many proofs in biblical Scripture bear this out. Jesus Himself clarified for us His position in heaven and earth, when he said, "MY FATHER IS GREATER THAN I", (John 14 : 28).
Again, He went out to the Mount of Olives and prayed to God the Father, saying, "NOT MY WILL BUT THINE". Thereby showing 2 separate persons with a single thought and action, (Luke 22 : 42). Again, He cried out to God, "WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME"? (Matthew 27 : 46).
God Himself told us, who Jesus was at His baptism and anointing, when The Lord God said, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON", (Matthew 3 : 17).
The favourite verses many people quote, to prove Jesus is none other than God the Father is in John 1 : 1,2. "IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD".
Verse 2:- "THE SAME WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD".
These "Words" that were spoken about Jesus, were of HIS heritage and family tree, John 1 : 14. "AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH".
These verses tell us, that before all-time factors of the beginning of everything, Jesus was with God. Then, when the "idea" for the making of heaven, earth and humankind were formed, the Great Beings God and Jesus spoke words, which came to pass. God created everything we know about the earth in the beginning, (Genesis 1 : 1).
By the time we humans read the Bible story and Genesis 1 : 26, the duality of the "words" are apparent saying:- "AND GOD SAID, LET "US" MAKE MAN IN "OUR" IMAGE, AFTER "OUR" LIKENESS". This is "why" Saint John could say, the "Word", Jesus, WAS WITH GOD and also was "A" God at the beginning of time. The "Words" were spoken for the heavens, earth and mankind to be made.
Many Bible students don't like the idea that all things were "predestined," before the foundation of the world, centuries before The Lord Jesus walked the earth and we also before we were born, which Ephesians 1 : 4,5 explains to us.
Verse 4:- "ACCORDING AS HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLAME BEFORE HIM IN LOVE".
Verse 5:- "HAVING PREDESTINED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN BY JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL".
During our time on earth, we -like Jesus-, must choose what to follow, our fleshly will or God's. We must accept the fact that, the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, was with God before our world came into being, because the Plan for the world and its peoples, was to be set in motion from its foundation. All problems in that plan were predicted, foreseen and foreordained. This is the work that a great architect would do, when drafting such an involved plan and before it was set in motion.
Everything that God does has exact planning, with Laws to govern all the wonderful structures within it, down to the smallest detail!
For instance, when modern science uncovered some of the biological workings of humankind, they found laws and patterns in the DNA spiral of life.
Again, scientists have noted that each little snowflake that falls to the ground, when put under a microscope, shows us beautiful individual patterns.
Mankind in other centuries within history, had no concept that any of these things existed.
The "little book" the Bible, has gigantic things to say to us and it explains over and over how different things work, we must learn that Jesus was a Godlike entity, "before" our world came into being. Let us examine a few verses towards this statement.
John 17 : 5:- "AND NOW O FATHER, GLORIFY THOU ME WITH THINE OWN SELF WITH THE GLORY WHICH I HAD WITH THEE BEFORE THE WORLD WAS".
John 17 : 24:- "FATHER, I WILL THAT THEY ALSO, WHOM THOU HAS GIVEN ME, BE WITH ME WHERE I AM, THAT THEY MAY BEHOLD MY GLORY, WHICH THOU HAST GIVEN ME; FOR THOU LOVEST ME BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD".
1 Peter 1 : 19,20:- "BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, AS A LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH AND WITHOUT SPOT".
Verse 20:- "WHO VERILY WAS FOREORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, BUT WAS MANIFEST IN THESE LAST TIMES FOR YOU".
Some students of Scripture, explain away these verses of our Lord, being in His person before our world came into birth. Saying, the verses quoted are just an expressive view of life and crucifixion, being foreseen and ordained in God's plan, but "He" was not alive "before" that crucifixion, but just in the mind of God!
Again, this explanation is confused and puts chains on God's power and our Lord's capabilities! Mankind must not look through the fixed ideas of his own human intellect. Nor be afraid to "grasp the nettle" of understanding heavenly persons, within the vastness of space, with its mysteries and its unseen dimensions. We humans are just stupid and fixed in intellect compared with the truth "out there" and even within us and around us. We are like a colony of ants, all running here, there and everywhere, completely absorbed in ourselves and fixed ideas, yet! As ants we run around inside a vast jungle of life, with other creatures, trees, plants, water, sun, etc; having little knowledge of them, so engrossed are we in busy conceit for ourselves. As ants on the ground, we are living and dealing with a vast unknown around us.
To be predestined or fore ordained means, that God is with us all the way, why then should we be anxious or fear?
Saint Paul put "predestination" in a clear lovely way in Romans 8 : 28 - 32.
Verse 29:- "FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN".
When we open the book on the prophet Jeremiah 1 : 4,5. We read how Jeremiah was "foreordained" for his role in life, before he was conceived in the womb, or before his parents had thoughts of him.
Josiah of Judah, who became king, was prophesied by name three hundred years before his birth, in 1 Kings 13 : 2.
Cyrus King of Persia, was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah 44 : 28, - 45 : 1, foretelling this man's power almost 200 years before it happened.
There's no such thing as continual reincarnation from the beginning, or a human returning to life in many forms, in the guise of man or animal over different centuries, each person is an individual always and taken note of in every detail. Our Lord explained this to us in Luke 12 : 6,7. "ARE NOT FIVE SPARROWS SOLD FOR TWO FARTHINGS AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS FORGOTTEN BEFORE GOD"?
Verse 7:- "BUT EVEN THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED. FEAR NOT THEREFORE; YE ARE MORE VALUE THAN MANY SPARROWS".
Though we were known and fashioned before we were born in our time zone, we were given freedom of self will, to live our lives according to ourselves.
The only time individual persons are alike and seem to repeat their lives on earth, is when they operate directly through the Spirit and power of the heavens. Which we read about in the story of Elijah and John the Baptist, seen in Matthew 17 : 10 - 13. Which the prophet Malachi explains in Malachi 4 : 5,6.
Yet! The prediction here, was fulfilled in that time by John the Baptist and again to be fulfilled by Elijah's future power and ministry in gathering the peoples, especially to the "House of Judah". These types of persons as special prophets, are "set aside" within mankind to do a specific work. Saint Paul explained a good persons future "incarnation," Acts 24 : 15.
"AND HAVE HOPE TOWARD GOD, WHICH THEY THEMSELVES ALSO ALLOW, THAT THERE SHALL BE A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, BOTH OF THE JUST AND UNJUST".
Read also, 1 Corinthians 15 : 20 - 23, - 43 - 45, - 51 -54. When Jesus rose from the dead, he showed us we take on the likeness of our natural bodies, when we also return from the dead. Thus, recognisable to all, which occurs "after" mankind's first death. When one reads Revelation chapters 20 and 21, we see within these words, another life again for peoples who will live within the thousand years of rule, upon the earth of the Lord's Kingdom. Which Daniel the prophet told us all about, especially in chapters 7 and 12. This then is later and only reincarnation when the first judgement and resurrection of the bodily person has happened. Revelation 20 : 11 - 14, - 21 : 5- 8 explains further, about the reincarnation of peoples before a second death. At the end of all mankind's problems and judgements, there will be a great upheaval of heaven and earth, when there will be a reincarnation of the universe. The planet earth and its peoples, will have no memory of a previous life. The prophet Isaiah told us this in chapter 65 : 16 - 25.
Verse 16:- "THAT HE WHO BLESSETH HIMSELF IN THE EARTH SHALL BLESS HIMSELF IN THE GOD OF TRUTH, AND HE THAT SWEARETH IN THE EARTH SHALL SWEAR BY THE GOD OF TRUTH; BECAUSE THE FORMER TROUBLES ARE FORGOTTEN AND BECAUSE THEY ARE HID FROM MINE EYES".
Verse 17:- "FOR, BEHOLD, I CREATE A NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH; AND THE FORMER SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED, NOR COME INTO MIND".
Verse 18:- "BUT BE YE GLAD AND REJOICE FOREVER IN THAT WHICH CREATE; FOR, BEHOLD, I CREATE JERUSALEM A REJOICING AND HER PEOPLE A JOY".
Verse 19:- "AND I WILL REJOICE IN JERUSALEM AND JOY IN MY PEOPLE; AND THE VOICE OF WEEPING SHALL BE NO MORE HEARD IN HER, NOR THE VOICE OF CRYING".
Verse 20:- "THERE SHALL BE NO MORE THENCE AN INFANT OF DAYS, NOR AN OLD MAN THAT HATH NOT FILLED HIS DAYS; FOR THE CHILD SHALL DIE AN HUNDRED YEARS OLD; BUT THE SINNER BEING AN HUNDRED YEARS OLD SHALL BE ACCURSED".
Verse 21:- "AND THEY SHALL BUILD HOUSES AND INHABIT THEM; AND THEY SHALL PLANT VINEYARDS AND EAT THE FRUIT OF THEM".
Verse 22:- "THEY SHALL NOT BUILD AND ANOTHER INHABIT; THEY SHALL NOT PLANT AND ANOTHER EAT; FOR AS THE DAYS OF A TREE ARE THE DAYS OF MY PEOPLE AND MINE ELECT SHALL LONG ENJOY THE WORK OF THEIR HANDS".
Verse 23:- "THEY SHALL NOT LABOUR IN VAIN, NOR BRING FORTH TROUBLE; FOR THEY ARE THE SEED OF THE BLESSED OF THE LORD AND THEIR OFFSPRING WITH THEM".
Verse 24:- "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT BEFORE THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER; AND WHILE THEY ARE YET SPEAKING, I WILL HEAR".
Verse 25:- "THE WOLF AND THE LAMB SHALL FEED TOGETHER AND THE LION SHALL EAT STRAW LIKE THE BULLOCK AND DUST SHALL BE THE SERPENTS MEAT. THEY SHALL NOT HURT NOR DESTROY IN MY HOLY MOUNTAIN, SAITH THE LORD". This is the elected mankind reincarnated on a grand scale, when they will live thousands of years like a tree!
Let us go further with these events. What about the saying Jesus made, when He spoke to the people of his day, written in John 10 : 30 -35?
First, He said, "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE", or both are alike in thought and deed.
Jesus also continued to explain in these verses, that even mankind can make a claim to the heavens, within this context. Jesus answered the Jews of His day saying. "IS IT NOT WRITTEN IN YOUR LAW, I SAID, YE ARE GODS?". The law to which Jesus referred is in Psalm 82 : 5 - 7.
Verse 5:- "THEY KNOW NOT, NEITHER WILL THEY UNDERSTAND; THEY WALK ON IN DARKNESS; ALL THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH ARE OUT OF COURSE".
Verse 6:- "I HAVE SAID, YE ARE GODS; AND ALL OF YOU ARE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH".
Verse 7:- "BUT YE SHALL DIE LIKE MEN AND FALL LIKE ONE OF THE PRINCES".
Mankind itself was forged from the powers of God, a separate being from all other beings in the universe. Man took on the image and likeness of the Most High, God's "life force" was breathed into him. Man was blessed and told to multiply and angels walked the earth to protect him from himself. God loved many of them, chastising them to prove their worth.
Man failed, so He gave a Spiritual Being, His Son, as a Sacrifice to save them, so they wouldn't all be lost forever more, why? Because they were made as "gods" from the beginning, therefore, they could not be left to wither and die for all time!
Inside every one of us, within that quiet spirit of God, lurks an awesome potential. We are capable of destroying mountains, walking on water, curing our own ills and overcoming the laws that govern the earth. All because we were given certain elements of the heavens within our makeup, when classed as the children of God.
This is the reason why Jesus said that "THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU", (Luke 17 : 21).
Therefore, we are all one with God the Father and our Lord Jesus, being forged from the desire of The Holy Spirit, but we destroy that position ourselves, with our unruly self-will.
Reincarnation or incarnation, is the act of taking on a human body and the nature of reincarnation is futuristic and not past action within the centuries of people's history.
Our earthly bodies live and die within a set of laws, we cannot undo it! The spirit within us is the other half of the person, who can change our earthly bodies eventually, Biblical Scripture has told us this so many times. For instance, we read how graves were opened and many bodies of the saints arose, who appeared to many people, during the time that Jesus also gave His Spirit release, during his death upon that cross, (Matthew 27 : 52 - 53). None of these spirits flew down from heaven, they remained with the decaying bodies.
So "many" people believe erroneously, their spirits go to heaven when they die, or they are reincarnated.
To sum up here, only God and His Son are Alpha and Omega, or the beginning and the end of all things, which Revelation 1 : 8 records and Rev. 21 : 6, 22 : 13.
I shall skip a number of chapters in Revelation until we stop at chapter 12, because, from chapter 12 is again the description of the beast-dragon, that we have already unravelled in Daniel's prophecies. This repeating of prophecy is essential, so that the historical picture is coloured in more and more and with great depth in the understanding of it all. We must "hear" the words of the Bible as our Lord commanded. Rev. 22 : 7, "BLESSED IS HE THAT KEEPETH THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK".
Revelation Chapter 12.
Revelation 12 : 1,2:- "AND THERE APPEARED A GREAT WONDER IN HEAVEN; A WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN AND THE MOON UNDER HER FEET AND UPON HER HEAD A CROWN OF TWELVE STARS".
Verse 2:- "AND SHE BEING WITH CHILD CRIED, TRAVAILING IN BIRTH AND PAINED TO BE DELIVERED". The "WOMAN" in this chapter here depicted, is a vision of a subject, which conveys a "literal" meaning.
The "vision" is a literal woman out of Israel and is the biblical prophetic history surrounding this WOMAN. She is Rachel, chosen mother of the "second lineage", standing for the tribes of Israel. Many religious peoples of churches have chosen Mary the mother of Jesus to fulfil this vision. Other pastors have taught that we are dealing with the true church of God, -whoever that may be.- It is "not" Mary, neither is it a certain "type" of church in the world today. The "vision" has a much broader meaning in history, than either of these 2 ideas teach.
Let us understand "why" the WOMAN stands for Israel and is the beloved wife of Jacob/Israel. This WOMAN who is CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, was chosen in righteousness before God and was elevated above the earth, to bring forth children according to HEAVENLY glory and power. The chosen remnant of people out of the nation of Israel, were forged through the "WOMAN" from Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Ruth, Hannah, Esther, Elizabeth, Mary etc; This second lineage of WOMEN comes through and is directed through the Spirit belonging to the heavens, hence she being clothed with the Sun, The giver of Life!
It is not of men, whose lineage is carnal of the earth.
Because of this "second choice" of things by God, it is Rachel, wife of Israel (not Jacob), who fulfils this "vision" in Revelation 12, as a GREAT WONDER.
I know this sounds involved, so let us again unravel this story which is written earlier on in this book. Though this "WOMAN" was seen in glory in the HEAVENS, with the SUN CLOTHING her and THE MOON AT HER FEET, this picture has other meanings besides, that of epitomising a chosen people, that of the nation of Israel!
The prophetic history of this "WOMAN" who was Israel's wife, is well recorded in the Bible, which people degenerated from a chosen race of tribes, into evil idolatrous people, they were forsaking their one true God, The Holy One of Israel is His name.
The WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, also means that the SUN for her people, also became an object of worship and adoration, copied from other peoples in the lands of the old world in times past. The MOON UNDER HER FEET, was also an object of worship and was not separated from the worship of the SUN. THE WOMAN was also given a LIGHT called Jesus, to help her walk in the darkness of the night.
The Israelites were caught up in this peculiar mixed worship over the centuries, in the name of other gods, such as Baal and the goddess Ashtoreth, who was then the queen of heaven, (Judges 2 : 11 -13). Later in history, the Israelites spoke of Mary as the Queen of heaven.
Let us have a quick look as to "why" Rachel is so placed.
Beautiful Rachel was the only woman chosen by Jacob and was loved as the wife of Israel. -A spiritual name given by God to Jacob, meaning, "He strives with God and prevails", (Genesis 32 : 28). Her elder sister Leah cheated both Jacob and Rachel on the wedding night, by substitution, secretly taking Rachel's place.
Jacob was also given 2 wives namely Bilhah and Zilpah, who were maidservants to Rachel and Leah. From these 4 women came the 12 sons of Jacob/Israel, yet! Because of love and the patterns of Law in the "second choice" of peoples set in motion by God, it is Rachel who is classed in prophecy as the "mother" of all Israel.
We must remember also, that from the beginning of Rachel's, story she had favoured pagan images, stealing them from her father and hiding them from all in deceit, thereby bringing guilt down upon Jacob's head, (Genesis 31 : 30 - 37) and eventual idolatry upon the tribes.
Rachel is later classed as "weeping" for her children by the prophets, which were her natural sons Joseph and Benjamin, yet! This long term prophetic "weeping" is classed in a much wider scope, encompassing Leah's Bilhah's and Zilpah's children also, such as Judah and Levi, with Benjamin amongst them, which we read of in Matthew 2 : 16 -18.
This chapter in Matthew tells how King Herod of Judea, searching for the prophetic future King Jesus, of the lineage of Judah, slaughtered the male babies in that land.
The lamentation in Matthew's verses one notes, has Rachel weeping and mourning for her children, when most of these babes who were slaughtered, were under the banner of the "House of Judah", children of Jacob's other wife Leah, though Benjamin's children were amongst them.
Within the "House of Israel" within the Gentile nations, are most of Rachel's children, that of Joseph, her adopted son Dan, her grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim. They had all been removed from the land of Israel many years previously and gone far away into the wilderness.
Verse 15:- "THUS SAITH THE LORD, A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, LAMENTATION, AND BITTER WEEPING; RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED FOR HER CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT".
Verse 16:- "THUS SAITH THE LORD; REFRAIN THY VOICE FROM WEEPING AND THINE EYES FROM TEARS; FOR THY WORK SHALL BE REWARDED, SAITH THE LORD; AND THEY SHALL COME AGAIN FROM THE LAND OF THE ENEMY".
Verse 17:- "AND THERE IS HOPE IN THINE END, SAITH THE LORD THAT THY CHILDREN SHALL COME AGAIN TO THEIR OWN BORDER".
One should note in these verses, that most of her children had been removed from their own land, into other lands of the enemy.
This chapter 31, goes on to explain about RACHEL'S GRANDSON Ephraim etc;
Rachel was buried near Ramah and Jerusalem at Bethlehem and the sorrow of her spirit has wept ever since through the centuries. Her sorrow was being completed for Benjamin within the House of Judah, which we read of in Matthew 2 : 16- 18.
Through these prophecies, Rachel was represented as the "mother of Israel" and the WOMAN in Revelation 12.
What of the idolatry? The "WOMAN" in Revelation 12? She is also the adulterous wife seen in Hosea chapters 2 and 3. Because of the worship of the SUN AND MOON, with the gods of Baal in idolatry, Hosea called the "House of Israel" an adulterous wife.
Israel's idolatry was in full swing under King Ahab and his Baal worshipping wife Jezebel, until God destroyed them for worshipping Astarte (Ashtoreth) queen of heaven, instead of Him.
Hosea 2 : 13. "AND I WILL VISIT UPON HER THE DAYS OF BAALIM, WHEREIN SHE BURNED INCENSE TO THEM AND SHE DECKED HERSELF WITH HER EARRINGS AND HER JEWELS AND SHE WENT AFTER HER LOVERS AND FORGAT ME, SAITH THE LORD".
The "House of Israel", whose mother is Rachel, has continued to play the harlot through generations of her children, with other gods, kings, rituals and other nations foreign to God, during her long journeys through the centuries of history. To this day, as we head into the twenty first century, the Israelite nations in the earth have put "The Holy One of Israel" aside and gone whoring after darkness and folly!
Many peoples like to think that Revelation 12, speaks of this WOMAN, being the structure of the Christian church, being chastised, then saved, thereby setting themselves up in a righteous way. This conceited idea belittles God's plans, purposes and prophecies, written for our learning so long ago. Jeremiah, Hosea, Revelation and other prophets are torn to the heart, searching for the lost tribes of Israel, especially the lost "elected seed" of Jerusalem and Zion.
The 12 STARS upon the head of the WOMAN Rachel in Revelation, proves the situation in the earth of whom it speaks for, namely 12 tribes of Israel!
Again, Revelation 7 : 3 - 8, gives the names of the saved seed of Israelite children in tribes, who, as STARS, will shine forever upon the head of the woman Rachel/Israel.
The WOMAN bride seen in Revelation 19 : 7, is a verse for the restoration of the "elected seed", from out of all the children of Israel, who have made a "new" covenant with God, through the sacrifice of the Redeemer out of Judah.
These "elect" will be betrothed to God as a bride, with judgement and mercy, which is written Hosea 2 : 16 - 23.
Verse 16:- "AND IT SHALL BE IN THAT DAY, SAITH THE LORD, THAT THOU SHALT CALL ME ISHI; (husband) AND SHALL CALL ME NO MORE BAALI (my Lord)".
Verse 17:- "FOR I WILL TAKE AWAY THE NAME OF BAALIM OUT OF HER MOUTH, AND THEY SHALL NO MORE BE REMEMBERED BY THEIR NAME".
Verse 18:- "AND IN THAT DAY WILL I MAKE A COVENANT FOR THEM WITH THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD, AND WITH THE FOWLS OF HEAVEN, AND WITH THE CREEPING THINGS OF THE GROUND; AND I WILL BREAK THE BOW AND THE SWORD AND THE BATTLE OUT OF THE EARTH, AND WILL MAKE THEM TO LIE DOWN SAFELY".
Verse 19:- "AND I WILL BETROTH THEE UNTO ME FOREVER; YEA, I WILL BETROTH THEE UNTO ME IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND IN JUDGEMENT, AND IN LOVING KINDNESS AND IN MERCIES".
Verse 20:- "I WILL EVEN BETROTH THEE UNTO ME IN FAITHFULNESS; AND THOU SHALT KNOW THE LORD".
Verse 21:- "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY, I WILL HEAR, SAITH THE LORD, I WILL HEAR THE HEAVENS, AND THEY SHALL HEAR THE EARTH".
Verse 22:- "AND THE EARTH SHALL HEAR THE CORN, AND THE WINE, AND THE OIL, AND THEY SHALL HEAR JEZREEL".
Verse 23:- "AND I WILL SOW HER UNTO ME IN THE EARTH; AND I WILL HAVE MERCY UPON HER THAT HAD NOT OBTAINED MERCY; AND I WILL SAY TO THEM WHICH WERE NOT MY PEOPLE. THOU ART MY PEOPLE; AND THEY SHALL SAY, THOU ART MY GOD".
The whole book of Hosea explains the woman with 12 stars upon her head in Revelation chapter 12. Hosea laments the idolatry and harlotry of Israel and Judah offends, (Hosea 4 : 15). The "pride" of the House of Israel is profound, both they and the House of Judah fell from their power, (Hosea chapter 5). Israel is swallowed up in the Gentile nations in the earth and Rachel's Grandson Ephraim has made altars to sin, (Hosea chapter 8). Prophecy is explaining how to find the "Bride" of Jesus Christ. The "Bride" of Israel in older times was Rachel, the "Bride" of Christ is Rachel's seed and from the tribes, at the end of time and prophecy.
In Revelation 21 : 9, one of the angels shows Saint John the "Bride" the Lamb's wife. The continuing verses of this chapter explain a new Jerusalem and how its building -as a Bride-, represents the hundred and forty four thousand of the saved and how they are represented in precious stones etc; These precious jewels representing the Israelite tribes, were from the beginning placed before the eyes of God, when worn by the High Priest of Israel.
The Priest was clothed in an Ephod (or sacred garment), upon which rested the "breast plate", which was held front and back by 2 shoulder pieces in Onyx stone, engraved with 6 names of the tribes of Israel. Attached to the Ephod, was the breastplate held with chains of gold. The breastplate contained 12 precious stones, each stone representing the 12 tribes of Israel, thus, presenting the tribes before God, by the High Priest.
The stones were Amethyst, Beryl, Carbuncle (Garnet), Diamond, Emerald, Jacinth, Jasper, Onyx, Sardius, Topaz, Sapphire, Agate (Chalcedony), (Exodus 28).
From the very beginning to the end of the words of God, in the Bible, the elected seed, or "bride of the Lamb" (Christ) is not forgotten!
Jerusalem appears coming from the heavens in the same manner, as the woman with 12 stars upon her head, in Revelation chapter 12.
Many scholars look for the Universal Church to fulfil these prophecies of the "bride of the Lamb" Jesus. That concept is just fulfilling one's imagination without reasonable proof. Others say, the 12 tribes of Israel cannot fulfil this prophecy of the "bride", because they became an adulterous wife, seen in Hosea's chapters and the "bride" is a virgin. In Hosea the adulterous woman Israel, had not then attained the Lamb, called Christ, as the sacrifice. Later in history Rachel's children accepted "Him". The bride "has" to come out of the Israelite tribes to prove God kept His promises so long ago, sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel.
The "Bride" is the virgin "seed" of the daughters of Zion and Jerusalem, of people who kept their faith with God and His Christ, over the centuries, who will be made honourable in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call, and waiting for the King Jesus the Lamb to appear!
One must look at these prophecies in a factual manner, they are not set to suit particular religious people's ideas, or fantasies!
"AND SHE BEING WITH CHILD CRIED, TRAVAILING IN BIRTH AND PAINED TO BE DELIVERED". This verse speaks of the trauma for the daughters of Zion and Jerusalem, out of all Israel. Which Rachel, as their mother of all Israel, actually carried out before her death, her spirit crying for centuries. Whose grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh rules in the earth, whose son Joseph protects all Israel. Whose son Benjamin, amongst Judah's sons, helps gather the daughter of Jerusalem, whose adopted son Dan sits in judgement in the earth.
When Rachel TRAVAILED at the BIRTH of Benjamin before she died, she set in motion cries of mourning and pain for her children. God heard her voice down through the ages. The crying of her children was heard as they were punished in many nations, they suffered because of their idolatry and faithlessness.
The daughter of Israel, (Rachel) had to endure her pain and wait for the Babe Jesus of her salvation for many years, thus, to deliver a Redeemer from her pain, to bring Israel back to its senses!
Verse 5:- "HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD, YE THAT TREMBLE AT HIS WORD; YOUR BRETHREN THAT HATED YOU, THAT CAST YOU OUT FOR MY SAKE, SAID, LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED; BUT HE SHALL APPEAR TO YOUR JOY AND THEY SHALL BE ASHAMED".
Verse 6:- "A VOICE OF NOISE FROM THE CITY; A VOICE FROM THE TEMPLE, A VOICE OF THE LORD THAT RENDERETH RECOMPENSE TO HIS ENEMIES".
Verse 7:- "BEFORE SHE TRAVAILED, SHE BROUGHT FORTH; BEFORE HER PAIN CAME, SHE WAS DELIVERED OF A MAN CHILD".
Verse 8:- "WHO HATH HEARD SUCH A THING? WHO HATH SEEN SUCH THINGS? SHALL THE EARTH BE MADE TO BRING FORTH IN ONE DAY? OR SHALL A NATION BE BORN AT ONCE? FOR AS SOON AS ZION TRAVAILED, SHE BROUGHT FORTH HER CHILDREN".
Verse 9:- "SHALL I BRING TO THE BIRTH AND NOT CAUSE TO BRING FORTH? SAITH THE LORD; SHALL I CAUSE TO BRING FORTH AND SHUT THE WOMB? SAITH THY GOD".
Verse 10:- "REJOICE YE WITH JERUSALEM AND BE GLAD WITH HER, ALL YE THAT LOVE HER; REJOICE FOR JOY WITH HER, ALL YE THAT MOURN FOR HER".
These great words of the prophet Isaiah, were to be partly understood in the following verses of Revelation 12. But the travailing of Zion and Jerusalem to bring forth their children, will happen soon and quickly, through knowledge and truth! Revelation 12 : 3.
"AND THERE APPEARED ANOTHER WONDER IN HEAVEN; AND BEHOLD A GREAT RED DRAGON, HAVING SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS AND SEVEN CROWNS UPON HIS HEADS".
This great WONDER, -or strange and extraordinary thing,- that Saint John saw appearing like a vision in HEAVEN was A GREAT RED DRAGON, with 7 HEADS, 10 HORNS and 7 CROWNS. This is the same "DRAGON" that we read of within Daniel's prophecies. It is "not" the picture of a personal supernatural being called the Devil, or Satan, as so many bible teachers emphatically proclaim. This Devil explanation is useful to mankind, to explain away its long held ritualistic sinful thinking, or to cover the evil within mankind itself.
One can read in Revelation 12 : 9, of the GREAT DRAGON that was also known as the Old Serpent, Devil and Satan. Which are man-made names given to the great sin in our evil world, in days gone by and present time.
Soon we will come to understand that verse, when unravelling this chapter, -The Dragon-, as a Devil creature in mankind's psyche. Comes in very handy when one is unable to understand factual historical prophecy, or one is reluctant to face the fact, that we read that the Devil is the evil of the willpower of men.
Here in verse 3, is the story of the "iron" power of Rome which ruled the earth for centuries. The Great DRAGON'S power, at the time of Saint John's imprisonment in history, was Imperial Rome, whose rule was enforced by the infamous Emperor Domitian. The RED DRAGON had exiled Saint John on the Isle of Patmos, approx; AD 96.
Saint John was shown in visions the unfurling of Roman history, whether past, present and future, to his time, which was to come to peoples upon the earth for centuries and during those times of Rome's worldly power, no other one could break it, because it renewed itself over and over and it grew, as it was to draw all things into its open mouth.
This GREAT RED DRAGON HAD 7 HEADS. -The "RED DRAGON" of Imperial Rome, breathed life into the name and power of the "city" of Rome itself and because of that power, it became famous! Which throughout the centuries grew and grew in all directions, taking on many guises during its long historical journey. -Which Daniel's prophecies have already explained.-
From the time that the Beast, Rome and the "RED DRAGON" obtained power in the earth, it affected all Israel, (both houses) with its 7 HEADS.
The first HEAD was the Roman Kingdom itself, under the Etruscans.
2:- Roman Republic.
3:- Imperial Roman Empire (1st iron leg of the west, seen in Nebuchadnezzar's dream image).
4:- Byzantine Empire (2nd iron leg of east, seen in Nebuchadnezzar's dream image).
5:- Holy Roman Empire.
6:- House of Savoy of Italy.
7:- Italian states under Napoleon Bonaparte, (I-II-III) Kings of France and Italy.
The 10 HORNS that grew out of the DRAGON's body, are the same 10 HORNS of the iron creature that we read of in Daniel chapter 7. These 10 HORNS became the 10 divisions that the Romans carved up within the British Isles, namely:- 1:- Dumnonii, 2:- Belgae, 3:- Artrebates, 4:-Cantii, 5:- Trinovantes, 6:- Iceni, 7:- Coritani, 8:- Brigantes, 9:- Ordovices, 10:- Silures.
These 10 separate Kingdoms, were ruled by Imperial Rome for approx; 400 years.
Then, the following centuries of over a 1,000 years, the British Isles was subject to the Roman Papacy, under the Kingdoms of Saxon, Dane, Norman, etc; until Roman power was severed in the British Isles, in the sixteenth century.
Revelation 12 : 3:- "AND SEVEN CROWNS UPON HIS HEADS". This sentence at the end of verse 3, explains the absolute ruling power that the DRAGON'S HEADS possessed, throughout the long centuries. A "CROWN" is a diadem or mark of respect, as a sovereign power upon the heads growing out of the DRAGON. We have already read of and named these 7 HEADS, who obtained a Roman crown in their own right, so this sentence is fulfilled!
"AND HIS TAIL DREW THE THIRD PART OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN AND DID CAST THEM TO THE EARTH; AND THE DRAGON STOOD BEFORE THE WOMAN WHICH WAS READY TO BE DELIVERED, FOR TO DEVOUR HER CHILD AS SOON AS IT WAS BORN".
Because we are dealing in this chapter of Revelation with real people and real earthly powers, we must translate these words as such. So, verse 4 is telling us that the power of the Roman Dragon, -in two of its forms,- as the Roman Republic and Imperial Rome, at that time had elevated itself to heavenly powers, as sons of God, seen within Daniel's prophecies.
This Dragon's power stretched east and west, its tail thrashing many nations in its wake, thereby encompassing everywhere, the whole nation of Israel had been driven. In the countries of Middle East, especially Judea, resided people belonging to the "Holy seed" of this nation and they were subject to the rulers of Rome.
The "holy seed" of stars are explained in Daniel 12 : 2,3. "AND MANY OF THEM THAT SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH SHALL AWAKE, SOME TO EVERLASTING LIFE, AND SOME TO SHAME AND EVERLASTING CONTEMPT".
Verse 3:- "AND THEY THAT BE WISE SHALL SHINE AS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE FIRMAMENT AND THEY THAT TURN MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE STARS FOREVER AND EVER".
Daniel's prophetic chapters give us the whole historical events, step by step, with the thrashing of the Roman Dragon's tail within nations, from the time of the Roman Republics power which took Greece, of the west wind. Then on into the fighting between Mark Antony, Cleopatra and Pompey, within Egypt, etc; with civil war in Palestine, Rome wielding its power through Europe and into the Britannic Isles. The Dragon's tail caught and thrashed from the east to west, including the "Holy seed" of Israel, or the "STARS OF HEAVEN". Rome cast the people into the ground as nothing and marched over them, some of the righteous people were killed or persecuted as troublemakers.
Revelation 12 : 4:- "AND THE DRAGON STOOD BEFORE THE WOMAN WHICH WAS READY TO BE DELIVERED, FOR TO DEVOUR HER CHILD AS SOON AS IT WAS BORN".
Roman power of the Dragon, under Caesar Augustus, -who had elevated himself to heaven as the Son of God,- spoken by Daniel, could not suffer another son of God to take the throne away. During King Herod's time in Judea, backed by the Roman Dragon's power, they stood before the children of Israel searching for that child, the Roman Dragon was set to destroy that child at its birth. The killing was set in motion to find the promised child that had been born. Rachel, with many of the House of Judah, wept for the children under 2 years old, that had been slaughtered by the Roman dragon, (Matthew chapter 2).
"AND SHE BROUGHT FORTH A MAN CHILD, WHO WAS TO RULE ALL NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON; AND HER CHILD WAS CAUGHT UP UNTO GOD AND TO HIS THRONE".
This Israelite woman with 12 stars upon her head, -signifying Rachel of the 12 tribes of Israel,- through another woman out of those tribes, namely Mary, brought forth a son of Israel who would change the world! This child who became a man, had to Redeem first that which was lost of Israel, then, all the nations of peoples would know of the child's Majesty also. "HIS" all-consuming throne, would eventually reign all nations, putting them under His feet, until everyone learned "WHO" ruled in the kingdoms of men.
Verse 5:- "AND HER CHILD WAS CAUGHT UP UNTO GOD, AND HIS THRONE". The child of Mary/Rachel, had taught truth to His people, had suffered at their hands with the endorsement of the Dragon/Rome. He died Roman style, came back from the dead, and then ascended into the heavens, to sit at the Right Hand of God, because He fulfilled on earth all that was asked of Him and God was pleased with Him, (Acts 1 : 8,9).
Verse 9:- "AND WHEN HE HAD SPOKEN THESE THINGS, WHILE THEY BEHELD, HE WAS TAKEN UP; AND A CLOUD RECEIVED HIM OUT OF THEIR SIGHT".
"AND THE WOMAN FLED INTO THE WILDERNESS WHERE SHE HATH A PLACE PREPARED OF GOD, THAT THEY SHOULD FEED HER THERE A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THREESCORE DAYS". The history of this FLIGHT of Israel and of the WILDERNESS she finally settled in, Daniel has already told us the story, in Daniel 11 : 17 -27.
The WOMAN THAT FLED INTO THE WILDERNESS, with the remnants of her children of the "HOUSE of Israel", is still characterised as Rachel. A great number of the "House of Judah", had been killed by Rome and many taken prisoners, others hiding as an old Lion.
The eagles of Assyria, Persia, Greece and Rome, had witnessed this flight of Israel's children over the centuries. They as tribes, had been gradually heading west into unknown territory, mingled with other nations of Celts and Germanic tribes. They were to settle in the WILDERNESS of the Britannic Isles, which in early times, this island was then at ends of the earth and clouded in mystery. Verse 6:- "WHERE SHE HAD A PLACE PREPARED OF GOD".
This small island was cut off from other lands and the great powers of earlier times that ruled mankind. Being surrounded by seas, the Isles were beyond "The Pillars of Hercules", which was the name for the ends of the earth, at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. Verse 6:- "THAT THEY SHOULD FEED HER THERE A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THREESCORE DAYS".
Rachel's children of the House of Israel, were to become a nation of confused faces, as Daniel tells us in his prayer to God. (Daniel 9 : 7,8). This confession of identity by Daniel belongs to all the House of Judah and to Jerusalem also. They were all driven into many countries.
When verse 6 of Revelation 12 speaks of, -"THEY" SHALL FEED HER,- it happened when the first wave of Israel's children, were amongst the nation known as the Celts, with whom they had merged within the nations of Europe, at that time, entering the Britannic Isles first, approx; 600 BC and onward in time. All this history is written within Daniel's prophecies, indeed, Israel was fed and nourished by these tribal Celts in the Isles.
The first 1,260 days/years, Israel's children grew in number, being hidden from other nation's terrors and were able to put down roots.
The Romans were to hear of these Islands and its artistic people and in BC, Julius Caesar of the Roman Republic touched that WILDERNESS, but went away, however. But the Roman dragon of Imperial Rome, was to remember it many years later.
"AND THERE WAS WAR IN HEAVEN; MICHAEL AND HIS ANGELS FOUGHT AGAINST THE DRAGON; AND THE DRAGON FOUGHT AND HIS ANGELS".
The Great Archangel Michael, and many, many angels of the people, who protected the "House of Israel" and the "House of Judah", within mankind's history in the earth, would eventually fight that rising tide of pagan and ritualised religion, brought by the Romans.
Michael is answerable to God for the life of the nation of Israel, which Daniel 12 : 1 states, also Daniel 10 : 13 - 21, which shows another unseen dimension, within which the angels work.
The Roman Dragon of Imperial Rome and the Roman Papacy, elevated themselves into heavenly places, with pagan gods and later hundreds of saints classed as angelic beings. Within history they moved to destroy, envelop and subdue all Israel in its power over the centuries.
But! As Roman iron is not mixed with Israelite miry clay, seen by the prophet Daniel, so there was always a division between them. This FIGHTING between two opposing forces, was experienced within our historical years, when the Protesting against Rome and reforming of Israel's ideas in worshipping Almighty God, came into being. The history of change within so called Christendom over many centuries, was the "WAR IN HEAVEN" spoken by Revelation! Many Protestants fighting against the Roman dragon, died, rather than give way to Roman power. The fight will continue on until all prophecy is fulfilled.
One must look around in the world and note the number of various denominations and churches there are. There's a continual change upon change, with the breaking away from ritualistic Roman servitude. This is the ongoing WAR that MICHAEL AND HIS ANGELS FIGHT for people of Israel's heavenly faith!
"AND PREVAILED NOT; NEITHER WAS THEIR PLACE FOUND ANYMORE IN HEAVEN". This sentence is the death knell of all things Roman, to be fully enacted within history to its absolute end, the "time of the end" of days, is slowly whittling away Roman power. The heavenly crowns that the Roman Papacy has placed upon its own head in triumph in the earth, will soon be seen for what it is, a "usurper" in heavenly places. Rome will not prevail in this fight, because it is man fighting angelic forces!
"AND THE GREAT DRAGON WAS CAST OUT, THAT OLD SERPENT, CALLED THE DEVIL AND SATAN, WHICH DECEIVETH THE WHOLE WORLD; HE WAS CAST OUT INTO THE EARTH AND HIS ANGELS WERE CAST OUT WITH HIM".
The Roman Red Dragon with claws, great teeth, with 10 horns and 7 heads, seen in visions by Daniel and John, whose power has been like no other civilisation for strength of purpose, soon will be no more. The Roman Papacy will come to its end in the earth and will no more worry man into his grave.
So many, many people in the earth, at the mention of a Devil or Satan fall into the age-old, well-oiled trap of a grotesque goat creature sometimes with prodding fork, who guides them into sin. Which is a picture like Adam and Eve in Genesis, who looked for a "fall guy", to lay their own weakness and wretched sins at its feet, whereas "sin" is of our own making from our earthly self-will. When mankind uses his own conceited wilful power, to elevate itself into heavenly places, then mankind is faced with a very dangerous game indeed, because he's playing around with forces, he doesn't understand at all!
Throughout the Bible with its stories of peoples and the nation of Israel, we see the evil forces of sin at work over and over and always man must put the blame on somebody else for that evil. Mankind is unable or unwilling to face the fact, that our own evil flesh the Devil or Satan, is continually "AT WAR" with our own spirit within us. Which Saint Paul so fully explained, (Romans 7 : 14 - 25).
Verse 14:- "FOR WE KNOW THAT THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL; BUT I AM CARNAL, SOLD UNDER -SIN-".
Verse 15:- "FOR THAT WHICH I DO I ALLOW NOT; FOR WHAT I WOULD, THAT DO I NOT; BUT WHAT I HATE, THAT I DO".
Verse 22:- "FOR I DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF GOD AFTER THE INWARD MAN".
Verse 23:- "BUT I SEE ANOTHER LAW IN MY MEMBERS, WARRING AGAINST THE LAW OF MY MIND, AND BRINGING ME INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE LAW OF SIN WHICH IS IN MY MEMBERS".
The "old Serpent" of whom Revelation speaks, is of course the "Tempter" who was in the Garden of Eden, at that time. The "adversary" then, was a "beast of the field" whom God made, when all things were different to our type of world in which we live. This "beast" was punished to become a "Serpent", to eat the dust of the ground upon earth, (Genesis 3).
It was a case of God trying in adversity the things He made and loved!
Today, that potent serpent's bite is almost certain death to mankind, because one touches the serpent at your own peril.
When the children of Israel were in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, they continually spoke against God, complaining about their food, rather than believing in "Him", that He was taking care of them. God sent serpents amongst them and many people died, so Moses by God's instruction, set a fiery serpent on a pole for the bitten people to look at, for to acknowledge their sin and shame, (Numbers 21 : 5-9). By realising their own sinful natures they were cured.
In prophetic history of the tribe of Dan in his blessing, he is called a Serpent, "AN ADDER IN THE PATH", (Genesis 49 : 16,17). Which meant Dan's judgement upon peoples could be very dangerous, if the people provoked him too much. This Serpent Dan as an adversary, we can read of him striking his foe in Daniel 11 : 29, when the peoples were judged by the Tudor lineage of the "House of Israel", within British history.
None of these happenings came about by a dark secret Being, believed by many to be a personage or fallen angel called the Devil.
The Being called Devil, who has taken the form of a "goat" with large horns, was used as an excuse for the children of Israel's sins in the wilderness. Israel's children placed their hands upon the goat's head confessing all their iniquities, relieving them of blame. The goat was then sent out of the camp into the wilderness, who took away the peoples own fleshly sins, that figure of a goat-devil, has been perpetuated for centuries ever since, (Leviticus 16 : 5,10,21,22). The House of Israel hasn't changed, always wanting a "scape goat" for their own sins!
Once again I repeat, the devil who causes us all to sin is within our own flesh, which is "trying" our natures and fertile imaginations. So many of us are pleased we have a devil-goat to blame! Satan is also another name for sin in the flesh, meaning an Adversary to one's inner self, the spirit. The good man Peter was called Satan by Jesus, because Peter's mouth spoke words for a fleshly excuse, as to "why" Jesus should not carry out His duties of the spirit, (Matthew 16 : 21,23).
Verse 23:- "BUT HE TURNED AND SAID UNTO PETER, GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN; THOU ART AN OFFENCE UNTO ME; FOR THOU SAVOUREST NOT THE THINGS THAT BE OF GOD, BUT THOSE THAT BE OF MEN".
One should note in this verse alone, men and Satan go hand in hand as an "adversary", to truth of the spirit.
Beelzebub, was the name that the Jews of Jesus's days, called the prince of devils or Satan, in Mark 3 : 22,23. The Jews spoke angry words against our Lord in this chapter, because He cured many people of their sicknesses, Mark 3 : 14,15. "AND HE ORDAINED TWELVE, THAT THEY SHOULD BE WITH HIM AND THAT HE MIGHT SEND THEM FORTH TO PREACH".
Verse 15:- "AND TO HAVE POWER TO HEAL SICKNESSES AND TO CAST OUT DEVILS".
The people to whom Jesus spoke, were akin to many peoples of our day, they believed in many devils. They could not fathom that sicknesses and plagues etc; were brought about by the structure of their living processes. That's why Jesus always used parables in explanation of various situations, it was difficult to educate them in matters of the flesh, their minds would refuse an alternative explanation. The people preferred to blame Beelzebub or devils, rather than opening their mind's eye to understand Him. Those devils were another name for many, many maladies.
Mark 3 : 11:- "AND UNCLEAN SPIRITS, WHEN THEY SAW HIM FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM AND CRIED SAYING, THOU ARE THE SON OF GOD". These people were those who accepted Him through a sixth sense, or moved by a shallow idea seen by the eyes, or were overcome with the emotion of that time and situation. Even in our modern world people look for Him, and cry to a face on a wall or window. In the past I have read wonderful excerpts of explained prophecy, by many educated committed biblical individuals. Then, when they are faced with explaining this Devil, within prophetic historical facts and happening, they ramble into childlike explanations and their feet of learning are no longer placed on the ground.
Roman power in Revelation is classed as the devil or Satanic forces, because they are an "adversary", who have provoked mankind to believe lies and to hear Roman words only. They have held men's hearts as prisoners over the centuries for secular powers, dressed up as spiritual powers. They caused people to fear God in an uncomfortable Roman way and caused men to murder each other for Roman desires.
They held men's souls in their hands and caused trauma and fear of death.
They took God's place away, setting up their own Holy Father.
They deterred the procedures of the Daily Sacrifice -Jesus,- explained in Daniel's chapters.
They altered times and seasons and days of worship for their own pagan purposes.
All these things and more, (even seen in our present day), was and is an act of Satanic human purpose and desires, which have deceived millions of devout people throughout the world.
Revelation 12 : 9 tells us, that this "adversary", is classed by prophecy as Rome, as the Devil, Satan or the Serpent over the centuries. They have indeed been teaching things that are not true! Roman power has relied on its multitude of angelic forces, from priests, popes, cardinals, saints, thrones and many miracles, all destined for heaven.
Rome bound Peter captive and "wore out" the Real Saints in heaven, such as Mary, Joseph, John, Paul, etc;
Roman power has indeed DECEIVED THE WHOLE WORLD as Verse 9 tells us, for almost 2,000 years and still does!
Daniel told us how Rome MAGNIFIED its position in the earth, even to the Prince's place, TAKING AWAY the Sanctuary and placing itself there, sitting upon the throne of God in the earth.
Daniel 8 : 25:- "AND THROUGH HIS POLICY ALSO HE SHALL CAUSE CRAFT TO PROSPER IN HIS HAND AND HE SHALL MAGNIFY HIMSELF IN HIS HEART AND BY PEACE SHALL DESTROY MANY; HE SHALL ALSO STAND UP AGAINST THE PRINCE OF PRINCES; BUT HE SHALL BE BROKEN WITHOUT HAND".
This verse speaks of crafty ways this power of men works, in an insidious manner upon many in the world. One doesn't need another being called the Devil to work this CRAFT; men are quite capable of doing it themselves. One must take the trouble to read books on the histories of Roman power and those who protested against that power, in an on-going religious war.
How absolutely right are these words in Revelation 12 : 7 - 9. Mankind has been at "WAR" with heavenly forces for a long time, because, even in our educated and so-called enlightened society, mankind holds on grimly to his idea of this Devil Being, making him do the wrong things. This Devil Being outside of man's own sin is a delusional power, which indeed has deceived all peoples rich and poor, small and great, educated and uneducated and enforces upon men a creature called the Devil, Satan, Serpent or Beelzebub, on pain of death!
Our Lord Jesus in His temptation was "forced" to deal with the power of His flesh and was tried like us all. This Satan always trying to make one do, or believe, an error in judgement in others and not in ourselves.
The Roman dragon's power with all its heads, ruling as a Devil or Satan, elevated men into heavenly places over the centuries. The 8th Head of Revelation -or BEAST OUT OF THE EARTH,- carried the work on to a high degree, setting up Roman princes and fathers into heaven. Their long history is sometimes evil and corrupt, being torturers of people's bodies and souls, with their long history of blood touching blood.
All mankind has to do is read and study Rome's long history in its many forms, -or HEADS,- then reason carefully and ask yourself, "were they indeed the noble Romans that legend has created"? Secular and Biblical histories are full of brave people protesting and fighting Roman power and breaking away from that ritualistic hold on mankind. This is the "WAR" that Michael and his angels have been fighting in the earth and the heavens, they have been helping people to think for themselves.
This situation is no different in action, than when Michael fought for Israel, with the kings of Persia, seen in Daniel 10 : 13.
God with "His" Archangel Michael is the same now, in the twentieth century, as "He" was then! He's not dead, nor are His purposes, plan, or promises, dead!
Rome's "Iron" will in this fight, is told to us in world history, all through Daniel's chapters. The difference in the writings of Saint John in Revelation, sees Roman power in many facets of dragon, 10 horns, 7 heads and 8th head, working as a Satanic adversary to truth. It is a Devil, or much sin of mankind, working miracles upon people's minds and hearts, thus, drawing them further and further into an abyss of acceptance and age-old deception of worship, Revelation 12 : 10.
"AND I HEARD A LOUD VOICE SAYING IN HEAVEN, NOW IS COME SALVATION, AND STRENGTH, AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD AND THE POWER OF HIS CHRIST; FOR THE ACCUSERS OF OUR BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN, WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT". The "WAR" that prophecy forecasted in verses 7 and 9, is coming to its final end in verse 10. Rome had saturated heaven with its kings, popes, priestly saints seen as its angels, but its efforts will be thrown into the earth, because they were made by the machinations of men. Verse 10 now breathes air, unsullied by the powers of men, for "this" is the power of our Lord's SECOND COMING in glory, when all errors will be put right and when no man can stand against Him and the truth of all things will be fully revealed!
This is the coming of the SIXTH KINGDOM, seen in Daniel's prophetic chapters, especially Daniel 7 : 9 -14.
The "ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN", written in Revelation 12 : 10 in history, has been Rome, who has considered itself to be the mother church forged by Saint Peter. Roman Papal ways, have continually prayed to God over the centuries, always absolving themselves from dealing with so called heretics, who are of other schools of thought. From the time Jesus walked the earth and gave us all an anchor and reason for our lives, Rome's marching feet trampled the real church of Christ and scattered it. Over the following centuries, when the Roman Papacy spread like a deathly mist upon the ground, voices of a different sort, bringing "WAR" upon Roman ways, were then "accused" before man and God, of being enemies to that church. Roman hierarchy have always postulated for centuries, that peoples must accept without question their unique position in the earth. Even today, the princes of the Roman church ask forgiveness of heaven, upon those peoples who will not unite with them. Indeed, Rome will soon be "CAST DOWN" as verse 10 speaks, because when Christ returns with His kingdom, man can only recognise one throne and one King and one High Priest and one Holy Father, in the earth!
"AND THEY OVERCAME HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND BY THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY AND THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH".
The people who held a different view and fought a different fight that Rome had to offer, are noted in this verse. The people of whom this verse speaks, are different from other worshippers of deity. They desire and seek knowledge of God's LAW, to know the height, depth and breadth of all the words of God, for they are diligent seekers of truth. They set their minds to overcome the desires of secular powers to sin, continually walking a narrow dangerous road, towards learning and obedience, seeking to knock on the right door.
For them, the "WAR" between good and evil had begun, with the great "adversary" of Rome, standing in their path for centuries.
Who are these people who preferred death, rather than succumb to the Dragon Rome and his Angels?
We must first realise that the verses in chapter 12, are disjointed in the prophetic unravelling in history. Verses 1 to 9 is a picture of 2 types of peoples in the earth. Firstly, the words give us a quick story of the 12 tribes of Israel. Secondly, we read of the great power in the earth, that have scattered and destroyed these people, who have also held them captive in body and soul, that of the great fearsome Dragon devil of Rome!
The people that overcame this great secular power over men, are seen in Revelation 7 : 4 - 8 and they belong to the 12 tribes of all Israel, who are also seen upon the head of the woman in chapter 12. These children are "sealed" by God, from the beginning, through the lives they must lead in life, which is not an easy role.
The "BLOOD OF THE LAMB" is of course the Sacrifice that Jesus, the LAMB of God, made towards that Redeeming, which peoples were lost in the world, that of the 2 houses of Israel first and foremost. Then to Redeem some of the Gentiles also, because they hid and nurtured Israel amongst them. These "special people" did not enter into pagan rituals, nor man-made altered rituals of communion of that "DAILY SACRIFICE" OF THE LAMB. Theirs was a simple practice of remembrance of the LAMB, as seen in 1 Corinthians 11 : 23 - 32.
The "testimony" they gave was as a witness to the Laws of God, by taking an oath in complete immersion in the waters of baptism, at the age of understanding. Thus, declaring to find the real God and the Lamb, outside dogma ritual of priests, doing their thinking for them!
Saint John, during his time on earth, knew how many of the followers of our Lord's teaching, fell foul to others of mankind. The power of Rome had held him fast as a prisoner in body, but not in mind nor obedience.
Death for these great "sealed" disciples and people, was a release from the unnatural accusing powers of men.
The "real" church of God is so small, compared with millions of other types of worshippers and they are up against many "accusations" from other churches, perhaps saying, "these people seem a bit strange"!
"THEREFORE REJOICE, YE HEAVENS AND YE THAT DWELL IN THEM. WOE TO THE INHABITERS OF THE EARTH AND OF THE SEA! FOR THE DEVIL IS COME DOWN UNTO YOU, HAVING GREAT WRATH, BECAUSE HE KNOWETH THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME".
This is a picture of a time, when mankind has reached the "end time" of his historical prophecy and that "WAR" between heaven and earth, has reached a climax and mankind's power in heaven is no more.
The Peoples of Angels of many categories, who have worked hard in the earth for centuries, making sure that the prophecy that God set in motion is coming to its close. They "rejoiced" with great joy, when the "man child" Jesus was born, seen Revelation 12 : 5. They will rejoice in many places in heaven, when all is finished and the Roman dragon can no longer claim its places amongst the real saints. For there are many of God's servants, who dwell in other dimensions, -such as Princes Gabriel and Michael and his angels,- who will have won the WAR against spiritual pretence and secular man and his desires for heavenly places.
Indeed, the time has almost arrived, when the sorrow, which Revelation 12 : 12 records, of "WOE" TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH AND OF THE SEA. For there is to be a great upheaval in both places, like there has never been seen before!
Verse 12 tells us, or points the finger towards history, when that "WAR" for heavenly places began and how it continued onwards within history to verse 17, of the same chapter. The "child" that was born to Judah of the nation of Israel, seen in Revelation 12 : 5, whose name was Jesus, brought with Him much of the host of heaven. At His birth the Dragon power of Imperial Rome sort His life, because they were afraid of Him, being a very superstitious people. Also, the Roman dragon had placed itself in heaven as sons of God.
Verse 12:- "FOR THE DEVIL IS COME DOWN UNTO YOU, HAVING GREAT WRATH, BECAUSE HE KNOWETH THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME".
Which means:- Now the world was to know to the full, those self-styled Roman peoples will show no mercy to others, their willpower will be absolute in all things.
In the "WRATH" or anger within Rome, they devastated all the followers of Christ, then crucified the Jews and closed Jerusalem in AD 70.
From then onwards in history, the selfish devilish ways of Rome persecuted Christians in their "WRATH", fearing Roman power would be cut short if these people weren't annihilated. Gone and scattered was the "House of Judah", (called Jews), into the Roman world.
"AND WHEN THE DRAGON SAW THAT HE WAS CAST UNTO THE EARTH, HE PERSECUTED THE WOMAN WHICH BROUGHT FORTH THE MAN CHILD".
In verse 13, we now begin the condensed story of what happened to "all" Israel, the nation belonging to the Woman Rachel/Israel, who had the man-child, Jesus of Judah. Whose tribe was one of the Stars on the crown of her head.
The first part of Revelation chapter 12, stamped its authority upon "Who" this chapter is all about. Then it gave a quick story of the "Child" Jesus, who was caught up to God, then His return to earth in the Strength and Glory of His Kingdom to come.
What does it mean in verse 13, that THE DRAGON of Imperial Rome, WAS "CAST INTO THE EARTH"? Ancient history has shown us that this great iron power that marched its legions through Europe, into the British Isles and across Asia Minor, into the Middle East and North Africa, lost that power of ruling. The rot that set into that power, was because of internal corruption and decadent emperors, who then blamed the true Christians, they, who were in its midst. When loss of controlling those nations of the earth it once ruled, Roman Imperial power was CAST OR "FELL IN THE EARTH", who became subject for a while to marauding Germanic earthly tribes. This loss of the Dragon's power, was "CAST INTO THE EARTH", as Revelation states.
The woman Rachel/Israel, who brought forth the man-child, Jesus of Judah, then, became the forces of trouble, within the continuing Roman world of many guises. To be "PERSECUTED", as verse 13 states, is to be harassed with unjust punishment, with repeated acts of cruelty. The Roman world filled its markets with many slaves, who were used, tormented, or sold into untold hardships in the earth and upon the sea. The "persecutions" were more or less pointed at a particular creed, of a simple religious system, other than that which became Roman.
Indeed, as we have read before, the remnants of both "Houses of Israel" have suffered dreadfully in history. Christ was crucified, the disciples and many believers killed, Jerusalem sacked, the House of Judah's (Jew) children gone and the House of Israel scattered unknown in many strange lands of the Gentiles in the West.
"AND TO THE WOMAN WERE GIVEN TWO WINGS OF A GREAT EAGLE, THAT SHE MIGHT FLY INTO THE WILDERNESS, INTO HER PLACE, WHERE SHE IS NOURISHED FOR A TIME AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, FROM THE FACE OF THE SERPENT".
What do these words mean for the "WOMAN", -who represents the whole nation of Israel,- being given the WINGS OF A GREAT EAGLE?
An "EAGLE" is classed as a mighty bird, which includes the vulture, because they are all birds of prey, large, swift of flight, seeing things at great distances, hovering relentlessly over the land and its intended prey. Because an EAGLE is a carnivorous bird, it is classed as unclean by the Israelites, (Leviticus 11 : 13 -18).
We have seen in reading prophetic biblical history, that the "EAGLES" of many nations, have torn the CARCASE of both houses of Israel apart and have also taken the people over long distances. Our Lord Jesus told us in, Matthew 24 : 28, -"FOR WHERESOEVER THE CARCASE IS, THERE WILL THE EAGLES BE GATHERED TOGETHER".
When the children of Israel were taken out of the land of Egypt by God, through Moses, into the wilderness, they were carried on "EAGLES WINGS", Exodus 19 : 3,4.
Verse 3:- "AND MOSES WENT UP UNTO GOD AND THE LORD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN, SAYING, THUS SHALT THOU SAY TO THE HOUSE OF JACOB AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL".
Verse 4:- "YE HAVE SEEN WHAT I DID UNTO THE EGYPTIANS AND HOW I BARE YOU ON EAGLES WINGS AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF".
Again, in Revelation 12:14, we read of Rachel's children of Israel, must travel far away once more from their homeland, upon a GREAT EAGLE.
Ezekiel chapter 17 also sets a riddle for us to learn, that of a GREAT EAGLE WITH GREAT WINGS, LONG WINGED, AND FULL OF FEATHERS, WHO CARRIED THE YOUNG BRANCHES OF ISRAEL INTO A LAND OF TRAFFIC AND SET THEM DOWN IN A CITY OF MERCHANTS.
The GREAT "EAGLE" of Rome, played an enormous part in carrying the BRANCHES OF ISRAEL throughout that known ancient world. It traded in goods and persons across many lands and set its trade on a large scale from the city states of Rome itself. Rome as that EAGLE, put the Young BRANCHES, as a nest for itself in a Nation of merchants, or the British Isles.
When Revelation 12 : 14 says, "THAT, SHE MIGHT FLY INTO THE WILDERNESS, INTO HER PLACE". It is a PLACE reserved by God, especially for Rachel's children, into a land away from others, where the children will be gathered and grow in strength again. That "WILDERNESS" of a "Special PLACE", was into the West and the Britannic Isles, as prophecy told us before, and Isaiah 40 explains, Isaiah 40 : 15, 27, 31.
Verse 15:- "BEHOLD, THE NATIONS ARE AS A DROP OF A BUCKET AND ARE COUNTED AS THE SMALL DUST OF THE BALANCE; BEHOLD, HE TAKETH UP THE ISLES AS A VERY LITTLE THING".
Verse 27:- "WHY SAYEST THOU, O JACOB, AND SPEAKEST, O ISRAEL, MY WAY IS HID FROM THE LORD, AND MY JUDGEMENT IS PASSED OVER FROM MY GOD"?
Verse 31:- "BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY AND THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT".
It was in the "WILDERNESS" of the Isles, that Israel RENEWED THEIR STRENGTH. With great lovers of God amongst the people, to help them to hear God's voice anew. In this Island they grew in STRENGTH and feared no man and with "EAGLES WINGS" spread their power around the world.
Revelation 12 : 14:- "WHERE SHE IS NOURISHED FOR A TIME, AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, FROM THE FACE OF THE SERPENT".
Again, we have 1,260 years in the verse 14. We first read of these 1,260 days in Revelation 12, verse 6, which time factors then started for Israel before, during and after the "CHILD" Jesus's birth was foretold.
In Daniel's chapter 11, is the history of how the tribes of Dan and Gad within the Celtic peoples, had taken up residence in the WILDERNESS of the "Isles". God driving them forward on EAGLES WINGS, because of the Roman "EAGLE", with large wings and full of feathers, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh etc; within the Germanic tribes, were also going to move into the Isles. But! By then, the Dragon of Imperial Rome would have ended its 400 years of ruling in the Isles of the 10 HORNS.
Revelation 12 : 14, with the second 1,260 years/days of timing process, begins with Israel's "new" history, because these children are beginning to put down roots in the "Isles", being fed and slowly reorganising itself into a loose nation of peoples, which the word "NOURISH" in this verse means. The picture of the "House of Israel", who are amongst the Gentile nations, flying on EAGLES WINGS into this WILDERNESS, has to be identified! This nation of Israel, which had been broken apart into two peoples, had been devastated and also torn apart amongst many nations. Now they were to be nourished and set up again within their Birthright Blessings, seen in Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy chapter 33, to be fulfilled to the letter of the LAW.
These things must come to pass so at the "end time" of days, Israel's "CARCASE" of people would be identified again!
We must take careful note of the timing process written in Revelation 12. This process would have started before BC approx; 600 BC, when the Celtic tribes, with some of Israel's children entered the WILDERNESS of the Isles. This first time of 1,260 years of verse 6, ending approx; 660 AD, because we must take into consideration that there are 2 dating periods given, with slight difference of wording in Revelation 12, we must unravel it all slowly.
The first 1,260 days of years, came within the times of the "first 2 heads" of the Beast/Dragon's 7 heads with crowns, of ruling power. The first and second heads covered the times of the city of Rome, "who is the Beast", under the Etruscan Kings and Roman Republic years, before the "Dragon" called Imperial Rome, established for Rome its awesome name for its future power base and for the remaining heads and horns.
The Etruscans were ruling Rome etc; when the Celts were moving across Europe into the Isles in the sixth century.
In Revelation 12 : 2 we read of the "BIRTH PANGS" of Israel, long before she DELIVERED the man child, -or their future Redeemer, - which was promised to her for many years by the ancient prophets, of which Isaiah 59 : 20 speaks, his voice going back in the centuries to approx; 740 BC.
Verse 20:- "AND THE REDEEMER SHALL COME TO ZION, AND UNTO THEM THAT TURN FROM TRANSGRESSION IN JACOB, SAITH THE LORD".
Here the Daughter of Zion in Isaiah, awaits that BIRTH with anticipation and Zion is not with Jacob the Jew. Jesus went to Zion in the Gentiles!
Both houses of Israel's pain and sorrow, continued for many days of years in the centuries that followed, while waiting for their deliverance, by their sort after Messiah. The days of crying in pain for Rachel of Israel, within the dilemma of their punishment, within other nations, was a terrible burden upon the righteous seed of children! All their bones were to pile up in a Valley of the dead and DECISION unknown and without pity! Rachel's mourning in sorrow for all the children, was to echo down through the centuries.
In Revelation 12 : 4 we see the power of the "tail" of the Dragon, which had lashed the "west wind" of Greek possessions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Many of these nations contained some of the "Stars" of Israel and the "Stars" of angelic forces, because Roman power was now "Standing Up" against them and at WAR.
Revelation 12 : 14, now starts the "second dating" of times of 3½ months, or 1,260 years, which starts the story again, "after" the "Man Child" of Israel's mother, Rachel/Mary gave birth. Which also saw the rest of Israel's children, moving across lands under the large Eagle Roman rule, within nations. Such as the terrifying Germanic tribes of Saxon, Angles, Jutes, Franks and Celtic tribes within Europe, etc;
Many biblical writers, class these verses within Revelation for Israel, against a Devil Being or the adversary Satan, going forward in time of our modern days, into the great tribulation to come in history, when they say that tribulation will mean severe distress and suffering, for these people called the Jews.
Though anti-Semitic feelings in Germany and elsewhere, have tried to exterminate the Jew in modern times, these verses in Revelation 12, are covering a multitude of killings in history, from before and during, the times when Jesus was born, over many, many, days of years of centuries. This scholarly understanding of prophecy by biblical writers, doesn't explain the abrupt picture of many past centuries of history, written in Revelation.
Our Lord told us in Matthew's chapters, that these historical "way marks", are years of the "BEGINNING OF SORROWS" for all Israel. The "Daughter of Jerusalem" of the Jew, stoned the righteous and killed the prophets, but they paid a terrible price in history for that!
The verses in Revelation 12, covers both Jew and the "House of Israel" in the Gentile, who have 10 lost tribes, who have gone into the world's nations, before and after the "MAN CHILD" Jesus was born.
Both these time factors of 1,260 years together, add up to 2,520 years and is applicable to Daniel's visions of time limits of 2,300 years, seen in Daniel 8 : 14, - 12 : 7. (Remembering times and seasons have been changed by man).
The "second timing" process of 1,260 years, seen in Revelation 12 : 14 started approx; 400 AD, because the peoples of the Britannic Isles, no longer "FACED" Roman domination by that SERPENT Dragon. The Dragon of Imperial Roman legions, went back to their own country, leaving the 10 horned Roman Isles, to their own devices of trying to rule themselves. The direct "FACE" of Rome was no more, whose people had stood before them for 400 years. So, the prophecy of Revelation 12 : 14 was fulfilled which said, "SHE IS NOURISHED FOR A TIME AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, FROM THE "FACE" OF THE SERPENT". The 1,260 days/years, started after 400 AD, thus taking the House of Israel into the 16th century and again Protesting against another "Horn" of domination, by the Roman Papacy, seen in Daniel 11 : 23,24.
"AND THE SERPENT CAST OUT OF HIS MOUTH WATER AS A FLOOD AFTER THE WOMAN, THAT HE MIGHT CAUSE HER TO BE CARRIED AWAY OF THE FLOOD".
In this verse, is a quick picture of the history of early British Isles, which Daniel 11 : 18 -26 tells us about, with Daniel 11 : 22 putting the word "FLOOD" into its correct interpretation.
Verse 22:- "AND WITH THE ARMS OF A FLOOD, SHALL THEY BE OVERFLOWN FROM BEFORE HIM AND SHALL BE BROKEN, YEA, ALSO THE PRINCE OF THE COVENANT".
The "FLOOD" written in Daniel's prophecy, began with the Germanic hordes of Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks, Burgundians, Vandals, Angles, Saxons and Jutes etc; all on the move across Europe. During the last years of the Roman Empire, there were many peoples of European, Asian and Germanic descent, who wandered as a "FLOOD" of peoples throughout the lands. History records that these fierce peoples from the German forests, during the fourth and fifth centuries, moved like a "Tidal Wave" sweeping all before them. The East Goths or Ostrogoths, settled in Italy and took over the throne and system of Roman government.
The British Isles in the North, was invaded by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, and the Dragon's 10 horns were now changed to 10 Saxon toes etc;
The "Serpent" Dragon of Rome,and their adversary of German forces, eventually joined together under the banner of so-called Christianity, which was then Arian Christianity, which originated in Alexandria, with Rome. From these involved beginnings, Rome was to continue that "FLOOD" into the Isles, with its priests in the sixth century onwards, thereby, hoping to carry along in the "FLOOD", all the children of the WOMAN Rachel of Israel before it within its sphere, with words pouring out of the "Serpent's mouth" of pagan rituals, dark sentences of untruths and miracles, overlaid with the Roman form of secular Christianity, just as Daniel's prophecies foretold.
Winston Churchill once wrote of these Germanic races and said, "THAT NONE WERE MORE CRUEL THAN THE SAXONS, WHOSE VERY NAME SPREAD TERROR TO THE BRITISH PEOPLES"! The "FLOOD" of peoples continued into the Isles, with the terror of the Norsemen etc; over the centuries that followed.
The power of the Roman "adversary", Serpent, had begun to reorganise itself once more, under the Germanic people's power, who was to absorb Roman civilisation. The most famous was from the Germanic Kingdom of the Franks, whose leaders were Charles Martel, through to Charlemagne. The latter King kept control of Italy, Rome and the Church. Through Charlemagne, a new Roman Empire was set in motion and in 800 AD the Roman Pope Leo III, after a mass, placed the Imperial crown upon Charlemagne's head. So, a new Empire was born called, The Holy Roman Empire, with the emperor as absolute monarch. This was the fifth head of the Roman Dragon, with a crown! The Dragon's power grew again with the Papacy's backing, the words of ruling many nations poured "out of the mouth" of the Roman Serpent, as "WATER" of men of the earth.
That "FLOOD" of priests, with words out of the German Saxon Kings within the British Isles became strong, which we read of in Daniel 11 : 22 -27.
The Roman Serpent's "mouth", poured out words of so-called PEACE, with its form of Christianity, which would continue to destroy many peoples in body and soul, seen in Daniel 8 : 24,25. "Water" as we all know, is a life-giving liquid, which mankind cannot live without, of which man also has in his makeup, but! This "Serpents" water from the MOUTH of the Roman dragon of men, was to cause trauma, whose Words would eventually cover a large surface of the earth, flooding millions of people because of it, many people's lives would suffer, because the "Serpent" was an "adversary" to truth and simplicity!
Daniel explained this situation so eloquently in chapter 11 verse 22.
"AND WITH THE ARMS OF A FLOOD SHALL THEY BE OVERFLOWN FROM BEFORE HIM, AND SHALL BE BROKEN; YEA, ALSO THE PRINCE OF THE COVENANT". Revelation Chapter 12, verse 16.
"AND THE EARTH HELPED THE WOMAN AND THE EARTH OPENED HER MOUTH AND SWALLOWED UP THE FLOOD WHICH THE DRAGON CAST OUT OF HIS MOUTH".
How can the earth help this woman of Israel? How can the earth open its mouth to help her?
We are still reading about the "new" history confronting these Israelites and what happened to them in the unknown "WILDERNESS" of the British Isles so long ago. History within Daniel's prophecies, tells us what occurred with the invasion into the Isles of many, many peoples. In the beginning the Roman Dragon had fought the Celts and pushed back the peoples of the ancient Pics into Scotland.
Then the Roman Serpents Mouth, Speaking great things called Christianity, found favour with the invading Angles and Saxons.
The Vikings or Norsemen again and again invaded the Isles and fell under the spell of the words of the "serpent" in the Isles.
The Roman Serpent established this hold in the Isles, with its priests speaking Christian peace, towards its peoples.
The Normans invaded from the land of the Gauls, (France) with many other peoples besides who also brought with them words out of the Roman "Serpents" mouth. In other words, there were many "reasons" for the turmoil of historical peoples FLOODING the Britannic Isles. But it had to stop and that appeal of that pleasant place helped them!
The "Woman Israel" of 12 tribes, had mingled itself amongst these invading nations and though at first these people had cruelly fought each other, that pleasant land of the Isles called to them. Its lush green grass and beautiful forests covering rolling hills, that the good earth brought forth for them, lulled their willingness to destroy. The peoples began to put down roots, to plough and bring forth fruit and the earth of the Isles appealed to them greatly. Their desires turned to the land and as prophesied, so THE EARTH HELPED THE WOMAN AND THE EARTH OPENED ITS MOUTH, of plenty for them and the "WOMAN" Israel grew, with its children being nourished into a British nation, who brought forth Israel's Princes to rule them, as the prophet Daniel has listed.
The FLOOD of the Roman Dragon's words, came with these peoples, some were introduced to them through those early years. Again, THE EARTH WAS TO HELP THE WOMAN Israel, with the words that the Roman serpent spoke, they built Roman palaces and were in control, because after almost continual warfare in the land, words of peace in Christ's name subdued the people. The "Serpent" however, was to bite deeply into these peoples, causing great pain and confusion in hearts and minds. The sin of that Roman Serpent was as a beguiler, a creature of enchantment and beauty, yet! Dangerous to the touch, because it put ignorant men's souls in jeopardy.
The Roman Dragon had once sent its legions to the Isles, thereby forming that 10 horned kingdom under its continual power. The Roman Serpent, as an adversary, sent its legions of priests to control those 10 horned Saxon and Norman Kingdoms, again under its powerful control. So, the EARTH SWALLOWED UP THE FLOOD of the Papacy's power, amongst the people for a while, because the forming of this nation had to take place first and foremost, so it came to pass as Daniel Chapter 7, verse 8 predicted.
"I CONSIDERED THE HORNS AND BEHOLD, THERE CAME UP AMONGST THEM ANOTHER LITTLE HORN, BEFORE WHOM THERE WERE THREE OF THE FIRST HORNS PLUCKED UP BY THE ROOTS; AND BEHOLD, IN THIS HORN WERE EYES LIKE THE EYES OF A MAN AND A MOUTH SPEAKING GREAT THINGS".
This evil of idolatry and weakness of spirit, has remained in Israel's children, now as it did in the beginning. In other words, the Roman Serpents Mouth, continues to cause weakness in all mankind's fleshly pursuits. It made mankind believe in what one sees and imagines, without questioning in the spirit and searching in God's words in the Bible for answers.
"AND THE DRAGON WAS WROTH WITH THE WOMAN AND WENT TO MAKE WAR WITH THE REMNANT OF HER SEED, WHICH KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST".
The Dragon Rome was well established in the British Isles as the centuries rolled on and at this time in history, the Pope of Rome called the shots amongst the British aristocracy and the people.
The old Celtic Christian Church, had hid itself with its followers, because servitude to the Romans was disliked by many people, until open "warfare" was declared during the Tudor and Stuart times, which toppled Rome's power from that Israelite throne of its Princes. Rome's anger was "twisted and perverse", which the word "WROTH" means in verse 17. That "wroth" of indignation took many forms, for undermining persons, brought about by the Jesuit priests. Many people were excommunicated from God and Jesus, with the uneducated much troubled and in fear of the destruction of their souls. Other nations were helping Rome to make "WAR" against the British, such as France and Spain. The "WAR" spoken of in Revelation 12 : 7, now took place against the dragon.
Amongst the many peoples of the British Isles, only a REMNANT had kept themselves apart from Roman domination, who were to emerge later as keeping the true faith of God and those "commandments", which governed their lives. This REMNANT was the SEED out of the nation of the "House of Israel", belonging to the Woman Rachel's children, seen in Revelation 12 : 1. The "SEED" were not just Jews, as some biblical writers portray, verse 17 are children of Christian-Israel. They were holding the "TESTIMONY" OF JESUS the Messiah, or were "confirmed witnesses" to the evidence only within the Law of God, who eventually Protested against the Roman Dragon's lying words and the Protestant faith began.
I have read a number of articles from different faiths of denominations, written for Revelation 12, of the Woman, the Child and the Dragon. Sad to say the denominations do not translate the words for detailed history, which the prophetic book of Revelation was mindful of.
The word "Revelation" means, that they are sacred truths divinely communicated to man for his instruction and direction to be Revealed to him, which Revelation 1 : 1 tells us and 22 : 7.
"BLESSED IS HE THAT KEEPETH THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK". Therefore, these sayings "must" occur in factual history in Revelation. There are 22 chapters in the book of Revelation and like Daniel's prophetic words, each chapter goes over and over history, filling in more and more details as it does so, all to the very end of man's history in the earth.
Many churches rely entirely upon a Personal Devil to answer everything evil when it suits them, so they don't understand the prophetic words properly. Then, when something is portrayed as good, the church as a whole, answers that prophecy by putting itself in that given situation.
As I've said before, the Bible is the written history of the 12 tribes of Israel first and foremost, then with other nations, that were involved with them throughout the long centuries.
I can never understand why does man jettison all Israel, when understanding prophecy fails him? Jesus, who is the "Light" to our paths, was first a Jew from the "House of Judah", of the nation of Israel, so was Saint John of the book of Revelation. The Great prophet Daniel was a Jew and so were many of the teaching prophets. The Prince Michael is protecting and fighting for or against, the nations of Israel, throughout the centuries. The remnant of 144,000 saved of the tribes of Israel, is seen in Revelation chapter 7. Therefore, the nation of Israel remains in focus from the beginning, to the very end of the Bible.
Most churches say this story in Revelation 12, is the whole Christian Church and the 12 stars on the woman's head mean 12 disciples, instead of 12 tribes of Israel. The attacking Serpent or Dragon, was the Person Devil after the baby Jesus, yet! Biblical history tells us it was Imperial Rome, who was the Adversary -or- Satan to Jesus. Some churches delve into history at times, for to translate the prophetic years of 1,260 days/years, seen in Revelation 12, saying, these were the years of the "dark ages" for the universal Christian Church. They give a list of the Reformers, such as Wycliffe, Huss, Martin Luther, Puritans, Wesley, Pilgrim Fathers etc; which in some respects is correct! One must ask though, "who" then were these people "reforming" against within these churches? The answer is the excesses of the Roman church itself, which excesses are still with us today, this was their devil in those "dark ages". This was also part of the "WAR IN HEAVEN", that Michael and His angels were fighting against, the Roman Dragon!
One cannot say the Christian church as a whole, is this WOMAN in Revelation 12, because this would also have to include the Roman church. The Romans say, only "their" church is the true church, so which church is the right one?
In the "dark ages" the Romans called others heretics, who sort truth from the bible, who without Rome's teachings, would go to hellfire and damnation. Again, this was the DRAGON BEING "WROTH" WITH THE WOMAN, seen in Revelation 12 : 17. So, in order to get at the truth, one must stick closely to the events of history, searching the facts therein, for to unravel prophecy and Revelation. If one unravels this verse 17, -with the rest of chapter 12- full out, we at first "do" see that a great many Jews became followers of Jesus as the Messiah. These Jewish Christians, became known in the Law as the "daughter of Jerusalem".
These historical verses in Revelation, also give the story of the largest section of Israel, called the "House of Israel", who were swallowed up in the Gentiles, they lost, in the "valley of dry bones", very many of these children became followers of Jesus the Messiah! The "separated seed" of this house, became the "daughter of Zion". These Israelite converts to Christ's teaching, became lost in many nations, who eventually found their way into an Island Wilderness and Rachel has been labouring and crying in pain, for these unidentified children to be delivered also.
Rachel's "seed" is only a small remnant of people swallowed up in millions of people and in very many churches. This "remnant" has bravely come forth at times, showing a light in the turmoil of history. These children are also alive in this day and age, going towards the twenty first century. We know who the Law is seeking in Revelation 12 : 17, because these children are not bogged down in age old man made rituals, but they are thinkers and questioners, always seeking after truth, knocking on the Lord's door, always searching in a "hot" manner, for God's answers to questions. They are not "lukewarm" in mankind's vanities, of understanding God's ways in history.
Revelation chapter 3, gives us warning what is expected of us all in so many churches that encompass the earth.
Verse15:- "I KNOW THY WORKS, THAT THOU ART NEITHER COLD NOR HOT' I WOULD THAT THOU WERT COLD OR HOT".
Verse 16:- "SO THEN BECAUSE THOU ART LUKEWARM AND NEITHER COLD NOR HOT, I WILL SPUE THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH".
When Revelation 12 : 17 says, "THE REMNANT WHICH KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD", it is giving us a path to follow. The "COMMANDMENTS" OF GOD are a LAW or mandate to live by. It's a precept of moral law, that one reads of in Exodus chapter 20 and Matthew chapter 15, in which Jesus upholds the Law and says, "IN VAIN THEY DO "WORSHIP" ME TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN".
"THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS; I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY BUT TO FULFIL".
The whole Law is set down throughout the Bible, for all Israel to learn and understand! That "precept" of Law is to teach and instruct us and is a rule of truth.
When we are faced with the "command" of moral law, it is to be capable of distinguishing right from wrong and to approve or disapprove in conscience.
The "mandate" we must live by, are the "actual" words of God not made up by man, it is a written authority to act for a person and is a commission or injunction. That person who was given an awesome commission in the earth, is through Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Mediator within the laws of God, which brings us to the word "TESTIMONY", written in Revelation 12 : 17.
A "TESTIMONY" is as a witness to evidence, made under "oath" of the Law of God, thereby proving some fact in solemn declaration. That "oath" was made and given, through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In a solemn declaration sworn, that "oath" was as a witness from God Himself, -Who Stands as The Holy One of Israel,- who said of Jesus, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, (Matthew 3 : 17). Therefore, He is indeed the Messiah and King, standing in the presence of God, which no earthly man is capable of doing!
Therefore, no orthodox Jew or Gentile, soaked in men's prescribed ceremonial rites, can meet this criteria of open moral law of conscience, because their rites are fixed in their long held religious opinions and doctrines. This type of Israelite still waits in ritual for their Messiah.
To sum up on Revelation 12.
The dragon of Rome made "WAR" with all of Israel, who were both Jew and Gentile. The "WAR" with angelic forces and Prince Michael, were seen in Revelation 12 : 7, against the physical and spiritual might of Roman power. It is the same picture that the great man Daniel saw also, in Daniel 9 : 26,27 - Daniel 11 : 22.
Because the Roman Dragon's might was passed on to the Papacy and it grew in the earth throughout the ages past, the power of ANGELIC FORCES,was scattered for a time until all prophecy is finished, as Daniel explains. Though, those ANGELIC FORCES made sure mankind's prophetic history was kept, in its time limits and that the elected seed of Rachel, within the 2 houses of Israel, was kept away from Roman persuasions.
We have seen in history of those special people come into the light every now and then, with many Protestant Reformers and within the ancient Christian Celtic Church. Those Reformers with a conscience, bringing into being over the years, a myriad of denominations in the search for truth, protesting against Rome. Though some denominations have turned out to be good, bad, or questionable!
Since the dawn of Israel's time on earth, God has assured them of a safe journey to the Promised Land, through faith and salvation. The "eagles" that have dogged Israel's footsteps, have not only been seen as Israel's oppressors, but the "eagle" have carried the people of God to safety.
"HOW I BARE YOU ON EAGLES WINGS AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF", (Exodus 19 : 4). I have read more other people's articles, on this royal WOMAN CROWNED with 12 stars in Revelation 12, than most any other prophecy in the book of Revelation and each article differs in some respects with interpretation. The denominations of churches who write them, seem to put themselves "only" in the position that this WOMAN is God's true church and "they" only answer to that criteria. Truth itself has received a terrible battering by mankind over the centuries, until it has become almost unrecognisable from its intended simplicity.
The "point" of prophecy with all its difficult imagery, is first to make a serious biblical mind to seek out truth. Bible prophecy is not a lesson in being pessimistic, but understanding it gives one an anchor in optimism, because prophecy does not speculate about God, or question whether He is alive to us! Prophecy "Proves" that "He Is" in complete command of the situation in the earth, from beginning to the end of everyone's historical life as we know it!
The great fault in man's uneducated ability to know God's ways, lies fully on the doorstep of the whole Christian Church down through the ages. The so-called universal church has been plagued with charlatans and wolves and have dressed itself overall with secular aims, it took and performed vanities of looks and speech, to prove how holy it was. Paganism and wolfish activities intertwined themselves into a ritual, calling it all Christianity. Terrible wars of murder and mayhem, have been fought over the centuries in Christ's name, which have tarnished this Great King's name amongst many nations on earth and to this day, His name is spat upon in blasphemy. He was simple and profound in His desires for man and awesome in His spirit. He has suffered slaughter in His name, but only until all mankind's rule in the earth is finished, then, He "will" return soon, with a rod of iron, to put things into a right perspective!
"AND I STOOD UPON THE SAND OF THE SEA, AND SAW A BEAST RISE UP OUT OF THE SEA, HAVING SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS, AND UPON THE HORNS TEN CROWNS, AND UPON HIS HEADS THE NAME OF BLASPHEMY".
Saint John in this vision, saw prophecy which was to be fulfilled in secular history. Stretching out before him in a symbolic picture, was the beginning and ending of a great power in the earth. This power would affect many, many nations of peoples, in those unfolding years of history.
The "SEA" which this picture of history was to take place, was in the most memorable part of the then, old and new worlds, covering this prophetic length of time.
Saint John was a prisoner of Rome, having been exiled on the Isle of Patmos, which Island was in the Aegean Sea, between Greece and off the coast of Asia Minor, whose lands were then governed by Imperial Rome. The Island is a tiny volcanic, wind swept, almost treeless island and very isolated. It is rumoured that Saint John lived in a cave. This atmosphere of his surroundings, would have helped to contribute in "seeing" a GREAT CREATURE, "RISE UP OUT OF THE SEA", irrespective of the visions the angel gave him, which visions troubled John.
The "personal" prophecy for John, spoken by Jesus when He was alive, is written in John 21 : 20 - 24, which prophecy came to pass!
Verse 22:- "JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, IF I WILL THAT HE TARRY TILL I COME, WHAT IS THAT TO THEE? FOLLOW THOU ME".
In this chapter and verse, Jesus is speaking to Peter, who had asked the question that John "should not die". Indeed, Saint John lived to be an old man and indeed in Revelation he saw Jesus again and His angel. By signs and words, were signified the historical events for the nation of Israel and other powers and principalities in the earth.
Indeed, Saint John "did TARRY" on earth into the years ahead of all the other disciples and lived upon that remote Island of Patmos. He saw His Lord's Angel and received instructions in visions for his people, thereby fulfilling his own prophecy also.
When Saint John "STOOD UPON THE SAND OF THE SEA" in the first verse of Revelation 13, it doesn't tell us "Which" SEA, for identification purposes, but, as chapter 13 progresses with its identification story, we indeed get the picture which SEA the prophecy pertains to.
This BEAST which ROSE OUT OF THE SEA, has already been explained in Daniel's chapters also. The first description of that "Beast" is in Daniel chapter 2, verses 40 to 43, within Nebuchadnezzar's dream image, then the story continues through Daniel's chapters 7-8-9- and 11.
The "SEA" that the great "BEAST ROSE OUT OF", had the ancient name, Mare - Tyrrhenian , which washed the shores of Italy, which "SEA" was part of the "Great Sea" of old, now called the Mediterranean Sea. Through volcanic activity, Rome arose out of that SEA, to begin its long powerful journey through the centuries ahead, ever growing with its many facets of rule, upon its body, or as Daniel portrayed the "Beast" Rome, which had many fellows, (Daniel 7 : 20).
The "Beast" is not a creature called, The Devil, with horns and hooves with a goat like appearance, as many persons will decipher from Biblical words, or of peoples long held belief of what the devil looks like. Instead, the Devil in appearance, is as a Dragon creature, with sharp teeth, many horns down its head, feet with claws and many heads, this picture spoken, is in Revelation 13 : 2 and Daniel 7 : 7,8.
When Revelation 13 : 1 said, the "beast" would have seven heads, ten horns with 10 crowns and upon its 7 heads the name of BLASPHEMY. Roman power would indeed fulfil all these characteristics, as its history marched on through the centuries.
One should note that prophecy in Revelation 12 : 3, that the dragon had 7 heads with 7 crowns, upon its heads, but in Revelation 13 : 1, the picture now increases its Roman power, with the 10 horns having 10 crowns also.
Let us first clarify what these Roman HEADS, HORNS, CROWNS and BLASPHEMY upon the Dragon's heads represents.
The seven heads with Blasphemy upon them would be:-
1:- Roman Etruscan kings.
2:- Roman Republic.
3:- Roman Imperial Empire (1 foot).
4:- Byzantine eastern Roman Empire (2nd foot).
5:- Holy Roman Empire.
6:- Italy and Rome under Napoleon Bonaparte (France).
7:- House of Savoy.
These are the rulers of Rome and other lands, that were set up as sovereigns with Crowned Heads, which made such an impact in history.
Further to this Roman story, the "10 horns" would have Crowns also, in chapter 13. Each would have separate rulers who governed them, answering to Imperial Rome. During the 400-year period of Roman ruling in the Roman Iron Kingdoms of Britain, the 10 Kingdoms were formed.
1:- Dumnonii
2:- Belgae
3:- Artrebates
4:- Cantii
5:- Trinovantes
6:- Iceni
7:- Contani
8:- Brigantes
9:- Ordovices
10:- Silures.
Politically, Roman Britain was an Imperial Province, administered by officials under the direct supervision of the emperor. The Municipalities were specially constituted Roman colonies, whose citizens had rights of self-government.
During the following years of these 10 kingdoms, they became 10 Saxon and Danish kingdoms ruled by princes, who worshipped at the feet of the Imperial Roman Papacy, for another 1,000 years.
In Revelation 13 : 1, it tells us that the "NAME OF BLASPHEMY" was upon the dragons-beasts 7 HEADS only. The "blasphemy" means, that the 7 crowned rulers over Roman affairs and lands, (From the time that the Roman city rose out of the sea), would use outrageous language of indignity, towards the real God of heaven and earth, thereby, setting itself up as divine, whether pertaining to false pagan deity, or the Roman Papacy, classing itself as holy and godlike under those 7 heads. This "Blasphemy" of men, has reigned supreme in Roman affairs into modern times, Revelation 13 : 2.
"AND THE BEAST WHICH I SAW WAS LIKE UNTO A LEOPARD, AND HIS FEET WERE AS THE FEET OF A BEAR, AND HIS MOUTH AS A MOUTH OF A LION; AND THE DRAGON GAVE HIM HIS POWER AND HIS SEAT, AND GREAT AUTHORITY".
The animals of LEOPARD, BEAR and LION in this verse, are animal symbols of past empires, whose powers preceded Rome, which we read of in Daniel 7 :4 - 7.
Roman power itself in prophecy, was going to subdue and govern into some of the lands, those previous powers once held.
1:- Leopard:- Rome was going to show the ancient world, that it could move and conquer with the swiftness and cunning, of the Leopard of Greece… The symbol of Alexander the Great, (Daniel 7 : 6).
2:- Bears:- Rome's purposeful power was to grow large, like the "lumbering Bear" of Persia, through a tough glutinous manner, taking over power with those marching feet of legions of men, striking at whoever got in its way… Symbol of Cyrus the Great, (Daniel 7 : 5).
3:- Lion:- The "Lion" symbol belonged to the Babylonians, whose appearance was golden, strong, dominant, with a greedy appetite. Rome's majestic power spread through many lands, who would tear the kill with the jaw of a lion to secure its fill, (Daniel 7 : 4). The triumphant "Lion" also became the royal sport of the Roman arenas.
4:- Dragon:- The Dragon body of Imperial Rome, was the powerhouse who secured all these animal frontiers, when all roads were to lead to the Dragon's lair, Rome! (Daniel 7 : 7).
When Revelation 13 : 2 says, "THE DRAGON GAVE THE POWER, SEAT, AND GREAT AUTHORITY", indeed it was so! The city of Rome became very powerful across the ancient world, who the Bible calls the "Beast" Roma.
The "SEAT", is the fixed and settled place of that POWER, which was Rome and remains Rome to this present day.
The "GREAT AUTHORITY" in the earth has been "Rome", in its many guises or changes of clothes over the centuries! It was the "Imperial Roman Empires" GREAT POWER, which forged that Dragon's power. Imperial Rome wielded in the earth a secure forever name for Rome in men's minds, passing that "Imperial" Dragon's power onto its church, who continued to "establish" that "SEAT" and all the world speaks of Rome as the eternal city!
Out of Rome, has come "GREAT AUTHORITY" amongst nations for centuries, just as Revelation 13 : 2 says. The Dragon of Imperial Rome, eventually handed its powerful sceptre of "AUTHORITY" onto the Roman church, which Imperial Emperor Constantine set in motion, who became a greater "AUTHORITY" in the earth, with the Roman priesthood, into the 20th century. In other words, the Imperial Dragon gave to the "Beast", Rome's great POWER and a "SEAT", or throne, which would govern millions of people world-wide, in the "AUTHORITY" of the Roman church.
"AND I SAW ONE OF ITS HEADS AS IT WERE WOUNDED TO DEATH; AND HIS DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED; AND ALL THE WORLD WONDERED AFTER THE BEAST". Here again in verse 3, is another chapter of the growth of the "LITTLE HORN" of the city of Rome, seen and translated in Daniel's prophecies. This verse 3, is showing us how the growth of the 7 heads almost covered the earth, within the power struggles of the history of mankind.
The Roman story in Revelation, is no different than the story in Daniel's chapters, other than it's pictured in another manner, thereby filling in a bit more of the jigsaw of Roman history, with its growing power in the earth and how it all came about, endorsing prophecy from Old and New Testaments, in that marvellous little book, The Holy Bible!
The first head of one of the Dragon's heads - seen in verse 3, -has its roots in the legend of Romulus and Remus, twin brothers being suckled by a she wolf. - A statue of which can be seen in Rome to this day.
Romulus, becoming the first king of Rome, which also remains in the annals of legend. Even the founding of Roma itself is argued over, which some say was approx; 753 BC. History tells us, that this small Latin valley town called Roma, eventually became powerful Rome, which was established under Etruscan rulers, who were the early monarchs. The "CROWN" of the Etruscans was the "first HEAD". Latin people's desires for self rule remained with them and Etruscan tyranny provoked a revolt amongst the people, who were to drive them out in approx; 500 BC. Now a new era of Italian history began into an early Republic.
Over the following years, warfare took shape between the Etruscans and the newly formed republic and the infant Roma was being born anew. War raged with other Latin territories for years, while the infant Roma (BEAST) learned to walk and grow.
The first HEAD of kings, or rulers with POWER, -upon the "Beast",- Rome would eventually sit upon the "DRAGON". Now however, it had been wounded to death and the Etruscan CROWN gone forever. That "DEADLY WOUND" spoken of in verse 3, was slowly being HEALED. Eventually after much warfare within the country, by invading Gauls who had defeated the Roman army, a ransom of gold was paid to the Gauls, who left the city.
After Gallic invasions of Italy, battles with other Italian tribes, Rome after centuries of fighting, finally became mistress of all central and northern Italy, approx; 280 BC. Until this time, the small town of Roma had played a defending role against others, being "wounded" greatly, almost dying in the attempt, just as verse 3 tells.
After 280 BC, Rome's army and governing powers were to be regarded by others as powerful indeed. Rome had conflicts with Greece and the Phoenicians. By 265 BC, the whole of the Italian peninsular was now under the power of the city of Rome, (BEAST). Thereby, the complete healing of Roman wounds -spoken of in prophecy,- began with the ointment of the Republic, with its strong army under strong generals. Rome fought the Punic Wars and won, it spread its power with its conquering army into Spain and the east.
The "WOUND" took a long time to Heal, but now it was HEALED and strong! Indeed, many, many nations of that ancient world, must have "WONDERED" or questioned, how this insignificant Latin city called Roma, who had died through the tyranny of others, could become the military masters of the then known world, as Revelation states!
The "LITTLE HORN" of Daniel's prophecies, -or the "BEAST" of the city of Rome, in Revelation prophecies, had now brought forth in strength, the "SECOND HEAD" of the Beast called the Roman Republic, which would be placed upon the "DRAGON" of Imperial Rome! The Republic took shape and was eventually governed by an aristocracy, which became an Imperial government. The much-remembered Julius Caesar, became undisputed master of that Roman state, but the "CROWN" of the Republic was lost at his death.
"AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE DRAGON WHICH GAVE POWER UNTO THE BEAST; AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, SAYING, WHO IS LIKE UNTO THE BEAST? WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE WAR WITH HIM?"
Now we enter into the great overwhelming Power of the "THIRD HEAD" of the Roman DRAGON, whose body had enlarged greatly into a huge monster called Imperial!
After the murder of Julius Caesar and the end of the Republic, confusion reigned for a while, until other leaders fought their way towards their own complete power. These leaders included Mark Antony, Lepidus, Brutus, Cassius and Octavius, the latter leader was to form the strong, large, power of the DRAGON towards the years ahead. It was as verse 4 said, the people were to WORSHIP this new DRAGON. The WORSHIP of this man's leadership and desires for all things Roman, grew with him. The "CROWN" of Rome from the Julian lineage, now became the third "CROWN" upon the head of Augustus Caesar, which was picked up once more.
Daniel's prophetic chapters and verses, tells us of some of those struggles, that Rome and other nations partook in over many years. Daniel told us of the Republic of Rome, conquering the West wind of Greece, seen in Daniel 11 : 4.
Daniel chapter 11, tells of the warfare during the days of the Republic and the fight for power after Julius Caesar's death, of the birth of Imperial Rome under Octavian Augustus, thereby, covering the verses of Daniel 11 : 10 - 14.
When Revelation 13 : 4 states that "THEY", (many people), WORSHIPPED THE DRAGON, WHICH GAVE POWER TO THE BEAST. These simple words are accurate and expressive in detail and reality! Indeed, Octavian Augustus Caesar, in his forty-one years of rule, made the "BEAST" (Rome) the Empires glorious capital and the Imperial "DRAGON", gave lasting Power unto Rome (BEAST), as verse 4 says!
History tells us, that Octavian's rule brought a form of peace, instead of warfare and plundering. It brought reform in administration to its citizens across that Roman world. It brought prosperity within Rome itself, with a great building program, which announced to the then world, the greatness that was Rome. The "DRAGON" settled its now great body down upon the earth!
Indeed, all mankind who experienced the power of Rome, "WORSHIPPED" that "Beast" and they "WORSHIPPED" Octavian's "DRAGON" of Empire. They "WORSHIPPED" the emperor who had status in heaven and earth, because the emperor became a god. The Roman BEAST/DRAGON, now became the centre of the universe!
Again, I must repeat how accurate Revelation 13 : 4 is. Rome had grown up out of all proportion in Power, after coming out of the SEA, which once was an insignificant village called the "BEAST" when it was born, but it grew into a fiery DRAGON in the earth, then men bowed down to its size and power! It was as verse 4 says, -"WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE WAR WITH HIM?"- Mankind in that ancient world, had been tested against Rome's marching feet, they had seen the leopard, lion and the bear in one people, at work from verse 2, no other nation was eager to take on the might of the "Beast" Rome, in warfare in those days. The Roman Dragon/Beast, kept a large standing army of professional soldiers, with many implements of war, always ready on its Empire borders for trouble and so there was peace in the Mediterranean world for many years.
The simple words in Revelation, explains the situation in the Roman world in history accurately, without any exaggeration!
"AND THERE WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM A MOUTH SPEAKING GREAT THINGS AND BLASPHEMIES; AND POWER WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM TO CONTINUE FORTY AND TWO MONTHS".
When these prophetic verses speak of "HIM" only as in verse 5, doing such and such, it is judging the power of "Men" in a secular man's world.
(But when prophecy speaks of "she" or "daughter of" the people, it is judging the prophetic spiritual role within the world).
Revelation 13 : 5, is strictly about the power and conceit of secular Men and is explaining "why" Roman words, thoughts and actions, became great in the earth, when mankind looked upon some of the men -"HIM",- as the noble Romans.
It was Almighty God and the power of heavenly purposes within prophecy, which gave the Roman Beast, -WHO CAME OUT OF THE SEA,- its chance to be great! Roman prophecy power was written by the great man Daniel, many years earlier in many of his chapters. Saint John, who saw some of that prophecy happen, he partook in it and suffered from it, then wrote down its continuing story of Roman world power.
Verse 5 continues with the words, "A MOUTH SPEAKING GREAT THINGS AND BLASPHEMIES". Indeed, this all happened within the early days of the power of Rome, because history records for us, great Roman speakers or orators, poets, men of letters, of Generals, history has measured them and called them the Immortal Romans. The annals of history tell us, of soldier poets and philosophers - politicians. We read of Scipio, Cato, Ennius, Cicero, Julius Caesar etc; during the years BC. Also came Horace, Livy, Ovid, Pliny the Elder and younger, Vergil, Seneca, etc; and of course, the brilliant words and rule of Augustus Caesar, with more names to add to the list no doubt!
Verse 5 speaks of, these MOUTHS of people who also spoke BLASPHEMIES. "Blasphemy" is a word used about someone, using language in words or writing that is outrageous. It is usual to use this form of language against the true God, or sacred things, thereby denigrating God's position and putting man in God's place!
Our Lord Jesus, was accused of "blasphemy" by the Jews of His time, when Jesus said, "God was His Father, yet! He spoke the truth, (John 10 : 29 - 38).
During our Lord Jesus's time under Roman rule, Octavian Augustus Caesar said, "he" was the son of God. Which of these two persons spoke "BLASPHEMY"?
No earthly man can claim to be the son of God, nor claim to be a holy father, as the Roman Papacy does to this day, nor can any priest claim to be a "father" to the people. Indeed, we all have had a paternal father, who sired us, but the dimensions of heaven are different and our Holy Father is "only" in heaven!
Matthew 23 : 9. "AND CALL NO MAN YOUR FATHER UPON THE EARTH; FOR ONE IS YOUR FATHER, WHICH IS IN HEAVEN".
BLASPHEMY is usually used through ignorance of a situation, or used from the conceit of vanities of mind and purpose of carnal men.
(To clarify reader the situation in Saint John's chapter 10, referring to the words "YE ARE GODS", which were also spoken in Psalms 82 : 6. These persons of mankind are God's special sheep, endorsed by God the Father from the beginning. No earthly men can put themselves into that situation, of being gods in heavenly places, one only hopes by faith and truth to be one and humility and meekness, makes one withdraw from lofty places). Revelation Chapter 13 : 5 continues with the words, "AND POWER WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM TO CONTINUE FORTY AND TWO MONTHS". The person spoken of as "HIM" in this sentence, again means, it's the worldly state of the power of men that reigned during this dating period. One must also note that prophecy belonging to God, gave these Roman times that power. It was God who allowed His Son to be judged by the Romans, then crucified under Roman punishment of their law.
The particular time frame of 42 MONTHS used in verse 5, covers verses 1 to 8, which are the first 3 Heads of the Roman Dragon, which we have been translating. FORTY AND TWO MONTHS, is also 3 and a half times or 1,260 days/years. So, if we use 1,260 years, instead of 42 MONTHS, for the story of the power of the "Beast" -Rome- after coming out of the SEA, then into the power given to the "DRAGON" of Imperial Rome, we see that time frame occurring. History says, that the rise of Rome was approx; the eighth century BC. The fall of the Roman Empire, has been commonly set at the date of 460 to 476 AD. Therefore, the "birth" of Rome and into Imperial power dating, covers the 42 months or 1,260 years given in Revelation 13 : 5.
"AND HE OPENED HIS MOUTH IN BLASPHEMY AGAINST GOD, TO BLASPHEME HIS NAME, AND HIS TABERNACLE, AND THEM THAT DWELL IN HEAVEN".
Roman power, only suffered the Jews and Christians in the land of Judea when it pleased them. In AD 70, Rome raised Jerusalem and God's Temple to the ground and the ark of the covenant, or the TABERNACLE, -which was the place for sacred things,- was lost forever. The place of God's worship ceased to exist and in its place came Roman paganism.
When verse 6 says, "THEM THAT DWELL IN HEAVEN -WERE ALSO BLASPHEMED", indeed it was so! Jesus, Son of God, was cast as a criminal on the Roman cross and all the disciples and the real followers of Christ suffered punishment. These are they whose spiritual memory is of heaven and our Lord Jesus ascended to heaven in a cloud.
The religious structures of "TABERNACLES", -spoken of in verse 6,- people worshipped heavenly bodies making a mockery out of the heavens. The heavenly bodies were of Jupiter, Mars, Venus, etc; who had tabernacles built for their worship. Rome took over the Greek gods and goddesses, but changing names and status as the years progressed.
In the "TABERNACLES" of the cult of Isis, from Egypt and Mithras of Persia, were also worshipped. With thousands of converted peoples throughout the Roman Empire Blasphemed. -The worship of Emperors called "divine", were also worshipped in TABERNACLES.
When Imperial Rome was brought into being, it portrayed that all peoples under that authority, were brought under superior excellence. The emperor's power implied an appearance of supreme divinity as a god. When Octavian -the future god,- became Augustus Caesar, he wore the mantle of "BLASPHEMY"! That mantle was also a witness that he was of the Julius Caesar lineage, as a god. After his death, some of the other Emperors who were related to the Julian line, either by blood or adoption, looked upon themselves as gods and to the people. One reads of the Emperor Caligula, in the madness of his mind, wanted his subjects to recognise his deification without question. The infamous Nero, was the last of the Augustian line, his terror and "BLASPHEMY" reigned supreme everywhere.
Rome's "GREAT SPEAKERS" who "MOUTHED great things", spoken of in Revelation 13 : 5, also implied that Rome was always divinely ordained, which came into focus from the time of Caesar Augustus. When Rome encompassed Christianity through the Emperor Constantine, it became the same god that was used in pagan rituals, but with a different name, then the "DRAGONS" BLASPHEMY was to reach new heights!
Rome's poets and propagandists, influenced the people of Rome in their thinking, towards Rome's purposeful divinity.
Virgil, an Augustin poet, -"WHO SPOKE GREAT THINGS" seen in verse 5- wrote of Augustus as a hero, in these words. "THIS IS HE WHOM AGAIN AND AGAIN YOU HAVE HEARD IN THE PROMISE. OF PROPHECY, CAESAR AUGUSTUS, SON OF GOD. HE SHALL FOUND ONCE AGAIN AN ERA OF GOLD IN THE LAND OF LATIUM, THROUGHOUT THE FIELDS THAT SATURN ONCE RULED". It was as Revelation Chapter 13 : 6 says, that the Romans as gods, had joined themselves to "THEM THAT DWELL" IN HEAVEN!
The prophet Daniel had much to say in this respect, when speaking of a "KING OF FIERCE COUNTENANCE UNDERSTANDING DARK SENTENCES", (Daniel 8 : 23). These sentences were the "Blasphemy", which the Roman people surrounded itself with and Octavian as a man, became the spiritual head of all religions for those people, yet! The real son of God, walked the earth in those days! Daniel 9 : 26,27:- "AND AFTER THREESCORE AND TWO WEEKS SHALL MESSIAH BE CUT OFF, BUT NOT FOR HIMSELF; AND THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE THAT SHALL COME SHALL DESTROY THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY; AND THE END THEREOF SHALL BE WITH A FLOOD, AND UNTO THE END OF THE WAR DESOLATIONS ARE DETERMINED".
Verse 27:- "AND HE SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE WEEK; AND IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE, AND FOR THE OVERSPREADING OF ABOMINATIONS HE SHALL MAKE IT DESOLATE, EVEN UNTIL THE CONSUMMATION, AND THAT DETERMINED SHALL BE POURED UPON THE DESOLATE". So, the Roman Dragon destroyed God's House and the sacred vessels of the TABERNACLE, the Messiah and His followers fell under those Roman feet. In its place, the Roman form of worship spread into many forms of abominations through the centuries and remains into our modern times!
"AND IT WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM TO MAKE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, AND TO OVERCOME THEM; AND POWER WAS GIVEN HIM OVER ALL KINDREDS AND TONGUES AND NATIONS".
Revelation 13 : 7, -Like all the prophets,- are lamenting the pitiful situation of the true children of God, falling under the terrible rule of man-made power structures, such as Rome. The previous chapter of Revelation 12 : 7 states the fact, that the "WAR" has been going on in heaven and earth, between Michael and his Angels, who were fighting the Roman Dragon during that time in history. Just as Michael and the Angels fought under the rule of Greece and Persia before, in prophecy, (Daniel 10 : 13).
Daniel also tells us, that the people classed as belonging to the kindred of the nation of Israel, with the Saints, will suffer for many days in that WAR, into the latter days of history, (Daniel 10 : 14). It is the Archangel Michael, who is the prince protecting Israel, (Daniel 10 : 21).
Revelation 13 : 7:- Is a summing up of the long, long, years of the might of Roman ways of men in the earth, because its persecution with ruling power in its many forms, absorbed a great many people. Those people who were related to one another, or those that spoke another language other than Latin and those people who had been classed as nations from earlier times, just like the Israelites, Persians, Babylonians, Celts, etc;
Under the Roman DRAGONS rule, the "WAR" against the "real" Saints of God, was being ferocious in its intensity. The King of the earth, The Lord Jesus Christ was sacrificed, the Saints of his disciples and followers were destroyed. The Christians were blamed for everything that went wrong in Roman lands, so they died in their thousands under all the Emperors of the Dragon Rome, Nero's tally of them was infamous.
In Daniel's prophetic chapter 11, verses 10 to 21, one can see Revelation 13:7 fulfilled to the core, because Daniel's prophecies take in the KINDREDS, TONGUES AND NATIONS of, Egypt, Syria, Babylon, Jews (Israel), Greece, British Celts (kindred of Israel) etc; Daniel 11 : 20, this verse is reserved exclusively for the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who murdered Christians joyfully in their thousands.
Daniel 11 : 21 is reserved for the vile Emperor Constantine who used the Saints of heaven as it pleased him.
Because of men's self-willpower of rule and vanities of mind and heart, the great power of historical prophecy was written down for our learning purposes, thereby, enabling people to read and think deeply about the "Real" God, who set all things down in writing through the prophets, for our understanding. God told us the END FROM THE BEGINNING, so mankind could change his ways, but alas, mankind never learns until it's too late! -Isaiah 46 : 9,10.
In Revelation 13 : 7, God had to leave prophecy for the overpowering Roman empire to stand and be fulfilled, and let the "WAR" continue. God gave man choices to make for good or evil, for a time span of 6,000 years in "this" world's age. So, this part of that age, was given to the marauding Roman/Beast/Dragon and it was as Daniel said.
Daniel 7 : 7:- "AFTER THIS I SAW IN THE NIGHT VISIONS, AND BEHOLD A FOURTH BEAST, DREADFUL AND TERRIBLE, AND STRONG EXCEEDINGLY; AND IT HAD GREAT IRON TEETH; IT DEVOURED AND BRAKE IN PIECES, AND STAMPED THE RESIDUE WITH THE FEET OF IT; AND IT WAS DIVERSE FROM ALL THE BEASTS THAT WERE BEFORE IT; AND IT HAD TEN HORNS". So, according to Revelation 13 : 7 whoever stood in the Roman Beasts way, of laws of worship, appealing to other nations of peoples, were to be made WAR against. During the time of Imperial Roman days when Jesus and his Saints, walked amongst the nations, Roman secular power couldn't understand them, so they were killed and the Beast continued its rule. The "Saints" over the following centuries, suffering under the Roman yoke, -like Saint John in that "WAR"- had to take their faith underground and hide, so that ancient world became Roman in every sense of the word.
Revelation 13 : 8 "AND ALL THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH SHALL WORSHIP HIM, WHOSE NAMES ARE NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD". With this verse starting with the word "AND", tell us it's a continuation of the story gone before. This verse has nothing to do with an unseen person, called Satan or the Devil, who always gets the blame for verses not understood! This is "not" a verse, or a series of verses in Revelation, cooked up in the fertile imaginations of people's minds. This prophecy is all cold, hard historical fact! When one opens and reads many historical books, that were written about this Roman power, one realises the awesome power these rulers had in that old world, with its Dragon body, 7 heads and 10 horns. The history of Roman Power was no fantasy! The forest of crucified Jews outside Jerusalem's walls, forged by the Romans in AD 70, was no fantasy!
Jesus Christ the "Lamb of God", hanging on a cross of Roman punishment, was no fantasy! Saint John exiled on the Isle of Patmos was no fantasy!
The terror for the early Christians in the arenas of Rome was no fantasy!
Much of these so-called noble Romans were corrupt and much accustomed to murder and mayhem. Otherwise, they couldn't have conquered nor subdued so many KINDREDS AND TONGUES AND NATIONS, that prophecy in Revelation states!
When verse 8 tells us that, -"ALL THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH SHALL WORSHIP HIM", of the Roman Beast, mankind's ways in bowing down to that Creature, can see no wrong in doing so! Then, unthinking mankind forfeits his desires for eternal life, written down in the Book of his LIFE. For this sort of person, is indeed carnal to the last thought of his mind, because like all the early Romans, who bowed down to Caesar as a god and worshipped, they knew not what! These practises by man remain even today for Rome.
Verse 8 calls to mind, the "BOOK OF LIFE and the LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD". -The "BOOK OF LIFE", is the same as the "TREE OF LIFE" seen in the garden of Eden in Genesis.
The "tree of life" that was in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, especially for God's children, was the same type of believing process as the "book of life" called the Holy Bible. This "BOOK" was forged through special people by God, who was directing their paths. Our Lord Jesus was "SEEN" at the beginning of time and His words written down at the end days for our learning. The revealing of more words from the "BOOK OF LIFE", given to his true followers and Books of the works of mankind, when they were upon the earth. These are towards the miseries engulfing mankind, which are written in Revelation 20 : 11 -15.
From the very beginning of the foundation of life on earth, mankind had "choices" to make with his freedom of will power, between what is good or evil and "who" to listen to, who to understand wisely and worship. Would it be a God that one can't see, but take the trouble to learn about earnestly, or would it be a powerful man, of the earth dressed for the part in holiness, that appeals to the eye and imagination? Even today, that choice of "who" to worship, is indeed very relevant! When things go wrong, it's so easy for mankind to blame someone else for their mistakes. So, a devil creature comes in very handy! We, instead of blaming the weakness of the flesh, or the evil in one's own inner being, we look for another to blame!
The "LAMB" of God told us, only to GIVE UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESARS, BUT UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GODS, (Matthew 22 : 17 - 22). But, mankind is afraid to do this, most of us have a foot in 2 camps, we "worship" God according to what men tell us. From the very beginning of mankind's power in the earth, God foresaw what man is capable of within his own heart and He regretted making him, (Genesis 6 : 5- 7). God had to forfeit something from a Spiritual realm to put things right and "He" gave us a Redeemer for our sins and called Him, Jesus, The Lamb of God, Revelation 13 : 9.
"IF ANY MAN HAVE AN EAR LET HIM HEAR"
This sentence is telling us reader, if you want to understand the words of Revelation, or any other prophecy in that "LITTLE BOOK" called the Bible, this is what you must do! Take off the "blinkers" from the eyes, of long held beliefs that are wrong, or rituals of thinking and look afresh at what the Bible is telling one and not what mankind has cooked up over the centuries, which has made us sick! Read again and again, what our Lord, through Saint John is telling us. Go back deeper into the BOOK and read, then understand Daniel's prophecies and other prophets, listen hard and hear those voices through the milestones of history, written for our learning!
The Roman "Beast", with its heads and horns spoken of in Revelation 13, tells us that lack of knowledge and blasphemy, remains upon Roman ways, who have taught people to worship all things Roman throughout the centuries and is carried down into our end time of man's ruling upon earth. Many are still "Giving unto Caesar The Things That Are Caesars"!
"HE THAT LEADETH INTO CAPTIVITY SHALL GO INTO CAPTIVITY; HE THAT KILLETH WITH THE SWORD MUST BE KILLED WITH THE SWORD. HERE IS THE PATIENCE OF FAITH OF THE SAINTS". This verse 10, sets the explanation to verse 9 of this same chapter. In other words, verse 10 is saying, if one is easily led into any falsehoods of learning God's truth and one can't be bothered to study the words of this great Book for oneself, then indeed, one will "GO INTO CAPTIVITY", or be captured in mind, heart and soul as a prisoner to truth.
If one goes and injures, or kills someone, who's desiring the "truth" of God's Law, who has different ideas from those of ritual, dictatorial dogma and falsehoods, then, that person who does the injury, will be killed for evermore, never to return to this earth, it's "forever CAPTIVITY"!
This is "why" verse 9 sets the question, "to HEAR" the words of truth of our Heavenly Father's Law and what it has to say about learning prophecy and factual history. The people who strive to learn the right things, are "outside" any punishments that Roman or any other power can hand out, because, by longing for truth and by steadfast learning with patience, they reap their reward in the end! The explanation of this verse 10 is spelled out fully in Revelation 14 : 9 - 13.
When one keeps the commandments of God, it is to "HEAR" His Voice first and foremost from the Bible, which Revelation 13 : 9 tells us.
The last sentence from Revelation 13 : 10; which says, "HERE IS THE PATIENCE AND THE FAITH OF THE SAINTS". Which was seen to the full in history, with the actions of Jesus and His followers during the times of the Dragon of Imperial Roman times, continuing with our Lord's followers throughout history, who suffered captivity and death in their hundreds, because they shut their ears and closed their eyes to Roman pagan rituals, knowing they had heard a different drummer! They knew the sword would kill them, if they offended. In "patience" they suffered much and with their faith they stood up to be counted and death came at times as a happy release from torment, because they knew their reward was written in the stars on high!
With the second coming of the Lord in His glory, they will be raised again from the dead, as the "Blessed" of the Father!
"AND I BEHELD ANOTHER BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE EARTH; AND HE HAD TWO HORNS, LIKE A LAMB, AND HE SPAKE AS A DRAGON".
We now enter into many controversial verses from 11 to 18. More things have been written about these verses than any others in prophecy, so, let's get down to unravel yet another version of this prophetic section.
The "BEAST" with 2 HORNS LIKE A LAMB in verse 11, is exactly the same power "Coming Out Of The Earth", which we read of in Daniel's prophecies, only then, "this" type of "Beast" was called the "LITTLE HORN", seen in Daniel 7 : 8,20. The rest of Daniel's chapters written about this HORN/BEAST, explains "who" it is!
We have already been reading and translating the 3 HEADS, which were upon the Roman BEAST, namely the city of Rome itself, (BEAST). First Head, Etruscan kings of Rome, -Second Head, Roman Republic, -Third Head upon the Dragon, Imperial Rome.
Instead of the OTHER BEAST version "Coming Out Of The Sea", when the Roman birth began, we now read that this "new BEAST", COMES OUT OF THE EARTH, or in other words, it's a power brought about by men. The first Beast was born through the hand of God in volcanic activity, rising it Out Of The Sea. This new "BEAST COMING OUT OF THE EARTH", was born out of the time and place of the larger first Beast, which had 7 Heads and 10 Horns, but it had a "disguise" upon its Head, showing 2 little HORNS LIKE A LAMB.
A LAMB is a sweet gentle creature, which is at the mercy of everyone and everything around it, because it cannot defend itself.
But this Beast in verse 11, with "LAMBS HORNS", was different in type. He could "SPEAK OUT" and defend itself with all the power of the DRAGON of Imperial Rome. In other words, this "Beast With Lambs Horns", had been given its power through the Imperial "DRAGON". All this happened in factual history!
Constantine, the Imperial Emperor of the Roman Dragon, established the "Beast" with Lambs Horns of the Roman Papacy.
Constantine set in motion amongst and through, the power of men, (EARTH) another Roman "creature", whose voice would "SPEAK" with the authority of the Roman Dragon, bringing about with fixed creeds and laws, according to Roman government. This "creature", -BEAST WITH LAMBS HORNS,- was pronounced by Rome to be blessed by the heavens, with Jesus -THE LAMB OF God, as The Daily Sacrifice as its "vision" for ruling its peoples of Empire. Thereby, carrying the Lambs HORNS in a pronounced manner, establishing for itself a heavenly throne upon earth.
"AND HE EXERCISETH ALL THE POWER OF THE FIRST BEAST BEFORE HIM, AND CAUSETH THE EARTH AND THEM WHICH DWELL THEREIN TO WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST, WHOSE DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED".
This is a verse with exacting words, which must be taken note of carefully.
The "HE" in this verse, is of course the power of men of the earth, it has nothing to do with the heavens. This "HE" took upon Himself the lost power of Imperial Roman rule.
The "FIRST BEAST BEFORE HIM", means:- The new Roman Beast with Lambs Horns", was given and practised its power according to the rule of the Imperial Beast and the name of Rome, who came "BEFORE HIM" in history. So, the Roman Church and Papacy, was set up on authority by them to rule mankind. This "new" power of Rome, would be "WORSHIPPED" in a different manner than the Heads gone before it.
We then have the words, -"THE FIRST BEAST WHOSE DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED". The "First Beast" spoken of, or the small town of Roma, was the "FIRST BEAST" and it almost died within its borders with so much fighting. So, this "new" power of a "Beast With Lambs Horns", would build its power by taking the name of "Rome" once more, making it a city to be "WORSHIPPED", in the guise of a priesthood of a Roman church.
Roman power had grown over the years from an Italian Village, then Republic, into an Imperial status, (Dragon). By the time this new, -second- Roman "BEAST WITH LAMBS HORNS", appeared on the stage of history, Rome's legions of soldiers ruling, were losing their power and its Senate the ability to govern, as they had done in the past. There had been struggles for power for that throne. Christians had been persecuted on a grand scale by various emperors.
(The Emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD), a terrible persecutor of Christians, was taken note of in Daniel 11 : 20).
By the fourth century, Christianity had developed a complicated system, unlike its beginning. Roman Christianity would eventually be placed on equal basis, as many other cults that were worshipped in the Roman world. -When the Emperor Constantine -of the Dragon,- pronounced a formal acceptance of Roman Christianity, the "BEAST WITH LAMBS HORNS", was born in assurance of life eternal, but with a secular heart. It was as Revelation 13 : 12 says and Rome was to be "WORSHIPPED" in a new way. Rome then took Saint Peter as a "prisoner" in body and spirit, as a foundation stone for its priesthood, then captured Jesus from a "vision" of Constantine's imagination and placed His crown upon its own head as Mediator between God and men and the "LAMBS HORNS" were secured upon the Roman head of the Dragon.
"AND HE DOETH GREAT WONDERS, SO THAT HE MAKETH FIRE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN ON THE EARTH IN SIGHT OF MEN".
This verse now verifies of whom it speaks, when referring to the new "BEAST WITH LAMBS HORNS" and how it was set in motion. Which again Daniel 11 :21 has already told us all about in his prophecy. Telling us also, of the heavenly wonders of "vision FIRE", which was started during the reign of Constantine of Rome. The much-published historical story of Constantine marching on Rome, to do battle with a rival claimant named, Maxentius, for the title and throne of Roman Emperor, had a miraculous heavenly story to it.
The GREAT WONDERS brought about by Constantine, which had impressed his worshipping soldiers, was written down by Eusebius, Constantine's biographer. Constantine claimed he saw a "vision" of a golden cross, over the fire of the SUN. -(A "vision" is a form of fire, it is seen as unusual energy generated).- This picture of fire in the heavens in the shape of a cross, had the words, "By this sign conquer". Immediately, Constantine ordered this -so called- Christian monogram, to be emblazoned on his soldier's standards. This great WONDROUS sight of his "vision of FIRE", his superstitious men were in turn, fired up to fight and win!
It was quite natural, for Constantine and his soldiers, to be impressed with a sign over the sun, because they were already worshippers of the sun god, Sol Invictus.
Now move to Part 2 of this chapter.
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