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Revelation #17

            Have you been at peace in the Lord over the past week? It is time to study the book of Revelation, the words that the Lord is teaching the Apostle John about the things to come. The Lord told us to search the Word of God. He said there is life in the Word of God, and that life is about Jesus Christ himself. Our Lord said to the Apostle John, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:3 (KJV)  including all who hear and read these words today, and keep them in their hearts, I truly believe that the blessings of the Lord will come true according to His words. What is blessing? It is the faith deeply rooted in His words that overcomes the world by being sure of the wonderful news of eternal salvation that the Lord has prepared for us. Our Lord also told his disciples that they will have tribulation in the world, but be strong and be of good courage, because He has overcome the world. The Apostle John also said that it is our faith that overcomes the world, and this faith is believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

            Now, when the Lord comes into the air, all the churches go up to heaven to meet the Lord and enter the 7-year wedding feast, and the earth will enter the 7-year tribulation. Today, we enter the words of Chapter 11. The words of the second half of the tribulation, the latter three and a half years of the tribulation, when the Antichrist seriously begins his work, and the wrath of God in earnest, are unfolding in the latter- three and a half years into the tribulation. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s coming to this earth is to guide us into all truth and to teach us the future events. No matter how difficult our current situation is,  we can overcome difficulties in faith when we know that everything will be restored when the Lord comes. Therefore, the Apostle Paul said And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:3-5 KJV)

To give you an idea of the contents of Chapter 11 in advance, first, there is the time of the Gentiles during the latter three and a half years. It appears in verses 1-2. Also, verses 3-6 tells of the two witnesses will appear and prophesy for forty-two months, which equals to,  three and a half years. Then we go to verse 7, we see a beast coming up from the abyss,  the bottomless pit. Verses 8-12, we see the scene where the two witnesses are killed, resurrected and ascended to heaven. Verses 13-14 show the second woe, and verses 15-19 show what happens when the seventh trumpet is sounded. Therefore, Revelation 11 is the middle part of the book of Revelation. In other words, it is an important chapter that begins the three and a half years after the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation. Also we need to clearly know that chapter 11 is the key to unlocking the book of Revelation. Also, Revelation becomes the key to understanding the words of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament becomes the key to the New Testament. Therefore, it can be understood that the apostles spoke in the Holy Spirit by quoting the Old Testament. So, if you do not know the book of Revelation, you cannot understand the words of the Old Testament, and if you do not understand the words of the Old Testament, you cannot understand the words of the New Testament.

            Now, above all else, the key to understanding the book of Revelation is to believe what you read. Especially when you understand Chapter 11. When we read 11:1-3 we see the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem is literally rebuilt again. In 11:15 we see that the kingdoms of this world will belong to Jesus Christ. Not belonging to the Roman catholic church or America or any other country. Also in 11:12 we see some being raptured. We see some people who were slain being taken back to heaven. In 11:18, we can see that Jerusalem is called Sodom and Egypt of this age, but it will be restored. In 11:7, we meet a person called the beast. Although a human being, but called a beast. This man is the second most prominent figure in the Bible after the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are many more relevant passages in the Old Testament about this man, the beast than the apostle Paul, Moses, King David, or anything about them. The beast shows up also in Revelation 11, and this is the Antichrist in 2 John, and in Daniel 11 the same man is described as a selfish king and the king of the north, and 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us that he is that man of sin, the son of perdition. In this way, we can understand better when we know in advance what will happen in Chapter 11 and listen to these words.

            Let’s read 11:1,2 and see what happens in the days of the Gentiles, things that will happen in the latter three and a half years of tribulation. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Revelation 11:1-2 KJV) Here it says to measure the temple and the altar and those who worship in it. Eventually, the temple courts were given to the Gentiles. The Gentiles will trample the holy city. This is not a temple located in heaven. There is a word pertaining to the temple in heaven back in Chapter 8:3-5, but  this is about a temple that will be built again on earth. We must believe that there will be an actual city on earth that will literally be trampled upon by the Gentiles for exactly 42 months. In Matthew 24:15, the temple was destroyed without a stone left on it, which happened in Jerusalem in AD 70, but at that time Jerusalem was not trampled on for forty-two months. The text here is that Gentiles will come to the temple to be rebuilt and trample the holy city. Regarding this, the Apostle Paul made it clear in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 concerning the beast. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4 KJV) Our Lord gave a warning in Matthew 24, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:15-16 KJV) During the tribulation, when the Antichrist sits in the temple and says that He is God, the people of Israel will then realize that they have been deceived and flee, and they are to be protected by God for three and a half years out in the wilderness. All those who refuse to take the Bible literally are those who do not sincerely want Jesus Christ to come back to earth. Just as Lot lived in Sodom and settled by its gate back in the day, these are the unsanctified people in the last days where they’ve pitched their tents toward Sodom. People who are so immersed in the world hate and do not want to believe that the Lord will physically return to this earth.

            Let’s keep moving to verses 3,4. This is where the two witnesses prophesy. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. (Revelation 11:3-4 KJV) 1260 days is forty-two months. In the Bible, a month has 30 days. A year is 360 days. That is why it is forty-two months, three and a half years, and 1260 days is half of the seven-year tribulation. It is shown here that the two witnesses prophesy for the latter three and a half years. There are many false interpretations about the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, and we should be aware of them for reference. Mormons believe that the first witness is the Bible and the second is Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon. The Jews on the other hand say the Old Testament is the first witness and the Talmud is the second. Muslims claim that the first witness is Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the Law and the second witness is Muhammad. Also, the Pope of the Roman Catholic says the Bible is the first witness and the Apocrypha is the second. What they all had in common was they didn’t study the Bible in detail. Everything is accurately recorded in the Bible. These witnesses are not books. They are people. They are the two anointed. And stand before the God of the earth. All are in the present tense. Therefore, a Witness is a person, not a book. The important thing is to believe literally. If you interpret and symbolize something spiritually, you will obscure the Word of God.

            Continuing to verse 5-6, it says fire came out of their mouths, and as they prophesied they also had the powers to withhold the rain and turn the waters into blood. Does anyone come to mind when you hear this? Here are verses 5 and 6. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. (Revelation 11:5-6 KJV) Referencing to the words of James 5:17, Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (James 5:17 KJV) So, One witness in particular here is undoubtedly Elijah of 1 Kings 11:1. Elijah stood before the Lord in all the world, he was at the right of the candlestick, and he appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, and we remember Moses appearing to his left. We can know through the Bible that Moses and Elijah appeared on the left and right sides of the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. And who gave the authority to turn water into blood? That’s Moses. We can see that God gave Moses the power to turn water into blood when he brought plagues on Pharaoh in Egypt. In Exodus 33:20,21, the Lord said to Moses, “Stand upon a rock.” Moses and Elijah stood before the Lord. They were both anointed in the Old and New Testaments. If we study the Word further, Numbers 16:35 says: And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. (Numbers 16:35 KJV) When the descendants of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rose out against the spiritual authority of Moses, we can see Moses utilized hellfire to consume them. In 2 Kings 1:11 we see while Elijah was praying, fire came down from heaven and killed all the prophets of Baal. Occasionally some claim that one of the two witnesses was not Elijah but Enoch. But let us look for evidence that it was Elijah, not Enoch. First, Moses and Elijah were both anointed prophets. However, there is no fact that Enoch was anointed with oil. Second, Moses and Elijah stand before the Lord in all the earth, but Enoch does not. Third, Moses and Elijah both destroyed enemies with fire, but Enoch never did. Fourth, Moses and Elijah struck the earth with a plague and stopped rain for three and a half years, but Enoch didn’t. Fifth, both Moses and Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai, but Enoch didn’t. Sixth, Moses and Elijah both had ministers to succeed their ministry. In the case of Moses unto Joshua and Elijah had Elisha, but not Enoch. Seventh, Moses and Elijah both appeared and stood next to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, but Enoch was not present. So now you can see the claim that it was Enoch is wrong. Also, there are people who claim Moses cannot be a witness, because Moses is dead and already buried, but this is a misunderstanding. In Deuteronomy 34:5-6, So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. (Deuteronomy 34:5-6 KJV) Moses had no tomb. Why not? He resurrected. In Jude 1:9, there is a scene where Michael and the devil are arguing about Moses’ body. Therefore, these two witnesses are obviously Moses and Elijah, and we can see that they will appear again on the earth.

            Moving on to 11:7, we see the beast coming rising out of the abyss from the earth. How terrifying? Hell opens and the beast rises. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:7-8 KJV) Here the infamous beast appears for the first time. A beast, but it is a human being. So, Revelation 11 unlocks the entire book of Revelation, and Revelation unlocks the Old Testament and accurately interprets Matthew, Acts and Hebrews. What does this beast rule? Without waiting until chapter 13, we’ll look for evidence that this beast is a human. It is a beast, but this is a man. First, it rises from the bottomless pit. You can tell that this beast is not the resurrected Roman Empire, but a man who came up from an underground bottomless pit. Second, Revelation 13:18 tells about the beast. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:18 KJV) 666 is the number of the beast, and that number is the number of a man. You can tell that the beast is a human being. Third, in Daniel 7:3, four beasts appear, and they are said to be four kings before they were identified as nations. In Daniel 7:17, These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. (Daniel 7:17 KJV)  So the Bible says that this beast is a human being. Then who is he? Let’s continue in the Word. Fourth, Revelation 9:11 says, And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:11 KJV) This beast is a king, an angel of the abyss, the bottomless pit. He is a man, but an angel. Fifth, the beast appears again in Revelation 17:8, The beast that thou sawest was… meaning he existed in John’s days....and is not; meaning he wasn’t alive when John wrote the book of Revelation. In other words, he was alive before John wrote the book of Revelation. Although he was alive, he is not now when the book of Revelation is written, and he will come forth out of the bottomless pit into destruction. Also, you will know who this beast is when you read Bible verses related to the beast. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV) These are the words testified through the Apostle Paul. Here we see the Antichrist appearing in the tribulation, literally reaching the temple in Jerusalem, entering the sanctuary and sitting in his original place as the anointed cherub. It is found in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. The covering cherub. Lucifer was once a covering cherub. But then we see him sitting in his original seat. In other words, the beast is Satan turned into a man. Lucifer, the angel of light, and once the fifth covering cherub comes down to earth during the tribulation and sits down in the temple of Jerusalem calling himself God. This so-called son of perdition. Also, in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and 9, Who opposeth  (the Antichrist, the beast) and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4 KJV) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:9 KJV) When the Antichrist appears, we can see him performing great signs and wonders. In the last days, people may be in danger as they strangely follow the signs. Later, when the Antichrist emerges, he will perform the signs and wonders of given to the apostles of Israel, and by claiming to be King of the Jews he will become the false savior. Our Lord also said this in John 5, I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43 KJV) After all, the beast must have something to do with the Jews. He will act like the Messiah of the Jews. They killed the real Messiah, but they mistakenly accept the beast that appears during the tribulation as he exercises his powers as the Messiah, and then find out that they were deceived in the latter three and a half years suffering tremendous disappointment. Actually, he is Lucifer, the fifth cherub, the angel of light, the dragon, the beast, and the man who appears in the incarnation of the devil, and that person’s number is 666. And you should know that he is the angel and king of the bottomless pit, the son of perdition. It becomes more clear when we look at the contents of that prayer when our Lord prays for the final time on this earth as written in John 17:12,   While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12 KJV) This son of perdition He speaks of is Judas Iscariot. The Lord said to his disciples, one of you is the devil. He didn’t say he was possessed, but he was The devil himself. There are three passages that no one pays attention to about the beast. We’ve looked at important passages about this beast before, but when we look again at other passages, we can see what the antichrist is going to be like. First, if we look at Zechariah 11:15-17, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land… Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! …his right eye shall be utterly darkened. (Zechariah 11:15-17 KJV) That land is Palestine. This person will claim that the Jew is the savior. He is called the idol shepherd. Although he is a shepherd, he is the shepherd of idols. Our Lord is the Good Shepherd. His right eye will be completely darkened. Take a look at the one eye behind the one dollar bill. There is an important meaning behind it. We won’t be discussing this here due to time constraints, but it will be helpful for you to refer to this. Second, listen carefully to the words of the Lord in John 6:70,71, Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. (John 6:70-71 KJV) Here we can see that Judas Iscariot is a devil far from being a human. The devil because he is like those who live in the abyss. In other words, Judas was not a man. He was the devil. But he walked around like a human, spoke, ate, and died. Going back to Genesis 6, the fallen angels came down to the days of Noah, married the beautiful daughters of men, and eventually died in the flood. Fallen angels had to die like humans. Psalm 82 also says Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. (Psalm 82:6-7 KJV) Hebrews 13 tells of a man unknowingly treated angels. You can also see that all the angels appearing in the Old Testament are male. We need to know that angels appear as males and the devil also appear as male. Judas Iscariot did not go to Hell when he died. He went to his own place. Own place being where he used to be. That’s why Acts 1:25 says,…from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. (Acts 1:25 KJV) In the end, Judas, who is not a human, but the devil, went to the devil’s dwelling place, which was his own place. This beast, man, son of perdition, the resurrected Judas Iscariot, will claim to be the incarnation of God, enter Jerusalem, sit in the Most Holy, and request human sacrifice for himself. It is found in Revelation chapter 6. Many people are beheaded. This is a scene where many people will be beheaded at the guillotine under reign of the Antichrist, and they are appealing to God for vengeance. To him (the Antichrist) Moses and Elijah will be witnesses. Just as Moses and Aaron testified to Pharaoh, just as Elijah and Elisha testified in the Book of Kings, two witnesses will appear and testify to this beast. Just as Moses and Aaron rebuked before Pharaoh in ancient Egypt, Moses and Elijah will again rebuke and testify before the Antichrist during the tribulation.

            This scene will happen in the future, isn’t it a terrible thing? So now, today, only if you are saved, you will go up to heaven and see this scene happening below. We should do our best to evangelize so that even one more person can receive all these blessings of receiving salvation as a gift by sharing the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ. The Lord said, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)  Koreans living in the United States were sent to America to preach the gospel. What a blessing it would be if we could realize this and preach the gospel to all nations. There are over 173 ethnic groups in LA alone. Instead of living the easy life, how much joy would it bring to the Lord if we could lead the American souls to the Lord? There are a lot of different fishes here. White fish, yellow fish, black fish. What a blessing it would be to become a fisher of men If you catch all these fishes to the Lord. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will be able to please God and receive the crown of joy by realizing these words and leading many people to these blessings so that you will be filled with good works. Amen.