Wednesday, the fourth day of Revelation, begins with the rise of the Antichrist and ends with the collapse of his United World Government. It is mentioned in five of the seven accounts of Revelation and could well be called the "Golden Age of Satan," because during this period of time Satan will be reigning over the whole earth with unprecedented power and authority.
From the worldly point of view, Wednesday is wonderful. Generally speaking, everything appears to be great. In fact, this is the first and only time in human history that the whole planet is truly united, efficiently managed, and free from the shackles and traditions of antiquated morality. This is the most prosperous period of history ever to exist on the earth.
But from the Christian perspective, Wednesday is a horrible time -- a time of unprecedented persecution and hardship. On this day essentially every person who opposes the evil policies of Satan's Antichrist will be mercilessly crushed. Therefore, many Christians traditionally have called this period of time either the time of tribulation or the time of great tribulation, depending upon who is talking and which millennial theory is being espoused. Although both of these terms are appropriate Biblical descriptions of this time period, we generally will avoid these terms because of the confusion that accompanies their use.[1]
Of course, the reason Christians are experiencing great tribulation on Wednesday is that Satan is in control and sin is running rampant. Since sin is one of the most dominant characteristics of Wednesday, I will refer to that day simply as the Day of Sin.
From the heavenly viewpoint, Wednesday begins when Satan is released upon the world after being bound for a period of "a thousand years."
VII
REV 20:7 And when the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
This release of Satan will take place when Jesus "spews the lukewarm church out of his mouth" at the end of Thursday (REV 3:16). Once the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is removed, Satan will begin again to deceive the world as he did before the Day of Christ (2TH 2:5-12).
This rise of satanic power is described in the fourth account of Revelation as a beast with seven heads and ten horns rising up out of the sea:
IV
REV 13:
1 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 his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of
blasphemy.
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 the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat,
and great authority.
3 And I saw one of
his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all
the world wondered after the beast.
4 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?
5 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.
6 And he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and
them that dwell in heaven.
Some of the symbolism in this passage is clarified in the sixth account of Revelation:[2]
VI
REV 17:
8 The beast that thou
sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into
perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold
the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the
mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman
sitteth.
10 And there are
seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and
when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that
was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition.
12 And the ten horns
which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but
receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
As you can see, the heads and horns of this beast represent seats of government, kings, and/or kingdoms. Five of the seven heads represent past kingdoms at the time Revelation was written (perhaps the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian empires). The sixth head almost certainly represents the Roman Empire while the seventh represents a kingdom, which was, and possibly still is, to come. The beast itself represents an eighth and final kingdom of the world.
But this explanation of the symbolism seems to raise more questions than it answers. For example, if Biblical numerology is appropriate here, why aren't the seven kingdoms complete in themselves? Why is an eighth kingdom included in the picture?
And why is the eighth kingdom symbolized so differently from all the others? Does it somehow embody the other seven?
And what does the prophecy mean when it says the eighth kingdom is "of" the seven? Does it mean they all have the same nature? Or does it mean the eighth evolves out of the others? Or does it mean that the eighth embodies all the others?
And what does it mean when it says that the beast was, and is not, and yet is (17:8)? How can a kingdom recover from a fatal wound (13:3)? And even if it could recover, how would this induce people to worship the kingdom (13:4)? Indeed, how can a kingdom be worshipped?
Some of these questions can be answered by assuming the beast is symbolic of all worldly power. Then we can see how the single beast with the seven heads might constitute a complete representation of all worldly kingdoms.
But almost all of these questions begin to make sense if we assume the beast represents a kingdom, government, philosophy, and/or ideology that somehow recovers from an apparently fatal wound. In other words, we assume that the seventh kingdom rises to power; is rejected, destroyed, and/or discarded; and then rises to power again as the eighth kingdom. Then we can see how the seventh and eighth kingdoms would be one and the same; the eighth would evolve out "of" the seven and embody the essence of all seven; and the government or ideology, so amazingly resurrected, could be considered worthy of worship.
But what government or ideology might that be?
Well, one thing we know about the beast is that it represents the LAST earthly kingdom -- the largest, the most powerful, and the most worldly empire ever to exist on this planet, the final UNITED WORLD GOVERNMENT. Furthermore, its authority comes from Satan (13:2,7,12,14,etc), and it is full of all forms of blasphemy (13:1,5,6;17:3). We also know that the beast arises from a sea that symbolizes "people, multitudes, nations, and tongues" (17:15). Therefore, we can conclude that the final United World Government will be an evil regime that either emerges from or is founded upon DEMOCRACY.
But how can this be? Democracy is the best, the fairest, the most just form of government ever devised by man, while the United World Government is a totalitarian monarchy ruled by the Antichrist (13:16-17) forcing his will upon a multitude of nations (17:12-13,16-17). How can a democratic government possibly be or become a tyrannical monarchy?
The answer is simple. In fact, the evolution from a democracy to a monarchy is well documented in history: a democratic government (ruled by the people) grows into a republic (ruled by elected representatives), which evolves more and more into socialism (ruled by a privileged few) until the power is sufficiently concentrated for a single individual to seize control and establish a monarchy (ruled by one individual).
Look at the Roman Empire or Nazi Germany as historical examples of this pattern. Both began as democratic republics and evolved into tyrannical monarchies. The latter occurred in an amazingly short amount of time, illustrating just how fast the takeover can occur when conditions are right. And the conditions are getting better and better every day for a united world takeover.
One doesn't have to be a genius to realize that we are moving closer and closer toward a one-world government. The international economy, the World Bank, the United Nations, international police actions (wars), and the socioeconomic pressures exerted upon any nation that does not conform to world ideologies are just some examples of the obvious trend toward a one-world system.
Nor is it difficult to identify the type of government favored by the emerging world community. Any government that conforms to international pressures is drawn farther and farther into socialism; any nation that resists this pressure is weakened through international boycotts and terrorism; and any nation that becomes weak is conquered militarily by those who immediately establish a socialistic system.
Socialism, of course, is the perfect vehicle for satanic control of the world. It has the appearance of a "bottom-up" democracy while the true power resides in the hands of the nameless few who control it from the "top down." Such power-hungry people are ideal instruments of Satan, and the society they promote invariably is void of Christian principles.
No wonder such governments habitually blaspheme God and persecute Christians. With Satan in control, how could they act any other way?
Of course, it will take time for the full impact of the rise of satanic power to become a reality. Therefore, during the early stages of Wednesday, everything will appear to be "business as usual." In fact, the first clear sign that Wednesday has arrived might well be the spiritual condition of the church itself.
Having recently been "spewed out of the mouth" of Jesus because of its lukewarm attitude, the church entering the Day of Sin will have just lost the love it had only a short time earlier. Therefore, for the second time in the Harmony of Revelation, the letter to the church at Ephesus becomes appropriate:
I
REV 2:
1 Unto the angel of
the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars
in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works,
and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are
evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and
hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and
hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore
from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will
come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place,
except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast,
that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God.
You will recall that this letter pertained to the situation at the beginning of Tuesday when the first-century Church was losing its initial momentum. Now we see that this very same passage applies equally well to the beginning of Wednesday when worldwide evangelism is losing its momentum.
In both cases there is the beginning of a pattern of events that follows the chronology of the letters to the seven churches. This second and final cycle of that pattern will continue all the way through Wednesday and Thursday until the very day that Christ returns in power and glory.
The character of the church entering the Day of Sin is clearly depicted in this letter to the Ephesians. The church still hates evil, rejects false propaganda (prophets), and perseveres with patience. But it does not have the compassion, the concern, nor the love for the lost multitudes that it had only a few decades earlier. Therefore, it does not do the work that it did in those days.
Does this sound like the church of today? God help us, but I think it does.
And this poses a frightening thought: is it possible that Tuesday is already over and that Wednesday has already begun?
Yes, I suppose it is possible, but personally I doubt that that's the case. Why? Because people are still being saved today, and when Wednesday comes the door to salvation will be closed.
However, look around and ask yourself which is growing faster, the world population or the number of Christians? If, in fact, the world is becoming less and less Christian every day, then perhaps Wednesday really has begun.
In any case, Revelation 2:5 contains a serious warning to the church at the beginning of Wednesday. It says that unless the church repents and does its first works, Christ will remove its candlestick.
So what?
So according to Revelation 1:20 the candlestick symbolizes the church itself. Therefore, Christ is threatening to remove the church! And we're not talking about the rapture of the righteous out of the world; we are talking about the annihilation of the organized church. By removing the restraining power of the Holy Spirit, Christ will allow Satan to persecute the organized church completely out of existence!
But notice that along with this warning there is a ray of hope: If the church DOES repent and DOES renew its efforts, then Christ will NOT remove its candlestick. So even at this late date -- even at the very entrance to the Day of Sin, our merciful God provides us with one last chance. Let's not blow it this time; we'll not get another.
Look around you again. See how the doors of opportunity for worldwide evangelism miraculously have been opened within recent months[3]. The apparent collapse of international communism and the move toward freedom and democracy all over the world are providing opportunities for witnessing which have not been possible for almost a century. So let's renew our efforts and work together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit to bring about a great awakening -- the greatest revival this world has ever known.[4]
For, even if we are destined to experience that period of great tribulation, such a revival is not impossible. After all, this would not be the first time God's people were scheduled for a judgment that was postponed because of repentance.
Look at the revival that occurred during the reign of Josiah (2KI 22,23).[5] The similarities between what happened then and what could happen now are uncanny. Perhaps God will spare the church -- even for decades, while a multitude of souls are won to Christ.
I certainly hope so. Indeed, I pray so. For without such a revival, the Day of Sin surely is upon us at this very hour and essentially everyone who is not a Christian at this moment is doomed to spend eternity in hell.
But even if a great revival gives us a reprieve from tribulation, the reprieve will not last forever. Just as in the days of Josiah, so also in modern times. As soon as the spark is gone and the Spirit quenched, old habits will return and the great tribulation will take place as ordained.
Of course, the world itself will never recognize the spiritual condition of the church as being a sign of the beginning of the new world order. In fact, most people will not even recognize the current movement toward one-world-ism as being such a sign. But there is one sign at the beginning of Wednesday which no one in the world will be able to ignore; namely, the reality of worldwide conquest.
II
REV 6:
1 And I saw when the
Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one
of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold
a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto
him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
3 And when he had
opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out
another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take
peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was
given unto him a great sword.
5 And when he had
opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld,
and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his
hand.
6 And I heard a voice
in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three
measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7 And when he had
opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and
see.
8 And I looked, and
behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed
with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to
kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the
earth.
9 And when he had
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain
for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
This passage, when combined with the other parallel accounts, paints a fairly clear picture of what will happen during the period of conquest that occurs at the beginning of Wednesday. For example, we can see that the earthly power and authority behind this conquest will be derived through a united world alliance of ten nations (17:12-13) who hate the city that rules over them (17:16-18). The conquest itself will be accomplished through blasphemy and deception (13:5-6;13:14;20:3,7-8), through political and economic pressure (17:13,6:6,13:17) and through warfare and famine (6:3-4;13:10;6:5-6).
Notice in the above passage (6:5-6) that the suffering will be very selective. Those who resist their conquerors cannot even purchase the essentials of life (a quart of wheat and barley for a day's wage[6]), while those who cooperate can live in luxury (oil and wine).
Apparently, there will be substantial resistance -- all to no avail; for Revelation 6:7-8 tells us that one fourth of the world's population will be killed during this period of conquest.
Notice also that the methods and nature of this conquest are exactly the same as those commonly employed in communistic and socialistic revolutions of the past. This is just one more fact that supports the premise that the beast from the sea represents the socialistic ideology and movement of modern times.
In any case, Revelation 13:4 tells us that the beast is irresistible and Revelation 13:3,12 and 17:8 tell us that it has the power to recover from what should have been a fatal wound. Exactly what this wound symbolizes is not obvious, but I can think of three possibilities:
(1) Perhaps it is the great latter day spiritual revival mentioned earlier. I certainly hope that is the case. We need something like a revival to stop the current trend toward immorality and Satanism. But unless we Christians do something very soon, this will not be the blow that apparently kills the beast.
(2) Perhaps the wound is a great ideological swing away from socialism back toward freedom and democracy. The recent collapse of international communism certainly supports this hypothesis.[7] In fact, it is hard to imagine how communism could possibly survive the apparently fatal blow it has recently experienced. But a careful look at international politics demonstrates that communism actually is far from dead, especially in those regions of the world where it still is a useful tool of conquest. And it really is not hard to imagine how communism could raise its ugly head again when the emerging democracies fail to fulfill the unrealistic expectations of their citizens.[8] Indeed, considering the surprise the world has shown concerning the sudden collapse of communism, imagine its astonishment when this fatally wounded ideology eventually emerges victorious after all.
(3) Or perhaps the wound is a military victory of some sort that liberates other communist nations. Although this doesn't appear to be very probable at the present time, the situation could change considerably in the next few years. In any case, this possibility must be considered since it is the most obvious and most literal interpretation of these passages.
But whether the fatal wound from which the beast recovers is spiritual, ideological, military, or a combination of all three, one point is perfectly clear: the beast will recover from the wound and rise again -- this time to conquer the world. In fact, the recovery will be so spectacular that the whole world will worship the beast in awe.
One of the most prominent characteristics of Wednesday is the intense persecution of Christians. Three of the seven accounts of Revelation (including the letter to the church at Smyrna) describe this period of intense persecution:
|
I REV 2: 8 And unto the angel
of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last,
which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works,
and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of
them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear none of
those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of
you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten
days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh
shall not be hurt of the second death. |
II REV 6: 9 And when he had
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were
slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried
with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes
were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. |
IV REV 13: 7 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. 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. 9 If any man have
an ear, let him hear. 10 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 and the faith of the saints. |
As you can see, the persecution on Wednesday will be greater than at any other time in history. In fact, the organized church will be completely destroyed and few individual Christians will survive to the end. The patience and faith of the saints will be tested as never before and the injustice will be so great that even those who are martyred will cry to God for vengeance.
Since one fourth of the world's population will be killed during this time of conquest (6:8), it is doubtful that Christians will be the only ones experiencing difficulty. Everyone resisting the conqueror will be destroyed regardless of religious preference, but there are two reasons why Christians will receive the brunt of the persecution.
The primary reason, of course, is that Satan is the one who actually is in control of the situation, and he hates Christians with a passion. But the second, more practical reason is that in order for communism, or any other evil government, to maintain control of its subjects, it must direct the hatred of these people away from itself and toward someone else. Whenever possible this hatred is directed outside of the country.[9] But when that is not possible, as certainly will be the case during this worldwide conquest, the hatred must be directed toward those individuals and groups within the society who hold to a higher allegiance than the state -- namely, toward Christians.[10]
Of course, all religion will not be eliminated. In fact, we have already seen how Satanism in one form or another will be encouraged (13:4). This is not surprising since Satan is the one in control. Nor is it hard to understand how this is possible considering the rise of Satanism today.
But not everyone will be forced to worship Satan directly. Most will worship him indirectly through such ideologies as socialism, secularism, and humanism (13:4,8,12-15). The Government will become all in all. It will be the source and sustainer of life, the dispenser of rights and privileges, the ultimate object of allegiance, the one who can do no wrong (indeed, the one who defines right and wrong), and the one who deserves our praise, honor, and obedience. In short, the Government will be god, and anyone who refuses to worship it will be put to death.
Actually, I believe many other forms of religion will be acceptable during this golden age of Satanism. Indeed, any religion that does not confess Jesus Christ as Lord and which is willing to be controlled by the Government will be condoned. In fact, national religions under international control will be an integral part of the United World power structure. Look at how effective this policy is today in controlling the people in most Moslem nations.[11]
Even formal Christianity is not immune from such a merger. Already we see certain Christian denominations more concerned about social issues than about lost souls, more committed to world peace than to Jesus Christ, and more involved with politics than with witnessing. And many denominations have a top-down power structure that is perfectly suited for a governmental takeover. It would be quite easy for the government to take control of these organizations, especially when they are given only a choice between submission or annihilation.
During this time of extensive religious compromise, the message to the church at Pergamos once again becomes appropriate:
I
REV 2:
12 And to the angel
of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp
sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works,
and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my
name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my
faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few
things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also
them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I
will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my
mouth.
17 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white
stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that
receiveth it.
The references to Satan's throne, martyrs, false religions, and immorality all pertain directly to Wednesday, the Day of Sin.
Revelation 13:11-18 describes a vision of a second beast, this time rising out of the earth:
IV
REV 13:
11 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.
12 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.
13 And he doeth great
wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of men,
14 And deceiveth them
that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do
in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they
should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did
live.
15 And he had power
to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should
both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed.
16 And he causeth
all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in
their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man
might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the
number of his name.
18 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.
This second beast clearly is the spokesman of the first and, according to Revelation 13:18, represents a MAN. He is a false prophet, performing miraculous signs and exercising totalitarian authority over all mankind. Through the power of Satan, this particular individual eventually emerges as the undisputed leader of the United World Government.
This is the Antichrist who is prophesied to appear in the latter days. According to the scriptures, he will astound the people with his supernatural powers (13:13), deceive everyone except the saints into worshipping the Government (13:8,14), have an "image" of the Government constructed (13:14), and give that image life and voice (13:15).
Already, we see talking cash registers and cold drink machines in our midst, as well as computer programs which simulate artificial intelligence. It doesn't take very much imagination to visualize a “super robot” constructed to demonstrate the ability of the United World Government to create a completely new form of "life." This "creature" would be created in the image of man just as man was created in the image of God.
Or, if a "super robot" is insufficient to solicit your respect, perhaps the "image" will be a true biological, humanoid life-form, constructed through the technology of modern genetic engineering.
In any case, the "image" will demonstrate conclusively, that there is no god but man and that the Government which guides, protects, sustains, and rules over man is the supreme power of the universe, worthy to be honored, obeyed, and adored. So the Antichrist has everyone killed who refuses to worship the image he has created (13:12,15).
He also exercises total economic control over the people of the world (13:16:17). Again, it is not hard to imagine how this could come about, considering the trend of modern times. In the United States today, it is impossible to do anything without a Social Security number. The next logical step is to tattoo, or surgically implant beneath the skin, this or some similar identifying number to guarantee proper identification. By designing computers to read this number and transfer funds accordingly, the system could be used like a "human credit card." Not only would this process eliminate the need for multiple plastic credit cards but it would also eliminate the possibility of credit card theft or any other type of fraud. Obviously, the international money managers are going to love this idea. So once the logistics have been worked out, it is only a matter of time until the concept becomes a reality.
As to the meaning of the number associated with the beast, I agree with others who interpret 666 as follows: In Biblical numerology, the number 6 signifies man, while the number 3 signifies God. Therefore, the number 6 repeated three times asserts that man is god. When the Antichrist forces mankind to worship the United World Government through the image he has created, he is affirming the same philosophy as a modern day practitioner of secular humanism. Both declare that there is no god but man.
During the reign of the Antichrist, the Message to the church at Thyatira once again becomes appropriate.
I
REV 2:
18 And unto the angel
of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath
his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19 I know thy works,
and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the
last to be more than the first.
20 Notwithstanding I
have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to
commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her
space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will
cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill
her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which
searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works.
24 But unto you I
say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and
which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you
none other burden.
25 But that which ye
have already hold fast till I come.
26 And he that
overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over
the nations:
27 And he shall rule
them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to
shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give
him the morning star.
29 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
From the above passage you can see that during this Day of Sin the false prophetess, Jezebel, symbolizes the false prophet, Antichrist, and that many members of the church allow themselves to be seduced into following the immoral and sacrilegious practices of this leader.
The sixth account of Revelation describes a scarlet woman called "Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth:"
VI
REV 17:
1 And there came one
of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto
me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that
sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings
of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have
been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me
away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet
coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones
and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness
of her fornication:
5 And upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman
drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of
Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said
unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the
woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten
horns.
. . .
12 And the ten horns
which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but
receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one
mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make
war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords,
and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto
me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns
which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make
her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put
in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto
the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman
which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the
earth.
In the last verse of this passage (17:18), this woman is identified as "that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." Therefore, the United World Government will be headquartered in a great, prosperous, and evil city.
Considering the conditions within almost every large city of the world today, it should not be difficult to find a suitable location for this world capital. In fact, the speed of modern communication and ease of international travel have already integrated the major cities of the world into a single socioeconomic unit that effectively rules the world economically today. All that is needed to convert this megalopolis into the harlot of Revelation is a united military might enforcing its decisions.
And it is not difficult to imagine how even this could come about. As nationalism gives way to internationalism, the need for international law enforcement will grow. Again, it is only a matter of time before military power is placed at the disposal of the international policy makers.[12] That provision, of course, will set the stage for the world conquest we discussed previously.
At the end of the Day of Sin, the Church will be all but destroyed. Once again, the Message to the Church at Sardis will be appropriate:
I
REV 3:
1 And unto the angel
of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven
Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name
that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and
strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found
thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore
how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou
shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what
hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few
names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk
with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh,
the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name
out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and
before his angels.
6 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
By this time, all formal and organized religions that claim to be Christian will have so compromised their beliefs and adopted the teachings of false prophets that, even though they may think themselves alive, they are really dead.
No truly spiritual evangelical Christian organization will be allowed to function publicly. The only true worship of God will be done in small, private, unofficial groups. And evangelism will have to be practiced on a one-to-one basis, exposing the evangelists to considerable danger without notable success.
But even here, at the end of Satan's greatest triumph, there will be a few who have remained faithful (3:4).
There are three scriptures that suggest how long the Day of Sin will last: Revelation 17:12 says that ten kings will "receive power as kings one hour with the beast;" Revelation 2:10 says the saints "shall have tribulation ten days;" and Revelation 13:5 says the beast will be given power to continue "42 months." So depending upon which account you read, Wednesday will last one hour, ten days, or forty-two months.
Obviously, we have the same type of dilemma here as we had earlier when we were discussing the duration of Tuesday: namely, three distinct and apparently contradictory time intervals referring to the same time span. Only if each of these prophecies pertains to a different segment of that time span can they all be interpreted literally. In that case, we conclude that the kings’ reign with the beast for one hour, the beast persecutes the saints for ten days, and the beast reigns alone for forty-two months. This gives a total duration of forty-two months, ten days, and one hour, which essentially is equal to three and a half years.
But there are several scriptures that suggest that the persecution will last throughout the whole reign of the beast (6:9-11, 13:5-7, 17:6), and others that imply that the ten kings will continue reigning with the beast even until the very end (17:12-14, 17). Therefore, instead of assuming that the prophecies refer to three different spans of time, it seems more reasonable to assume that all three prophecies refer to the same span of time.
But how can one hour equal ten days equal forty-two months? Obviously, these cannot be equal if taken literally; so we must look deeper into the possible symbolism associated with each prophecy if we want to understand the equalities.
To do this, we first recognize that, in Biblical numerology, the number ten usually indicates that something is sufficient, adequate, or enough to accomplish a certain purpose. Therefore, the "ten days of tribulation" symbolizes the fact that this period of great persecution will last long enough to accomplish God's purpose of purifying the Church. In other words, Wednesday will last for one complete day of Revelation.
Second, "one hour" can be interpreted as one unit of God's time. Since the basic unit of time in the book of Revelation is one day, we conclude that "one hour" can also symbolize one day of Revelation.
And third, we can see that "forty-two months" is equivalent to three and a half years. Since we already know that three and a half years symbolizes a complete part of God's timetable, we conclude that this reference also symbolizes one day of Revelation.
Therefore, every one of these time intervals symbolize the fact that Wednesday will last until it is complete -- no matter how long that may take.
We can even estimate the approximate duration of that time by looking deeper into the symbolism of these passages.
Notice that both Tuesday and Wednesday are predicted to last for three and a half years. However, Tuesday was always associated with large numbers (like time, times, and half a time; 1260 days; and 1000 years), while Wednesday was always associated with small numbers (like 1 hour, 10 days, and 42 months). Therefore, the symbolism indicates that Tuesday should last a very long time while Wednesday should last only a short while.
While we are discussing symbolism, let me remind you that "three and a half" also symbolizes "half complete." Therefore, there must be some characteristic of Wednesday that is only half complete. It is interesting to identify this characteristic and compare it with the corresponding characteristics of Monday and Tuesday.
In the case of Monday, we know that the Day of Christ is only the first of two times that Christ visits the earth. Therefore, the three and a half year ministry of Christ as the suffering Servant is only the first half of his total visitation. The second half, the half that completes that visitation, will occur on Friday when Christ returns as Lord of all.
In the case of Tuesday, we have already seen that the 1000-year reference is only half the time required to complete the full Church Age. That is why we had to double that value in order to obtain the correct length for the Day of Salvation. The duration of Tuesday is also half of the Biblically emphasized duration of mankind upon this planet. The other half of that duration occurred on Sunday.
And in the case of Wednesday, we will see that the Day of Sin is only the first half of the period of time that the Antichrist visits the earth. More specifically, this is the day that he establishes his earthly kingdom and rules with absolute power and authority. The second half of his visitation takes place on Thursday when he tries to reestablish his position of power and authority after his subjects rebel.
By the way, while we are on this topic, notice that on Monday (MAT 4:1-10), Christ was tempted to establish the very same type of kingdom that the Antichrist actually will establish on Wednesday, and that on Friday, Christ actually will exercise the kind of power and authority that the Antichrist attempts to regain on Thursday. This is just one of the many comparisons and contrasts that the Harmony of Revelation makes between the Christ and the Antichrist.
We have already seen how all three predictions of the duration of Wednesday are symbolically equivalent but literally different. Now we ask the question, "Can any of these prophecies be taken literally, and, if so, how do we know which one?"
In my opinion, the answer can be found only by asking a second question, "Is a literal interpretation reasonable?" If it is, then the literal interpretation is preferred. But if it is not, then the very reason for discarding a literal interpretation should provide additional insight as to the correct symbolism of that passage.
For example, there is nothing in the context of the forty-two-month reference to prevent it from being taken literally. Therefore, we conclude that it should be interpreted literally. This means that Wednesday should last for three and a half calendar years.
But is this really reasonable? Why not? As we have already seen, the important parts of Sunday and Tuesday are literally the same (i.e. 2000 years). Why, then couldn't the important parts of Monday and Wednesday also be literally the same? Indeed, the ministry of Christ was literally three and a half years. Why not that of the Antichrist? There is a certain pattern of symmetry to all of this, and it would illustrate just one more example of how the Antichrist literally mimics the Christ.
But even if the ministry of the Antichrist is three and a half years, his life span certainly would be longer than that. Just like Jesus, he would spend years in private preparation for his public debut. In fact, considering his tendency to mimic Christ, I personally would be very surprised if he will not be about thirty years old when he rises to power (LUK 3:23). And if this be true, and if we are correct about the duration of Tuesday, then it's about time for him to be born right now. Indeed, he may well be alive at this very moment.
Since only one of the three references to the duration of Wednesday can be correct literally, and since we have concluded that the forty-two-month reference is that one, then it follows that the other two references cannot be correct literally. But what is there in the context of these two scriptures that prevents them from being taken literally? And how can this information be used to provide additional insight into their intended symbolic meanings?
In the case of the one-hour reference, we are dealing with an international alliance in which ten kings give their power and authority to the beast (17:13), hate the harlot (17:16), and make war with the Lamb (17:14). Since it is almost impossible to imagine how all of these things could take place in a time span of one literal hour, it follows that a symbolic interpretation is essential. But symbolically, what does one hour of an international alliance mean?
Well, for one thing, "one hour" is a very short period of time for such an alliance, so the "one-hour" reference must symbolize a small fraction of the duration of a typical alliance. In fact, the exact fraction is probably one twenty-fourth, because one hour is one twenty-fourth of a day (the next larger unit of time). Therefore, "one hour" in this context almost certainly means one twenty-fourth of the duration of a normal alliance or a typical kingdom.
But kingdoms and alliances may last anywhere from a few months to several decades, or even for centuries. So what number should we assign to represent the duration of a typical kingdom or alliance? Surely, it should be something near the middle of this range, say, a time interval longer than the reign of most kings but shorter than the duration of most dynasties -- something close to the life span of an individual. For the sake of argument, let us assume that a typical kingdom or alliance lasts somewhere in the vicinity of 84 years. Then one hour, or one-twenty-fourth of that duration, would be three and a half years. (Sound familiar?)
Of course, a typical kingdom may not last exactly 84 years, but on the average it shouldn't deviate very far from this value. Therefore, this prophecy does support the conclusion that the Day of Sin will last approximately three and a half literal years.
But what about the ten-day reference? Does it also support this conclusion? Apparently not. Why? Because, unlike the other two references, this one cannot be identified exclusively with Wednesday.
In fact, if you will recall, we have already shown how this reference applies TWICE within the Harmony of Revelation, once at the beginning of the Church Age and again here during the Day of Sin. And these applications do not even consider the church at Smyrna to which the letter was specifically addressed or the many other individual churches which have experienced persecution down through the centuries. Therefore, if the ten-hour reference is to apply equally well to all of these different periods of persecution, it cannot justifiably be interpreted literally in this one case.
Nevertheless, when we do try to apply this reference to the Day of Sin, we realize that ten days is a very short period of time for Christians to endure extensive worldwide persecution. So once again we conclude that Wednesday is much shorter than normally would be expected, considering all that must take place on that day. Therefore, let us ask ourselves what is the MINIMUM, reasonable amount of time required to carry out a period of worldwide persecution of all Christians.
Even with the advantages of modern technology, communication, and transportation, the time required to organize and implement such a mammoth campaign surely must be more than just a few months. In fact, if the duration of the persecution of Christians after recent communist takeovers constitutes a typical historical example, we must conclude that the great tribulation will last for a minimum of several years. (Say, three and a half years?)
Of course, this is only a very crude approximation, but once again we see that all the evidence contained in the Harmony of Revelation points to the same conclusion; namely, that Wednesday will last very close to three and a half calendar years.
[1]The problem with using the terms
"tribulation" or "great tribulation" when referring to
Wednesday and Thursday is that Wednesday is the day of great tribulation of the
SAINTS while Thursday is the day of great tribulation of the WORLD. Therefore,
these terms are ambiguous unless the recipient of the tribulation is
identified. Fortunately, the Bible gives us this information when it uses these
terms. But many Christians fail to recognize this distinction and, therefore,
tend to confuse the terms and the time periods.
[2]This passage is taken out of
chronological order and placed here solely for the purpose of clarification.
Otherwise we would have to wait until we got to this passage before discussing
the symbolism associated with the beast. But this alteration has absolutely no
effect upon our harmonistic chronology because we are considering only the
symbolism of the passage, not any chronology it might contain.
[3]The first revision of the Harmony of
Revelation was written in 1988 and predicted the collapse of international
communism. The sentence that prompted this footnote was written shortly after
the fulfillment of that prophecy in 1989. Its wording has been retained in this
latest revision of the Harmony of Revelation to remind us all that the window
of opportunity for one last worldwide revival is not very wide. When you read
these words, you will have a better idea than I currently have as to how much
time is left to witness to the world.
[4] Just as the fall of comunism opened the
door of evangelism in many athiestic countries in the recent past, the War on
Terrorism appears to be opening the door of evangelism in many Muslem countries
in the near future.
[5]Look also at 2 Chronicles 34,35. Note
particularly 2 Kings 22:15-20 and 2 Chronicles 34:23-28.
[6]The King James Bible translates the Greek
word "denarius" as "penny," but a denarius was the coin
used to pay a typical worker a day's wage in New Testament times.
[7] As does the even more recent liberation
of certain Muslem states.
[8]The world does not realize that democracy
cannot bring blessings if its citizens are ungodly. America was founded by
God-fearing patriarchs and will survive only as long as long as their
God-fearing legacy continues. Godless nations cannot adopt democracy and expect
it to cure their worldly problems.
[9]For example, in the past this hatred
usually has been directed toward the United States of America.
[10] For example, in World War II, Hitler
directed this hatred toward the Jews.
[11] And notice how those Muslem governments that do not submit to international pressure are being replaced even today.
[12]Indeed, the United Nations already has a
small military force at its disposal. This military force is certain to grow as
world crises continue and nationalism declines.