Is Christianity being set up to destroy other Christian nations?
The USA has been one of the strongest Christian nations for the past several hundred years…and has quickly changed into one of the most lawless and pagan nations in the past several decades. Will it even be present during the seven year tribulation? What about Russia? It has been targeted by the globalists over the past decade or so and has gone in the direction of conservative Christianity. Is this the reason it is being opposed by those currently in power? How can Russia be “Rosh” Gog/Magog as so many prophecy teachers have taught over the past several decades? As we know, in the end time Christians, and as such Christian nations, will become targets for persecution and martyrdom. Is Russia being targeted for their rejection of the West’s lawless morals that the globalists insist all nations adhere to if they wish to trade with them in the SWIFT system? Seems like they are and as such would not be a likely candidate for being the Beast or Gog of Magog.
I wanted to clarify what I think is going to happen here shortly. A number of prophecy teachers have been predicting an alliance between Islam and communism establishing some sort of world global order that will precede the rise of the Beast or work in conjunction with it. I think this is incorrect. The scriptures don’t appear to bear this out as being accurate as there is no global world order aside from trade and merchandising (Mystery Babylon) shown in the scriptures. Here is what I think could happen… I think that the global order that prophecy teachers are looking for is already here and has been for a long time. It is Mystery Babylon (merchandising and violence) and has infected most nations, some more than others.
Revelation 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. 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.
We have a choice on how the 7 seals will play out…it will play out local to Babylon’s beasts (historical land territory) or it will play out globally. Those who say the names like Magog should follow the traditional location of those historical sites instead of the wandering of the genealogy are correct. Inheritance (name ownership) follows land.
Deuteronomy 32:8, When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
1 Kings 8:20, And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
Israel is unique among the nations that the people also receive His name, not just the land. The other nations do not receive this honor. This is the same as Adam & Eve being the image of God in the midst of all the animals that were also created. They were unique in that they had God’s name in them. It was not that they had a different spirit than the animals, they had the addition of God’s name. God makes it clear that generally names follow the place, not the people. God said He placed His name at a location…in this case where He built a house and placed a people with His name. Why is this important? If this is the case, it is very likely that the seals and specifically the 2nd seal imply a massive scale war on a level we have never seen before and likely will include Russia and the USA on a nuclear level.
Revelation 6:3, 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.
So the good news is the USA is not specifically Babylon, though we are infected with its seed. The bad news is that there is a strong likelihood that Russia and the USA are not able or willing, due to their involvement in the 2nd seal or prior wars, to have any global influence…leaving the Beast to wage war in the middle east and form its traditional empire on its historic territory (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Islamic Caliphate).
Now it could be that the seals are related to the wars in the middle east only as the Beast wars on those nations that will eventually comprise its final empire… though I think it is unlikely to be regional only. The Wars and Rumors of Wars (Mark 13:7) could be the Beginning of Sorrows (Mark 13:8) preceding the breaking of the seven seals but the size and scale of the death of the first four seals is more indicative of a worldwide war that would require worldwide players. Remember Revelation’s beasts follow the same fractal as Israel.
Seed…Tree…First Fruit…then Harvest Fruit:
Seed-Yehova (YHWH)
Tree-Israel-Nation
First Fruit-Yeshua-Lamb
Harvest Fruit-Mark of God-Father’s name in their foreheads (those who sigh and cry over evil)
——-
Seed-Satan-Dragon-Revelation 12
Tree-Beast out of the sea-Empire-Revelation 13
First Fruit-False Prophet (Antichrist)-Lamb speaking as a dragon-Revelation 13:11
Harvest Fruit-Those who take the Mark of the Beast-Mark in hand or forehead to control buying and selling (Merchandising-the religion of Mystery Babylon).
The False Prophet (Lamb speaking as a dragon-Antichrist) forces the world then to take the Mark of the Beast (Empire) replicating Eve’s sin by passing on fruit that causes death. (Revelation 13:14)
Many biblical teachers are still getting the beasts of Revelation wrong and many are still teaching there will be both an antichrist and a false prophet. But is this what the scriptures actually say? They need to reevaluate the pattern of the beasts. The Antichrist is the False Prophet. Scripturally they do not appear to be a duo. There will NOT be both an individual (Beast) and another individual (False Prophet) if this pattern of the beasts is correct.
The False Prophet is the Antichrist who leads his empire (the Beast) and forces, after his revealing, the rest of the world to take the mark of his beast (empire). He starts local…is revealed…and tries to go global. The False Prophet is the Antichrist who is Gog of Magog. Magog traditionally and historically is in the land of Turkey…not Russia.
Ezekiel 38:2, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.
Traditionally Christians have taken the word for “chief” prince from its original Hebrew “Rosh” and incorrectly ascribed this term to “Russia” because it sounds phonetically similar.
“Rosh” simply means “chief”, it is not a name for a person, location, or people. The question is, how many leaders are mistakenly acting as if Russia is going to fulfill this prophecy related to the Antichrist to Russia? Are we treating a conservative Christian nation as an enemy when we should be treating them as a friend?
Ezekiel 38:16, And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
This prophecy of Gog is actually referring to that which the False Prophet/Antichrist does in his attempt to reformulate his historical empire. Many have tried to separate out Gog as a separate individual from the Antichrist or place this event at the beginning of the seven year tribulation or at the end of the Millennium. Gog (Antichrist/False Prophet) causes God (YHWH) to be “sanctified before their eyes” at the end of the seven years and it cannot happen at the start of the seven years as this would make the rest of the prophecies that occur in the seven year tribulation of no effect. It cannot happen only at the end of the millennium as God is clearly sanctified at the start of the final 1,000 year reign of Christ.
Although I would remind you that most prophecy occurs in two parts: seed (initial fulfillment) then manifestation (complete fulfillment). This is also the case for the destruction of the False Prophet/Antichrist/Gog at the end of the seven year tribulation and a complete fulfillment at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:8).
Is Russia Gog of Magog, Meshech and Tubal? No. These locations are in Turkey where the Legs of Iron (Islamic Caliphate/Ottoman Empire) ruled for hundreds of years (Daniel 2:33), received a great wound 1924, and then is revived as the ten toes partly of iron and partly of clay.
Revelation 13:14, 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.
While the importance of the Caliphate as a political power fluctuated throughout the history of Islam, the institution survived for over a thousand years. Often acting as little more than a symbolic figurehead, the formal office of Caliph remained from the death of Muhammad in 632 until the Ottoman Caliphate was formally dismantled in 1924. (Wikipedia)
We should look for the reformulation of this empire as the final form of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, not Russia. Some have put forth the valid argument that the Beast and False Prophet must be two people based on these two scriptures.
Revelation 16:13, And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Revelation 19:20, And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Both of these scriptures seem to indicate that you have two individuals, an Antichrist and a False Prophet. While on the surface this does appear to be true, does it seem that way because of the context or because that is what we have been taught for decades?
I would posit the following questions. If that is true… is it actually that you have three individuals and not two? The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet? All are described as being an individual because they each have a mouth. But Christianity does not describe Satan having a third manifestation, only that the Antichrist is Satan embodied.
So we must be consistent: if you have three manifestations of Satan then we should see three persons in the Book of Revelation, yet the traditional Christian view is that there are two, the Antichrist/Beast and the False Prophet. Revelation 19:20 seems to indicate the Beast and the False Prophet are “both” cast into the lake of fire. Again this seems to indicate a twosome.
This is the same fate as anyone not found written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:14-15). However, the instigator of it all (Satan) is cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years to be released to deceive the world then finally receives the same fate of being cast in the Lake of Fire. What I find interesting is it describes Satan as being tormented there forever. Have we assumed that this eternal torment is the same penalty for the Beast and the False Prophet and anyone not written in the Book of Life?
Perhaps all of those groups are indeed cast into the Lake of Fire, yet the Bible only says that Satan is tormented there forever. Could the rest indeed have met the second death and do not endure a never ending torment?
The key question is whether the Beast is assumed to be an individual who is the Antichrist assisted by the False Prophet (another individual). On the surface I would agree and that is why it is so easy to assume that “these both” of Revelation 19:20 appear to be individuals. The question I would then ask…”why does one “Beast” arise from the “sea” and the other beast (Lamb speaking as Dragon) rise from the land”?
Revelation 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.
Revelation 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.
Typically the sea is associated with nations and peoples and tonuges, not with individuals. Some may want to say it is associated with gentile nations and that the beast who comes out of the land is associated with Israel. What if the sea is associated with peoples and land is associated with an individual?
If we follow the rule that a “he” must be an individual this would certainly make it hard for this Beast to be an empire with 10 regions and 10 kings. If we invalidate that assumption it opens the possibility that the “both” who are cast into the Lake of Fire can be a Leader (False Prophet/Antichrist) and all those who worship his false image (take the Mark of the Beast) who also compose his empire (Beast). After all this is the fate of anyone “not written in the Book of Life…”.
Revelation 13:6, And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 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.
If this Beast were not an empire, but the actual individual known as the Antichrist, why would we need to then wait for the passing of 3 1/2 years and his appearance in the Temple to determine that indeed he is the Antichrist?
What I see is a progression from a seed (Satan) to a tree (Beast Empire) to its emperor (Lamb Speaking as a Dragon-Revealing of the False Prophet/Antichrist mid trib) to the final manifestation and incarnation of Satan within an image and reproducing that image worldwide. I am not saying conclusively this is the case, but it would seem possible.
A Beast labeled as a “he” with ten kings and ten territories can just as easily be an empire as a man. “These both” that were cast alive into the Lake of Fire being the Beast and the False Prophet can just as easily be a leader and all those who have taken his mark.
The question is, if the pattern of seed, tree, fruit, and mark is true…then the pattern should dictate the grammar, not the assumption that a “he” is always an individual or that a “both” is always two individuals. Please refer to Daniel 4 and Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the tree.
I freely admit this could all be wrong and indeed we should be looking for a duo that tries to mimic Moses and Aaron, but I find the symbolism, grammatical and contextual transitions between the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet to be vague at best to definitively prove it is a duo of two men. Modern Theologians can’t seem to keep straight when to refer to the “Beast” as the empire or as the Antichrist. Keep in mind that if the Beast out of the sea in Revelation 13 is given power for 42 months to wage war with the saints and win…and people are worshiping “him”, why would we need to wait until the midpoint of the Tribulation for the Antichrist to be revealed?
It is not until the next Beast doing miracles (Lamb speaking as a dragon) that we see the implementation of the Mark of the Beast and miracles being performed. Their relationship seems very political. The new beast is causing the people to follow the political system of the prior beast (empire).
Revelation 13:12, 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.
It seems rather vague to automatically assume the prior beast is an individual that was slain and healed.
Revelation 13:3, 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.
After all this is the way the Beast is introduced in the first place having a wound that was healed, so it does not appear that this is an event that happens at the end of the 42 months to an individual, but had happened previously to the empire and its final rise in the end time. This is likely an illustration of the Ottoman Empire/Islamic Caliphate’s demise/wounding in 1924 with a final rise in the end time.
Daniel 7:11, I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
Contextually Daniel 7 is discussing these beast empires, not an individual and we see clearly that the beast’s “body [is] destroyed, and given to the burning flame”. This is not referring to an individual, but an empire.
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. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among 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 man, and a mouth speaking great things.
This is referring to the fourth Beast, dreadful, terrible, exceedingly strong, with great iron teeth that was different from all the other beasts. This is a prophecy of empires not individuals. We also see that Daniel presents not a duo in the end but a singular king.
Daniel 8:23, And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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.
Again I could be wrong about all of this, but I suspect our prior presumptions may have been inaccurate and we should be open to new ideas as the reality of the situation manifests itself.
Learn more about this topic in Book 3 of the Restoring Truth Series, Mystery Babylon vs the Restrainer by Ken Mentell…available on Amazon.
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