Great Tribulation

A Deep Dive into Daniel — Part 5 — The Little Horn will Prevail over God’s People

Marcus Walker Van EveryLeave a comment

“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Acts 14:22

When Jesus gave His Olivet Discourse about the end of the age, He provided the general scope and basic timeline but did not get too deep into the fine details. Jesus told His disciples that the prophet Daniel had the details, and if the disciples wanted to put all the pieces together, then they needed to read and understand the book of Daniel first.

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) …”

Matthew 24:15

In my last post, I focused on the early career of the “little horn,” which is another name for the end-times Beast — or Antichrist. The Antichrist may start small, but he will come boasting of big things and speaking blasphemies against God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Once the little horn assumes power and creates his Middle Eastern empire, he will begin expanding his reach around the world and unleashing his wrath on the people of God. The global persecution of the saints is one of the clearest characteristics of the campaign of the Antichrist, which can only mean one thing.

Believers — aka saints — will be on the earth during the great tribulation to face the Antichrist and even suffer at his hand.

This flies in the face of the popular “pre-tribulation” view of the rapture, which falsely teaches that the saints will be removed from the earth prior to the tribulation period. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Remember, Jesus told us to read Daniel and to understand his prophecies in order to have an accurate eschatology, so I intend to do just that.

THE LITTLE HORN WILL PERSECUTE THE SAINTS

The overwhelming majority of Daniel’s prophecies are concerning the appointed time of the end, which culminates with the return of the Son of Man on the clouds in power and glory to crush the evil empire of the Beast and establish His everlasting Kingdom.

That’s the end game, but Daniel also provides some key details about the events leading up to the return of the LORD. One of those details involves a defined period of time for the Antichrist to prevail over God’s people.

Let’s take a closer look.

“As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.”

Daniel 7:21-22

Daniel provides more details just a few verses later.

“He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.
But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.”

Daniel 7:25-26

Daniel himself provides many more details about the campaign of the Antichrist against God’s people, which I will save for later, but for now allow me to show how the testimony of the Biblical prophets is also in full agreement.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake … For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

Matthew 24:9, 21-22

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”

Revelation 6:9-11

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 7:13-14

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:5-10

I could provide many more Scriptures to support this sobering reality. The Antichrist will be given authority to make war and conquer God’s people — which will include a campaign against both ethnic Israel and all believers on the earth.

And if you have noticed the timeframe provided by many of these passages, the Antichrist will be given this authority for 3.5 years.

THE ANTICHRIST WILL RULE FOR 3.5 YEARS

When we get to Daniel 9, I will do my best to interpret the 70 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy, and more specifically the 70th week — which represents a unique 7-year period. Having said that, I am not fully convinced that Daniel’s 70th-week refers to the final 7 years of human history, although it could.

Furthermore, I fully reject the notion that the Great Tribulation is a 7-year period. There is no Scripture that teaches that the Great Tribulation — which will be the worst time in human history — will be 7 years.

The only definitive period of time that we are given in Scripture is 3.5 years, or 42 months, or 1260 days. If I have to put a timeframe on the Great Tribulation, then I believe it will fall within this 3.5 year period before the Lord Jesus returns.

Let’s compare some of the passages again.

He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time [3.5 years].

Daniel 7:25

“And the woman [Israel] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days… But the woman [Israel] was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”

Revelation 12:6, 14-17

“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. “

Revelation 13:5

After describing the 3.5 year period of tribulation, Daniel reminds us of the rest of the story. Jesus returns and crushes Antichrist and saves His people.

“They [the saints] shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.
But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Daniel 7:25-27

While the little horn will prevail for a season, Jesus will return in glory to crush him and establish His everlasting kingdom, which shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High!

Next time I will introduce Daniel 8, as we investigate another future conflict that must take place before the revelation of the Antichrist.

666 & The False Prophet

Marcus Walker Van Every1 Comment

“This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

Revelation 13:18

The Biblical meaning of a false prophet is someone who speaks falsely “in the name of God.” Therefore, I believe the end-times False Prophet will emerge from within a Judeo-Christian context, having an outward appearance of a godly man of the “cloth” but at the same time speaking blasphemous lies in the name of Jesus. The False Prophet will also possess immense supernatural powers, using signs and working wonders to deceive the world.

Beyond using supernatural and spiritual powers, however, the False Prophet is described as using two additional methods of influence during the great tribulation.

  1. The Image of the Beast
  2. The Mark of the Beast

Many have undertaken the task of trying to decipher what these two mysteries may be. In full disclosure, I don’t claim to know what the image and the mark of the Beast will be, but I do have some thoughts concerning the possibilities.

The Image of the Beast

“And by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.”

Revelation 13:14

What is the image of the beast? Some have proposed that it is some type of satanic statue or idol that will be set up in the Third Temple, which will involve the abomination of desolation [see Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4].

Others still have suggested that it will be some type of holographic/virtual image that the Beast uses to appear before the masses.

Consider what the Greek word, image, means in Strong’s Concordance.

  • Strong’s 1504 eikṓn (from 1503/eíkō, “be like”) – properly, “mirror-like representation,” referring to what is very close in resemblance (like a “high-definition” projection, as defined by the context).

When we understand that Jesus Himself is called the “image” of the invisible God — the exact imprint of His nature and likeness — it helps provide some context to the “image” of the Beast. The image of the beast will most likely be some type of human-like representation of the Antichrist. Here are some possibilities.

  • The image of the Beast could be some type of cyborg replica of Antichrist who is given “life” by the False Prophet. By life, I believe that either artificial intelligence or a demonic spirit is in view.
  • The image of the Beast could be some type of genetic hybrid who resembles the Antichrist and is given “life.”

But why would the Beast — who already will be a man in physical form — need a human-like replica of himself?

I believe the answer is most likely found in the second half of Revelation 13:14. The Beast — or the human leader — apparently will suffer some type of mortal wound and either appear to die or actually die, only to be brought back to “life” as the image of the Beast. All things considered, this could be a pseudo-miracle performed by the False Prophet that astonishes the whole world and causes them to worship the Beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

If we understand Satan’s desire to mimic and pervert all that God has done, then it is not unreasonable to believe that the Antichrist will perform some type of “resurrection” from the dead to imitate Christ. I am of the opinion that this demonic resurrection will produce the image of the Beast, further deceiving the lost inhabitants of the earth to worship him. Any failure to follow suit will most likely result in martyrdom.

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

Revelation 13:15

The Mark of the Beast

“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

Revelation 13:16-17

Finally, we see the False Prophet using economic control over the masses, preventing anyone to buy or sell without first being “marked,” either on the right hand or the forehead.

What is this mark of the Beast?

The Greek word for mark used here in Strong’s Concordance is number 5480 xáragma. It can refer properly to an engraving (etching), brand or stamp and also can refer to an identification symbol or badge, giving irrefutable connection between parties. Think of the Jews in the Holocaust who were forced by the Nazis to wear the star of David for identification. Notice that the mark is also called the “number” of the name of the Beast, or 666.

Once again, I can’t be dogmatic about this mark, but here are my thoughts.

  • The mark of the Beast is at the very least a universal identification system that can be globally monitored through modern technology.
  • The mark of the Beast could employ some type of microchip or nanotechnology that can implanted into the skin of willing individuals or delivered via some form of vaccination or inoculation campaign.
  • The mark of the Beast will be in some way outwardly recognizable and visible as to distinguish between those who have taken it or not.
  • The mark of the Beast, in my interpretation, is the “seal” of the Antichrist, which is the antithesis of the seal of the Holy Spirit.
  • True believers who are sealed with the Holy Spirit and who possess the mind of Christ will refuse to voluntarily take the mark, even if it costs us our lives.

Although the Beast and his kingdom will be concentrated in the Middle East, his reach and control will be global because of the technological component of the mark. Global tracking and data gathering has never been an option until now, and the Antichrist will take full advantage of GPS monitoring systems and 5G technology.

The Revelation of Jesus warns believers that the kingdom of darkness and the rule of Antichrist will last 42 months (3.5 years) and that we must be prepared not only to face the Beast, but also to be willing to suffer and die in resistance to his satanic system. This is just one of many reasons why I believe the church will be present on the earth during the great tribulation — or the last 3.5 years — before the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself gives a personal call to the saints to have endurance through this time of great trouble.

Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

“If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.”

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:7-10

Furthermore, I believe only those who are seduced, deceived, or intimidated by the False Prophet to take the mark — and do so willingly — will be taking the seal of the devil and deliberately rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not believe a true believer who is sealed with Holy Spirit should worry that he or she will somehow be tricked or forced into the taking the mark of the Beast. For those who truly belong to Christ, they will not love their lives, even unto death. The words of Jesus ring true.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” [Matthew 10:16-23]

Those who willingly take the mark, however, are consciously pledging full allegiance and giving themselves over to the Beast. Their end is sealed.

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”

Revelation 14:9-10

We are living in the last days. May all God’s people be prepared for what is coming upon the earth in the years to come. We will need God and His presence and power more than ever, and we will need one another like never before.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

The Superpowers of the False Prophet

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The False Prophet is called a “beast” in Revelation 13. The term beast in this context is best understood as a leader/ruler with authority and power over a designated group of people. His purpose is to promote allegiance and worship of the first beast — the human leader known as the Antichrist — and also to utilize the supernatural powers of the Dragon to deceive the whole world. Whereas the first beast — the Antichrist — is described in terms of a political/military figure, the second beast — the False Prophet — is portrayed as a religious/spiritual figure of significant influence.

In my last post I made the case that the False Prophet will be a renown religious leader who speaks lies and heresies “in the name of God,” which means that he will almost certainly emerge from within the modern Christian “church” as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He outwardly has the appearance of a lamb (false christ), while inwardly he is a ravenous wolf speaking like the devil himself [Revelation 13:11].

Authority and Idolatry

“It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.”

Revelation 13:12

The False Prophet will exercise authority on behalf of the Antichrist, and his job will be clear. He is to use whatever means possible to cause the inhabitants of the world to submit and worship the Beast. As the verse above says, the False Prophet will “cause” or “make” the peoples of the earth bow down to Antichrist and pledge full allegiance to him.

Just as a side note, there is one primary belief system in the world today that gains “converts” by using force, intimidation, terror, and subjugation — Islam. The essence of Islam is jihad — or holy war — which is designed to introduce shariah law to every newly-conquered territory. Shariah forces infidels — those who do not believe in Allah or his prophet Mohammed — to convert, die or become a classless slave of the Islamic system.

Now while I do believe that the first “Beast” will emerge from an Islamic context and will rule over a Middle Eastern empire, I do not necessarily believe the False Prophet will be a Muslim imam. He most likely will use the terror of shariah law and exploit the authority of the Antichrist, causing many to worship the Beast for fear of their lives. All who would save his life, however, will lose it for bowing down to another god and worshiping this profane Beast. This is an assault of the first commandment of God. We are to have no other gods before Him.

Satan’s original sin was born out of his pride and arrogance and his desire to exalt himself above God [Isaiah 14:12-14, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4], and the False Prophet will be tasked with using whatever means necessary to make the whole world bow at the feet of the Dragon. Just as the Holy Spirit testifies to God the Son and points people to Jesus, the False Prophet will point the world to the Beast. The last days will reveal a wicked and corrupt generation that practices universal idolatry, blaspheming the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ, while giving glory to the devil.

The Scriptures reveal, however, that the False Prophet will use other means of influence to sway sinners to surrender to the power and control of the Beast.

Supernatural Signs and Wonders

“It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”

Revelation 13:13-15

You can read other posts that I have written about the coming deception and the dangers of the apostate church. The spirit of the age is sweeping through our world and the stage is being set for mass deception. Satan is using a strategic combination of moral relativism, political correctness, doctrinal compromise, sexual perversion and seduction, governmental corruption, occult fascination, academic indoctrination, technological isolation, and substance addiction — among other things — to keep the world in his grasp.

I believe the False Prophet will employ all of these methods of seduction and deception when he arrives on the scene, especially when it comes to using artificial intelligence, virtual reality, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology.

But the False Prophet will also have a secret weapon — superpowers!

There seems to have always been a fascination with being superhuman — godlike. It’s the oldest lie of the devil … you shall be like gods!

The False Prophet will be able to access supernatural powers to woo the crowds and wow the masses. Revelation 13 says that he will be able to make “fire come down from heaven” and somehow give “breath,” or life to the image of the beast. His power is reminiscent of Satan’s vicious attack on Job by bringing fire down from heaven to destroy his herds [Job 1:16], as well as an imitation of the prophet Elijah during his standoff with the false prophets of Baal.

Although the Bible calls these “false” signs and wonders, that does not mean that they necessarily are “fake” like an elaborate magic show. The power of the False Prophet will be quite real, but it will be false in the sense that it will be used to deceive and lead the world astray.

The Apostle Paul also speaks of this coming supernatural demonstration of power in the last days. Those who have refused to love the truth and be saved will be deceived. Only those sealed with the Holy Spirit and possessing the mind of Christ will be able to resist the unbelievable powers on display in those days.

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Finally we see the unholy trinity in Revelation 16 — the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet — sending three unclean spirits to the kings of the earth to gather for the battle of Armageddon. Again, these spirits perform supernatural “signs” in order to deceive.

“And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.”

Revelation 16:13-14

As God’s people, we must maintain a healthy balance between the supernatural power of God as demonstrated by the Spirit of God and the authoritative truth of God as revealed in the Word of God. Jesus warned the religious leaders of His generation, as well as ours, about being obsessed with signs and miracles and wonders and seeking those things above God.

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

Matthew 16:1-4

In other words, we have all the validation we need from God in His revealed word and the true testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is not to deny God’s ability to perform miracles and show mighty wonders. It is simply a warning about motivations. If we need a sign to validate God’s word, then we are dangerously setting ourselves up for deception.

Next time I will conclude this miniseries on the False Prophet by exploring the possible scenarios involving the mark of the beast and the image of the beast.

Who is the False Prophet?

Marcus Walker Van Every1 Comment

“But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”

Revelation 19:20

When it comes to the study of eschatology, or end times, the Antichrist — aka the Beast — usually gets the lion’s share of attention. The Scriptures speak of another “beast,” however, who will play a significant role in deceiving the world in the last days.

The False Prophet

My aim is to use the next several installments to build a Biblical profile of the False Prophet in order to help the body of believers become better equipped to identify him and his deceptive powers. The Lord Jesus consistently warned us about the spiritual deception and false wonders that will characterize the last days. If God’s people are not spiritually and doctrinally prepared, we are in danger of being led like lambs to the slaughter.

False Prophets and the Spirit of Antichrist

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

1 John 4:1-3

The Apostle John reminds us that the spirit of antichrist was at work in his day and that many antichrists have already come into the world [1 John 2:18]. John connects false prophets with the spirit of antichrist, which is the satanic spirit at work that blinds the minds of unbelievers and keeps the whole world in spiritual darkness.

John first heard this directly from the Lord Jesus Himself, when He taught his disciples about the coming dangers of the last days and the deceptive methods of the evil one. Concerning the signs of the end times, Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets and false “messiahs” more than anything else.

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray … And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray … For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.”

Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 24-25

Just as there have been many antichrists who have come into the world, there also have been many false prophets. All of the antichrists and false prophets up until this point have been precursors and predecessors to what the Bible identifies as “the” Antichrist and “the” False Prophet. These two dynamic and demonic leaders will emerge on the world stage in the last days as the very personification of evil and incarnation of the devil. We should only expect to see a rise in the satanic spirit of the antichrist and in the number of false prophets in these last days, leading up to the revelation of these two unique “beasts.”

And what are we seeing in our world today? Just a surface glance at the modern spiritual landscape of the world and the church at large reveals a mass departure from sound doctrine that has created a pseudo-religious culture with an obsession for occult spirituality, personal mysticism, and ecstatic, emotional experiences. Even more telling is how much the spirit of antichrist has infiltrated the “church” — aka modern Christianity.

The first thing we must understand about the False Prophet is that he will most certainly emerge from a Christian context as a representative of the church.

The Pseudo Prophet

The name “False Prophet” is one word in the Greek — pseudoprophétés — which means one who teaches what is false “in God’s name.” The same can be said of the term “false christ” — pseudochristos — which means a pretend Messiah. These terms are used purposely to convey to believers that these dangerous and demonic imposters will emerge from within the church itself.

A false prophet in general is someone pretending to speak the word of the Lord (prophesy) but in fact is phony (an imposter), acting as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. So when it comes to “the” False Prophet, spoken of in the book of Revelation, we can be sure that he will be speaking deceptive lies and heresies in the very name of Jesus Christ.

The first mention of the False Prophet in Revelation 13 provides imagery that confirms his true nature as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He may outwardly represent the “Lamb,” but inwardly He is a servant of Satan — the Dragon.

“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.”

Revelation 13:11

Stay tuned for next time, as I will begin to look more closely at the power and authority of the False Prophet and his role during the great tribulation.

The Day of the LORD — The Siege of Jerusalem

Marcus Walker Van Every3 Comments

“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.”

[Zechariah 12:2-3]

If there is one word that best encapsulates the nature of the Day of the LORD, it is the word Convergence. The Day of the LORD will be that monumental point in time when everything in heaven and on earth converges in unimaginable climatic finality. It as if all the collective forces of the entire universe — visible and invisible — will be accelerating from every possible direction and will collide at the very same place and time.

Of course once the dust clears, there will be One standing above all — His name is Jesus. It will be His day and His day alone.

We may not know precisely when everything will converge in the end, but we at least will know when the end is near and when the return of Jesus is close at hand, even at the very gates [Mark 13:29]. Although it is not for us to know the exact time … we do know the place.

The Scriptures unequivocally are clear that the Day of the LORD will converge in one pre-determined place on earth — Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the spiritual epicenter of the world and the unique geographical location on earth where God Almighty has chosen to place His name and laid special claim [see 1 Kings 11:36]. Therefore, it should be no surprise that on that Day all the collective forces of evil will gather and lay siege to the holy city Jerusalem.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain.”

[Zechariah 8:2-3]

Jerusalem — A Cup of Staggering

The Middle East provides the original historical context of the Biblical narrative, which simply means that all of the events and accounts in the holy Scriptures occurred within the Middle East. Nestled in the heart of the Middle East in the Promised Land — Israel — and more specifically the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, all that originally began in Israel and the Middle East also will inevitably end there.

The prophet Zechariah provides some of the most interesting details about the Day of the LORD and the fate of Jerusalem in the last days. The LORD describes the scene in Zechariah 12, saying that on that Day the peoples immediately surrounding Jerusalem will converge in a drunken rage to lay siege to the city, not to mention “all the nations of the earth” [Zechariah 12:3].

This last day invasion of Israel and siege of Jerusalem is emphasized by the prophets, Apostles, and Jesus Himself, and their testimony overwhelmingly agrees. This may not be the first time in history that hostile armies have laid siege to Jerusalem, but it most certainly will be the last.

The horrific, historical accounts of the destruction of Jerusalem both in 586 B.C. and again in 70 A.D. were but typological shadows of the final invasion in the last days. As we will see, the testimony of the Biblical prophets all point us to the final siege of Jerusalem at the end of the age, culminating with the Day of the LORD.

The Beast and His Armies

“And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”

[Revelation 16:13-16]

Biblical eschatology is complex and enigmatic to say the least. When reading the prophetic passages describing the siege of Jerusalem and the final battle of Armageddon, however, one thing is clear. An evil tyrant king — aka the Antichrist — will emerge on the world stage in the last days and successfully will unite the kings of the earth and their armies to invade the Holy Land and lay siege to Jerusalem.

Now when it comes to the identity and end-time exploits of the Antichrist, or Beast, there is no shortage of differing interpretations and proposed scenarios. Elements of timing and geography are challenging, yet with careful study we can at least put the pieces of the prophetic puzzle together and begin to form a picture of the Beast and his kingdom.

The prophetic writings of Daniel and Ezekiel lay the groundwork for the beast imagery and provide a composite overlay of the collective territories that most likely will be aligned with the Beast in the last days.

For instance, I firmly am convinced that the Antichrist will rule a Middle Eastern kingdom — NOT a revived Roman Empire. For a deeper study on this, I encourage you to read Joel Richardson’s free online book, Mideast Beast, which is one of the most comprehensive Biblical explanations of why the Antichrist must emerge from and rule over a predominately Middle Eastern kingdom.

Again, apocalyptic literature uses mysterious symbols like “beasts” and “statues” and “horns” to describe the kingdoms and kings who will be aligned with the Antichrist in the last days. Although the scope of this post will not attempt to parse the intricacies of apocalyptic symbolism etc… I will at least provide some basic facts that help provide context for those surrounding nations involved in the final siege of Jerusalem.

  1. The Antichrist is foreshadowed by many ruthless historical figures, such as Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes, Haman, etc…
  2. Other Old Testament titles for the Antichrist include the Assyrian, Gog, the cruel master, the king of the north, and the “little horn”
  3. The Antichrist will emerge from obscurity (little horn) and gradually will gain influence and power through intrigue, political diplomacy and deceptive schemes.
  4. As the Beast grows in popularity and political power in the Middle East, the Bible says that he will begin forming strategic alliances and launching military campaigns throughout the region. Some will resist at first (i.e. Egypt) but eventually the Beast will become an irresistible force.
  5. The Beast will form a military coalition of 10 kings, according to Revelation 17, which may or may not be in addition to his previous alliances.
  6. With the help of the false prophet and demonic deception, the Beast also will convince the kings from the east to join him for the final battle for Jerusalem.
  7. Armageddon — of the Valley of Megiddo — is the wide-open plain in northern Israel where the Antichrist and his hoards will gather for battle, but the intensity of the battle will actually take place in and around Jerusalem.

The 4 Beasts of Daniel — A Composite Kingdom

“As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.”

[Daniel 7:23-24]

“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

[Revelation 17:12-14]

Although I cannot be certain about the entire complexion of this end-time alliance of nations, the Bible does at least provide some clues and also some specific names that help fill in the blanks. The kingdom of Antichrist will consist of 10 kings/kingdoms, who eventually will relinquish all authority to the Beast.

Beginning with the 4 beasts in the book of Daniel (Daniel 2 & 7), I believe that the prophet received a composite picture of the end-times empire of the Antichrist. The beast kingdoms in Daniel’s visions were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Javan (Ancient Greece/Macedonia) and then a fourth terrifying beast unlike all the others — which I believe describes the revived Islamic Caliphate/Ottoman Empire.

These 4 “beasts” create a composite of the historical territories that were conquered and ruled by these successive kingdoms. In short, all of these ancient kingdoms are included in what is modern-day Middle East. Territories like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Northern Africa immediately come into view. Again, these are the same modern territories that encompass Israel.

It is worth noting that all of these nations today are overwhelmingly Muslim majority nations. The maps below provide a visual representation of what the Mid East Beast kingdom could be.

Gog, of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.”

[Ezekiel 38:14-16]

The next context clue we discover is in the book of Ezekiel, and it involves the last-days invasion of Israel at the direction of Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Again, the Antichrist is in full view here. Gog is a clear description of the end-times Beast, leading his hordes of evil armies against Israel.

Fortunately, Ezekiel provides historical geographic locations that can easily be linked to modern-day nations in the Middle East, further building the composite picture of the end-times kingdom of the Antichrist.

“Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.”

[Ezekiel 38:5-6]

Any preliminary study of the ancient world will show that Magog, Meschech, Tubal, Gomer and Beth-togarmah all refer to modern-day Turkey/eastern Greece — or what was known as Asia Minor in Biblical days. See the map below.

Persia is modern-day Iran. Cush represents modern day Sudan, while Put represents modern-day Libya. Again, this brings Northern Africa into view.

The Kings from the East

“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.”

[Revelatin 16:12]

The final piece of the Armageddon puzzle refers to the kings from the east, which potentially could include armies from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, and possibly China. Although we can’t be sure, I believe Islam will be the ultimate unifying factor in this massive assembly of armies.

Potential Territories of the Kings from the East

Conclusion

The final invasion of Israel and the siege of Jerusalem will be led by the Antichrist (Gog, the Beast) and will involve a massive Middle Eastern army from the surrounding nations. This assembly of hostile armies will most certainly include Israel’s closet neighbors like Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria [Psalm 83], but also will involve the predominantly Muslim nations of the greater Middle East and Northern Africa.

The Scriptures are filled with depictions of this final battle for Jerusalem and also of the subsequent outpouring of wrath on the nations by King Jesus Himself. I would like to leave you with a sample of these prophetic passages that describe this fateful battle on the Day of the LORD.

Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD.
Let the nations stir themselves up
and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
for there I will sit to judge
all the surrounding nations.

Put in the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
for their evil is great.

Multitudes, multitudes,
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.

[Joel 3:11-15]

“Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.”

[Zephaniah 3:8]

“For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.“

[Zechariah 14:2-3]

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.”

[Luke 21:20-22]

“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”

[Revelation 19:19-21]

The Beginning of Birth Pains

Marcus Walker Van EveryLeave a comment

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

[Jesus Christ — Matthew 24:6-8]

Among the most bizarre of medical phenomenons, a surprise child birth has to be at the top of the list. It is difficult to believe that a mother can conceive, carry a child to term, and give birth without any knowledge that she was pregnant to begin with. As rare as it may be, however, it does happen.

Putting those rare exceptions aside, the normal maternal process is consistent and predictable. Following the formation of new life at conception, there typically is a 40 week gestational period marked by significant changes to the mother’s body. At full term, the mother will begin to experience labor pains, which is the primary sign that the baby’s arrival is imminent. The increased frequency and intensity of the mother’s contractions become the final key indicators before delivery.

In others words, a family typically has plenty of time to prepare and at least some warning after labor begins that the baby is coming. That is why we say that a mother is expecting. It is a progressive process marked by clear signs that normally cannot be missed.

Interestingly enough, labor is one of the most common analogies found in the Scriptures to describe the visible signs leading up to the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the end of the age. Jesus compares specific, observable signs in the last days to the beginning of birth pains, which can only mean one thing.

Jesus wants his followers to live in expectation and anticipation of His coming, and He graciously has told us in advance what to look for so that we won’t miss the most important day in history!

Over the next few weeks, my goal is to unpack these signs of the times — these labor pains — to determine what we should expect to see in the last days before the return of Jesus. I will attempt to answer the following questions …

  1. For whom are the signs meant?
  2. Why should believers be paying attention?
  3. How can we know we are living in the last days?
  4. Have the beginning of birth pains already begun?
  5. What is the sign of the end of the age?
  6. What is the sign of the coming of Jesus?
  7. How should we interpret current events in light of these signs?
  8. What is the great tribulation?
  9. Who will be alive on the earth during the great tribulation?
  10. What should be our primary objective in these last days?

As we navigate key passages in both the Old and New Testament, we will see the importance of being observant, vigilant, and expectant in these last days.

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. “

[Romans 8:22-23]

Confusing Wrath with Persecution

Marcus Walker Van EveryLeave a comment

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

[The Lord Jesus — John 17:15]

Having studied the different views on the timing of rapture for years, I would like to address one of the most common defenses for the pre-tribulation rapture of the church.

GOD’s WRATH

The pre-tribulation position proposes the following …

  1. the Bible clearly says that believers in Christ are no longer condemned and are not appointed to suffer God’s wrath. [Romans 8:1, 1 Thess. 5:9]
  2. The great tribulation is the ultimate outpouring of God’s wrath on the earth.
  3. Therefore, believers in Christ cannot be present during the great tribulation.

But does this logic hold up under closer examination?

I say NO. And here is why.

Confusing God’s Wrath with Satan’s Persecution

I am in 100% agreement that believers in Christ Jesus will never suffer God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus absorbed the full measure of God’s wrath upon Himself on the cross, taking the punishment and suffering the penalty for the sins of the whole world. All who have trusted in Jesus Christ and His substitutionary death on the cross are forgiven, justified, and forever free from condemnation and the fury of God’s wrath.

But the issue I have with the pre-tribulation position of the rapture is the common misunderstanding concerning the nature of the tribulation period. Nearly every pre-tribulation teaching on the rapture that I have ever heard confuses the wrath of God with the persecution of the saints.

The pre-trib position mistakenly teaches that God’s wrath is being poured out during the entire tribulation period (likely 7 years) or at least during the last half of the tribulation period — aka the great tribulation (3.5 years).

But a careful reading of the great tribulation passages teach no such thing. Instead, the Scriptures describe the great tribulation as a time of immense satanic deception, demonic activity, unrelenting evil, unparalleled suffering and even martyrdom for God’s people — both Jews and Christians.

As we begin to examine some of these key passages of Scripture, we can agree that no believer in Christ Jesus will ever suffer the wrath of God, but all believers are promised the be persecuted, attacked, taken captive, or martyred at the wrathful hand of the Antichrist and the devil Himself.

The Great Tribulation

There are several key passages in both the Old and New Testament that refer to the time knowns as the Great Tribulation. This is a time of unprecedented evil, demonic deception, and persecution of God’s people. Let’s review the Scriptures.

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”

[Daniel 12:1]

Daniel is warning believers about the state of the world in the last days, or the time of the end. He provides one of the clearest descriptions of the Antichrist in chapter 11 and then says the great tribulation will happen “at that time.”

Jesus connects the Great Tribulation with the revealing of the Antichrist and the satanic activity on the earth in the last days. He says in Matthew 24:9 … “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake,” and then later in the same chapter, Jesus warns that the great tribulation will take place after the revealing of the Antichrist and the abomination of desolation.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

[Matthew 24:21-22]

Jesus, like Daniel, says that at that time God’s chosen people — whose names are written in the book of life — will be delivered out of the great tribulation when the Lord returns in all His glory! The great tribulation is cut short BECAUSE God’s people –Jews and Christians — are still on the earth.

The Apostle John is also given a glimpse of the Lord Jesus sitting on His glorious earthly throne in the millennial kingdom, as King and Shepherd of His people. Consider what John describes ….

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands … Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.”

[Revelation 7:9, 13-14]

There will be a multitude of believers who were persecuted, captured or killed during the great tribulation. Not only that, but Satan and his Antichrist will be given authority to make war with the saints — Christians alive on the earth during the great tribulation.

“Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

[Rev 12:17]

“Also it (the Beast) was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.”

[Rev 13:7]

“As I looked, this horn (Antichrist) made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom … He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

[Daniel 7:21-22, 25]

The saints in these passages are the true believers alive during the great tribulation — the church of God — those who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is clear that the Antichrist will have authority to pour out persecution and satanic wrath on God’s people for 3.5 years — which is the duration of the great tribulation.

There are so many other passages that confirm the church being present on the earth to face the Antichrist and suffer persecution during the great tribulation, but for sake of time, I need to move along. There is one more important truth to consider.

God is Able to Protect His People from Wrath

Many have said it is impossible for God’s people to be present at the same time He is unleashing His fury and righteous indignation on the earth in judgment. But is this true? Consider the following Biblical examples.

  1. God saved and preserved Noah and his family through the flood.
  2. God saved and protected Lot and his family by removing him out of Sodom, not by taking him out of the world.
  3. God saved and protected the Hebrews from the Plagues in Egypt while they were in the midst of the land.
  4. God kept safe many Jews with the mark on their forehead when the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 9:4)
  5. God saved and protected the three faithful Jewish servants in the midst of the fiery furnace.
  6. God saved Daniel through the lion’s den.
  7. Jesus prayed for all disciples in His high priestly prayer … “I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.” [John 17:15]

My point is that the LORD, when He comes on that DAY to judge the nations and pour out His wrath on the earth, He will preserve and protect His people and direct His anger specifically on the Antichrist and his evil armies.

Besides that, it is apparent that all the saints will receive resurrected, glorified bodies at the coming of the Lord, during the first resurrection. This means that as Jesus comes in all His glory to the earth to tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God (Rev. 19), all of God’s people will have been transformed — having received resurrected bodies, which cannot be hurt or die in any way.

Followers of Jesus Christ are promised persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).

Jesus warned us that in this life we will have tribulation (John 16:33), and that the world will hate us for His name’s sake.

The Bible clearly states that the church will be on the earth to endure the great tribulation, but that time will be cut short at the coming of Jesus when we will delivered and saved once and for all.

Don’t confuse persecution and suffering for Christ with the wrath of God. God has preserved his wrath for the devil, his angels, and God’s enemies alone. The Apostle Paul could not have stated it any plainer. Our relief comes when Jesus comes. Jesus comes at the end of the tribulation to deliver us and rescue us once and for all.

“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”

[2 Thessalonians 1:5-10]