The Strong Delusion-Part 8: Rev Commentary Continued

THE STRONG DELUSION—PART 8

The Continuing Synopsis of the Revelation as a Historical Prophecy

7-11-2019

A Continued Unmasking of the Revelation Misunderstanding – The Third Layer of Delusion as Proposed in:  https://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-strong-delusion-part-1.html

The misunderstanding that the Revelation written by John is actually a blueprint of the events that will occur during the tribulation period.  Fomented by the Scofield Study Bible the understanding by the Church Fathers was changed to a literal interpretation of real events that will occur during a future seven year tribulation period.

The Revelation was originally understood as a prophetic history of the Church age, from the beginning of the teachings of Jesus to the Millennial Kingdom of God.

The Protestant Reformation, beginning with Luther, did not regain the early Church fathers knowledge of the purpose of the Revelation because it had long ago vanished.

At what point the Revelation was viewed as a literal chronology of tribulation period events is unknown to a certain point.  It occurred after Darby’s dispensational theory was employed within Scofield’s note filled study Bible, but the exact timeline of a literal Revelation, the misinterpretation of the 70 weeks, and the misunderstanding of the state of Israel as a fulfillment of all Bible prophecy is not certain.

The following snippets of Revelation commentary were extracted from the series of commentaries written by Dr. Stephen Jones.

THE BEAST FROM THE SEA

We have shown how the last few verses of Revelation 12 introduce chapter 13. The water coming from the serpent’s mouth in Rev. 12: 15 is directly connected to the “sea” that gives birth to the first beast. The earth helping the woman in Rev. 12: 16 gives birth to the second beast that rises from the earth in Rev. 13: 11.

The War

Revelation 13 records John’s vision of Daniel’s little horn, the extension of the iron beast. John, of course, knew everything that Daniel had written on this topic, but he also received further revelation which Daniel apparently did not see. Rev. 13: 1 says,

1 … And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

Whereas Daniel saw four distinct beasts (Daniel 7: 3), John saw just one hybrid beast composed of characteristics of all four that Daniel saw. Daniel’s beasts were portrayed as a lion, bear, leopard, and a nameless iron-toothed beast. John, on the other hand, sees a single beast with the mouth of a lion, the feet of a bear, and resembling a leopard.

It is apparent that Daniel saw a succession of empires, each in turn opposing God’s Kingdom. But John sees all of these beast empires as a single, continuous, dragon-inspired empire. Both are correct, of course, but from different viewpoints.

In Daniel’s breakdown of the four beasts, he sees also a fifth that is like an extension of the fourth beast in the progression of history. These four or five beasts are:

Babylon (607-537 B.C.)

Medo-Persia (537-330 B.C.)

Greece (332-63 B.C.)

Rome (63 B.C.-476 A.D.)

Rome extended (Papacy)

Daniel speaks of this fifth beast, calling it a “little horn.” (A “horn” is power or authority in its symbolism. The horn of an animal was seen as its primary weapon by which it dominated others by force.) Dan. 7: 8 describes this “little horn” in this way:

8 ... this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.

In the angelic explanation that Daniel was given of this little horn, we read in Dan. 7: 21, 22,

21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.

John sees the beast coming from the sea primarily as the manifestation of Daniel’s “little horn,” the fifth manifestation of power in the earth. Dan. 7: 7, 8 makes it clear that this “horn” comes from the fourth beast with iron teeth (Rome). That is our first major clue as to its interpretation. This “horn” assumes power as a successor to the Roman Empire. It is, in fact, Papal Rome.

The next major clue is the fact that this little horn persecutes the saints of the Most High God until the time that the saints receive the kingdom. That is the time of the manifestation of the sons of God— an event that we have yet to see. And so we know that this little horn was given a rather lengthy time of boasting. Dan. 7: 25 gives it “a time and times and half a time.” John says essentially the same thing, but tells us specifically what this means in Rev. 13: 5,

5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

Here John interprets Daniel’s rather vague statement of timing. Even John’s statement must be understood from a prophetic standpoint. A “time” is twelve months in John’s revelation, and 3 ½ times is then 42 months. We must then take this to the next level, seeing the common Scriptural principle where a day prophesies of a year (as in Num. 14: 34 and in Ezekiel 4: 5, 6). It is 1,260 “days,” that is, 1,260 YEARS.

But before continuing, we must go back to Rev. 13: 3, 4, which we skipped earlier.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”

Here John gives us a quick look ahead to the end of the 42 months (1,260 years), when the beast from sea received its deadly wound in 1798 that was healed in 1804. After this quick look to the future, John then continues in verses 6 and 7 to tell us of the blasphemous words of the beast during his entire tenure, along with its war against the saints.

Arrogant Blasphemy

Paul makes it clear that persecution itself is defined as blasphemy, because it attributes to God a nature and character that does not truly reflect His heart. Church leaders tortured and killed “heretics” as if such behavior was approved by God. They did not understand the mind of God at all.

The problem comes when men claim to be vicars, but then think that God has empowered them to overstep their bounds. The Pope thus staged a revolt against Jesus Christ by assuming the divine right to rule as he pleased on the grounds that God had given him the throne of the church and, indeed, of the world. This is what John meant when he said that this little horn had a mouth speaking arrogant blasphemies.

The claim to “apostolic succession from Peter” lost its validity the moment one of those successors began to issue decrees that did not reflect the mind of Christ. Daniel foresaw these things in Dan. 7: 8, quoted earlier, saying “this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.” Those boasts, as John said later, were blasphemous in the eyes of God.

War Against the Saints

The beast from the sea in Rev. 13: 1-10 is the same beast that the earlier prophet saw in Dan. 7: 21, 22. In fact, this is the clearest link between Daniel and Revelation, showing that the book of Revelation is a continuation and clarification of Daniel's prophecy. Daniel says that the little horn would wage war against the saints until the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

Rev. 13: 7, 8 speaks of the same little horn, saying,

7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

The French Revolution

Rev. 13: 5 gives the little horn authority for 42 months, which is the equivalent of 1,260 “days” (actually years). This time cycle, according to Dan. 7: 25, began with Justinian, who changed time and law from 529-534 A.D., when he changed Roman law to reflect church law. He did not realize the consequences of his actions until later when the Roman pope challenged him on a point of law. Only then did it become clear that the emperor had taken upon himself the role of a servant— the enforcer of church doctrines and papal decrees.

The time of the little horn began with the emperor in Constantinople, but it quickly shifted to the Roman pontiff.

In 1796 France sent Napoleon against Austria and Italy, easily defeating them. When Pope Pius VI refused to renounce political power, he took the aged pope captive and expelled the entire Roman curia. The pope later died in a French prison in Valence at the age of 82. As his health failed, Napoleon issued an order that no successor should be named. Even so, Napoleon allowed Pope Pius VII to be elected in Venice on March 14, 1800.

The “fatal wound” inflicted upon the first beast after 1,260 years occurred generally with the two popes being taken captive. Perhaps more important, however, was the captivity of the first pope, as there was no pope at all for a short time. But yet the Church came back to life, and the second beast gave its authority to the first, as Rev. 13: 12 indicates.

The Equal Justice of God

The section about the beast of the sea closes with Rev. 13: 10, saying,

10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance [or endurance] and the faith of the saints.

And so the verdict is given in Rev. 13: 10. Those destined for captivity must go into captivity. Those who live by the sword must die by the sword. These were common sayings in that time showing that divine justice will prevail in the end. No race, nation, or earthly church can claim immunity when it is in rebellion against God. Divine justice is dispensed impartially.

The Beast from the Earth

Revelation 13: 11, 12 says,

11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

John pictures this second beast as a covert dragon that looked like a lamb. Does this not describe a secret organization that is made to look harmless, but in fact is deadly?

Secondly, the second beast does not come to power until the first has received a deadly wound and then is healed. History shows that this second beast was, in fact, the one fighting the sea beast and using Napoleon to inflict the deadly wound. However, in a strange twist, the earth beast ends up supporting the first beast through some sort of alliance or accommodation.

Having established that the French Revolution (1789-1794) brought the dominance of the sea beast to a close after 1,260 years, we must ask: Who or what organization was actually behind the French Revolution of 1789-1794? It is necessary to answer this question in order to explain the statement in Rev. 13: 12, where the second beast causes men to worship its predecessor, the first beast (i.e., the Roman Church). A related question is this: WHY did the second beast defer to the first beast?

The Guardians of Papal Treasure

For four decades, as I studied the power structure of the modern beast, I noted that historians differed in their opinion as to who actually was in control of the present Babylonian system. Most of these historians agreed that the world is controlled by money and banking, but they did not agree on who controlled the big banks.

This question is vital to understanding the beast from the earth and his relationship with the beast from the sea. Rev. 13: 12 says of the second beast,

The Guardians of Papal Treasure For four decades, as I studied the power structure of the modern beast, I noted that historians differed in their opinion as to who actually was in control of the present Babylonian system. Most of these historians agreed that the world is controlled by money and banking, but they did not agree on who controlled the big banks.

This question is vital to understanding the beast from the earth and his relationship with the beast from the sea. Rev. 13: 12 says of the second beast,

12 And he exercises [or executes] all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

This is an unusual situation. The second beast “exercises all the authority of the first beast,” and yet “he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast.” In all previous cases where a beast has arisen, he has overthrown the previous beast, making him subservient. Whenever we see something unusual, we must examine it more closely to find out why it is so.

The first thing we see is that the authority itself was indeed transferred from the first to the second beast. Yet in spite of this, we see a cooperation of some kind being set up, wherein the conquered beast, having been brought back to life, is allowed to be worshipped as in previous times. In other words, the second beast does not want to be worshipped, for that would necessitate being out in the open. This second beast prefers to remain hidden and to keep the previous beast in place as the visible object of worship.

The Mystery

Such an arrangement comes out clearly in later chapters, where “the great harlot” carries the name “Mystery Babylon.” The term mystery comes from musterion, which means secret or hidden. Hence, the transition of power from the first beast to the second is the point where the beast empires (going back to Babylon) went underground so that they might rule in secret. Its secretive nature is even suggested by the fact that it was kept secret from Daniel himself. Only John exposes it for us to see.

Not understanding this has caused many researchers to believe that the Vatican continues to rule the earth by its control of Western law and all corporations based upon that law. It is also argued often that the Vatican controls the Federal Reserve. But Rev. 13: 12 does not support such a belief. John tells us that a new beast arose after 1,260 years, which secretly took all the authority of the first beast, while leaving that first beast as a visible object of worship in the world. In other words, the financial beast from the earth rules over the religious beast from the sea (Holy See).

The Boast

Obviously, proof in the form of signed documents are in short supply, for such papers would defeat the whole purpose of this secret arrangement.  And so we find such a boast, written tersely with no explanation, in The Jewish Encyclopedia itself. The key is found in an article on the Rothschilds (See Vol. X), where it is written,

“It is a somewhat curious sequel to the attempt to set up a Catholic competitor to the Rothschilds that at the present time the latter are the guardians of the papal treasure.”

A guardian is appointed to exercise authority over the financial affairs of a minor, or someone who is mentally impaired, or one who suffers from a lack of self-control. Control of the owner’s finances is entrusted to the guardian who has understanding.

There is no doubt that The Jewish Encyclopedia used the term guardian as a precise legal term. It suggests that the Roman church had been allowed to survive its deadly wound only on condition that it turned over its property and finances to the Rothschilds as their legal guardians.

Doubtless, it was the powers of The Holy Alliance that discussed this issue, bringing up earlier fears of Jesuit power. It seems that they agreed to allow the Jesuit Order to be reinstated, along with the church itself, on condition that their money be spent with certain limitations at the approval of the Rothschilds, acting as agents of the world powers.

The Bankers of the Holy Alliance

The Rothschilds were the “bankers to the Holy Alliance”.  The Rothschilds emerged as the main banker who gave loans to the big three nations of the day, showing the stature of this banking house by this time. It adds credence to the Rothschild’s appointment as “guardians of the papal treasure” earlier in 1815.

The Rothschilds themselves were the guardians, but this did not mean that they held actual power over the Vatican— at least not at first. Their power increased over time, of course, and gradually they were able to use the power of money to assert their will upon monarchs and nations.

One beast empire after another rose and fell in its time, in accordance with Daniel’s visions. As we have already shown, the “little horn” extension of the fourth (iron) beast was given more than half of the “seven times.” John’s revelation then shows that after 1,260 years the little horn, in the form of the beast from the sea, was to receive a fatal wound, after which time a beast from the earth would raise him back to life and restore his position as the object of men’s worship. Nonetheless, this would come at a price, for this second beast would retain hidden authority over the first in exchange for his services.

The Rothschilds Seek Power

The beast from the earth coincides with the rise of the Rothschilds, who were given authority as “guardians of the papal treasure.” During the past two centuries, the Rothschilds sought to gain power, so that they could obtain authority as the beast of the earth— the final beast that was to arise before the stone crushed the image.

Jesus’ warning (Matthew 21:43-44), then, was directed against the Rothschilds themselves, along with their wealthy Jewish partners in the banking world. Revelation 13 describes this beast ever so briefly, but the Holy Spirit chose to reveal the beast by two main characteristics or achievements. The first we see in Rev. 13: 13,

13 And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.

This is a simple description of an atomic bomb being dropped out of a plane flying high in the heavens. To a lesser extent this also refers to missiles in general, which fly to their targets. We do not know if John had an actual vision of this, or if he was informed by a word alone, but this was fulfilled in 1945 when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The second characteristic showing the main activity of the earth beast is given in financial terms, which shows the rise of modern banking in which some aspects were invented by Mayer Amschel Rothschild himself.  The Rothschilds actually created the international bond market in its modern form.

Under Rothschild a new form of “materialist religion” had begun to develop. It was centered on banking and reached a climax a century later with the advent of fiat money creation. The Federal Reserve Act was passed on Dec. 23, 1913, 2,520 years after Babylon was organized into an empire in 607 B.C. By this new power to create money out of nothing and loan it to nations at interest, the beast from the earth gained power over the nations through debt slavery.

Revelation 9: A History of the Church & Islam

REVELATION 9: A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH & ISLAM

11/29/2018

https://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2018/11/revelation-9-history-of-church-islam.html

Revelation 9:1-11 NET Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. (2) He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.

(3) Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. (4) They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. (5) The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. (6) In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

(7) Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men's faces. (8) They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. (9) They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. (10) They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails.

(11) They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

Although using highly symbolic words, images, and language, the 9^th chapter of the Revelation is actually a past prophecy of the Islamic invasion of the Eastern Roman Empire and the associated church.  The invasion took place around a period of 400 years.  There were invasions and counter-invasions; land area acquired and land area lost.  At various times the invasions occurred in North Africa, Spain, France, Ukraine area, Southeastern Europe, and some in Southern Italy.  The purpose of this article is to elucidate the visions displayed in Revelation 9 and not necessarily the history of the Islamic movements.

The rise of Islam began in 612 A.D., the year that Mohammed began to teach, and it peaked 150 years later when Islam’s religious and political capital moved from Damascus to the newly-built city of Baghdad in 762-763.

For most people aged 60 plus, who had an early interest in the prophetic scriptural revelations, most information came from the works of Hal Lindsey.  Mr. Lindsey (alive at this writing) is/was a graduate of the Dallas Theological Seminary institute.

With an actual Bible in their possession, the early Reformers never considered the Revelation to be anything other than a prophetic history of the Church.  When and how it became a blueprint or roadmap for the so-called tribulation period remains unknown although it is suspected the Dallas Theological Seminary based on the Scofield Reference Bible is the primary promoter

The prominent groundbreaker of dispensational theology is the Scofield Reference Bible first appearing in 1909 and revised in 1917.  It is said this Bible with it’s unique (at the time) reference system was financed and encouraged by Jewish bankers living in England, to enhance and further their goal of convincing the Christian church of their self-conceived “chosen people” status in light of their upcoming plan to retake Palestine which became the state of Israel in 1948.

Prior to its popularization by the Scofield Bible, the roots of Dispensational Theology are traceable to John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren group within England.  Darby’s teaching has become enshrined in the Scofield Reference Bible, the most popular of all reference bibles.  Dispensational Theology has been refined to some extent and tenaciously defended by Dallas Theological Seminary founded by Lewis Sperry Chafer.

Mr. Lindsey claims the Revelation account is to be taken literally as in:  there is an abyss within the earth; a fallen angel opens the abyss; from the abyss comes a swarm of demonic-like locusts; the locusts tortured people for 5 months similar to the sting of a scorpion; the locusts appears as horses; on their heads was a type of crown; they had faces of men but hair as a woman; they wore breastplates; they have tails and stingers like scorpions.

The Three Woes

Revelation 8:13 NET Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying directly overhead, proclaiming with a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!"

Revelation 8:13 is an introduction to the various Islamic invasions and it represents the final three trumpet judgments: 5, 6, and 7. There is an interlude that separates the first four trumpets from the final three. The final three trumpets are also called “woes,” and they depict God’s call for Islam to judge the church:  #5 - The Saracens (612-762); #6 - The Seljuk and Ottoman Turks (1063-1453); and #7 - The Seventh Trumpet is subdivided into Seven Bowls (Revelation 16)

The First Woe - Abyss, Smoke, & Locusts

The rise of Islam began in 612 A.D., the year that Mohammed began to teach, and it peaked 150 years later when Islam’s religious and political capital moved from Damascus to the newly-built city of Baghdad in 762-763.

(1) Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss.

The locusts (i.e. Islamists) exit the ground representing an earthly religion that is carnal.  This religion was to bring darkness into the world – not the true light of revelation.  The locusts were not the cause of this darkness, but rather that the darkness brought forth the locusts.

(2) He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.

http://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-locust-islamic-invasion.html

The revelation of Mohammed did not bring forth the light of Christ, but rather darkness.  The Koran of Mohammed did not bring forth sons of God.  It only brought forth a plague of locusts that left devastation in its path as it is producing now in Europe.

Matthew 6:22-23 NET "The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. (23) But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

The first two chapters of the book of Joel describes an invasion of prophetic locusts as the army God raised up in “the day of the Lord”.  Again, consider Europe.  If the girls were married and not running around half naked with their rear hanging out the bottom of their shorts, they might not be so susceptible.  God always has a message but few heed it.

Joel 2:3-11 NET Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness -- for nothing escapes them! (4) They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses. (5) They sound like chariots rumbling over mountain tops, like the crackling of blazing fire consuming stubble, like the noise of a mighty army being drawn up for battle. (6) People writhe in fear when they see them. All of their faces turn pale with fright. (7) They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path. (8) They do not jostle one another; each of them marches straight ahead. They burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks. (9) They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. (10) The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine. (11) The voice of the LORD thunders as he leads his army. Indeed, his warriors are innumerable; Surely his command is carried out! Yes, the day of the LORD is awesome and very terrifying -- who can survive it?

The locusts are told not to hurt the grass or any green thing, thus they are not literal locusts.  Islam’s sacred color is green, and for this reason many flags from Islamic countries are green or contain green. Koran Law forbids harming trees and all green things. Hence, these “locusts” are not leaf-eating insects, and yet they leave devastation in their wake.

(4) They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree

Muslim policy was to conquer and convert people to Islam, and if they did not convert, they had to pay a special tax. In those days only non-compliance brought death.  Although not every European was invaded, it can be said that most suffered the aftereffects to some degree.  This time period was said to be “five months.” A prophetic month is thirty “days” (i.e., years), so five months (30 x 5) is a period of 150 years.

 (5) The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months

H. G. Wells, The Outline of History, Page 584,

 “. . . everywhere they offered a choice of three alternatives; either pay tribute, or confess the true God and join us, or die.”

More Information on The First Woe (612-762 A.D.)

Mohammed began his Islamic Koranic mission in 612, but ten years later (in 622) he had to flee for his life from the city of Medina. Later, Mohammed successfully negotiated the conquest of Medina, and the religion spread in the same Old Covenant manner that Christianity had spread after the fall of pagan Rome (i.e. by conquest through physical means).

Islam was a carnal (fleshly) religion but so was Christianity by this time.  When God raised up this new religion to bring judgment upon the church, it was by the principle of an “eye for eye,” where the judgment fits the crime.

This time frame of five months in verse 5 represents the first stage of political Islam, ending when the Abbasid Caliphate moved its capital from Damascus to the newly-built city of Baghdad in 762. This event was similar to what happened in the Christian Empire, when Constantine built Constantinople and moved the capital of the Empire from Rome to his “New Rome.”

Saracens of the First Woe

The first woe came through the Saracens, who swept through the Middle East, North Africa, and into Spain.  The Saracens were a specific and distinct tribe from the Arabs. They were among the early converts to Islam, and later many western writers called all Arab Muslims by the term “Saracens.” The Saracens themselves were noted for their horsemanship. (In earlier times the Roman army had included Saracen cavalry.)

The “locusts” in Revelation 9 were the Muslim armies in general, but more specifically, in Rev. 9: 7-10 John saw the Saracen horsemen and gave us a physical description of them as they rode into battle.

(7) Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men's faces. (8) They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. (9) They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. (10) They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails.

The above description would be considered fairly accurate for the Saracen horsemen.

The Saracens wore colored turbans, or “crowns.”  Those in Rev. 9: 7 are said to be yellow to show that they were made of cloth. (i.e. their “crowns” were turbans).

(7a) On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold

They had the faces of men, but hair like that of women. They were men who wore their hair long. This describes the Saracens who were known for their long hair and full beards.

 (7b) their faces looked like men's faces. (8a) They had hair like women's hair

Their “teeth of lions” is a metaphoric description of their fierceness. They wore iron armor and had iron breastplates which made a great clatter as they charged their horses into battle.

(8c) and their teeth were like lions' teeth. (9) They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle.

Islamic Expansion

From the beginning of Mohammed’s mission in 612 until Islam’s height of power and glory, when the capital of the Islamic Empire moved from Damascus to Baghdad in 762 was 150 years. During that time of five prophetic months, as Islam was expanding, they swept across the Middle East and across North Africa. After taking Jerusalem in 638, they subdued Egypt in 641. In 668 they laid siege to Constantinople, but the city was saved by the use of an incendiary formula called “Greek fire.” Water could not extinguish it, and anyone sprayed with it would be burned to death.

The composition of Greek fire remains a matter of speculation and debate, with various proposals including combinations of pine resin, naphtha, quicklime, calcium phosphide, Sulphur, or niter.

In 700 they marched west and conquered Algiers.  By 707 they had taken all of North Africa, and from 711-713 they conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). By 715 the Moslem Empire extended from the border of China to the Pyrenees between Spain and France. From 720-732 the Arabs ravaged southern France until Charles Martel finally defeated them decisively at the Battle of Tours in 732 and again at Narbonne in 736. This put an end to Islam’s expansion into Europe. But Islam had entrenched itself in Spain by this time,

The Islamic armies conquered most of the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire that had been ruled from Constantinople. In 718 the Arabs sent a large fleet of ships to attack Constantinople, but they failed and the fleet was destroyed. In 748 another Arab fleet was destroyed during an attack on Cyprus. Although Islam took portions of the Balkans, they were forced to bypass the city of Constantinople for centuries, until they finally took the city in 1453.

Apollyon And Abaddon

(11) They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

Abaddon – a Hebrew word meaning “destruction”.  It is associated with sheol (i.e. the grave or death usually translated as “hell” in the New Testament).  The word is used to symbolically describe this particular king (i.e. Muhammed) with the abyss or bottomless pit as given in 9:1.

Apollyon is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Abaddon.

Apollyon, or Abaddon, is the name of the spiritual entity (i.e. principality) that is said to rule the general Muslim world. It is considered to be an evil entity, perhaps a demonic entity. His name identifies his character and his “calling,” as well as the nature of Islam that he inspired. Apollyon means “destroyer,” but the word is also used to mean “perish or lose”.

The Second Woe (1063-1453)

The second woe began with the Seljuk Turks, then extended through the Ottoman Turks, and finally concluded with the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

At the beginning of this period occurred the “great schism” between the Eastern and Western divisions of the Church which appears to unleash the Second Woe.

Toward the end of the 10^th century the Islamic Arabs lost much of their power which was replaced by the Turks beginning in Afghanistan and expanded into Iran and northern India and was finally replaced by the Seljuk Turks.

Revelation 9:13-16 NET Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God, (14) saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, "Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!"

(15) Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity. (16) The number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million; I heard their number.

The four angels are released to judge the Church through the Seljuk Turks and their successors (i.e. The Ottoman Turks).  The Seljuk’s conquered the Eastern Roman Empire by invading Georgia and Armenia from the Byzantines.  This represented a 391 year period until Constantinople for overthrown in 1453. 

The rise of this new Turkish Empire was temporarily interrupted by the Mongolian Empire which began in 1206 originally headed by Genghis Khan.  The Mongols conquered Baghdad in 1258, killing many people and destroying many of the Islamic libraries thus effectively ending the Islamic Golden Age.  The Mongols convinced the Western people that civilization existed beyond their known world.  This motivated the development of the “silk road” and attempts to establish sea routes.

The Mongol invasion also introduced the inventions of gunpowder and the printing press to the West.  When the Mongols lost power and retreated the Ottoman Turks came to power.  The use of gunpowder soon led to the invention of the cannon which was used in the overthrow of Constantinople.

The time frame of the second row is given in verse 15 which is 391 years:  1 year = 360 years; one month = 30 years; one day = 1 year; one hour = 15 days.  The time begins in 1063 with the crowning of Alp Arslan and ends in 1453 with the capture of Constantinople.

(15) Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity.  

The 200,000,000 soldiers are not literal people although they may be demonic entities or unclean spirits empowered by God to judge the many sins of the Eastern section of the Roman Empire.  The second woe mostly pertains to the Eastern Roman Empire.  These entities killing a third of humanity does not mean the entire world but residents of the Eastern Roman Empire.

(16) The number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million; I heard their number.

Constantinople was captured in 1453with the use of cannons and gunpowder. In those days the cannons were forged in the shape of a lion, and those operating them actually rode them. The cannons had wicks (“tails”) to light the gunpowder.

Pictured is a cannon used in the siege of the city of Constantinople, taken from the cover of the book, Marvels of Prophecy, by Howard B. Rand. Of course, the cannon has been disabled by plugging the opening, but it was meant to portray an open-mouthed lion. This is what John envisioned in 9:17

Revelation 9:17-19 NET Now this is what the horses and their riders looked like in my vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. (18) A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. (19) For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries.

The printing press was invented in China centuries earlier, and this technology was brought to the Mideast by the Mongols, who invaded in the 13^th century. They also brought gunpowder, which, in 1453, was used by the Muslims to conquer Constantinople, the last stronghold of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Third Woe

The third woe or the 7^th trumpet is found in Revelation 16 and is presented as 7 bowls or vials of the wrath of God.  This historical section will not be discussed in this article and may be presented in the future.

Revelation 10 introduces the “little book” or the printed Bible courtesy of the printing press technology brought to the West by the Mongols.  http://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-little-book.html

Revelation 11 presents the “two witnesses” and the introduction of the 7^th trumpet.

Revelation 12 discusses the woman (i.e. the Church), the birth of Christ, Who established the Church, and the dragon (i.e. Satan or the instigator of the beast systems).  In 12:9, the dragon is called “the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” He is the head of the evil triumvirate, for in Revelation 13:2 we read that the beast from the sea (i.e. the Papacy; Holy Roman Empire; the Vatican system) was given power and his throne and great authority by the dragon himself.

The woman flees to the wilderness and this could be the Protestant Reformation that was harassed by the Roman Church.  Later, in Revelation 17 we view the woman sitting (or riding) on the beast.  Thus, various denominations of the non-Roman church have become associated with the Mystery Babylon beast.

Revelation 13 introduces the “beast from the sea”, popularly referred to as the “antichrist”, but in reality it is the Roman Church after the Roman Empire collapsed and the Church acquired land and became the Holy Roman Empire.  The second “beast from the earth” began as the usurious banking system which shortly was controlled by the Rothschild family.  It is now the central banking system and the international banking system consisting of the vast majority (but not all) of the last beast system called Mystery Babylon.

https://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-beast-rising-from-sea.html

https://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-2nd-beast-from-earth.html

Revelation 14 presents the 144,000 and this is most likely not a literal number.  This group symbolically represents the elect / the firstfruits / the Saints of the Most High God (Daniel) / or the overcomers.  They represent the first resurrection, both dead and alive.

Revelation 14:4 NET ….. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

The presentation of the elect is followed by an angel proclaiming the eternal gospel.  Next, is presented the harvest of the earth which is most likely the 2^nd resurrection.  It must be noted that the 2^nd resurrection does not occur until the end of the Millennial Kingdom of God.  Thus, chapter 14 represents a preview of events that are explained with more detail in later chapters.

Revelation 15 is a preamble to the seven bowls/vials/plagues of the wrath of God that will be further explained in chapter 16.

Revelation 16 is the actual execution of the wrath of God (i.e. plagues) explained with 7 bowls or vials.  It also reveals the legal claims against Babylon in the court of God.  The end of chapter 16 presents a climax of the sequence of decrees against Babylon.

Revelation 17 gives further information concerning the beast and a woman that sits on the beast.  John is taken, by an angel, into the wilderness to view this woman sitting on the beast.  She is identified as:  Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. 

The pictured beast has the identical likeness of the beast rising from the sea in Revelation 13:1 … And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. The woman, then, rides the religious beast of Revelation 13, who is also the little horn of Dan. 7: 8.

The wilderness location is confusing:  Is this the same woman of chapter 12 that fled to the wilderness? Has this woman been seen before but was called by another name?  The word translated as “wilderness” can mean a desert but it can also mean, desolate, deserted, and lonely.

Taking the descriptive hints as a clue, it would appear this woman is the same as the “beast from the sea” or the papacy beginning with the Holy Roman Empire and then extending into the “beast from the earth” or banking system that became the guardian of the finances of the Roman Church. 

This woman is primarily identified as “Babylon”.  She is called a whore and also called the “mother of whores” which some have identified as Protestant denominations that have become corrupted through time.  She sits on many waters and is thus a worldwide system.  The scarlet beast is the equivalent of the waters.

As a summary the woman can be considered the established church, both Catholic and Protestant, which has become the unholy, “wanna be”, false bride of Christ.  The real bride of Christ is the redeemed true believers which will be revealed later.  Also, the great harlot of Revelation 17 is primarily an oppressive world system based on fallen man that ultimately traces back to the sin of Adam.  This woman is many things but is distinctly identified as BABYLON THE GREAT and the current Mystery Babylon is also many things detestable to the Lord.

All the daughters of Mystery Babylon are only specific manifestations of the flesh, all of whom have usurped control over men, governments, religions, and the earth itself.

Much debate has been wasted identifying the seven mountains mentioned in verse 9.  Rome is identified with 7 mountains and the papacy is located inside Rome.