Monthly Archives: July 2019

The Kingdom of God Forecast

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A special kingdom of God which was to come and last into all eternity, is a major theme in Scripture. A descendant of King David was to be the head of this kingdom, coming as a child, Isa 9:6-7. The Christ of God.

Daniel 2 is an extensive prophecy of a succession of empires, written in the 6th century BC. First was the ancient Babylonian Empire, which was in existence at the time of the prophecy. Next would be the Medo-Persian empire, which overthrew the Babylonians in Daniel’s time. After that would come the Greeks, and lastly an empire of iron and clay, the Roman Empire. Then the prophecy says that of the times of the Roman Empire,

“In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty of it be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. ”
Dan 2:44 WEB

Prophecy Principles gives a detailed analysis of the prophecy in Daniel 9, which gives a rough time schedule for the kingdom. It centers around the early first century of our age. It was to be a time when “the Anointed One shall be cut off” (Dan 9:26), and “the sacrifice and offerings” are made to cease (Dan 9:27), and “to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness” (Dan 9:24 WEB). Wow! What a list!

So the kingdom was imminently expected
in the first century of our age.

First came John the Baptist saying,

“ “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” ” Mtt 3:2 WEB

Then Jesus himself came saying the same, Mtt 4:17. Then Jesus began preaching the principles of this kingdom through various parables and sermons.

Some wanted to force Jesus to head an earthly kingdom.

But Jesus hid himself from them, Jn 6:15

Jesus said this kingdom was not to be of this world.

Jesus indicated the eternal kingdom was to have its beginning in the hearts and minds of men.

“ “20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.” ”
Lk 17:20-21 WEB

Then came tragic but glorious end of Jesus ministry when He was put on trial first before the Sanhedrin (that is the Greek word sunedrion), and then before the Romans. Jesus was emphatic that His kingdom was not of this world. He told Pilate,

“… “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.”” Jn 18:36 WEB

And the completion is where?

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation based on the WEB

Strategic Powers of Our Age: Part III, The Mystery of Lawlessness

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Not always the most obvious, but of central importance.

An important man of lawlessness is to come.

The KJV calls him a “man of sin,” but remember that “Sin is lawlessness,”1Jn 3:4, WEB. Paul says that this man has to come before Jesus comes again, and calls this man “the son of destruction” WEB. This man is characterized by “perdition,” destructive behavior, and he brings destruction on many people.

He suppresses all religion except the
worship of Satan and himself.

Both Revealing the Christian Age and Prophecy Principles have more information on the “beast”/ the man of lawlessness and of an occult competition to see who will finally be the “real” beast.

“he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. ” 2Thes 2:4 WEB

This man does not just put himself up as some sort of “god.” He puts himself up as the one and only “god.” He does not just put down Christianity, but will put down ALL religion of any sort, except himself. The only other description that matches this is called a “beast” in Revelation 11 through 20. It says men “worshiped the beast,” Rev 13:4, and that he is “given authority” over all of the earth, and to make war with the church and to overcome it, Rev 13:7.

Before we go any further, I must remind you that Rome and the caesars NEVER overcame the church. Instead, the church overcame Rome and the caesars, exactly as prophesied in Daniel 2.

This man is brought to power by a “mystery of lawlessness”
which “already works.” 2Thes 2:7 WEB

Taken at face value, Paul is describing either the teachings of a mystery religion characterized by lawlessness, or a mystery religion itself (an organization) that is characterized by lawlessness. See the previous post on “Mystery Religions: An Overview.” Paul is writing this around say 51 AD, and says this mystery “already works,” 2Thes 2:7. This teaching, this religion, seems to be the “beast” organization of Rev 13:1-2, 17:7, etc. This religion continues to work until it is able to unveil its exclusive god/man to be worshiped by the entire world. This religion has a ruling council of seven men, and seems to have a power base of ten nations. Mystery Babylon and the Mystery of Lawlessness run private intelligence operations that often dwarf those of many nations. They frequently run Deep State operations jointly.

The beast organization, makes Mystery Babylon a world wide success.

“… I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.” Rev 17:7.

These are competing mystery religions that work together for world domination, and the destruction of Christianity.

The “man of lawlessness” will destroy Mystery Babylon WITHIN history.

This is described in Revelation 17 and 18 as being a total and final destruction. This occurs after the church is “overcome,” and it leaves the mystery of lawlessness as the undisputed master of the entire world.

Revealing the Christian Age has more information the fall of Mystery Babylon.

The “man” of lawlessness is destroyed by Jesus’ Second Coming.

The beast is captured and thrown alive into hell, Rev 19:20. Jesus will kill him “by the brightness of his coming.” 2Thes 2:8. So these are things which come to a climax just before the end of this present universe.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Strategic Powers of Our Age: Part II, Mystery Babylon the Great

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Not always the most obvious, but of central importance.

Many think that Mystery Babylon the Great is civil government, or the Roman Empire. However, as was pointed out in the post “Rome, A Prophecy Failure or Symbolic,” much of what is written in Revelation emphatically did NOT fit Rome all along. Revealing the Christian Age offers solid evidence that Mystery Babylon is NOT Rome. Rome and the caesars are at best a type, symbolic of what is to come.

Mystery Babylon is treated as if she is a secret entity.

Revealing the Christian Age discusses the many things in Revelation which do not fit ancient Rome.

That fits calling her “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,” Rev 17:5 WEB. That implies she is a mystery religion, as discussed in the post on “The Mystery Religions: An Overview.”

Now you can view Rome in public. You can travel there, stay there, live there. But to see Mystery Babylon John is carried “away in the Spirit into a wilderness.” Rev 17:3 WEB. A remote place. She is a hidden entity. She is “the great prostitute,” Rev 17:1 WEB. But Rome had no need to prostitute herself. Rome could beat to pieces any who resisted her.

Mystery Babylon is spoken of as if she
dominates world trade

In fact, most of the imagery about Babylon and her fall, seems to come from the prophecies of the fall of ancient Tyre and Sidon, like Isaiah 23, and Ezek 26, 27 and 28 (they are symbolic of her). These were principal Phoenician trade cities, which dominated trade in the Mediterranean world for several centuries. They were not all of Mediterranean trade, but they did facilitate it, and dominate it.

“ “… the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.” ” Rev 18:3 WEB

Mystery Babylon is a promoter of sexual immorality,
and perversion of every sort.

In Revelation 17 she is drinking from a golden cup filled with the filth of fornication, Rev 17:4. She is “THE MOTHER … OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Rev 17:5 KJV.

“ “with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.” ”
Rev 17:2 WEB

Mystery Babylon is the arranger of death and destruction.

She is not government. Rather she reigns/rules OVER the kings of the earth, Rev 17:18. She is the original Deep State. Mystery Babylon is implicitly the fomenter, the arranger, of wars.

“ “In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of ALL who have been slain on the earth.” ” Rev 18:24 WEB

Mystery Babylon is COMPLETELY destroyed
very near the end of our age.

The man of lawlessness comes very near the end of time, and he with ten kings, destroys Mystery Babylon completely, all the way to the ground, within HISTORY, Revelation chapters 17 and 18.

Christians are commanded to come out of Mystery Babylon, Rev 18:4.

That of course implies that you can understand the prophecy, and come out of her.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Strategic Powers of Our Age: Part I, Jesus the Christ.

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Not always the most obvious, but of central importance..

God Has Always Ruled Over Human Affairs.

When Paul is preaching to the scholars in Athens, he says this of God’s rule, that He,

“… hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; ”
Acts 17:26 KJV

Who determines where men live, and the boundaries of their nations? Paul says that God does. And what is God’s purpose in these things?

“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:”
Acts 17:27 WEB

How inclusive is this power?

“6 Yahweh kills, and makes alive:
He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
7 Yahweh makes poor, and makes rich:
He brings low, he also lifts up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust,
He lifts up the needy from the dunghill,
To make them sit with princes,
Inherit the throne of glory:
For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s,
He has set the world on them.” 1Sam 2:6-8 WEB

There is more in that passage in 1 Samuel 2, but that should do.

This Rule Has Been Given to Jesus the Son for Our Age.

“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18 WEB

All authority in heaven and on earth? It is a theme that comes up over and over in His words.

“All things have been delivered to me by my Father.” Mtt 11:27 WEB

This is Real but Generally Unseen.

“… you gave him authority over all flesh, …” Jn 17:2 WEB

The word used here is the Greek “exousia” and is a word for the right and authority and power to act. Jesus rules over the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. He makes them stand, or removes them. Of some who commit sexual immorality, He says, “I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. …” Rev 2:23 WEB. And of this same Jesus it says,

“… Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Rev 1:5 WEB.

A mighty war between the good and evil goes on in our age. And the forces of the beast and his armies? He rules because “Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.” Rev 13:7 WEB. Jesus is now the most powerful person in the universe, excepting the Father Himself. Of this power (the Greek is dunamis) Jesus has, it says,

“… according to the power by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.” Phil 3:21 nf.

And in the end, He wages war victoriously, 2Thes 1:8-9. The last enemy is death itself, 1Cor 15:26.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation based on the WEB