The story so far

Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack and Abed-Nego were deported to Babylon in 604 BC before the final conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC on the 9th day of Tish B’Av. He and his friends were well studied, brilliant and godly young men who were equally determined at all costs to faithfully serve the God of Israel even though the nation, culture and ruling class were hostile to them. They would not give in and proved that their faith in God was vindicated time and time again and that the God of the Hebrews was the only true God. Even King Nebuchadnezzar had to admit that the God of Daniel and his three friends was the only true God (Daniel 2:46-48).

An interesting feature of the book of Daniel is that the first seven chapters are in fact written in Aramaic the prevailing language of the Babylonian region of the time. Chapters eight to twelve are written in Hebrew. The reason is simple, the first seven chapters deal with the great Gentile kingdoms that have and will yet oppose the God of the Bible and be defeated. The last five chapters are in Hebrew in order to set out the historical national journey of Israel as she moves toward her great end time encounter with her God.

The Gentile kingdoms are Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome and a final Global Empire that will, for a short period, gather all nations into a ten region federation. All of this was typified by the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had of a great statue of a man whose body was made up of various minerals. That of, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron and Iron and Clay. In the end this statue representing the powers of darkness is destroyed when the Stone Kingdom of a Jewish Messiah falls upon the final ten nation global kingdom. We are living in the days just prior to the manifestation of this final demonic global ten nation empire. We must know this because it will challenge the saints of the Living God. We have been warned! The book of Revelation carries the same warning in that speaks of a coming one world government that will divide the nations into ten regions. This will be a great challenge to Israel and the Church as it will be characterized by great and devilish demonic deception.

The Manifestation of Antichrist

“Nebuchadnezzar the King made an image of gold…….and
whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast
immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
Daniel 3:1; 6

It is fascinating to read in chapter three of Daniel that he and his friends are challenged by the demand to bow down and worship the image of the King. Failure in this regard will mean instant death. This is Antichrist as it represents an alternative, or another Christ. The saints of God have routinely been subjected to this challenge throughout history and will be again very soon, for such is the warning of the boom of Revelation.

“He was granted power to give breath to the image of the
beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and
cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast
to be killed,”
Revelation 13:15

The early Church was subjected to Caesar worship and consequently, emissaries of the regime travelled throughout the empire with an image demanding that people should bow down to it and worship. Those who refused, like Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna were burnt at the stake or thrown to the lion. Many Christians failed and worshipped the image. This was eternally fatal (Revelation 13:8, Revelation 14:9-10).

The same thing happened with the advance of Islam, as we all well know, and Hitler’s Third Reich implemented a similar system; Swastikas replaced crosses in and on the churches and congregants were even required to sing hymns praising Hitler. Those who refused were reported to the SS and invariably were tortured and executed, like Dietrich Bonnhoffer and Pastor Niemoller. The book of Revelation warns that another testing of this type is just around the corner and don’t for a moment think that the church is going to be whisked away before it. John writes that this coming trial will constitute the, “Patience and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:10).

The age old hatred

“Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and
accused the Jews.”
Daniel 3:8

The hatred of the Jews is an age old problem that is bound up with their national calling under God. One cannot understand this thing called antisemitism apart from the eternal mission placed upon the Jewish people by God Himself. They carry in their national destiny a message that is for the eternal blessing of every man, woman, boy and girl on the planet. But this message challenges the darkness of evil and sin that envelopes them and is therefore resisted in every way (Genesis 12:1-3). The only manner in which a sinful world can resist God and His message of salvation is to destroy the people who carry it (Psalm 83:1-4). This has been the sad testimony of history and even sadder still is the fact that Christians, who happily bear the name of the God of Israel, have participated in this wickedness. The stories, as in this case, are awful to say the least.

The testimony of faith

“Shadrack, Meshack and Abed-Nego answered and said to the
king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in
this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able
to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver
us from your hand. But if not, let it be known to you, O King,
that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold
image which you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18

Daniel’s three friends stand firm and refuse to worship the image of a false God. This is a lesson for all time for those who serve the God of Israel. This is the testimony of faith that we are to make but many will not be able to do it because they have embraced a form of godliness that offers them ease, comfort, wealth and prosperity and consequently they have no power. John has also warned us of the testimony of faith that we are to make in that we overcome only, “by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and we love not our lives unto death” (Revelation 12:11).

The fourth man

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste
and spoke saying to his counsellors, ‘Did we not cast three men
bound into the midst of the fire?’ They answered and said to the
King, ‘True, O King.’ ‘Look!’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the fourth
is like the Son of God.”
Daniel 3:24-25

After taking their stand of defiance, Nebuchadnezzar is infuriated and has Daniel’s three friends bound and cast into the fiery furnace. At this point a fourth man appears in the furnace with Shadrack, Meshack and Abed-Nego and amazingly, they are all unscathed by the fire. The Fourth Man is clearly the means of their protection. This individual is:

1. The manifestation of the Angel of the Lord, to whom scripture applies divinity.
2. The manifestation of a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, He is the Son of God.
3. The manifestation of deliverance. Their shackles are broken and they are free! Such is the power of the Son of God.
4. The manifestation of eternal deliverance from the Lake of Fire or Hell. If your life is linked to the Fourth Man you will be untouched by the awful fiery judgement to come (Revelation 14:9-11). The three friends emerged from the burning furnace with no smell of fire or smoke upon their bodies.

In the end Nebuchadnezzar is overcome by this mighty demonstration of divine deliverance and acknowledges that the God of Israel is the only true God, Consequently he decrees that all peoples, on pain of death should serve Him (Daniel 3:29-30). The tables have been turned and the people of God have triumphed. There is coming a day soon when the coming image of Antichrist will fail again and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus, the Fourth Man, is Lord! (Philippians 2:8-11)

Malcolm Hedding

The great sign chapters of the book of Revelation introduce us to the major players of the end time. It is crucial that we familiarize ourselves with these because they instruct us in truth and warn us of things to come. Some of the “things to come” are just around the corner or, more correctly, nearly on top of us. In this study we shall consider the subject of Babylon and surprisingly, John’s oracle devotes two whole chapters to this subject. This means that it holds great importance and significance and we should “wake up” to it. Shaun Willcock writes, “The black arts flourished; astrology, witchcraft and in fact all satanic occult practices were developed in Babylon.

Chapter seventeen deals with the spiritual roots of Babylon and chapter eighteen with its commercial and political roots. In both cases the child of God is to “Brexit” Babylon for entanglement in its intrigues will pollute and destroy one’s relationship with the God of heaven. The Bible warns that, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). The world is Babylon and those who love it are the enemies of God. John also warns of getting entangled with the world as its lust will destroy one’s spiritual life (1 John 2:15-17). He in fact tells us that the world is “passing away” and so God has no inclination then to rehabilitate it. Like the Titanic, it is severely broken and will sink! We are looking for a new heavens and a new earth wherein righteousness will dwell (2 Peter 3:16). There are far too many Christians involved with the world or seeking to repair it. Our ministry is to infiltrate and penetrate the world with the Gospel of Jesus and thereby call people out of it. In fact Christians in the New Testament are named as the “called out ones.” We are to be in it but not of it!

Mystical Babylon

This is the teaching of Revelation 17. John sees a Woman wearing purple and scarlet and she is called:

MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

This woman is sitting aside the Beast who rules the ten regions of the world. She is wealthy, has committed fornication with the rulers of this earth and, masquerading as Christian, has persecuted the Church and even murdered the saints. This is precisely why John marvels. Could it be that a pseudo form of Christianity will arise to resist the real Church of the Living God. The answer is, yes.

This woman, unlike the woman of Israel in Revelation 12, is a seductress and therefore deceives the whole earth with her mystical practices that come from Babylon, the source of all that is wicked and confusing. She is actually mentioned in Zechariah 5:5-11. Here a woman of great wickedness is seen in a basket that is taken to Babylon. Being sealed with a lead cover over the mouth of the basket she has mysteriously deceived the whole earth. That is, her true nature and identity has been hidden. Two angelic beings take her to Babylon and place the basket on an altar there. Meaning, that at the right time the lead seal will be removed and she will come forth for all to see and she will openly deceive the nations with her occultism and wickedness.

It is to be noted that she will collaborate with the Beast of the end time in such a way that she will encourage his plan and determination to usher in global government but in the end the Beast, seeking to present Himself as god, will turn on her and burn her with fire. This I believe is apostate Catholicism coupled with apostate Protestantism. The one supplants the truth and the other denies the truth and both are friends of the world. Also, this apostate entity has become drunk with the blood of the saints throughout the ages. This is true! Many of the great saints of old, like William Tyndale and John Huss, were burnt at the stake for simply translating the Bible into the vernacular of the common people.

However, the chapter lays special emphasis upon her coming relationship with the Beast or Antichrist. It is here, in this chapter, that the identity of the Beast is alluded to in that he is part of seven empires of which six have come. The seventh is the Beast Empire, which is short lived after his death, but then he comes back as the eighth but obviously is of the seven. All this means, as we said in our last study, that the Beast has already reigned on the earth. His “calling card”, as it were, is his hatred for the true Church and for the Jews and his delight in all things dark, occultic and wicked because he comes from the bottomless pit! Daniel states that he will serve a god of war (Daniel 11:37-38). We have been warned!

Commercial Babylon

Chapter eighteen warns against getting embroiled in the glitter and sparkle of Babylon in terms of what it has to offer as regards the accumulation of things. Babylon here, in this chapter, is now reflected in the world system, which constitutes a huge and bigger entity than the original Babylon. The proto-type, recorded in Genesis 11, was united in its rebellion against God and attempted to “outshine Him”, as it were, by building a huge tower. Again, this is much like the building of the Titanic that was heralded as unsinkable and a tribute to the idea that man was in charge of the world, the centre of all things, and not the God of the Bible. The same thing happened in the 1960s, 1970s and 80s where the rapid advancement in all areas of human endeavor led many to claim that God was dead. Humankind was the master of its destiny. In other words, Babylon, with all its shine and sparkle was god.

Babylon is a disease of the heart in that it encourages the believer to place the accumulation of things before the worship and love of God. When we crave things and bow down before them we worship Satan! There are many good, clean living, church going people who are trapped in Babylon. That is, they love something else more than they love Jesus. The passage acknowledges this sad reality because if calls upon God’s people to come out of Babylon (Revelation 18: 4). If this spiritual malady is not corrected there will come a day when Babylon will fall with the souls of men (Revelation 18:13). Indeed, the God of the Bible is determined to take it down. Once the world unites under a global government God will take it down just like He did the Tower of Babel.

Some have tried to suggest that Babylon here in Revelation 18 is the United States of America. It is not because the USA has never been guilty of “the blood of the prophets and saints, and all who were slain on the earth” (Revelation 18:24). This is a reference to something far bigger and more sinister, in that it refers to the world system that includes the practice of false religion and the occult. Come out of her My people lest you also receive her plagues (Revelation 18:4).

Malcolm Hedding

To listen to the video click here

Most certainly a major part John’s oracle is given over to the subject of the Antichrist or Beast. He is a dominant player in understanding end time truth and most certainly the world awaits his arrival but thankfully, he is finally overcome and destroyed by Christ at His revelation or second coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:20). In fact scripture tells us that many antichrists have come and consequently the people of God through the centuries have had to stand up to the challenge that these represent (1 John 2:18). In many cases, as with the early Church of the first and second centuries, the only way to resist him was to lay down one’s life! (Revelation 12:11). Much of the western Church today is not ready or even capable of facing such a challenge and yet the book of Revelation warns that it is coming and may just be around the corner.

Indeed, we would do well to prepare ourselves by building a solid relationship with Jesus by prayer, the in depth study of God’s word, fellowship with God’s people and a willingness to serve the interests of the Kingdom of God in the world. Scripture clearly warns that the final Antichrist, who will step onto the stage of history, will be evil beyond anything we have seen before! He will achieve what no leader has ever done in that he will rule the world and thus, every nation will submit to his totalitarian regime. Great and mighty warriors of old attempted to achieve this goal and failed, but this soon to appear Beast will finally bring satanic governance to the world! We ignore the book of Revelation to our peril.

The concept of Antichrist

Surprisingly for some the Bible affirms that the Beast or Antichrist operates within the boundaries of the sovereignty of God in that he, confirms the world to the judgement of God and purifies the Church in regard to its commitment to truth. We find this concept spelled out, as it were, in Deuteronomy 13:1-3:

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he
gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to
pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us go after other gods –
which you have not known-and let us serve them”, you shall not
listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the
Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

People are easily duped by the supernatural and sadly a test is going to befall the Church in this regard. Will it surrender “the love of the truth” in its pursuit of supernatural signs and wonders? Scripture affirms that it will and that consequently it will embrace the deception of Antichrist and fall away from the faith. Paul warned the Church at Thessaloniki about this danger:

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume
with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His
coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of
Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous
deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the
love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will
send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all
may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.”
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

It is to be noted that the God of the Bible allows the delusion of Antichrist to enter the world and that this delusion, unleashed on the world, and sadly the Church, will be strong, We have been warned! Also, the rise of this Beast in scripture is couched in religious/political sophistication in that he is “another christ” and will be presented as a loving true shepherd of the world. This deception will be backed up by amazing signs and wonders and these we are told are perpetrated by his cohort who scripture calls the, “False Prophet” ( Revelation 13:11-14). Many, not a few, will fall for it! He will bring harmony to the chaos of the world and solve the Middle East conflict between Israel, the Arab world and the Palestinians. The whole world will follow him and rejoice in his arrival and so this will constitute a huge test to the Church of Jesus Christ in that she will have to reject the Beast and thereby become “the odd man out”. This will in turn unleash a vicious persecution against the Church by which it will be purified and it will confirm that God’s coming judgement of the world is correct and just. (Revelation 13:7)

The nature of Antichrist

The final Antichrist of history will be unique in that he will achieve world dominion in that all nations will surrender their sovereignty to him and this means that, if he is to have real power, he must take control of the global financial system (Revelation 13:7). This process is unfolding before us now and is at the root of the present troubles facing the USA. There can be no global financial system if the world’s strongest financial nation is not brought into this coming New World Order. It is no coincidence then that the “2030 United Nations Agenda” affirms that the troubles of the world can only be solved if the present global financial system is swept away and replaced with a new one. Donald Trump is standing in the way of this plan and must be removed. Revelation 13 however confirms that at some point even the USA will surrender to the Beast kingdom ( Revelation 17:17).

This coming global government will use sophisticated technology to track its citizens by way of a mark or implant that will demonstrate their allegiance to the Beast and allow them to buy and sell and engage in economic activity (Revelation 13:16-17). The “mark” will then be more than a “super credit card”, as it were, but a symbol of religious commitment to the Beast. For this reason the Church of the Living God is warned against taking it. Those who do, will end up in Hell (Revelation 14:9-10). Please note that this verse underlines the fact that the “mark” is more than just a financial mechanism in that its reception involves worshipping the Beast.

The identity of the Antichrist

Many have speculated as to the identity of this individual and in most cases they have failed because they have not understood the Bible’s teaching in this regard. Revelation twelve ends with a record of a coming war in the unseen world whereby the Devil and his hordes are dislodged from their sphere of abode and forced onto the earth (Revelation 12:12). They have a final “ace” to play in that they must destroy Israel and eradicate the Church since these will facilitate the coming of the true Messiah and thereby their destruction (Revelation 12:17). This is a final desperate attempt by demonic powers to resist the second coming or revelation of Christ.

The “ace” then that Devil plays is to produce a Demonoid, half demon/half man. That is, this individual will not be demon possessed but in fact constitutionally a demon man! This is why scripture affirms that he arises out of the “bottomless pit” (Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8). He will thus be a hybrid having unusual and immense demonic power by which he will gain control of the earth (Revelation 13:4). The truth about him is this; that he has been here before and is thus recognizable to the world in that he once lived as a dictator, was assassinated, and then returns as a more formidable individual (Revelation 13:2-4). This is the clear teaching of the book of Revelation (Revelation 17:8-11). So, he will lead a final global kingdom and is one of the seven previous kingdoms of the world. According to John, one that is the sixth “now is”, meaning Rome of his day and then there will be a final seventh, for a short time, and finally an eighth that was previously part of the seven! The Antichrist has been here before with all his hatred for the Jews and the true Church and this is why the peoples of the earth marvel.

Finally, Jesus said that as it was in the time of Noah so will it be in the days just prior to His second coming (Luke 17:26). In Noah’s day demons descended onto the earth, had sex with women, and produced a hybrid demonic race of giants that threatened the survival of the human race (Genesis 6:1-5). It was for this reason chiefly that God judged the earth with a flood. The Devil is about to do this again hence the arrival of the Beast. The UFO phenomenon is tied into this in that the fact that we are being visited by “something extraterrestrial” is beyond dispute. At a recent meeting of NATO Defense Ministers the Canadian Minister of Defense openly acknowledged that UFOs had been tracked by the security apparatus of the alliance. The Russians, by the way, have also acknowledged this.

Consequently, thousands of people, all over the world, have given testimony to abduction experiences at the hands of these beings that most always resulted in their sperm or ovaries being harvested! This is exactly what happened in Noah’s day. A hybrid race is again in the process of being produced and out of this race one will appear to rule the world. We have been warned by Jesus and the Book of Revelation. He will be an “abomination of desolation”, given to great blasphemy in that he will declare himself to be god (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Jesus will destroy him by His glorious revelation.

Malcolm Hedding

To listen to the Revelation audio click here

The Book of revelation introduces us to a number of key players that will be involved with the count down, as it were, to the visible and real return of Jesus to the earth. In our last study together we examined the identity and nature of the ministry of the “Two Witnesses”. They will bring about the restoration of all things in Israel. This process of restoration is already unfolding in that the physical return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland is now well underway. The Bible confirms that the Jewish people will return in unbelief (Ezekiel 36:24-28) and then, by virtue of a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, initiated by Moses and Elijah, there will be a great spiritual revival in Israel paving the way for the return of Messiah. This is the clear teaching of scripture and of Zechariah 12 in particular:

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look
on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one
mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for
a firstborn.”
Zechariah 12:10

All of this brings into focus the foundational role that the Jewish people have played out in God’s plan for world redemption. Jesus said, “Salvation is of the Jews” ( John 4:22). He used the word Jews in the plural meaning that the historical journey of the Jewish people has been pregnant with the purpose of God for the world. Paul confirms this in his Roman epistle (Romans 3:1-2; 9:1-5; 15:27). This is exactly the truth that is underlined in Revelation twelve.

A pregnant woman-Revelation 13:1-2

John sees a pregnant woman clothed with Sun and the Moon and with a garland of twelve stars around her head. She is pregnant with a Male Child, who is destined to “rule the nations with a rod of iron.” This imagery is taken from Genesis 37:9-11 where Joseph has a dream of his mother and father as the sun and the moon and his eleven brothers and he being the twelfth. The woman is then Israel, without a doubt, and she exists mainly for the purpose of bringing a redeeming Male Child into the world. He alone is the key to global salvation, global peace and real global government based on true justice and righteousness. Only when He comes will the world know the blessedness of rest from conflict and war and He is carried, as it were, in the historical journey of the Jewish people.

In fact the Jewish people have birthed for the world the written and living word of God over a period of 2000 years and by these the nations of the world have been greatly blessed, civilized and countless millions have been redeemed from the ravages of sin. We are indeed greatly indebted to the Jewish people and we should always comfort and come alongside them. Now, more than ever, as they move toward the completion of their global mission by which the great love of God has, in Christ, been made available to the world. When John sees Israel as a pregnant woman he observes and understands her mission most appropriately.

A diabolical dragon-Revelation 12:3-6

Almost immediately John sees another great sign in that he beholds a great fiery Red Dragon with seven heads, ten horns and seven diadems standing before the woman to oppose her, devour her child and resist her unique role in the earth. The symbolism means that behind the seven great empires of history, that have opposed the Jewish people, has been the Devil. These empires have changed in outward appearance but the same sinister evil being has been “pulling the strings” behind them. These empires are Egypt, Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece and Rome. The latter, Rome, is the most dangerous as it has longevity, in that it splits in two and regathers finally as a reconstituted global entity comprising ten regions. This is nothing short of global government that will be satanic and will oppose Israel. The seven diadems are the leaders of these empires. One of these will be the final great Antichrist!

The lesson we have to learn is clear: because of the unique role given to the Jewish people, to be the vehicle of world redemption, the Devil and his hordes have set out to oppose this divine initiative by seeking to liquidate them. This is the testimony of history right up until the present day. Even after the woman gives birth to the Male Child, the Dragon realizes that her role will still be a key one in that she will bring the Male Child back to evict him and rule the nations. Until that day arrives the powers of darkness, and those who co-operate with them, will unite in an effort to destroy the nation of Israel. The real nature of this un-ending conflict is seen in the Holocaust and in the intense battle that rages over Israel today.

This my friends is a very real spiritual battle that sadly also rages in the Church and so God draws John’s attention to it. We must take note, resist Antisemitism in all its forms, and stand with Israel as she journeys into her final great conflict of history. The message from this chapter is clear, the Devil certainly hates the Church and has resisted her, and has even infiltrated her, but he hates Israel more, because she is the matrix of all things redemptive. Many Christians have never understood this message because they never study the book of Revelation! Indeed many in the Church have joined with the Dragon in this war against the Jews!

A great warrior Angel-Revelation 12:7-12

John is also introduced to the true nature of spiritual conflict in that great unseen powers of darkness are orchestrating events on earth, especially those that have to do with Israel and the true Church. Michael the great Archangel of God, most high, engages these dark demonic elements in war and overcomes them. They are defeated, thrown to the earth but have one last ace to play. Paul also understood the nature of this battle for in his Ephesian letter he states that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against great principalities of wickedness in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

The Church on the earth will have to be drawn into this final great struggle by, prayer, the proclamation of truth, standing with Israel and with full, unswerving dedication to Christ. Those in the Church, and who are faithful, will overcome, “by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives unto death.” (Revelation 12:11)

My friends, today the house of Israel has returned from the nations, Jerusalem is once again under Jewish sovereignty (Luke 21:24), and thus the stage is set for the final great struggle of good against evil. When one adds to this the call everywhere for global government, and with it the drive toward a New World Order financial system, you must know that we are on the verge of great global change and upheaval. Many Christians are quite unprepared for “this hour”, that is about to befall the earth (1 John 2:18). The Dragon is coming after Israel and the Church and the trap in this regard is rapidly being set. Thankfully Michael, by the prayers and dedication of God’s people, has asserted the victory that Jesus won on the cross. The “Male Child” will come again, and He will evict the Devil, and He will rule the nations in justice, righteousness and peace.

Even so, come Lord Jesus,

Malcolm Hedding

To watch the video of the teaching please click here

We have noted so far that the scroll having Seven Seals is the title deed to the earth. Jesus, by virtue of His death burial and resurrection, has the right to open the seals and finally, with His feet upon the Mount of Olives, take possession of that which He has purchased with His blood. The Kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15). He will rule the nations with a “rod of iron” and His triumphant Church will be His co-regent (Revelation 2:26-29). The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9), the nation’s will learn war no more (Isaiah 2:1-4) and year by year they will ascend to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. ( Zechariah 14:16)

The Trumpet and Bowl judgements are not in sequence but in parallel, since they both end with the second coming of Jesus. However, they give us a more detailed description of the “days of sorrow” that will lead up to the glorious revelation of Jesus, in great power and glory. Wars, natural disasters, pestilences, apostasy and evil, of a type never seen before, will assault the earth. A global government will seize control of the world and it, driven by delusional demonic power, will enslave the peoples of the earth by trapping them in a cashless society that requires a mark and absolute allegiance in order to buy and sell (Revelation 13:16-17). Scripture affirms that men’s hearts will fail them as they ponder the awful events afflicting the earth (Luke 21:26). All of this is now on the horizon of the world.

The truth is, because of their wickedness, God will hand the citizens of the world over to this system thus preparing them for the awful Day of God’s wrath that will befall them (Revelation 17:17). The Church will be challenged to take its stand and so it will be purified, though many will fall away, and others will be martyred. They will overcome we are told:

“By the blood of the Lamb and b the word of their testimony, and they did
not love their lives to death”
Revelation 12:11

As I said before, these days are rapidly approaching because the technology to implement them world-wide is already being tested amongst us. There is no doubt that there was more behind Covid-19 than just restrictive measures to prevent the virus from spreading. Population control, in the expectation of the implementation of a New World Order, was also involved. Some politicians in America have openly acknowledged this. There are very powerful forces working behind the scenes seeking to bring about global government and it all has to do with taking control of the world’s financial systems. In reality this is what the United Nation’s 2030 agenda is all about.

The Book of Revelation then, has what I call the, “The great Sign Chapters.” These introduce the reader to the dominant players on the field of the end time events and consist of, “The Two Witnesses”, “Israel”, “The Antichrist” and “Babylon”. In this study we shall examine:

The Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:1-14)

These two individuals preach at the altar of a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. The altar is a symbol of vicarious ( substitutionary) suffering and therefore a picture of the cross and of the finished work of Jesus. Their purpose is to resurrect Israel spiritually by pouring the power of the Holy Spirit into the nation. The passage itself tells us that they are, “The two olive trees and the two lamp-stands standing before the God of the earth.” This is the Hebrew principle of “Remez” by which “if you want to understand this, then look at that!” The “that” in this case is Zechariah 4 where we are told that by a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, two olive trees pour their oil into Israel, the Menorah, “not by power, nor by might but by My Spirit says the Lord” ( Zechariah 4:6). When the Apostle John, imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, received this heavenly vision in 92AD the Second a Temple of Jesus’ period had already been cast down stone for stone in 70AD.

As to their identity, they are Moses and Elijah or Moses and the Prophets as he, Elijah, is considered the great representative of the Prophets of the Hebrew scriptures. It was Moses and Elijah who were the two witnesses, when they appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8). They had physical bodies like ours and were not glorified because scripture tells us that Jesus is the first-fruit of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20). Also, when Jesus walked with the two dejected Disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are told that, “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). In addition, it is to be noted that Moses and Elijah are the only two individuals who have performed the supernatural signs that are attributed to the Two Witnesses in Revelation eleven. Moses and Elijah endorsed the Messianic credentials of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and they will return again to do the same for the nation of Israel in these end times.

It is these two individuals then, whose bodies departed the earth in very strange circumstances, who will return to usher in for Israel the restoration of all things (2 Kings 2:11; Jude 9). Jesus also promised that Elijah would come and restore all things in Israel before the coming Great Day of the Lord (Mark 9:12). All this goes to demonstrate just how much God loves Israel in that, thousands of years ago, He made provision for her final restoration that will usher in the glorious age of redemption. Very exciting days lie ahead for Israel in that her two great historical leaders will return, endorse Jesus as they did on the Mount of Transfiguration, and lead her home in triumph to God. The Prophet Malachi saw this day and wrote of it (Malachi 4:4-6).

We are told that the beast or Antichrist will be enraged at the Two Witnesses and that he will kill them. It will be too late, their ministry is finished, Israel is delivered from the clutches of evil and by this triggers the great revelation of Christ ( Acts 3:19-22). It is the second coming of Jesus that will bring about the destruction of the Antichrist and all those with him (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Amen, even so Lord Jesus come!

Malcolm Hedding

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We have noted in these studies that the Seven Sealed Scroll that appears at the very throne of God, in chapter five of the book, is the title deed to the earth that was purchased with Jesus’ blood by His death. When He opens the last Seal then the “kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.” The breaking of the Seven Seals constitute the broad picture of end time events that lead to the second coming of Jesus. We have already noted that they are similar to the signs that Jesus mentioned in His Olivet Discourse as recorded in Matthew 24.

The Full Commentary
By contrast the Trumpet and Bowl Judgements give us a more detailed understanding of these events and are thus a commentary on the Seven Seals. By them we get a better understanding of end time events and we are thus better armed, if indeed we have to face them. The Trumpet and Bowl Judgements are therefore not in sequence but in parallel. Both conclude with the coming of Christ for the Church on the Great Day of Wrath, that befalls the world after the Great Tribulation. Though they may differ in perspective, just like the four Gospels, they all “come down to the wire” by giving us a picture of a huge invasion force that comes down into the Middle East arena for the great battle of Armageddon. These are said to be the “Kings from the east.” See Revelation 9:13-16 and Revelation 16:12.

The Harmony of the Bible
It is also interesting to note that between the sixth and seventh Trumpet Judgements and the sixth and seventh Bowl Judgements the rapture of the Church is portrayed. That is, just as the last Trumpet blast takes place, the Church is removed from the earth (Revelation10:7). Also, at the conclusion of the outpouring of the Sixth Bowl judgement and therefore, just before the outpouring of the seventh, and with it the arrival of the Day of Wrath, Jesus comes as thief for His Church ( Revelation 16:14-16). This is the clear teaching of scripture and with it all of scripture agrees. For instance in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 we are told that Jesus comes for His Church on the day of the sounding of the last trumpet. The fact that there is a “last trumpet” means that others have been sounded before. With this the book of Revelation clearly agrees!
Of course 1 Thessalonians :13-18, also states that the Church will be removed from the earth with a loud trumpet blast. The harmony of scripture, though written by many authors, is amazing.

The things to note
The Trumpet and Bowl judgements are indeed quite terrifying but their goal chiefly is to bring the world to repentance (Revelation 9:20-21). Even when the ungodliness of the world demands God’s intervention by judgement, the heart of God is still reaching out His world in the hope that men and women, lost in their sins, would nevertheless repent. They do not!

These judgements then give us a picture of what end time events will look like.

We note the following:
1. There will be increasing natural disasters that the world will write off to global warming instead of global warning! These will initiate serious illnesses and pandemics.
2. The sea and the waters will increasingly become polluted.
3. The luminaries in the heavens will begin to do strange things.
4. Demonic entities will begin to flood the earth. They will emerge out of the “Bottomless Pit” where they have been restrained for many centuries. Hitler believed that he had been contacted and commissioned by them! These will now bring forth a dark Antichrist King who will arise with them and rule the earth for a brief, but very difficult period for the Church (Revelation 11:7).
5. A global conflict of huge proportions will befall the earth bringing great destruction and death to its population.
6. Jesus will snatch His Church away as He comes in great power and glory to take possession of that which He has purchased by the spilling of His blood. He will take up His throne, vindicate Israel and the Church, and rule the nations with a “rod of iron.” (Revelation 11:16-18)

The visions and proclamations of the end

Just as the last trumpet Is about to sound, John sees a vision of the Angel of the Lord, Jesus, descending to the earth with an open scroll in his hand. Simultaneously, He places His feet on the land and the sea indicating that the seventh seal will now be broken and the earth and all that is in it will become His (Revelation 10:1-7). As He comes the mystery of God is finished. That is, the life and mission of the Church on earth has been completed. She will join Him and reign with Him on the earth!

The Apostle John is also given a book by an Angel that is sweet in taste but bitter to the stomach (Revelation 10:8-11). This book is the Word of God and, for the believer it is precious and sweet, tasting like honey (Psalm 81:16). The Bible is a wonderful book as it feeds us and leads us in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 119:105). However, parts of its message are considered hard to swallow by many Christians because it speaks of terrifying things and thus, it can become bitter to our stomachs! We don’t want to hear it and this is why the book of Revelation is the most ignored book by the wider Church. This betrays lives that are not anchored in the love, care and sovereignty of God. Christians should never be eaten up with fear (2 Timothy 1:7) but John is told to declare the message of the book anyway.

It is certainly true that we are facing days of great upheaval and now, more than ever, we must feast on the book of Revelation, even if its warnings are hard to take. The Bride must be readied for the coming of her King and she must be told the truth. Selah.

Malcolm Hedding.

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Some thoughts about the Great Tribulation

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these
arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I
said to him, “Sir, you know.” These are the ones who come out
of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:13-14

These saints, who emerge out of the great tribulation, are not in any way pictured as those who didn’t make the cut at a secret rapture a few years before because the were lukewarm and backsliden, as some would have us believe. No, by contrast they are celebrated and honored because they have overcome and have triumphed gloriously in Christ. They even enjoy a special place in heaven! (Revelation 7:15).

As far as scripture is concerned, believers in Jesus have always been in tribulation. It is just part of our walk in Christ because our values are in conflict with the world, the Devil and even ourselves. Jesus warned that we would be hated by all men because we have attached our lives to His:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In
the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have over-
come the world.”
John 16:33

John also saw himself ensnared in tribulation and even said so:

“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for
the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 1:9

And, of course, Paul warned the believers, in all the churches under his care, that:

“….we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:22

Through the centuries, and at all times, Christians have been subjected to tribulation and great suffering. Just two decades ago two million South Sudanese Christians were brutally murdered by the Muslims of North Sudan. Many of these Christians were subjected to terrifying horrors in that their limbs were cut off and then their bodies were impaled on trees! And then there are the Christians of Iraq and Syria who in just the last few years were savagely murdered by ISIS. There cannot be any greater tribulation than this, but they all stood firm and gave up their lives for Christ. They have come out of the Great Tribulation and one day soon, by virtue of Christ’s second coming, they will stand in victory at the very throne of God.

The Great Tribulation, referenced in scripture, means in the first place, “The Great Pressing Down”, and secondly, is thus the climax of the tribulation that Christians have been subjected to throughout history. This is precisely why the picture of the Church, painted for us in Revelation chapter seven, is in fact a picture of the triumphant Church through the ages right up until the end of the age. This is a great multitude that no one can count. It is an all inclusive picture of the Body of Christ, just like the one that Paul painted in Ephesians five where he writes, that when Jesus comes again He will present to Himself the Church, “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5:27). This is not the Church exclusively restricted to a period of time, like the end-time Church, but the Church of all of history! She will stand all glorious before Him in absolute righteousness.

It must be said again that the Great Tribulation is just the climax of a reality that has been part of the Church’s experience for centuries. It is not the Day of God’s wrath for this is the Great Day of the Lord that befalls the world after the luminaries change (Revelation 6:13-17). It is on this Great Day of the Lord that the Church is snatched away to meet Jesus as He comes in great glory to judge the world. This is exactly what Paul writes to the believers in Thessaloniki in his second chapter of his second epistle to them (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). They were being destabilized by some who were asserting that the Second Coming of Christ had already transpired. He assures them that is not true because two things must happen before the Day of the Lord (Jesus second coming) arrives:

1. A great falling away……and;

2. The arrival of the Antichrist or Son of Perdition, who will commit the Abomination of Desolation again by standing in the Temple and declaring himself to be god.

These are the two last great signs that the Church is exhorted to look for in expectation of the second coming of Christ. Paul even doubles down on this warning because he says that when he was previously with them he had told them this. In other words he is saying, ” Why are you troubled and destabilized thinking that you may have missed out on the coming of Christ. Remember, that when I was with you last time, I told you that He will not come until many fall away and the Antichrist is here on earth displaying himself as god.”

The only thing that is preventing his appearance is a “restraining entity” that God will take away thus allowing the Antichrist to come forward onto the stage of history. This restraining influence can definitely, in context, not be the Church because Paul has already stated that the Church will be on the earth when the Antichrist rises and reigns! No, the only restraining influence in the Bible is an angelic one ( Revelation 9:13-15). The “spirit of Antichrist” is definitely in the world and growing but the actual rise of the Beast, and all that is evil, is being restrained. This will shortly change and the signs all around us warn of it. The Church of the living God is about to be thrown into Great Tribulation, many are not prepared and will fall away because of it. Antichrist will arise with his reign of terror, deception and evil, inspired by Satan himself, but the Day of the Lord will break in upon the earth snatching the Church away and bringing destruction upon him and a God hating world (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

This all harmonizes with Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, because he told the Church that when they see the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Temple they must recognize that His coming is upon them:

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and
wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you
beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not
go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ Do not believe it. For as the
lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be,”
Matthew 24:24-27

His second coming for His Church will be all glorious with flashing light and power attended by the Angels of God in their thousands, like vast clouds. He will then gather His Church from the four corners of the world and they will, being a great multitude that no man can count, sing the song of the redeemed before the throne of God! Amen and amen! Even so Lord Jesus come.

Malcolm Hedding

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