They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?” (Revelation 13:4)
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What is the nature of the Beast that John is referring to? What do we know about him?
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) wrote a short poem outlining a powerful set of questions:
I keep six honest serving men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
We will use these questions to find the answers about the Beast.
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What is the Holy Bible description of the Beast?
The description of the beast is found in Revelation chapters thirteen and seventeen. Chapter thirteen gives the fullest description. John saw it “rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” (Revelation 13:1) It was like a leopard, with feet like the feet of a bear, and had a mouth like a lion. One of its heads had a mortal wound which healed itself, causing people to wonder at it and follow it. (Revelation 13:1-10) This description draws many parallels with a vision in the Book of Daniel where four beasts symbolizing a succession of kingdoms come out of the sea in the forms of a lion, bear, leopard and a beast with ten horns.
Revelation 17 mentions a third beast described as “a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” (Revelation 17:3) and some of the symbols are explained. The prevailing view is that the scarlet beast is another, distinct, visualization of the same subject as the beast of the sea, which is pictured with crowns on its horns, unlike the scarlet beast. The scarlet beast is shown being ridden by a harlot who “reigns over the kings of the earth”, (Revelation 17:18) whereas the beast of the sea is not described as being ridden, and is given “power and great authority.” The seven heads represent both seven mountains and seven kings, and the ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received kingdoms. Of the seven kings, five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come. The beast itself is an eighth king who is of the seven and “was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition.”
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Who is the Beast?
And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?” (Revelation 13:4)
We can see the makings of the Antichrist in Recep Erdogan, as the Bible shows that the Antichrist will be seen as a peace maker and will be very wise in the beginning of his rule. At first the Antichrist will seem to solve many of the world’s problems and he will be considered great in the eyes of most in the world. Representing the Muslims, the Antichrist will help mediate a peace agreement in the Middle East, especially with Israel.
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President Erdogan ranked world’s top influential Muslim / Anadolu Agency, October 22, 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ranked first place in the 2019 edition of the World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims.
Prepared annually by the Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, the book notes that Erdogan became Turkey’s first popularly-elected president in August 2014 and then secured a second-term in the 2018 election with 52.5 percent of the vote, where electoral turnout was 86 percent.
“During his terms, Turkey has seen unprecedented economic growth, constitutional reform, and a re-emergence as a major global power,” the publication said.
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Pope Francis Speaks to Turkish President Erdogan About Palestinians, Meets Iran’s Foreign Minister/ EWTN News, May 17, 2021
According to a statement from the Turkish president’s office, President Erdogan told Pope Francis “that Palestinians would continue to be subjected to massacre as long as the international community did not punish Israel, which is committing humanitarian crimes with sanctions.”
“Let us pray unceasingly that Israelis and Palestinians may find the path of dialogue and forgiveness, to be patient builders of peace and justice, opening up, step by step, to a common hope, to a coexistence among brothers,” Pope Francis said.
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Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666. (Revelation 13:18)
The reference to 666 is gematria, a code that assigns a number to each letter in the alphabet. The first attested use of gematria occurs in an inscription of Assyrian ruler Sargon II (727-707 BC) stating that the king built the wall of Khorsabad 16,283 cubits long to correspond with the numerical value of his name.
Interestingly, the number of the Turkish President’s name using English Gematria equals 666:
This is not just a coincidence, as there are no other current world leaders that have their given names equal 666.
Note that currently we have a global meltdown, with the rating agencies downgrading the credit of many key nations, including the United States. However, from Recep Erdogan’s official Website, we learn that Turkey has become the world’s fastest growing economy, and plans to be among the top 10 economies in the world by 2023:
The global powers have determined that national sovereignty is destined to fail. We already see this happening with the economic collapse, well under way. With governments crippled and devastated, and failed markets and banks, a “New World Order” will be the only solution offered, and then the Mark of the Beast will rise from the ruins of internationally failed economies. Note the economic focus of the Mark:
and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
(Revelation 13:17)
Today we are the first generation with the technology available to fulfill such a prophecy of a “cashless” society. For instance, every item for sale is bar-coded with its own personal identification number.
Society is being conditioned to accept a universal identification “smart mark” technology-based ID.
This example is part of a Netflix Children’s Cartoon:
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Where does the Beast live?
I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan lives. (Revelation 2:13)
Was there an actual literal geographic location where Satan had ‘a throne’? In a certain sense, yes. The verse is referring to a massive structure that sat atop a high hilltop in Pergamum. The Greeks originally built this gigantic structure in the 2nd century B.C. as a temple dedicated to Zeus. This in itself is interesting. Certain continuity exists between the various gods of beast empires. For instance, in ancient Egypt they worshipped Ra, the Sun god. In Babylon, there was Murdock, the Sun god and Sin, the Moon god (or goddess). The Greek worshipped many gods, but viewed Zeus – the god of the sky and thunder – as the king over all of the other astral deities. Later, the Romans also worshipped Zeus under the name Jupiter. There is a significant evidence to view the Allah of the Muslims as the Arab counterpart to Baal, Sin, Zeus, or Jupiter. In pre-Islamic times, Allah worship, as well as the worship of Baal, were both astral religions in the sense that they involved the worship of the sun, the moon, and the stars.
But notice that Jesus did not refer to the Pergamum Altar as the throne of Zeus, but rather as the throne of Satan. We can assume that Jesus made this point for a reason. While the various Beast Empires worshipped an assortment of gods under different names, Jesus actually referred to Zeus – the chief god of the ruling beast empire – as Satan. Zeus was Satan dressed in a Greek toga. This point is crucial as we attempt to understand the nature of the work of Satan in the earth in the Last-Days. The re-emerging Islamic Empire is the final Beast Empire. We may also now identify Allah as Satan. This time, however, Satan is masquerading as the God of the Bible.
Not only does Jesus equate Zeus (or Jupiter) with Satan, but he also states that Satan’s ‘throne’, or spiritual base, was geographically located in Turkey.
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Erdogan Advisor Presents Vision Of United Islamic Superpower / Middle East Media Research Institute, January 14, 2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief advisor, retired Turkish general Adnan Tanrıverdi, has been articulating a vision of a unified Islamic superpower through conferences and documents published by his organizations. This vision is reflected in President Erdoğan’s foreign policy.
The Justice Defenders Strategic Studies Center (ASSAM), of which Tanrıverdi is chairman of the board, has scheduled seven annual “congresses,” of which three have taken place, to work through the technical problems in the formation and governance of an “Islamic union.”[1] At a recent ASSAM Congress, Tanrıverdi called for the coordination of the joint manufacturing of weapons and military equipment among Islamic countries, saying: “States cannot stand tall against the countries whose weapons they use.” ASSAM has also published a 69-page draft of a constituion for a planned shari’a-based confederation of 61 Islamic countries. This constituion declares that “sovereignty belongs to shariah,” that Istanbul is to be the capital of the confederation, that the Arabic language would be taught in all of its schools, and that its name will be “Asrica,” which is formed from a combination of Asia and Africa.
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In 1517 the Ottoman Turks conquered Jerusalem and ruled the Holy City for 400 years. The Turks reigned over Jerusalem until the British General Edmund Allenby defeated them in 1917.
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Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO.
Turkey had made great efforts to be perceived as a neutral power, a democracy with basically a secular government. They tried to be a partner in peace with the United States and have done the same with Israel.
In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community. Over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy; it began accession membership talks with the European Union in 2005.
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Let’s put Turkey’s EU membership back on track / POLITICO, May 14, 2019
ANKARA — Some 30 years ago, on the occasion of Turkey’s formal membership application to the EU, then Prime Minister Turgut Özal likened the process of joining the bloc to “a long and narrow road,” referring to a famous verse by the folk-poet Aşık Veysel. Time has proven that the road has, indeed, been not just long and narrow, but also bumpy.
Turkey-EU relations were overshadowed in the 1980s by the aftermath of the military coup, in the 1990s by the exclusion of Turkey from the fifth enlargement wave of the EU and most recently, in 2016, by the July 15 coup attempt. Yet, each time the relationship showed resilience against interruptions and found a way out. Today, we find ourselves in a similarly unpromising situation. Yet, once again, I have no doubt that we will manage to come to agreement with our European friends to put Turkey’s EU process back on track…
Major turning points in recent history — including the 9/11 attacks in the United States, the Arab Spring, the global financial crisis and the refugee crisis — have repeatedly proven the strategic importance of the Turkey-EU relationship. Furthermore, economic, political, security and identity-related matters have demonstrated that Turkey is more than a strategic partner for the EU.
I believe that if Turkey were already a member, we would have been more capable and competent in collectively addressing the challenges of today’s highly volatile world order. Let’s not wait another 30 years.
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Note from our previous messages that with fiscal and political union, we see the current European Union as the beginnings of the imperial power of a revived Roman Empire. The geographical area of Turkey was an integral part of the Roman Empire.
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The point of this history is that Turkey has always played a central role in the world, and is now in center stage in the Middle East conflict. Turkey is currently the seventeenth-largest economy in the world. Historically, when a major Islamic empire has emerged, it has been dominated by the Turks. Turkey is a stable platform in the midst of chaos. The Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Arab world to the south are all unstable. As Turkey’s power grows-and its economy and military are already the most powerful in the region-so will Turkish influence.
Turkey is going through a revival of neo-Ottomanism, and transformed Turkey’s parliamentary system into a presidential system, favoring a strong centralized leadership similar to the Ottoman era. Critics have thus accused Erdoğan of acting like an “Ottoman sultan”.
The huge Presidential Palace for Erdogan is one example.
Turkey Is Changing the Middle East. The U.S. Doesn’t Get It. / Bloomberg, March 14, 2019
The Middle East is changing fast but the U.S. seems to be the last government to realize it and respond. Turkey has a larger economy, more sophisticated technology and a stronger military. It also remains a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Turkey isn’t as disruptive as Iran, but could become so, or at least as domineering, over the long run.
Turkey has not hidden its growing ambition to revive the dominance that the Ottoman Empire enjoyed over much of the Islamic world. At a recent rally, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu declared, “We are not only just Turkey, but also Damascus, Aleppo, Kirkuk, Jerusalem, Palestine, Mecca and Medina.”
Turkey’s longstanding rivalry with Saudi Arabia, which dates to the early 19th century, has erupted again, and was on full display during the diplomatic crisis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the fracas to declare that “Turkey is the only country that can lead the Muslim world.” That’s a direct rejection of the implicit claim of Saudi Arabia and the explicit claim of Iran to global Islamic leadership.
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Turkish interior minister says Turkey spans from Damascus to Medina / Al Arabiya, March 3, 2019
“We are not only just Turkey, but also Damascus, Aleppo, Kirkuk, Jerusalem, Palestine, Mecca, and Medina,” said Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu during a rally in Diyarbakir city, according to a video and translation posted on Twitter by the Nordic Monitor.
“We are the grandchildren of a great civilization,” the interior minister added in his rally speech.
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When does the Beast gain his power?
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him: We ask you, brothers, not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
Dispensationalists generally view passages such as 2 Thessalonians (referenced above) as referring to a reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem in the last days. The great “Falling Away” is viewed as a future affair in which not only Rome but all of the world’s religions join against the truth, for the sake of a false peace and prosperity.
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A century after the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic, the country is looking to celebrate its hundredth birthday in a way that has become popular throughout the Middle East today. Turkey’s ambitious Vision 2023 aims to put the country in the world’s top ten economies within the next five years by making dramatic improvements to its trade, energy, health care and transport sectors. Announced in 2013 by the then Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he gave the country ten years to rise from one of the better off developing countries shaken by a long history of military coups to a nation whose economy, stability and regional influence is to be reckoned with.
Over the past century, particularly within the last decade, Turkey has risen to become a somewhat hegemonic power within the region, with Iran being its only rival in influence and Israel being its only rival in military might. Its proactive stance in the Syrian conflict – through its famed “Operation Euphrates Shield” and its current “Operation Olive Branch” – has enabled the country to again become a regional power to be reckoned with militarily, economically and diplomatically.
Sultan Erdogan?
There have been some misgivings over the intentions of Erdogan and the nature of his government – are they Islamists, neo-Ottoman fantasists with a dangerous nostalgia for the past and with an aim to occupy its former territories? While that view is an exaggerated one that plays into the hands of his opponents both within and outside Turkey – especially the European Union which vehemently opposes Turkey’s bid for membership – the current AKP government has displayed a love of national history which goes beyond Ataturk’s founding of the Republic.
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All indications are that Erdogan is going to do everything in his considerable power to “make Turkey great again” and overturn the Ottoman defeat of 1917. It is likely he will have the Ottoman Empire strike back around the hundredth birthday of the Turkish Republic, in 2023.
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How will the Beast gain his throne?
Near the end of their kingdoms,
when the rebels have reached
the full measure of their sin,
an insolent king, skilled in intrigue,
will come to the throne.
His power will be great,
but it will not be his own.
He will cause terrible destruction
and succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy the powerful
along with the holy people.
He will cause deceit to prosper
through his cunning and by his influence,
and in his own mind he will make himself great.
He will destroy many in a time of peace;
he will even stand against the Prince of princes. (Daniel 8:23-25)
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Turkey’s Grand Plans for Middle East Primacy / The National Interest, December 21, 2019
Ankara’s grand strategy can be seen as combining military, political and economic initiatives into similar frameworks and having a willingness to use threats to achieve its goals.
Ankara’s NATO goals were only one of a series of files Turkey was working on in early December. This is part of Turkey’s grand strategy that increasingly places the country astride the Middle East as a regional power as well as an emerging global power.
The path to this grand strategy has brought Ankara into conflicts and almost weekly disputes with countries in the Mediterranean, or Europe, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Myanmar and the United States. Along the way, Turkey’s ruling party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP has convinced itself that it is winning and that a mix of threats, military action and land grabs tend to result in adversaries climbing down. It’s not every day that a country can take on disputes with the United States, NATO, the European Union, UN and others and come away as confident and strong as Ankara appears. This is a strategy, not just a series of crises.
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Erdogan seeks better ties with US and EU, but on his terms / Al-Monitor, January 25, 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a new chapter with the new US administration in order to overcome Ankara’s deeply strained ties with Washington. He signaled this in the letter of congratulations he sent to newly elected President Joe Biden on Nov. 10.
“I believe that the strong cooperation and alliance between our countries will continue to contribute to world peace in the future as it has been until today,” Erdogan said in his letter.
Erdogan, however, wants to improve these ties on his terms; he is not willing to compromise on issues that have damaged the “strong cooperation” he referred to.
Washington has also provided no indication that it is willing to compromise on these issues. The stalemate appears set to remain for the foreseeable future.
The most notable issue — although there are others that have clouded ties — remains Ankara’s purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.
Erdogan’s dilemma is that Turkey’s economy has been going downhill in line with its deteriorating ties with the United States and Europe.
It is not a newfound love for the West that is forcing him to try and reach out to the United States and the EU now. Erdogan has no other option but to look to the West again for much-needed foreign capital and investments.
In order to woo Europe, Erdogan has announced that his government is working on a “radical legislative reform package.” He also wants to restart the stalled Turkey-EU membership talks as a means to support Turkey’s failing economy.
The past few weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity involving an exchange of letters between Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron, and visits by the Italian and German foreign ministers to Ankara and the Turkish foreign minister to Brussels.
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Biden team wants better ties: Turkish presidential spokesperson / Hurriyet Daily News, January 11 2021
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team wants to develop a good relationship with Ankara, Turkey’s presidential spokesman has said.
“Biden, while he served as [Barack] Obama’s vice president, came to Turkey four times and knows the region. Our contacts with the transition team so far are very positive,” İbrahim Kalın told Turkish broadcaster, CNN Turk, on Jan. 10.
“They say they want to develop good relations with Turkey and turn a new page,” Kalın added.
He underlined that there were three main outstanding issues between Ankara and Washington, namely the US’ support for the YPG/PKK terror group in Syria since the previous Obama administration, as well as its complacency against FETÖ and F-35 embargo against Turkey.
Kalın said that if steps are taken on these three areas, the two countries could turn a new page in their relations.
During the interview, Kalın also spoke against a recent mandatory update by popular messaging app WhatsApp’s privacy rules. Expressing support for widespread backlash against the Facebook-owned smartphone application, he said he would likely delete it from his own device.
Pivoting to the state of the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak in Turkey, he noted that there had been a drop in case and fatality numbers. “This isn’t enough. The vaccination process needs to start,” he said, adding that current precautions to curb the virus, including a weeknight and full weekend curfew would remain in place “for a while.”
He also stressed that Turkey hoped for positive developments in its relations with Greece, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had an amicable phone conversation with the head of the European Commission and that two EU presidents would visit Turkey at the end of the month.
Kalın added that Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu would soon go to Brussels.
“There is a favorable ground there to create a positive atmosphere. I can say that work on this will give good results soon,” he stressed.
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Why does the Beast want to rule the world?
You said to yourself:
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will set up my throne
above the stars of God.
I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly,
in the remotest parts of the North.
I will ascend above the highest clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)
During the second half of the 7 year Tribulation, the world is dominated by the Antichrist—one specific person. That is the final manifestation, the final product of the spirit of antichrist. He will be one final, supremely evil, supremely powerful ruler, who will dominate the human race for that brief period.
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Turkey’s Erdogan: The Making Of A Latter-Day Sultan / The Media Line, July 25, 2018
Analysts largely agree that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has done more to shape Turkey than any other leader since Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), the legendary leader who founded the Turkish republic in 1923.
Erdogan, 64, is positioning himself as the bearer of a new Turkish identity, one more closely aligned with Turkey’s Ottoman past and Islamic heritage. It is also an identity that appears to lend to strongman rule.
The Turkish president has been consolidating political power in steady fashion ever since he became prime minister in 2003. After serving in that capacity for 11 years, he quickly transitioned into the presidency, a role he will officially retain until 2023 and perhaps beyond. In 2016, he used a failed coup to purge his opposition in the aftermath. Since then, over 100,000 public service personnel and soldiers have been dismissed from their jobs and more than 50,000 people, including many journalists, have been imprisoned, many still awaiting trial.
By extoling the glories of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish president may be trying to tighten his grip over a polarized nation by tapping into their nostalgia for past perceived glories.
Although Erdogan’s approach incorporates some historical truths, Ülgen explained, it is a glorified, sanitized and romanticized version of the Ottoman past, one that has permeated into popular Turkish culture.
“The emphasis is on all the successes of Ottoman times,” he elaborated. “Take, for example, the hit TV show ‘Payitaht’ about Sultan Abdulhamid II. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire lost three-fourths of its territory in Eastern Europe, but none of that is taken into account.
“This kind of rhetoric and symbolism about Ottoman glories resonates among Erdogan’s constituency,” Ülgen concluded, “but for the opposition, the overriding historical narrative remains anchored to Atatürk.”
“Otto-mania,” therefore, seems to be geared towards mobilizing and strengthening Erdogan’s support base. How it might be cementing his authority beyond his base is still an open question.
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The ultimate purpose of the one world religion is to place a false Messiah in place of the true Messiah. The Antichrist is the supreme embodiment of man’s rebellion against God and rejection of God’s laws. He is also called the son of perdition, the one who is headed for a lost eternity. Why will Satan give his power to this person? Because that will enable this person to gain dominion over the entire human race and to persuade the entire human race to do the one thing that Satan wants most: to worship him. This is his goal.
If the Israel-Palestinian 7 year (one week) peace agreement is accepted shortly, 2023 would correspond to the half-way point. Erdogan will be part of the firm covenant, allowing the Third Temple to be built:
He will make a firm covenant
with many for one week,
but in the middle of the week
he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering.
And the abomination of desolation
will be on a wing of the temple
until the decreed destruction
is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:27)
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What will happen next?
A New Muslim Vision: Rebuilding Solomon’s Temple Together / The Jewish Press, March 12, 2013
As a devout Muslim, it would be a joy for me to see Prophet Solomon’s Temple rebuilt as well. No, you did not hear me wrong. Prophet Solomon’s Temple being rebuilt in all its magnificence and glory would be a great delight for me, as it would be to any Muslim. Under different circumstances, in an atmosphere of trust, love and brotherhood, Muslims would welcome this with enthusiasm. The Temple of Solomon is also a historically important place, and rebuilding it would be a wonderful occasion for all believers to contemplate. Every Muslim, every believer, will want to experience the spirit of those days again, and strive to bring the beauty of those days back to life. Actually, it is everyone’s aspiration for that city to be adorned, to be beautified, and to regain the magnificent glory it had in the days of the Prophet Solomon.
Solomon’s Temple being rebuilt does not entail any harm to these shrines. So I beg my Muslim brothers and sisters not to take my words in a direction that I do not intend. They should not feel unease at all, because the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock will stand until the Last Day. Nobody will be able to harm them, because they are under the protection of God.
There is a broad expanse of land around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The land there is quite convenient in that respect, and the Temple can be placed just a little way from Qubbat As-Sakhrah, and a little ahead of Masjid el-Aqsa.
The Prophet Solomon—King Solomon as the Jews call him—is a prophet to Muslims too. All Muslims have profound love for him. Prophet Solomon had a superior understanding of beauty and aesthetics, and no doubt, rebuilding of his Temple in its original form would be a splendid undertaking. Decorated exactly as it was, with the same beautiful ornaments, covered in gold, adorned with fruit trees and beautiful gardens, and restored to its former glory, would be splendid!
It is of course very exciting to remember those beautiful days, to rebuild this beautiful compound, and let this beautiful prayer house be open to all. This very much excites me as a Muslim and excites other believers as well. The very thought of Christians, Jews and Muslims cooperating to rebuild this house of worship, together hand in hand, and worshipping there together, is a matter of joy.
Think of the waste of energy and resources consumed all over the world by the contention between Arabs and Jews, which could be used to beautify these holy places, to put them in a brilliant state, instead! There is plenty of space, and there are overwhelmingly sufficient resources for everyone to live there in peace and tranquility and enjoy their freedom of worship.
How have we allowed these unending wars, sporadic clashes, security walls, unnecessary discrimination and restrictions to bar us from being able to embrace each other as brothers? Why do we take it for granted that we are under any obligation to perpetuate these senseless conflicts? Why does everyone simply presume that this is the way things are meant to be? We all want suffering to end and peace to prevail in the region! Obviously we cannot achieve this peace as long as we lack the spirit of unity.
The Jews have the exact same vision, with the Third Temple being a center for all believers, not only for Jews:
“Also the aliens, that join themselves to God, to minister unto Him, and to love the name of God, to be His servants… Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:6-7)
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We believe that the Beast (along with the Dragon), assisted by the False Prophet, will soon finalize the Israeli-Palestinian “land for peace” treaty, which will allow the Third Temple to be built. This will begin the dark 7 year period called the Tribulation.
The “Abomination of Desolation” in the Temple
He will make a firm covenant
with many for one week,
but in the middle of the week
he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering.
And the abomination of desolation
will be on a wing of the temple
until the decreed destruction
is poured out on the desolator. (Daniel 9:27)
In Daniel and the Book of Revelation, we are told that the Beast stops the Daily Sacrifice in the Temple, sets up the Abomination of Desolation, blasphemes against God, and persecutes the Saints of the Most High God for a period of three and a half years.
They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?”
A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. He was also given authority to act for 42 months. He began to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered. (Revelation 13:4-8)
What did Jesus Christ say about the “abomination of desolation”?
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
(Matthew 24:15-22)
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
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Where is our comfort in light of this revealing of the Beast?
As the End Times “birth pains” become more intense, we need the Lord’s promises. How does the Holy Bible comfort us?
Perhaps the most important aspect of God’s Word is the promises that are contained within, promises that the Lord makes to those who are prepared to trust Him.
Because of God’s grace, through the work of regeneration that happens at conversion, these promises are realized and become the very fuel that spurs us on to greater faith and greater obedience. These things go hand in hand; we trust God’s promises, and He has promised to reward us accordingly with joy, peace, and comfort, intangible things that the world can never supply.
From the Book of Psalms, a collection of 150 songs that Israel sang to God (and to each other)—kind of like a hymnal for the ancient Israelites…
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live. (Psalm 23:1-6)
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From the Book of Matthew, an account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, focusing on Jesus’ role as the true king of the Jews…
The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
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From the Book of John, he lists stories of signs and miracles with the hope that readers will believe in Jesus…
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. (John 3:14-18)
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From the Book of Romans, Paul summarizes how the gospel of Jesus works in a letter to the churches at Rome, where he plans to visit…
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)
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From the Book of Proverbs, a collection of sayings written to help people make wise decisions that bring about justice…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
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From the Book of Genesis, that answers one big question: “Where did the nation of Israel come from?”
The Lord said to Abram:
Go out from your land,
your relatives,
and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation,
I will bless you,
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
I will curse those who treat you with contempt,
and all the peoples on earth
will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:1-3)
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From the Book of Luke, he writes the most thorough account of Jesus’ life, pulling together eyewitness testimonies to tell the full story of Jesus…
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place. (Luke 2:1-7)
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From the the Book of 1 Corinthians, Paul writes a disciplinary letter to a fractured church in Corinth, and answers some questions that they’ve had about how Christians should behave…
Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited,
does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
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From the Book of Isaiah, God sends the prophet Isaiah to warn Israel of future judgment—but also to tell them about a coming king and servant who will bear the sins of many…
but those who trust in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
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From the Book of Acts, Jesus returns to the Father, the Holy Spirit comes to the church, and the gospel of Jesus spreads throughout the world.
Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)
The “birth pains” of the world are building and converging towards an unprecedented climax. There is an upcoming “delivery date” for the Rapture, known only to the Lord. Until then, comfort yourself with your own favorite Scriptures from the Holy Bible.
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If you are not sure that you are saved, you can accept Christ into your life right now, by praying:
“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior.”
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Reader Comments:
Wow, that was really amazing! I have wondered about some of those things.
Gino, July 4, 2021
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Rapture and End Times 
Thanks for this. It takes a real expert to make something simple that is extremely complicated.
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