This Article: (7 Pages)
- 1. Revelation 17: The prophecy of one... hour
- 2. The Harlot, the Horns and the... Beast leading to the One Hour
- 3. The Beast and Zion
- 4. Revelation 11: 42 months and 1260... days
- 5. Daniel 7: time & times and the... dividing of time (1260 years)
- 6. Daniel 7: The season and a time
- 7. Summary of times
2) The Harlot, the Horns and the Beast leading to the One Hour
The explanation in Revelation backtracks and explains a process:
He said to me, The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
For God has put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:15-18)
The beast is not the whore. The beast is wholly human in nature, but on a scale that seizes rule over others. The whore rides this 'beast'. The whore or apostate religious system sits or rules many people from many nations. This is truly descriptive of modern Roman Catholicism.
The ten horns on the beast from above are: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland (with Britain and Denmark). These ten correspond to the nations forming from the break up of the Roman empire: Huns, Vandals, Visigoths, Burgundians, Gepidoe, Lombards, Franks, Suevi, Alans, and Barvarians (with the Anglo-Saxons and Danes being related to them but not of them. They settled overseas in England and in the Isles rather than being in Europe. Copenhagen is on an island not on the European mainland. The Danes expanded into Iceland, Norway and Sweden).
It says they shall hate the whore, which is the apostate religious system. It is a hate that leads them to make her “naked”. These nations since the time of the French revolution (the era of the 7 vials in the previous chapter, Revelation 16) are the leaders of human rights movements. Until recently they have had leaderships that have been overtly secular placing emphasis on the rule by mankind and the subversion of religion. In other words they were Pagan or 'beast-like' in character. To join the Union they need to comply with the Copenhagen criteria to be
“a secular, democratic system of government, together with the corresponding freedoms and institutions” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_member_state
Since the beginning of the Vial period after the French Revolution in 1789 the political status of the Papacy has been under attack in Europe to the point that there was no political status for the Papacy by 1809. Even though the Vatican became a city again in 1929, where the Pope ruled, the Pope had to work hard for influence in Europe. From the late 1930's they backed Hitler which did not help them after 1944. However from 1967, the time of the Cold war, their opposition to Communism gained them allies and they gained power when a Polish Pope helped engineer the conditions leading to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
The prophecy says that after this period of “hate”, these nations agree to give their kingdom to the beast, that is to create a kingdom or empire based on human rights. The Vatican has been facing strong resistance to incorporate any mention of 'Christianity' into the 2007-8 drafting of the current EU treaty. But we see that after this time of agreement with the beast that once again 'the woman', or the apostate religious system reigns over the kings of the earth.
When we are introduced to the woman she is riding, or ruling, a scarlet beast.
I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3)
Red is the colour of pagan humans. This revived Roman empire or beast is essentially pagan. At the end of the vision, despite the woman having been made desolate and naked, she reigns over the kings and rulers of the earth. This began to occur in the 1980's when leaders began calling at the Vatican. Now rulers bow to the Pope, acknowledging the greater ruler. While he was Cardinal Ratzinger, the present pope worked hard to stop Turkey joining the European Union. It made a special agreement with the EU in January 1999 and has used the Euro as its currency since January 1, 2002. In 2007 the Pope persuaded the German Prime minister to work to incorporate reference to a Christian heritage into the constitution of the EU. The Papacy has begun to 'ride' (or rule) the beast.
In Images of the European Union, Europe is shown as a woman riding a red beast with stars about her head. This is very close to the Bible image, but the nations of Europe are the 'horns' (or powers) on the red beast and the apostate religious system is the woman riding, or ruling, it.
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Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
This may be one of the most misunderstood passages of the Bible. Paul is notorious for long sentences of connected thoughts, and this is part of a complex wide ranging thought which lasts 2 chapters, and includes what seems opposite advice:
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Cor. 5:11-13)
Over all of history the servants of God have known the signs of the times: their times. They have seen the direction of events toward the Kingdom of God on earth replacing the kingdoms, republics and democracies of humans.
An article prompted by National DNA day April 25 celebrating the understanding of DNA.
As I was thinking to write this article, having just read Psalm 46 as I do each year on that day, on January 25th a Bible was found untouched after a tornado hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
We have been given many time periods to prophetic events in the Bible. Many people think it too hard, and do not make an effort to understand them. However, if they were not to be understood, why were they given? And the Bible says the wise shall understand (Daniel 12:10).
