As we finished the first part of Chapter 17, we saw that there are ten horns that are ten kings that do not have kingdoms but will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. The purpose for this is to give their authority back to the beast. What will be taking place on the earth at this time is very interesting. We see ten people who are not kings of any kingdoms(countries), who will be given kingship of kingdoms,by the beast, for the soul purpose of giving their power(military power), of that kingdom, to the beast(anti-christ). So with the beast now with authority over every military power of these ten nations, he will bring them all for battle to make an attempt to stop the return of Jesus. Remember, the main reason why Jesus is returning with His wrath is to destroy those who are destroying the earth so that some flesh (people) will survive.
John wrote in Revelations 11th Chapter, verse 18;
"And the nations were enraged and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the
dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the
prophets and the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great,
and to destroy those who are destoying the earth."
The reward is the being caught up in to be with Jesus. The saints(believers) who are still alive on the earth, at this time, along with those who have died, will receive their new glorified resurrected(heavenly) bodies, that will be in the likeness of their risen Lord Jesus. Since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, they must shed the earthly body for the new heavenly body.
John wrote in his gospel in Chapter 24, verses 21 and 22, quoting Jesus;
(21)"for then there will be a great tribulation, such has not occured since the
beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. (22)"and unless those days
had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect
those days shall be cut short."
I keep trying to emphasize the reason for the wrath of God, because Satan is always trying to project the wrath as being such an unfair and unrighteous thing for a God to do. This is because the wrath is coming to stop the destruction that is being done by Satan. When the wrath comes, there will no longer be anyone left on earth, who became New Creations (saints) by receiving the truth of Jesus and His gift of eternal life. This will leave all the powers of the nations militaries in the hands of all those who refused to receive the truth as to be saved and who chose to worship the beast. This is why those ten kings will easily surrender the control of the militaries into the hands of the beast(anti-christ).
John goes on to write in Revelation Chapter 14;
"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them,
because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him
are the called and chosen and faithful."
When it says that those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful, this means that these are the ones who chose Jesus. For everyone has been called, but few answer. Everyone has been chosen, but few accept. Everyone has been called to put their trust in Jesus, but many refuse. For Jesus said, in the 3rd Chapter of the gospel of John in verses 16 and 17;
(16)"For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
(called) believes in Him should not perish (chosen), but have eternal life (by
trusting what He says is true.) (17) For God did not send His Son to judge the world,
but that the world should be saved through Him."
This is why the only people who will perish are those who refused to receive the truth as to be saved. Those who are with are those that John wrote about in the 19th Chapter of Revelation, verses 11-14;
(11)"And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon
it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He will wage war.(12) And His
eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name
written upon Him which no one knows except Himself.(13) And He is clothed with
a robe dipped in blood (it is His blood that purchased all those who would come
to Him); and His name is called the Word of God.(14) And the armies which are in
heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean(washed in the blood of the Lamb),
were following Him on white horses."
The prophet Daniel wrote in his 8th Chapter about the one(anti-christ) who would come against Jesus. This is the one who causes the abomination of desolation, that Jesus said to look to as a sign of the end of this age. Daniel talks about this leader as a he and then as (IT). In verses 9-12;
(9)"And out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly
great towards the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful land.(10)And IT
grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to
fall to the earth, and IT trampled them down. (11) IT even magnified ITself to be
equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from
Him, and the place of the sanctuary was thrown down.(12) and on account of
transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice;
and IT will fling truth to the ground and perform ITS will and prosper."
When the realm of Greece(The united alliance) stops Iran from making an attempt to take over the middle east, the realm of Greece will be divided into four powers of rule with a leader for each division. One of these leaders will become IT. This is the anti-christ who will proceed down from the global capital of Tyre into Israel where he will make war with Israel and do away with the sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem. He (IT) will then seat himself in the temple saying that he is God. From here he will go after the saints and will persecute and kill many because of the truth that they proclaim. He will mock the truth of Jesus and go on to cause much destruction on the earth.
This leader is the one who makes the 7 years covenant of peace, that will allow Israel to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem and start back up their sacrifices. It will also allow the city to be built in Tyre.
This leader is killed half way into the 7 year covenant that was made. This is at the exact time that Satan and his demons are cast out of heaven and down to the earth. He then recovers from his fatal wound and becomes IT in the power of Satan. Daniel goes on to write that in the latter period of the rule of the four leaders, when the trangressors have run their course, in Chapter 8, verses 23-25:
"(23).........A king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue.(24) And his power
will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary
degree and prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy
people.(25) And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his
influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while
they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes (Jesus), but he will be
broken without human agency."
Not by human agency because it will be done by Jesus and His Saints when they return to execute the wrath of God, for the destruction that is being perpetrated on the earth, by Satan and all those who refused to receieve the truth as to be saved.
Back in Daniel's 7th Chapter, Daniel wrote this about this man of Satan and the outcome, in verses 25-27:
(25)"And he will speak out against the Most High (Jesus) and wear down the
saints of the Highest One (Jesus), and he will intend to make alterations in times
and in law (stop the regular sacrifice); and they will be given into his hand for
a time, times, and half a time (3 1/2 years). (26) But the court will sit in judgment,
and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and detroyed forever.(27) Then
the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the
whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His
kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and
obey Him."
John concludes Revelation Chapter 17, verses 15-18, with this;
(15)"And he said to me, 'The waters which you saw were the harlot sits, are
peoples and multitudes and nations and tougues (global capital).(16) And the ten
horns that you saw , and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her
desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her up with fire.(17)
For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common
purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are
fullfilled.(18) and the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over
the kings of the earth."
How ironic it is that Jesus tells them by what he has them do, "You have come to destroy Me, but before I destroy you, I will watch you destroy your own deceptive city that deceived all the inhabitants of the earth by mocking my truth and killing my saints."
May Jesus give you His peace and understanding.
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