In his messages to the seven churches, John the Apostle warned his hearers of an “hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3: 10). This same event is also mentioned in Rev. 2: 22 and Rev. 7: 14. It describes a period of worldwide “travail” which shall ensue immediately before the “birth” of Israel; that is, of the First Resurrection. It marks the last period of the “sixth day” which will end in the worldwide Kingdom of Christ, when all secular world power shall be put away and the kingdoms of this world be given to God (Dan. 2: 44; cf. Rev. 11: 15; Zech. 14: 9; Haggai 2: 21-22).
While some students consider this tribulation as having been fulfilled in the events of the Jewish War (A.D. 67-70) a better acquaintance with the Old Testament prophets shows this to be impossible. As I wrote in my last article, it is abundantly witnessed in the prophetic writings of both the Old and New Testaments, that the time of tribulation occurs when a personal Antichrist is governing the earth. This Antichrist is mentioned in the Old Testament books, sometimes under the guise of Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 8: 23-25; 11: 21-45), but more often as Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (Isaiah 10, 13, 14; Jeremiah 50, 51; Daniel 4). It is he who shall oppress Israel during the last three-and-a-half years of the present age.
The period of his tyrannical reign is described as “great tribulation” and “a time of trouble” (Dan. 12: 1). If we go back to Matthew 24, and hear our Lord’s own words, we’ll find out when this tribulation begins. Christ says: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand): then let them which be in the Judea flee into the mountains […] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24: 15-16, 21).
In mentioning the “abomination of desolation,” the Lord is making reference to Daniel 11: 31, which describes the infamies of Antiochus: “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” A close comparison of Daniel 11 & 12 would inform us that the antitypical event marks the beginning of the “time, times, and a half,” or three-and-a-half years, during which “many shall be purified, and made white, and tried” (Dan. 12: 10). This period of the tribulation will end in the coming of Christ and the First Resurrection, when “many of them [not “all”] that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12: 2).
Also, the coming of Christ takes place at a time when Antichrist is sitting in the temple, boasting himself that he is God (2 Thess. 2: 3-8). Paul must have viewed this as a fulfillment of the inspired predictions of Isaiah, who foresaw the “king of Babylon” saying, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will also sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14: 13-14). Compare also with Daniel 11: 45: “And he [Antichrist] shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” Thus, when Christ comes, there shall be a personal Antichrist occupying the Jewish temple.
But before the Lord returns there shall be a period of “great tribulation.” Antichrist will ally himself with apostate Jews to persecute those who keep the holy covenant (Daniel 11: 30, 32). It is probably this apostate element that represents the “false prophet” of Revelation 13: 11. The false prophet will command an image of Antichrist to be placed in the temple, and will cause all to bow down to worship him (Rev. 13: 15). The “beast” is Antichrist, the revival of Antiochus Epiphanes, whose deadly wound is healed. After gaining prominence through flatteries and deceitful tactics (Dan. 11: 21-24), he shall oppress and persecute the people of God during forty-two months (Rev. 13: 5)–exactly three-and-a-half years, or a “time, times, and a half.” This is the time of great tribulation.
In His Olivet Discourse, Christ prophesies unto the Jews (“this generation”) that at what time they see the abomination of desolation they are to flee. “For,” He says, “For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21: 22). The predictions of Matthew 24 and Luke 21 are tied together by Daniel 11, which places the abomination of desolation in the midst of great national upheaval, when “they that understand and instruct many” shall “fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days” (Daniel 11: 33). During this time Jerusalem will be surrounded with armies (Luke 21: 20) and “this people” (the Jews) “shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21: 24).
Zechariah tells is that when all nations are gathered against Jerusalem to battle, “the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zech. 14: 2). He also writes: “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God” (Zech. 13: 8-9; cf. Dan. 11: 35, 12: 10; Amos 9: 9-10).
These verses are very important, as they predict the conversion and salvation of the Jewish people. Remember that Christ told the Jews: “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matt. 23: 39). Hence the Jewish nation must repent before Christ returns. It is the Great Tribulation that will issue in this repentance & conversion. The timing is when all nations are gathered against Jerusalem. When the Jews repent, Christ will come, and the heathen will be destroyed (Zech. 12: 9 ff., 14: 3). Then the horns of the Gentiles will be cast out (Zech. 1: 20-21), and the kingdom restored to Israel (Micah 4: 8; Matt. 19: 28).
The Jewish salvation is also mentioned by Isaiah: “A voice of noise from city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord which rendereth recompense to His enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66: 6-8). Now take a look at Revelation 12: 1-5, and you’ll find this same vision being fulfilled. The first-fruits of the Jewish conversion occur immediately before the three-and-a-half year Tribulation. These first-fruits are represented by the 144,000 sealed Jews (Rev. 7: 4-8; 14: 4). The sealing takes place before the Tribulation commences.
These are the faithful witnesses who, like the Maccabees, shall “be strong, and do exploits” (Dan. 11: 32) during the tribulation period. These have God’s name in their forehead (Rev. 14: 1). They are distinct from the wicked apostate Jews who carry the mark of the beast, and help forward the persecution of the saints. They are also distinct from the “great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” who likewise go through great tribulation (Rev. 7: 9-17).
This imagery helps fix the true nature of the tribulation. It focal point is the city of Jerusalem. However, due to Antichrist’s supremacy over the Gentile world-governments, it shall also extend throughout the world. “This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations” (Isaiah 14: 26). World peace will come only after Antichrist is destroyed and Israel redeemed to God (Isaiah 14: 1-7). When once the beast and false prophet are “taken and cast alive into the lake of fire” (Rev. 19: 20) and Jesus Christ sits upon the throne of David, the Millennial blessings will commence. This is the “blessed hope” to which all Christians daily look forward. Maranatha!
The Anti-Preterist’s Blog 
Hi Brian, how are you?
I know you are a smart guy so I was a little surprised to see you stake your claim that the events of Revelation are future events to us–and didn’t culminate in the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD–based on a future Antichrist that would rule all the earth. It appears you are using the term earth to mean the entire planet. The way we usually think of the term earth in Western literature and culture.
If this is your basis for standing with futurism, let me be the first to welcome you back over to preterism.
The writers of the bible didn’t use the term earth to mean a round planet with nations all over it. Remember, they didn’t know the planet was round—they thought it was flat and that was always the context in which they used the term earth. To them the term earth meant a localized region around Jerusalem or Palestine.
All the nations of the earth meant the tribes around Palestine—never all the countries around the globe.
Remember it would be the Middle Ages before man came to understand the earth was round. Biblical writers thought the earth was flat and the center of the Universe.
Likewise the term World never meant a round globe—it meant the area around the Mediterranean sea. All the nations of the World would be the nations in the Roman Empire.
This is easy to understand from numerous scripture verses both Old and New Testament. For example see how the term entire earth is used in all the nations of the earth came to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 41:57)
“Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.”
And, how the gospel had already been preached to all creation just as described in Matthew.
Col 1:23 “ if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
There are other examples, but let me close with the reminder to view the bible from the perspective of its writers in order to read it the way it was intended to be read. They were Jewish writers writing to a largely Jewish audience. To them the last days meant the last days of the Old Covenant—the last days of their covental relationship as a people with God before the new age (Christianity) began. They didn’t mean the last days of human history. To change the context of what they wrote is to try and make ourselves more “inspired” than they were.
Regards,
Will
Hi Will,
John Lightfoot writes:
“The Jewish writers divide the whole world into ‘the land of Israel’ and ‘without the land.’ They distinguish all the people of the world into ‘Israelites’ and ‘the nations of the world.‘” (Chorographical Century, Chap. 1).
The distinctions are more enthnical than geographical. Wherever the Jews have dwelt, they’ve always been distinct from ‘the nations.’
Also, the Jews had a more extensive geography than you may think. Moses was the chronicler of the world’s history! See Gen. 10: 4-5. Sometimes the terms ‘isles’ and ‘ends of the earth’ mean the same thing (Isa. 41: 5)
Also, read Isaiah 66: 19, also Isaiah 49: 12, where the prophet mentions Sinim (China).
In Isaiah 18: 1-3, the “earth” extends “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.” Also see Zeph. 3: 8-10.
And here’s the kicker: Jeremiah 25: 15-32.
Notice in Revelation 16: 19 when the “great city” is divided into three parts, “the cities of the nations fall.” This is the fulfillment of Zechariah 14: 4. The Lord returning to the Mount of Olives is the fulfillment of Acts 1: 11. Notice how all the nations (Gentiles) who fight against Jerusalem are destroyed (Zech. 12: 9; 14: 3, 12-15).
Were the Romans ever destroyed in A.D. 70??
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hey Brian-
I believe that the sealing of the 144,000 occurs at the sixth seal which brings the great tribulation to a close and begins the day of the LORD. Both the chronology in Revelation 6-7 and Revelation 13-14 put the great tribulation before the mention of the 144,000.
Have fun and stay busy – Luke 19:13
-The Orange Mailman
Hi Darrin,
Thanks, I’ll give those verses a closer investigation. The reason I placed the 144,000 before the Tribulation was Isaiah 66: 7. This seems to tie in with Revelation 12: 1-6. Also, see Ezekiel 9: 1-4. Before the destruction begins, the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. It occurred to me that by that time the church will have become completely useless as a witnessing body–salt without savor. I can’t help seeing the 144,000 as the first-fruits of the Jewish conversion, who will bear witness to the nations during the Great Tribulation. Some interesting stuff!
Peace and Health,
Brian
Hi John,
Always enjoy the replies to my posts here. I have been meaning to respond back to the most recent one, I’ve just been so busy lately.
The point of my post was that the bible writers thought the earth was flat and didn’t ever write or think that the earth was round–so they could never have written about an Antichrist ruling over all the nations of the earth (in terms of a round earth). Not only did they think the earth was flat they used the term earth to denote the local area around Palestine and World to mean the nations around the Mediterranean sea.
Your response about how they interpret words regarding land is fine although not really either here nor there in terms of whether they thought the earth was flat or round or whether a future antichrist will arise to govern all the nations on a round planet.
Acts 1:11 is strictly about Christ ascending to heaven and has nothing to do with his return. This is verse which merits its own post and I’ll try to do one soon.
Jeremiah 25: 15-32 is about Judgment of nations, but isn’t making a case for a round earth and hence all the nations of the earth as opposed to those near Jerusalem.
Zech. 12: 9; 14: 3, 12-15
Zechariah is one of the most obsecure, difficult to sync up with other parts of the bible, and often scooped up and plucked down anywhere to support what ever point someone wishes to make.
I would agree its not about the Romans in 70 AD, but that certainly doesn’t force a future interpretation on it.
It sounds much like the Assyrians being destroyed in a single night when they came against Jerusalem although the book is suppose to have been written after that event. That still leaves events during the intertestament period to consider.
And, there is still the Jewish view of some of what we in the Christian community view as prophecy. They view some of the minor prophets work not as prophecy about specific events, but more as commentary expressing the view that a future Messiah would rule Jerusalem again with such righteousness that he would accomplish the events in the book. That is not something to apply to any specific event just a statement about his rule in general.
Regards,
Will
Please check out this website: https://prophetica.wordpress.com/
Throughout church history, Christians, no thanks to mostly premillennial dispensationalists, have speculated who this Antichrist might be: Nero, the Roman Pope, Islam, Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, JFK, Anwar el-Sadat, Henry Kissinger, Juan Carlos of Spain, Ronald Wilson Reagan (6 letters in 3 names), Mikhail Gorbachev (has an uncanny birthmark on his forehead), Bill Gates, and most recently, Saddam Hussein. Like the heretic Montanus who predicted Christ’s return about 150 A.D., today’s dispensationalist false prophets who speculate about the identity of the Antichrist, such as Lindsey, Lahaye, Hunt, Kirban, Whisenant, etc., are also habitual date-setters.
A lot of speculation centers around the number 666 [1] mentioned as the “number of the beast,” Antichrist, in Revelation 13:18. The name of the Roman Emperor Nero Caesar (Aramaic NRON KSR) was associated with this number.
Read more how Barack Obama’s name is associated with 666 here:
http://www.twoagespilgrims.com/doctrine/?p=349
It’s shocking!
Brian,
Quote:
“The first-fruits of the Jewish conversion occur immediately before the three-and-a-half year Tribulation. These first-fruits are represented by the 144,000 sealed Jews (Rev. 7: 4-8; 14: 4). The sealing takes place before the Tribulation commences”.
What evidence places the sealing of these Firstfruit unto God and
the Lamb “before the tribulation commences”?
They are described as being rescued from Mt.Zion in the chapter
following the description of the great tribulation under the
Two Beasts of Rev.13.
They are sealed with the name of the Father before the great tribulation, it is true. But they also will be sealed with the
name of the Lamb (14:1) in the first event described AFTER the
signs of God’s Day of Wrath. Jesus says these signs will occur
“immediately AFTER the great tribulation…in the days after”!
These 144,000 are the Firstfruit unto God as well as the Lamb.
The Son of Man rescues them on the “last day”, the day on which
Jesus raises up every believer…although not at the same hour.
You seem to overlook the fact that the “Hour of Testing on all
the inhabitants on all the face of all the earth” occurs on the
Day and at the Hour Christ appears and the entire remnant of
surviving Jews will “look up, stand erect and beg to escape all
these things that are happening and to prevail to stand before
the Son of Man!” Luke 21:25-28,31,34-36.
Mel Miller at http://www.lastday.net
Hi Mel,
Thanks for the input. Well, John says that the 144,000 are sealed before the trumpets begin to sound (see Rev. 7: 2-3). They are like the house of Rahab kept secure in Jericho. When the seventh trumpet sounds, the ‘kingdoms of this world’ fall. Thus, the real Jericho is identified as the ‘world system.’
I understand the tribulation as beginning with the 5th seal. It is synchronous with the sounding of the 1-6 trumpets. That is why the 144,000 are the ‘first-fruits’ of Jewish national conversion. They are kept safe during the whole tribulation. The remnant of Israel is a different story. I believe these are saved after the rapture of the saints. They are not resurrected, but regenerated.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hi Brian.
Just discovered your site and am enjoying it greatly. I don’t have my own yet.
I felt that Will’s comment about the writers of scripture thinking the earth was flat and not knowing the extent of the planet beyond their parochial experience needed some looking at.
It seems evident to me from 2 Peter 1:21 that “no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” In other words, God, not man, is the ‘author’of scripture and, as such, surely possesses full knowledge of not only the extent of the earth but of all creation.So if He says “the whole earth” he probably means the whole earth.
In fact it’s clear that the prophets themselves didn’t fully understand what God had instructed them to record because in 1 Peter 1:10-12 we read how they made “careful search and enquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating” The prophets themselves were trying to figure out what God was talking about!
In other words, God required them to record His words for future generations, whether they understood what He wanted written or not. Their personal levels of knowledge didn’t enter into it.
Isaiah 40:22 (circa 800BC) seems to indicate God knew the world was round, too.
Paul, writing to Timothy, explains, “All Scripture is inspired by God..”. (2 Tim 3:16)In other words, not only ‘prophetic’ scripture, as some might contend is implied in 1 and 2 Peter.
Bottom Line? The “authorship” of scripture is Divine, not human. That’s the only reason it’s reliable in the first place!
Regards,
Dorrien
Hi Dorrien,
Thanks for the input! My thoughts exactly. Will’s statements were so kooky that I left them up as a permanent reminder of what happens when you mix rationalism with the Gospel.
Those are some great Scriptures. I’ve used them to combat the same erroneous teaching, that the geology of the Bible doesn’t extend beyond the Hebrew horizon. Apparently God saw fit to mention China as part of his plans (Isa. 49: 12). Anyhow, it’s hard to swallow that Moses, the great chronicler of the world’s history, left his people with such a sad view of geography that they thought the world was a flat disc.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hello Dorrien & Brian,
Your old buddy Will here. Sorry I haven’t done more post lately. Work, projects, vacations and so fourth have been keeping me busy, but I wanted to squeeze in a short reply to your comments on biblical people thinking the world was round.
I got a chuckle out of Doreien’s comments. We can agree the God knows the planet is round. Using Isaiah 40:22 to claim that biblical people knew the world was round doesn’t make the Christian community look very smart in the eyes of those in the secular world who look for opportunities to call us kooky–it plays into their hands. Remember in the middle ages when science eventually established the earth was round and not the center of the universe it was the church which had to be dragged into that acknowledgement. It was not a glorious moment for the church.
Sitting upon the circle of the earth isn’t really a hard statement to understand. Remember all people of that time–Hebrews, gentiles,those who believed in God and those who didn’t believe in God thought the earth was the center of the universe and the sun,stars, and moon revolved around a flat earth. The sun rose on one side circled up above and set and circled around the bottom of the flat earth and rose again in the same spot the next day. Earthly
bodies traveled in this “circle” around the earth. So when the bible speaks of the circle of the earth they are talking about the circle that heavenly bodies traveled on as they circled the flat earth.
If you want more evidence of a belief in a flat earth remember the references to the four corners of the earth.
Brian, in your reference to Isa 49:12 I think it is safe to assume you are referring to Sinim which scholars think means different things, but some do think it means China. For the sake of argument let’s call it China. Then let’s assume the people of the BC era of the bible knew of China. Their perception when traveling was of walking across a flat landscape (even if there were mountains–flat in the
sense of flat earth). I think you will agree that just knowing where china is on a map doesn’t mean you know the planet is round.
If all the evidence you know of and all the accepted common
scientific knowledge tells you the planet is flat that reference to China in a verse is pretty thin evidence to hang the assumption on BC man that he thinks the planet is actually round. Remember the church fought against recognizing the planet as being round when that knowledge became over whelming. If BC man knew the planet was
round at what point did he lose that knowledge.
Peace & Health,
Will
Hi Will,
There you go again. You seem to be missing the very vital fact that the Scriptures were written by God the Holy Spirit. Does God know the world is round??? If so, then it doesn’t matter what men think. Besides, not all the ancients thought the world was flat. A few believed that the world was round.
And another thing. “Sinim” definitely means “China!” Not ‘some’ hold this view, but many. Look in any Bible dictionary and you’ll find Sinim listed as China. Now, when did the Gospel first come to China? Marco Polo was the first to bring knowledge of Jesus Christ into that land in the 13th century. Also, one who specializes in Chinese culture is called a “Sinologist.” Look in the dictionary, my friend!
So, that effectively disposes of your geography. The Hebrews must have had the most comprehensive view of the world, inasmuch as Moses was the great historian of the world! I think that in your effort to prove things that aren’t true, you’ve fallen into some grave errors. But a bit of common sense, coupled with a deeper reading of the Bible, will bring you back to normal.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Good day Brian,
Hope you are well today.
I don’t recall ever questioning that the scriptures were written by God through his inspiration (could you be specific with that one). That is a red herring you threw in to blur the original argument here (but necessary when your argument is inherently weak). Originally we started when your argument to make the antichrist the ruler of the whole world at some future date which would change the way biblical writers used the term World (nations along the Mediterranean sea and earth local area around Palestine).
I’m willing to give you China on Sinim–no argument required on your behalf–but that doesn’t mean biblical writers thought the world was round. Blurring the argument again.
I think your hitting the wall here since we didn’t get any obscure, unrelated scripture passages to buttress your argument.
At the end of the day a futuristic position like yours redefines the way biblical writers used the term world and earth to force it to fit your futuristic view and the preterist position is intact using the original language of biblical writers in the context in which they used the terms.
Much peace and health,
Will
Will,
You’re missing the point. You keep mentioning ‘Biblical writers.’ The only ‘Biblical writer’ is the Holy Spirit, by Whose means the world was created. Therefore, we take it for granted that the Bible speaks of a round earth. See Isaiah 40: 22.
Your views of inspiration are obviously borrowed from Gary DeMar and other naturalistic thinkers. My friend, these people are barely Christians, let alone valid interpreters of Scripture.
By the way, ALL Scripture is futuristic in nature. There isn’t a single verse that speaks of the Second Coming as a past event. So you don’t have any Scripture for Preterism. One has to start outside the Scriptures and work backwards a priori, overthrowing all the evidence, before you can even arrive at a Preterist view of eschatology.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hello Brian,
I do enjoy our posts—I wonder how many other people read them.
When the Holy Spirit wrote through the writer of Genesis he clearly used the
whole world in terms of the world around the Mediterranean Sea since he said the Whole world came to buy grain from Egypt (Genesis 41:57). Do you want to argue that people came from South America to buy grain from Egypt? (Clearly no round world intended from the Holy Spirit in this usage)
And when Paul says the gospel has been preached to the whole world (Col. 1: 6
& 23 & other places) the Holy Spirit clearly isn’t speaking of North
America–again it clearly means the area around the Mediterranean sea where the gospel had been shared by the apostles and early church. (Clearly no round world intended from the Holy spirit in this usage)
Let Scripture interpret scripture. At no place does the bible tell us to
change the way the term whole world is defined. Clearly the Holy Spirit
worked through the normal usage of language with the biblical writers to use the term whole world the way they understood it. To try and redefine the
meaning of whole world on your own is a desperate measure to buck up
futurism. It’s implying that you are more inspired than the Holy Spirit.
Think consistency through out my friend. Unless the bible clearly states it’s changing the way the terms are used don’t impute change to them.
Future means immediate future not thousands of years in the future according to Christ. In Matthew 24 after Christ told his disciples the temple would be destroyed they asked him when these things would happen and what would be the sign of his coming and the end of the age. The disciples clearly linked his second coming with the destruction of the temple which occurred in 70 AD. Christ did not correct them, but answered the question as it was asked.
He further ties it to the immediate future (v32) and not thousands of years in the future by saying that this generation would not pass before all these things came to pass. He didn’t say that generation or a future generation. He said THIS generation. You have to change the natural meaning of the words to fool yourself into believing it meant a generation thousands of years in the future.
Yet another example is in (Mat 16:28) Christ said “there were those standing
here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His
Kingdom.” You don’t mean to claim these people are still alive today do you? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see the future of all these events focus on the future as in 70 AD. There is no speaking to events thousands of years in the future–it speaks to 70 AD. If the Holy Spirit had meant thousands of years in the future he would have told us so and not made it the OPPOSITE of the normal use of words in all these examples (and many, many more).
By the way, all scripture that refers to eschatology is clearly NOT future in nature Revelation was written about future events and 1 John 2:18 states
that “even now many antichrists have come.” Hence the antichrists are now
with them–present tense, real time antichrists-not future ones.
Note also in that verse that he is no longer talking about the last days, but the last hour. Not even hours, but the last hour. See the progression from last days to last hour. It is quite possible that 1 John was written after Revelation. Either way the antichrists are there now–not in the future either far or near.
Clearly the Holy Spirit uses the term whole world in a way that limits it to
the Mediterranean area and not a round planet. That is good enough for me.
Clearly Christ himself makes the Preterist case for a 70 AD second coming and not one still future to us. That settles it for me.
Brian, on a separate question, what translation of the bible do you prefer?
Regards,
Will
Will,
I’m not going to keep wresting this issue with you. Read Genesis 10: 1-5 in context. The Holy Spirit is talking about the entire habitable globe. Also, read Jeremiah 25: 15-29. There are at least a good dozen Scriptures I can think of that show the Hebrew understanding of geogrpahy to be quite extensive–world-embracing. China is as far from Israel as America. Therefore, your point falls to the ground.
BTW, you don’t have to indoctrinate me on what preterists believe. I used to be a Full Preterist!
Now, for your information. It WAS the ‘last hour’ in the first century, and all things were ‘ready,’ as mentioned in the parable (Matt. 22: 8). The ‘habitable world’ was about to be judged. However, because the Gospel bore fruit in all the world (Col. 1: 6), and the Gentiles repented, the then-impending judgment and second coming were postponed.
Have you ever heard of the ‘sign of the prophet Jonas’? Jonas, when he came out of the whale, preached “yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3: 4). Because the Nivevites repented, their then-impending judgment was put off. Yes, destruction was imminent–but only when Jonah issued the warning to repent! Then mercy overruled judgment. See Jonah 3: 10.
This is a prophetic type of what happened in the First Century. The sign of Jonas (resurrection of Christ) was sent to the Jews first. Because the Jews didn’t repent, Jerusalem was destroyed at the end of 40 years. But because the Gentiles repented, the judgment and second coming were postponed. When the Lord returns, it will be as in the days of Noah and Lot (read carefully Gen. 18: 23-32). The Lord wouldn’t have come in A.D. 70, because the Gospel bore too much fruit among the nations. There were too many righteous people for the world to be judged.
FYI, the post-apostolic church knew nothing about any invisible, hypothetical coming in the first century. Why? Because it didn’t happen then! If the Second Advent was invisible, you wouldn’t know whether it happened or not.
But the Bible says, “Every eye shall see Him” (Rev. 1: 7).
I think that settles the matter.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.
I haven’t been on the net in a while and I see you and Will have been discussing things further.
Hello Will,
I take your point that we should ascribe the normal meanings of words in understanding scripture, but it obviously doesn’t end there. One important principle to be followed is that any given text should be compared with any other scriptural texts dealing with the same topic, so that a full or complete understanding of the text being examined is arrived at. Often,as i’m sure you know, it is the context itself which establishes the meaning of the word, rather than just the word itself.
For instance, the “Seventy Weeks” (or “Seventy Sevens”, depending on your English translation)of Daniel 9:24 referred to Seventy Sevens of years, not days. And so it was that after 69 sevens of years (i.e. 483 x “prophetic” years) from the time the order was issued by the king of Persia to allow the city of Jerusalem to be rebuilt, Jesus the Messiah rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey TO THE DAY, as also foretold by Zechariah hundreds of years before the event.
Way back in the time of Moses Israel was instructed not only to observe a Sabbath of days, but also a Sabbath of YEARS (Leviticus 25). So the principle of the “week” of years was not something conveniently established just to try to explain its mention in Daniel.
Another general principle was that all the prophets were given “near” prophecies whose close fulfilment would establish them as true rather than false prophets, as well as “far” prophecies. If the “near” prophecies came true then Israel, and the rest of us, were supposed to know that we could rely upon the eventual fulfilment of the “far” prophecies as well.
Often prophecy has been fulfilled in “instalments”, as it were, as with the fall of Tyre which was begun by Nebuchadnezzar and finished off by Alexander the Great many years later, with astonishing attention to detail, I might add.To this day it’s still just somewhere where fishermen spread their nets – never been rebuilt, just as prophesied. Sidon, 20 miles south, has been destroyed and rebuilt something like 17 times. Go figure.
Again, some prophecy is subject to “multiple fulfilment”, or “partial” fulfilment in type with the ultimate fulfilment still being future.
Christ Himself points this out when he refers to “the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel” as still future when it was generally thought to have been fulfilled already by Antiochus IV ‘Epiphanes’. Christ also referred to “Elijah, who is to come(future)”, but who had already come in type in the person of John the Baptizer. Likewise John with his, “Many antichrists have already come” is another example.
The first “Messianic prophecy” concerning Christ to come was to Eve (Gen 3;15)- her”Seed”. In English seed can be singular or plural but in the Hebrew this particular word is in the singular form, indicating a specific individual – Christ. My point here is that this prophecy was given approx 4000 years before the event. Hardly immediate. Think I’m stretching? Then how about the messianic prophecies given to Abraham, or Isaac or Jacob?
There we’re only talking 2000 years before the event.
Let’s look at David. Ever read psalm 22 about the crucifixion?
That’s 1000 years before the event.
All the above has been leading up to 2 Timothy 2:15, translated most accurately in the King James :
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
A workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH”.
We lose an important part of the sense in recent translations that substitute “rightly dividing” with “handling accurately”, or something similar.
Why? Because often a “near” and “far” prophecy is rendered in the same chapter, even in the same paragraph, in fact, sometimes, even in the same verse.
Hope this helps.
Be strong in the love of The Lord.
Dorrien
Hello again.
Something else I was going to mention.
The term “World” can mean any one of three things, depending on the context.
1. The Earth.
2. Its People
3. Their ‘systems’.
I think it entirely likely that representatives of EVERY ethnic group(its people) went to Egypt for grain in the time of Joseph, having not yet reached the ultimate limits of their physical migrations by a long chalk. For instance we know the northern and western Europeans were still arriving into their present locations less than 2000 years ago. Goths, Franks etc.
So it’s debatable whether those who were to become the native North and South Americans had yet crossed the Bering straight from Asia in Joseph’s time. I think not.
Also, as to man’s general knowledge and abilities (including his geographical knowledge),
I know that few question the notion today that man is at the most advanced he has ever been.
I tend to subscribe to the notion that he’s at his most fallen state since Adam. After all, we don’t really know what level of technology was attained before The Flood, especially with life expectancy in hundreds of years before the “fountains of the great deep” were ruptured and the “windows of heaven” opened with the resulting loss of the firmament and exposure to harmful solar radiation?
Suffice it to say that we could build the pyramids then and we can’t build them now. Point made, I think.
It’s still irrelevant anyway as scripture reflects God’s knowledge, not man’s.
That’s why scripture is “Revelation”.
It is impossible for finite, mortal beings of flesh to understand the nature or purpose of an INFINITE, IMMORTAL SPIRIT (GOD) unless that spirit choses to communicate this information to them (REVELATION). No wonder the prophets didn’t always understand what they had to say or write about. But they recorded His words faithfully , none the less.
What a wonderful God we serve!
His blessings upon you.
Dorrien.
Hi Dorrien,
Those are some great thoughts! You’ve got an excellent handle on Biblical theology. Unlike our friend Will, who seems to be intent on overthrowing the inspiration of Scripture. You should have seen the comment he sent me earlier. Anyhow, thanks again for dropping in and sharing these views.
I like what you said about prophecy being sometimes fulfilled in “installments.” According to Will’s theology, fulfillment is a ‘one shot’ package that never gets repeated.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hi Dorrien,
When you get your site up let me know and I will be glad to post some Preterist view points there. It appears Brian has decided I’m well more than he can handle and has deleted my earlier post. Declared victory and gone home. I always enjoy a good debate with futurists.
Regards.
Will
“I like what you said about prophecy being sometimes fulfilled in “installments.” According to Will’s theology, fulfillment is a ‘one shot’ package that never gets repeated.”
Brian is putting Words in my mouth here, since I’ve not addressed this topic one way or the other.
Will,
Like Preterists in general, you think too highly of yourself. I’ve been refuting your ‘theology’ for over a year. The very article you’ve been commenting on stands as effective refutation of preterism. I’m not required to stop what I’m doing with my Bible studies and writing to dismantle your fallacies and delusions. If you want to spread falsehood, start your own blog.
No peace for the wicked,
Brian
Even if Brian is frustrated and mad at me it is in no way mutual. I’m not the least bit mad or frustrated at Brian and continue to wish him the very best even though we disagree profoundly on eschatology. Even though he’s deleted my posts and misrepresented what I’ve said I’m not going to get upset over posts on a blog. I don’t think anything we say here is going to make or break Christianity or change the fate of either of us. I believe by the time we both get to heaven he will come around to Preterism and forgive me completely.
A double portion of peace and good health to you Brian,
will
Will,
I’ll forgive you for anything, so long as you stop posting messages on this blog.
Brian
Hi Brian,
I’m beginning to feel guilty of hogging this blog myself.
However, I did want to say to you I’m indebted to you for pointing out the parralels between the 7 trumpets of Revelations and the fall of Jerricho. I never saw it before even though another of the principles in scripture study I subscribe to is the “law of first mention”. It should have been obvious. Thank you. The other issue you’ve helped me resolve is the fact that the dimensions of the new Jerusalem descending from heaven would seem to be too large to fit into present-day Israel, let alone just the environs of Jerusalem itself.
And now a question. It seems to me there are parralels between the 7 fat years and 7 lean years of Joseph’s time and the two three-and-a-half year periods that constitute the “70th week”.
Although this would be only half the total time of the Egyptian episode I’m mindful that Jesus said,”And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved;”
Perhaps you’ve already written on this? If so, maybe you could point me where to find it.
If not, I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Thanks.
Changing the subject, if Will would like my email address I don’t mind if you’d be willing to forward it to him. My take on all this is that we all want to know and share the truth, and, yes, try to correct what we perceive as error. The problem is, like Paul, the best we can aspire to in this life is tantamount to trying to make out a mirror-image in the dark until that day finally dawns when “we shall know, even as we are known”.
Regards,
Dorrien
Hi Dorrien,
I find your comments quite edifying. And I’m glad you found some of that material helpful. Well, you got me thinking about the seven fat years and the seven lean. The more I consider it, the more I see the seven lean years as being the 70th week of Daniel. So the 7 fat years must be the “latter rain” period I’ve been looking for in Scripture. Just an idea, but something to think about. In my view, there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit before the tribulation begins. I haven’t written anything detailed yet about the 70th week, but there’s some great material in the “Companion Bible,” available online:
http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app89.html
http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app90.html
I see what you’re saying about Will. If he wants, he can leave a message and I’ll send him your email. But I think you’re wasting your time with him. I’m pretty sure that if Peter or Paul came back from the dead to preach the gospel to Will, he wouldn’t believe. His mind is already made up, and there’s no convincing him.
Will, you’d probably find plenty of fellowship, fun, and moral support over at: http://preterism.ning.com
This is where most Preterists end up sooner or later. If you join, tell ’em The Anti-Preterist sent you!
Peace and Health,
Brian
Brian,
Feel free to send Dorrien my email or send me his. I’d enjoy talking with him. Even though I think Preterism is the only way to go on eschatology I won’t try to change his mind on anything. I enjoy talking to people who have a different opinion than me and hearing why they believe what they believe.
Regards,
Will
Hi Brian,
I think you may be onto something with ‘the latter rain’.
I also think the 7 fat years may be a ‘type’ of the first 42 months of the final Antichrist’s ‘reign’ – the period wherein he consolidates his influence and power and appears to have all the answers. It may very well be a period of apparent abundance with seeming solutions to world poverty, world debt, world peace, disease and the environment.
I was rereading Genesis 46 & 47 which mainly deals with Joseph’s immediate family and Pharoah’s invitation to Joseph’s father, Jacob, as well as to Joseph’s brothers and their families, to come and settle in ‘the best of the land’ of Egypt, Goshen.This was obviously during the 7 lean years period.
Then I was reminded that Joseph didn’t just hand out the grain to native Egyptians, but required them also to pay for what they needed, as if they were foreigners.First he took their money. Then, when that ran out, their livestock. Then their land and themselves. Thus the citizens of Egypt became, not freemen, but bondmen or slaves of Pharoah. Now it used to be common practice for slaves everywhere to have to bear a brand or ‘mark’, indicating the person or State to whom they were enslaved. In France not so long ago one such common brand was the fleur-de-lis.
Anyway, I don’t want to make too much of this but you can see why it’s got me thinking.
Will, I’d be happy to hear from you, though I must say I’m not so much interested in debate for its own sake as in trying to fill the gaps in my knowledge and trying to help others do the same, where I can.
I look forward to it.
Regards and blessings to you both,
Dorrien
OK gentlemen! What I’ll do is send you each an email containing the other one’s address, and then if you want to pursue this discussion, you may do so.
Dorrien, those are some interesting observations–especially the consolidation of all the grain by Pharaoh. Sure Antichrist will do something similar. I think the 3rd seal may bring this out. I’ll offer some additional thoughts later, once I’ve had a chance to think about it more.
Peace & Health,
Brian
Brian,
I think you are right.The third seal seems to me to speak of inflated prices for basic foodstuffs – wheat and barley (a denarius was a day’s wage at the time?). Apparently the luxuries (oil and wine) would still be available to those who could afford them. Here’s the point – who sets prices unless they already control the supply? Just like Pharoah.
And as Pharoah first gained control of the supply and THEN the 7 years famine followed, so the fourth seal follows the third seal and death stalks the earth with war,FAMINE, plague and wild animals (obviously turning to human prey because they themselves are starving).
If these parralels hold validity we should also note that in Joseph’s time God’s people (Joseph’s father, brothers and their families) were already (supernaturally) provided for and did not themselves at that time become Pharoah’s slaves. Likewise they would not have had to bear his ‘mark’?
Peace and health,
Dorrien
Dorrien,
Great observations! And thanks to yourself, as I thought of these things earlier, I came up with something else. Let’s take it a bit farther. Pharaoh represents Antichrist. So the plagues of Egypt must find their antitype in the Great Tribulation. All who are not sealed with God’s special seal are destroyed. The 144,000, then, must be the antitype of the Jews who were covered by the blood when the angel of destruction smote all the first-born of the Egyptians. (See also Ezekiel 9.) Thus the ‘great multitude of all nations’ mentioned in Rev. 7 must represent the ‘mixed multitude’ who came out of Egypt with the Israelites.
Those are just some thoughts, but the more I consider, the more I realize that the Egyptian bondage must have its true antitype during the times of Antichrist. This issue is worth studying, and I definitely plan to integrate these ideas in my ongoing study of Revelation.
Peace & Health,
Brian
I am sorry but where did people get the idea that the ancient world thought the world was flat? I have to look up the name, but an ancient Greek scientist (before Christ) actually calculated the size of the earth to very close to what we know it to be today by measuring shadows in two different cities a year apart on the summer s.
Also, turn to Isaiah 40:22
“It is He who sits above the circle of the earth…” CIRCLE! C”heck it out. Archeologist have found ancient batteries in Iran. Ancient man knew of and HARVESTED electricity. Many very ancient cities had running water etc. They were not as primitive as you have been told. That is what evolutionist would have you believe.
Also I believe that the first seal was opened on August 8, 2008 when Russia entered into Georgia, one of the earliest Christian nations. And the number 8 in the Bible signifies a new day or a new beginning. There are 8’s all over that day!
Including the date itself and of course 8 + 8 + 2008 = 2024…2 + 2 + 4 = 8!
The third seal was September 29, 2008. That day is loaded with the number 7. Just to name a few, 7% drop in dow (greatest in history) which = -777 drop after rejecting a $700 billion bailout. Also 9 + 29 + 2008 = 12 and the bailout was short 12 votes to succeed. And if still not convinced…Monday evening marked the beginning of the Jewish New Year.
I have not yet taking the time to look back to mark the 2nd seal, more concerned with getting right with God and all and encouraging my family to come back from their backsliden state. But if anyone else has figured out the 2nd seal would love to hear from you 😀
God bless every one! Christ return is at hand.
Also, is anyone here familiar with the (hidden) Bible Codes in the Old Testament? Just became aware of them myself late last year? Early 2008? But imagine, hidden names and dates of the 20th century unknown until computers “found” them and could not have been decoded without computers. Imagine ancient prophets hiding names, dates and events that require a computer to decipher. But then again it was God that inspired the prophets to write the scriptures not they who came up with this “stuff”. I also very much agree that ancient man was ALOT more advanced than we are. If anything we have “de-evolved” since the flood and have recently begun to “relearn” some ancient knowledge but very “misinterpreted” – imaging, evolutionist rather believe we come from apes (classified as beasts in the Bible) rather than in the image of God?! Let’s just head John’s final letters to the 7 churches in Revelation REPENT. Only the Father knows the hour of His return, He comes like a thief in the night. Most important thing to do is get right with God before then.
Look forward to examining this site further, but alas, it is nearly 3:30 am and I should really go the bed- be back soon 😀
Hey there,
Thanks for sharing those thoughts! Yes, I agree totally that ancient man was more advanced (in many aspects) that we are today. It is said that the Egyptians had electricity. Plus, there was the art of gem-cutting to a precision that can’t be matched with our best technology. If anything, we certainly have devolved. That has been the history of mankind for 6,000 years.
So, you believe the seals have started to break? Well, I hope not! However, there is lots of talk among the ‘wise’ about the rebuilt temple at Jerusalem. The Jewish rabbis have already been fitted for their garments, and most of the utensils are now ready. Where will this next four years lead us?? Only God can tell!
Peace & Health,
Brian
Hi,
Enclosed is a Bible study if the 7 bible clues which reveal the identity of the coming anti-christ of the Great Tribulation. Hoping for your comments and feedback.
Your eternal friend in Jesus,
Richard
WHAT ARE THE 7 BIBLE CLUES WHICH REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THE COMING ANTI-CHRIST??
Revelation 13:17b,18: “The mark of the beast {Or Anti-Christ} is the *NAME* of the Beast or the number of *HIS NAME*. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, *LET HIM* calculate the number of the Beast {Even in AD 96 when Revelation was written}, for it is a man’s number {Or “Number of a MAN”}. *HIS* number is *666*.” God has promised in the above inspired passage that any saint {Even in AD 96–which implies that the name was known in AD 96} with spiritual wisdom and insight may calculate the name of the beast which is a *MAN’S NAME* and adds up to 666.
In Thess 2:3 the Beast of the End-Times is called a “*MAN* of sin or lawlessness” or very SINFUL MAN and therefore the name of the Beast which adds up to 666 is a *MAN’S* name which is also confirmed in Rev 13:17b,18 above. Therefore, the NAME of the Beast which adds up to 666 is a sinful *MAN’S NAME* and could not be the name of a woman or a city, country, computer or Satan, etc.. Rev 13:16,17: “He {The False Prophet} forced everyone… to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead. No one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast {Nero Caesar??} or the number of his name {666}.
Actually there are 7 BIBLE CLUES that show who the anti-christ of the future 1260-day Tribulation will be. By an amazing coincidence all 7 Bible clues can be applied to Nero Caesar!!
{1} The anti-christ will be a “MAN OF SIN” or very sinful MAN as per 2 Thess 2:3 above.
{2} The number of this sinful man’s name is 666 as per Rev 13:16-18. The Bible was written by 40 divinely inspired Hebrews in Hebrew and Greek; so then it is highly probable that this man’s name adds up to 666 in Hebrew or Greek. Nero Caesar’s name adds up to 666 in Hebrew which we will show later in this Bible study.
{3} This sinful man whose name adds up to 666 died BEFORE AD 96 when Revelation was written.{See Rev 17:8 below}
We will show later why Revelation was written between Sept AD 95 and Sept AD 96. Nero Caesar lived from December 15th, AD 37 to June 9th AD 68.
{4} This sinful man died before AD 96 when Revelation was written. Nero Caesar died BEFORE AD 96 on June 9th, AD 68. {See Rev 17:8 below}
{5} This sinful man who was aive and then died before AD 96 was FATALLY WOUNDED by a sword wound to his head. Nero Caesar committed suicide with a sword wound to his head on June 9th, AD 68. {See Rev 13:3 and Rev 13:14 below}
{6} This very sinful man who died before AD 96 was a KING in the Roman Empire as per Daniel 7:24. The beast is also called an 8th KING who ruled before as one of 7 KINGS as per Rev 17:11. The identity of these 7 KINGS will be discissed later in this article. There were 11 Roman Kings or Caesars who died before AD 96 including the 6th Caesar who killed Paul and Peter in AD 66; and whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew. Domitian Caesar was the 12th Caesar who was alive when Revelation was written in AD 96.
{7} This very sinful Roman king whose name adds up to 666 and who was fatally wounded by a sword before AD 96, will “COME UP FROM THE *ABYSS* or hell as per Rev 11:7 & Rev 17:8. We know that the ABYSS is HELL by comparing 2 Peter 2:4 with Luke 8:30b,31. We can be sure that Nero Caesar is now in the Abyss or Hell since he killed Paul and Peter and thousands of Christians and sent Vespasian {the father of Titus and Domitian Caesar} to kill the Jews and destroy their Temple. The MAN OF SIN or Nero also killed his own mother and killed his pregnant wife by kicking her in the stomach.
Revelation 17:8: The beast, which you saw, once was {alive}, Now {in AD 96} is not {alive} and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book life.. .. will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was {Before AD 96}, now {In AD 96} is not {Alive} and yet will come. Rev 13:14: He {The False Prophet} will order the inhabitants of the earth to set up an image in honor of the beast who was {FATALLY-Rev 13:3} wounded by the sword and yet lived.” Rev 13:3: One of the heads of the beast seemed toi have had a fatal wound. but the fatal wound had been HEALED!! The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
When I was a missionary in Israel I studied the Hebrew language. One of the first things that you learn when you study the OT Ancient Hebrew language {Which is also the language of Israel today!} is that the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet ALSO represent 22 numbers! When you read Psalm 119 you will note that the 176 sentences are divided into 22 sections; each section with 8 sentences or verses praising the Word of God. These 22 sections are each headed by one of the letters in the hebrew alphabet in the exact same order as shown below. The ancient Hebrew language {Which is exactly the same as the modern Hebrew language} frequently used the letters of their alphabet to designate NUMBERS IN THE OT as follows:
ALEPH=1. BETH=2. GIMEL=3. DALET=4. HE=5. VAV=6. ZAYIN=7. CHETH=8. TETH=9. YODH=10. KAPH=20. LAMED=30. MEM=40. NUN=50. SAMEKH=60. AYIN=70. PE=80. TSADHE=90. KOPH=100. RESH=200. SHIN=300. TAV=400.
NOTE: Most vowel sounds excpt “O” {VAV} are not used as letters in Hebrew. These vowel sounds are designated by dots and dashes under their *PRECEDING* consonants. In Hebrew “N” is added on the end of all foreign names ending in “O”. Therefore, the foreign name of Nero would be “NERON” in Hebrew. The name Nero Caesar would be pronounced Neron Kaysar in Hebrew. The “E” in Neron and the 2 “A” sounds in Kaysar {There is no “C” in Hebrew} are designated by dots and dashes under their preceding consonants and therefore are not letters in the 22 letter Hebrew alphabet, and so have no numerical value. Neron in Hebrew would use 4 letters with numerical value: N-R-O-N and Kaysar in Hebrew would use 3 letters with numerical value: K-S-R. There would be a dot under the first N to show the “E” sound in NEron There would also be 2 dots under the “K” to show the “AY” sound in KAYsar and a dash under the “S” to show the “AH” sound in KaySAHr.
The 4 letters with numerical value in NERON would be {SEE TABLE ABOVE} N = 50; R = RESH = 200; O = VAV = 6; and N = NUN = 50 and 50+20+6+50 equals 306. The 3 letters with numerical value in “KAYSAR woyld be K = KOPH = 100; S = SAMEKH = 60; and R = RESH =200 and 100+60+200 equals 360. And so the numerical value of Nero in Hebrew is 306 and the numerical value of Caesar in Hebrew is 360, and therefore the numerical value of Nero Caesar is 306+360 or exactly *666*!
There is a very interesting footnote in the revised Standard Version concerning the number 666 which states that some ancient manuscripts have the number **616** which *DOUBLY* confirms that Nero Caesar may be the Anti-Christ!! You will note that the Hebrew language adds an “N” to all foreign names eding in “O”. Now “N” or “NUN” in Hebrew has a numerical value of **50**!! and so if you decided not to add the last “N” in NERON then Nero Caesar would add up to exactly **616** in Hebrew. I think you will admit that this is an absolutely amazing coincidence!!
Any honest Hebrew language scholar will confirm that the letters of Nero Caesar’s name add up to 666 in the hebrew language whose 22 letters are also 22 numbers as shown above. Since all of the prophecies concerning the Anti-Chriist are written in OT Hebrew {Like Daniel 7:8-25} or NT Koine Greek it would then seem logical that God would use one of these 2 Bible languages to identify the Name of the Beast whose letters add up to 666. one of the problems of doing this in NT Koine Greek is that the letters of their alphabet are not also numbers. And therefore you can only assign a numerical value of 22 to the 22nd letter, etc.. Using this formula you could not get any name to add up to over 250, let alone 666. You have the same problem with English and all other languages other than the Hebrew language!
NOTE: The 3 different Greek words used in Revelation 13:18b to arrive at the number 666 are the 3 different Greek words for 600 and 60 and 6 and not 6 + 6 + 6.
Will the 6th Caesar {Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius & the *6th* is NERO who ordered the execution of Paul & Peter in AD *66*} be the Beast who comes up from the Abyss {Or Hell-See Rev 17:8} in the coming Great Tribulation??
Rev 1:8,9: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos beacuse of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” We know that the island of Patmos was the site of a Roman prison the the first Century and that the Apostle John was suffering in this prison because of his religious beliefs. {As per Rev 1:8,9 above} The island of Patmos is about 30 miles from the port of Ephesus in Western Turkey.
History tells us that the second huge Roman persecution of Christians {The first was NERO’S PERSECUTION OF AD 64-68} occurred in the last year of the reign of Domitian Caesar which would have been from September AD 95 to September AD 96. During the last year of his rule Domitian Caesar decreed that everyone in the Roman Empire must worship idols of former Roman Caesar’s or else they would be killed or put in prison. Historical documents show us that the Apostle John lived to about AD 100 and therefore would have been alive during Domitian’s evil decree of September Ad 95 to September of AD 96. Since we can be sure that the Apostle John would never worship an idol of a Roman Caesar it is then highly probable that John was put in prison on Patmos Isle sometime during Domitian’s evil decree from September AD 95 to September AD 96. Rev 1:10,11: “On the Lord’s Day I {John} was in the spirit and I heard a loud voice {Jesus} said, ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the 7 churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatria, Sardis, Philadelphis and Laodicea.” The last 6 churches are all in Western Turkey within 77 miles of Ephesus. About 50 years earlier Paul had started churches in these 7 cities. Paul always had Jewish converts in the cities where he preached since he had the habit of teaching in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath. It was then highly probable that all 7 of these chuches had Jewish believers who were very familiar with the Hebrew language and of course knew that the 22 letters of the Jewish alphabet are also 22 numbers and also remembered the first Roman persecution by Nero or the “MAN OF SIN” about 30 years earlier when Paul & Peter and thousands of Christians were martyred because of Nero Caesar. Nero also sent Vespasian, the father of Titus and Domitian; to kill the Jews and destroy their Temple. He also killed his mother and killed his pregnant wife by kicking her in the stomach.
Christian writings in the early 2nd century AD show that many Christians at that time believed that Nero Caesar {Who adds up to 666 in Hebrew} would return as the Anti-Christ of the End-Times. Rev 13:18: “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight {Even in AD 96}, let him {Even in AD 96} calculate the Beast, for it is a man’s number. His {Nero Caesar’s} number is 666!” And so the above Scripture absolutely guarantees that anyone with spiritual wisdom and insight could figure out who the Anti-Christ of the End-Times would be even when Revelation was first given to the churches in AD 96, and that the number of his name adds up to 666. This would of course mean that the future Anti-Christ must have been alive before AD 96 when this Scripture was given to the churches. Nero Caesar {Whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew} certainly qualified since he lived from Dec 15th AD 37 to June 9th, AD 68 when he was fatally wounded by his own SWORD.
NOTE: There are many statues of the exact likeness of Nero Caesar including a 151 foot statue in the “Golden House” in Rome. The statue of Liberty {Without pedestal} is also exactly 151 feet high… hmmm. At the beginning of Great Tribulation the False Prophet of 666, Rev 13:14: “Will order the people of the earth to set up a statue in honor of the beast who was wounded {Fatally-Rev 13:3} by the SWORD and yet lived!” {Again} This staue of the Beast will be the “exact likeness” of Nero Caesar and could possibly be seen on World Wide TV so that people of all nations will be able to worship this statue as per Rev 13:15b.
Revelation 17:8b: “Those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life will be astonished when they see the beast {666}, because he once was {Alive–AD 37-68} now in AD 96 is not {Alive}, and yet will come.” {During the Great Tribulation} The Beast once was {Alive before AD 96} now is not {Alive in AD 96}, and will come out of the ABYSS {Or HELL} and go to his destruction.” {On the last Day-See Rev 19:20b}
The fact that the ABYSS is HELL is confirmed by comparing 2 Peter 2:4 with Luke 8:30b,31: 2 Peter 2:4: “God did not spare the angels when they sinned but sent them into HELL, putting them in gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment.” Luke 8:30b,31: “Many demons {Or Hell’s Angels} had gone into him {A demon-possessed man}. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them into the ABYSS! {Because they had already been in Hell or the ABYSS before!!} Also in Luke 16:22-24 we read that there was a rich man already in HELL at the time of Jesus. Now we can be absolutely certain that an evil Roman king from the city on 7 hills; who was fatally wounded by a sword *BEFORE* Revelation was written in AD 96; and whose name adds up to 666 is presently in this ABYSS or HELL!!
All historical documents agree that Nero Caesar {The 6th Caesar who ordered the execution of Paul & Peter in AD 66 and whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew} was fatally wounded by his own SWORD on June 9th AD 68. In Revelation 13:14b we learn that the False Prophet of 666 will order the building of a statue of 666 “Who was {FATALLY-See Rev 13:3} wounded by the SWORD and yet lived!” {AGAIN} Nero Caesar {Whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew} again qualifies for this inspired clue as to the identity of the Anti-Christ. Nero’s 4-year Roman persecution began when he blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome in AD 64; and ended when Nero was fatally wounded by his own SWORD on June 9th, AD 68.
Almost all conservative Bible theologians agree that the 4th Beast of Daniel 7:7,19 is the *ROMAN* Empire. In Daniel 7:20,21 we learn that a little horn who is also called a *KING* in Daniel 7:24 will come from this *ROMAN* Empire. Daniel 7:24b,25-27: “A *KING* {From the *ROMAN* Empire–Nero Caesar??} will arise…. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints. The saints will be handed over to him for a Time, Times and ½ a Time.” “But the court will sit, and his {666 or the Roman King or the Beast or Nero Caesar-See Rev 19:20,21 and 2 Thess 2:8} power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. *THEN* the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole Heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His Kingdom will be an everlasting Kingdom.”
Revelation 6:7,8: When the Lamb opened the 4th seal, I heard the voice of the 4th living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death {666 who will cause the death of millions} and Hades {The False Prophet who will cause millions to go to Hades by receiving the mark of 666} was following close behind him. THEY {Nero Caesar and the False Prophet} were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. Daniel 7:8,20,24 says that an evil Roman King will conquer 3 of the 10 kingdoms {which will cover one fourth of the earth??}–Russia {Combined with former Soviet Union}, China and India cover one fourth of the earth and have over one fourth of the world’s population! These 3 kingdoms may object and become jealous of 666 and his False Prophet ruling every country in the world.
The following 10 powerful nations have about 50% of the world’s population and certainly have the military, political and “religious” power to control and rule all the nations of the world: #1. United States #2. Russia #3. China {1.3 Billion} #4. Great Britain #5. France #6. India {1.1 Billion} #7. Germany #8. Japan #9. Brazil #10. Egypt. And then 666 will have “authority over every tribe, people, language and nation” as per Rev 13:7b, from his headquarters in Rome. 666 and his False prophet will then quickly gain complete control over the radio, tv, internet, newspaper, book and magazine medias.
Revelation 13:4: Men worshipped the dragon {Satan}, and they also worshipped the beast {666 or Nero Caesar} and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?
The next 2 paragraphs are an interesting SPECULATION about what might happen at the beginning of the 1260-day Great Tribulation.
Revelation 6:6: “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages!” This phrase can also be translated “A loaf of bread for a day’s wages.” This event will occur at the coming of the black horse rider {Rev 6:5} which will take place just before or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Because of the world’s present economic crises the peoples in the 40 poorest counties now have to pay a full day’s wages for a loaf of bread as per Rev 6:6. And if the world experiences a world-wide depression this event could occur in over 100 countries. The world economic crises is rapidly accelarating. Many countries such as the Phillipines are far worse off than people in the USA during the Great Depression when there was 20 % unemployment. Two years ago there was 8 % unemployment in the Phillipines. One year ago there was 20% unemployment in the Philipines and NOW there is 40 % unemployment!! The world economic crises is rapidly accelarating. There are now 70 countries with unemployment rates of over 30 % and this should rapidly increase. And then the world will certainly be looking for an Economic Savior such as 666 and his very deceptive False Prophet. They will be looking for someone who promises CHANGE!! If the Great Tribulation would begin in the near future is there a well-known, powerful world leader that may qualify to be the deceptive False Prophet of 666 who will promise CHANGE you can believe in!! Will this powerful world leader try to bankrupt the USA which will in turn cause a worldwide depression and cause the price of a loaf of bread to cost a full day’s wages???
And so Nero Caesar with the help of the armies of the False Prophet {Obama??} and other nations aligned with him will conquer 1/4 of the world {See Rev 6:8; 13:4b} and then 666 will appoint 10 kings over 10 kingdoms to rule the world who have never before ruled {see Rev 17:12-14} who will then take orders from 666 and his False Prophet from their headquarters in the evil city on 7 HILLS or Rome.{See Rev 17:9}
“Babylon” is called a CITY 7 times in Revelation, chapter 18, and a SEAPORT in Rev 18:17-19. Peter was inspired to call Rome “Babylon” in I Peter 5:13. Rome is a CITY and a SEAPORT built on 7 HILLS! Babylon and Jerusalem are not seaports and are not built on 7 hills!
Rev 13:14-17: The False Prophet deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was {FATALLY-Rev 13:3} wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast {666}, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast {NERO CAESAR} or the number of his name {666}. And God will supply all the needs of His faithful and corageous Tribulation saints just as He miraculously supplied all the needs of the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness. {See Matt 6:31-34}
Rev 13:5-10: The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for 42 {30-day} months {Or 1260 days or time, times and 1/2 a time-See Dan 7:25 & Dan 12:1,2,6b,7b}….. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb…. This call for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
Matt 24:9-12…Matt 24:29-31: Jesus says, “Then {During the 42-month Great Tribulation} you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by ALL nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved… Immediately after the distress of those {1260} days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the sky.’ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the 4 winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” {Mark 13:27 adds, “From the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”
WILL THE CITY ON 7 HILLS OR ROME BE THE END-TIME BABYLON?? AND WHO ARE THE 7 KINGS FROM THE CITY BUILT ON 7 HILLS??
Most Bible scholars believe that the book of First Peter was written shortly after the beginning of Nero’s Roman persecution of Christians in AD 64 because of I Peter 4:12,13 & 5:8,9. We know that Peter and his wife were living in Rome at this time. Peter was inspired to write in I Peter 5:13: “She {Peter’s wife} who is in *BABYLON* {Nickname for *ROME*!} sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.” Apparently some Christians including Peter were inspired to call ROME “BABYLON” after Nero’s terrible persecution of Christians in AD 64. This is very interesting since the evil city of the End-Times is called “BABYLON” 6 times in Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2,10,21. God had promised in Jeremiah 50:3,13; 51:26,62-64 that no one would ever live in Babylon again after her total destruction which occurred about 275 BC. And God kept His promise for about 2284 years; since Babylon is still a pile of rubble to this very day, and will remain that way until the Last Day of the Planet Earth; for God always keeps His promises. “Babylon” {Nicknamed Rome by Peter} is a “GREAT SEAPORT” in Rev 18:17-19; JUST LIKE ROME and UNLIKE Babylon whose ruins are NOW 4 miles from the very shallow Euphrates River; or Jerusalem which is 2000 to 3000 feet above sea level and 35 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Babylon is also completely FLAT whereas the End-Time “Babylon” will be a city built on 7 Hills JUST LIKE ROME!!
Rev 17:18: “The woman you saw {Rev 17:3–Who sits with the Beast with 7 heads} is the great *CITY* {Rome–nicknamed Babylon in I Peter 5:13–See Rev 17:5a} that will rule over the kings of the earth.” {During the Great Tribulation} Rev 17:9-11: “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The 7 heads are 7 hills on which the woman {Or city of Rome} sits.” Rome is a city built on 7 HILLS!! They {The 7 Heads} are also 7 KINGS {From the city on 7 hills or Rome}. Five {Of these 7 KINGS} have fallen {Or died before AD 96}, one {the 6th KING} *IS* {Or reigning when Revelation was written in AD 96}, the other {or 7th KING} has not yet come, but when he {The 7th KING} does come, he must remain for for a little while. {Possibly the False Prophet of 666 {Or Black Horse Rider} who will be anointed by Satan just before the coming of the 8th KING {Or Pale Horse Rider} who ruled before as one of the 7 Kings} The beast {Nero Caesar who once was {Alive from Dec 15, AD 37 to June 9, AD 68}, and NOW {In AD 96} is not {Alive} is an 8th KING. He belongs to the 7 {KINGS}, because He once was {Alive-AD 37-68} NOW {In AD 96} is not {Alive}, and yet will come {1260 days before the Last Day}.”
WHO ARE OR WILL BE THE 8 KINGS OF REV 17:10,11?? ROME APPOINTED THE JEWISH KINGS AFTER THEY CONQUERED ISRAEL IN 63 BC AND THE 7 KINGS OF REV 13:1B all had “blasphemous names” so we can assume that they were evil kings who had killed or persecuted Jesus and His followers. And so the first 3 EVIL KINGS {Who are all called KINGS in God’s Word{See Matt 2:1; Mark 6:25,26 & Acts 12:1} were all Israeli KINGS appointed by the evil city on 7 hills or Rome:
AND SO THE 8 KINGS WERE OR WILL BE:
** {#1} ** Herod the Great who tried to kill the baby Jesus: Rev 12:3-5: “Another sign appeared in Heaven : An enormous red DRAGON {Or Satan-See Rev 12:9} with 7 heads {Or 7 KINGS-See Rev 17:10a}… and 7 crowns on his {7} heads {Satan crowns the 7 kings whereas 666 crowns the 10 horns}. The DRAGON {Or Satan} stood in front of the woman who was about tlo give birth, so that he might devour her Child the moment he was born {Thru his first evil king or Herod the Great as per Matt 2:13b,16!!} She gave birth to a Son {Jesus} a male Child, who will rule the nations with an iron scepter!!”
**{#2}** Herod Antipas who killed John the Baptist and ridiculed and tortured Jesus {See Matt 14:1-12; Luke 23:7-11}
**{#3}** Herod Antipas who killed the Apostle James and tried to kill Peter. {See Acts 12:1-5,19-23} **{#4}** Nero Caesar who will come again as the 8th KING who will be the anti-christ of the End-Times.
**{#5}** Titus Caesar who killed thousands of Christians when he destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. Titus is also mentioned as a “Prince” in Daniel 9:26. Titus Caesar was the oldest son of Vespasian Caesar who was Caesar from Dec AD 69 to AD 79; and therefore heir and Crown *PRINCE* to the throne in Rome and was Caesar from AD 79 to AD 81.
**{#6**}** Domitian Caesar the 6th KING {“NOW IS”} was ruling in AD 96, and decreed in the last year of his reign {Sept AD 95 to Sept AD 96} that everyone must worship former Roman Caesars {Like Nero} or be killed and put in prison.
**{#7}** Possibly the False Prophet of 666 who will be crowned the 7th evil King of Rome by Satan shortly before the coming of the:
**{8th}** KING or Nero Caesar {The End-Time Beast or Anti-Christ}; who ruled before as one of the **7 KINGS** The 4TH & 8TH KING will come up up from the Abyss or Hell exactly 1260 days before the last Day to rule from the evil city on 7 hills or Rome.
Rev 17:6: “The woman {ROME} will be drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bear testimony to Jesus.” While in in Rev 13:7 we learn that the Anti-Christ will be given “power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.” And in Rev 13:15b we read that 666 will “cause all who refuse to worship his statue to be killed.” We must therefore conclude that the evil city “on 7 hills” or Rome will be the HEADQUARTERS of 666 during the Great Tribulation.
The Anti-Christ will very quickly conquer 1/4th of the world with many miracles {See Rev 6:8; 13:4} and will then appoint 10 Kings who have never before ruled over the 10 most powerful nations of the world {See Rev 17:12-14,17}. The following 10 powerful nations have about 50% of the world’s population and certainly have the military, political and “religious” power to control and rule all the nations of the world: #1. United States #2. Russia #3. China {1.3 Billion} #4. Great Britain #5. France #6. India {1.1 Billion} #7. Germany #8. Japan #9. Brazil #10. Egypt. And then 666 will have “authority over every tribe, people, language and nation” as per Rev 13:7b, from his headquarters in the city built on 7 hills or Rome.
Hi,
Enclosed is a Bible study of the 7 Bible clues which reveal the identity of the coming antichrist of the Great Tribulation. Hoping for your comments and feedback.
Your eternal friend in Jesus,
Richard
WHAT ARE THE 7 BIBLE CLUES WHICH REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THE COMING ANTICHRIST??
Revelation 13:17b,18: “The mark of the beast {Or antichrist} is the *NAME* of the Beast or the number of *HIS NAME*. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, *LET HIM* calculate the number of the Beast {Even in AD 96 when Revelation was written}, for it is a man’s number {Or “Number of a MAN”}. *HIS* number is *666*.” God has promised in the above inspired passage that any saint {Even in AD 96–which implies that the name was known in AD 96} with spiritual wisdom and insight may calculate the name of the beast which is a *MAN’S NAME* and adds up to 666.
In Thess 2:3 the Beast of the End-Times is called a “*MAN* of sin or lawlessness” or very SINFUL MAN and therefore the name of the Beast which adds up to 666 is a *MAN’S* name which is also confirmed in Rev 13:17b,18 above. Therefore, the NAME of the Beast which adds up to 666 is a sinful *MAN’S NAME* and could not be the name of a woman or a city, country, computer or Satan, etc.. Rev 13:16,17: “He {The False Prophet} forced everyone… to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead. No one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast {Nero Caesar??} or the number of his name {666}. The antichrist is called a beast 36 {6×6} times in Revelation.
Actually there are 7 BIBLE CLUES that show who the antichrist of the future 1260-day Tribulation will be. By an amazing coincidence all 7 Bible clues can be applied to Nero Caesar!!
{1} The anti-christ will be a “MAN OF SIN” or very sinful MAN as per 2 Thess 2:3 above.
{2} The number of this sinful man’s name is 666 as per Rev 13:16-18. The Bible was written by 40 divinely inspired Hebrews in Hebrew and Greek; so then it is highly probable that this man’s name adds up to 666 in Hebrew or Greek. Nero Caesar’s name adds up to 666 in Hebrew which we will show later in this Bible study.
{3} This sinful man whose name adds up to 666 died BEFORE AD 96 when Revelation was written.{See Rev 17:8 below} We will show later why Revelation was written between Sept AD 95 and Sept AD 96. Nero Caesar lived from December 15th, AD 37 to June 9th AD 68.
{4} This sinful man who was alive and then died before AD 96 was FATALLY WOUNDED by a sword wound to his head. Nero Caesar committed suicide with a sword wound to his head on June 9th, AD 68. {See Rev 13:3 and Rev 13:14 below}
{5} This very sinful man who died before AD 96 was a KING in the Roman Empire as per Daniel 7:24. There were 11 Roman Kings or Caesars who died before AD 96 including the 6th Roman Caesar who killed Paul and Peter in AD 66; and whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew. Domitian Caesar was the 12th Caesar who was alive when Revelation was written in AD 96.
{6} The beast is also called an 8th KING who ruled before AD 96 as one of 7 KINGS crowned by the city on 7 hills. {Rev 17:9-11} The identity of these 8 KINGS will be discussed later in this article.
{7} This very sinful ROMAN KING whose name adds up to 666 and who was fatally wounded by a sword before AD 96, will “COME UP FROM THE *ABYSS* or hell as per Rev 11:7 & Rev 17:8. We know that the ABYSS is HELL by comparing 2 Peter 2:4 with Luke 8:30b,31. We can be sure that Nero Caesar is now in the Abyss or Hell since he killed Paul and Peter and thousands of Christians and sent Vespasian {the father of Titus and Domitian Caesar} to kill the Jews and destroy their Temple. The MAN OF SIN or Nero also killed his own mother and killed his pregnant wife by kicking her in the stomach.
Revelation 17:8: The beast, which you saw, once was {alive}, Now {in AD 96} is not {alive} and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book life.. .. will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was {Before AD 96}, now {In AD 96} is not {Alive} and yet will come. Rev 13:14: He {The False Prophet} will order the inhabitants of the earth to set up an image in honor of the beast who was {FATALLY-Rev 13:3} wounded by the sword and yet lived.” Rev 13:3: One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound. but the fatal wound had been HEALED!! The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
When I was a missionary in Israel I studied the Hebrew language. One of the first things that you learn when you study the OT Ancient Hebrew language {Which is also the language of Israel today!} is that the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet ALSO represent 22 numbers! When you read Psalm 119 you will note that the 176 sentences are divided into 22 sections; each section with 8 sentences or verses praising the Word of God. These 22 sections are each headed by one of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet in the exact same order as shown below. The ancient Hebrew language {Which is exactly the same as the modern Hebrew language} frequently used the letters of their alphabet to designate NUMBERS IN THE OT as follows:
ALEPH=1. BETH=2. GIMEL=3. DALET=4. HE=5. VAV=6. ZAYIN=7. CHETH=8. TETH=9. YODH=10. KAPH=20. LAMED=30. MEM=40. NUN=50. SAMEKH=60. AYIN=70. PE=80. TSADHE=90. KOPH=100. RESH=200. SHIN=300. TAV=400.
NOTE: Most vowel sounds excpt “O” {VAV} are not used as letters in Hebrew. These vowel sounds are designated by dots and dashes under their *PRECEDING* consonants. In Hebrew “N” is added on the end of all foreign names ending in “O”. Therefore, the foreign name of Nero would be “NERON” in Hebrew. The name Nero Caesar would be pronounced Neron Kaysar in Hebrew. The “E” in Neron and the 2 “A” sounds in Kaysar {There is no “C” in Hebrew} are designated by dots and dashes under their preceding consonants and therefore are not letters in the 22 letter Hebrew alphabet, and so have no numerical value. Neron in Hebrew would use 4 letters with numerical value: N-R-O-N and Kaysar in Hebrew would use 3 letters with numerical value: K-S-R. There would be a dot under the first N to show the “E” sound in NEron There would also be 2 dots under the “K” to show the “AY” sound in KAYsar and a dash under the “S” to show the “AH” sound in KaySAHr.
The 4 letters with numerical value in NERON would be {SEE TABLE ABOVE} N = 50; R = RESH = 200; O = VAV = 6; and N = NUN = 50 and 50+20+6+50 equals 306. The 3 letters with numerical value in “KAYSAR woyld be K = KOPH = 100; S = SAMEKH = 60; and R = RESH =200 and 100+60+200 equals 360. And so the numerical value of Nero in Hebrew is 306 and the numerical value of Caesar in Hebrew is 360, and therefore the numerical value of Nero Caesar is 306+360 or exactly *666*!
There is a very interesting footnote in the revised Standard Version concerning the number 666 which states that some ancient manuscripts have the number **616** which *DOUBLY* confirms that Nero Caesar may be the Anti-Christ!! You will note that the Hebrew language adds an “N” to all foreign names eding in “O”. Now “N” or “NUN” in Hebrew has a numerical value of **50**!! and so if you decided not to add the last “N” in NERON then Nero Caesar would add up to exactly **616** in Hebrew. I think you will admit that this is an absolutely amazing coincidence!!
Any honest Hebrew language scholar will confirm that the letters of Nero Caesar’s name add up to 666 in the Hebrew language whose 22 letters are also 22 numbers as shown above. Since all of the prophecies concerning the Antichrist are written in OT Hebrew {Like Daniel 7:8-25} or NT Koine Greek it would then seem logical that God would use one of these 2 Bible languages to identify the Name of the Beast whose letters add up to 666. One of the problems of doing this in NT Koine Greek is that the letters of their alphabet are not also numbers. And therefore you can only assign a numerical value of 22 to the 22nd letter, etc.. Using this formula you could not get any name to add up to over 250, let alone 666. You have the same problem with English and all other languages other than the Hebrew language!
NOTE: The 3 different Greek words used in Revelation 13:18b to arrive at the number 666 are the 3 different Greek words for 600 and 60 and 6 and not 6 + 6 + 6.
Will the 6th Caesar {Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius & the *6th* is NERO who ordered the execution of Paul & Peter in AD *66*} be the Beast who comes up from the Abyss {Or Hell-See Rev 11:7 & Rev 17:8} in the coming Great Tribulation??
Rev 1:8,9: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos beacuse of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” We know that the island of Patmos was the site of a Roman prison in the first Century and that the Apostle John was suffering in this prison because of his religious beliefs. {As per Rev 1:8,9 above} The island of Patmos is about 30 miles from the port of Ephesus in Western Turkey.
History tells us that the second huge Roman persecution of Christians {The first was NERO’S PERSECUTION OF MAY AD 64 TO JUNE AD 68 OR 49 MONTHS} occurred in the last year of the reign of Domitian Caesar which would have been from September AD 95 to September AD 96. During the last year of his rule Domitian Caesar decreed that everyone in the Roman Empire must worship idols of former Roman Caesar’s or else they would be killed or put in prison. Historical documents show us that the Apostle John {Who then lived in Ephesus} lived to about AD 100 and therefore would have been alive during Domitian’s evil decree of September Ad 95 to September of AD 96. Since we can be sure that the Apostle John would never worship an idol of a Roman Caesar it is then highly probable that John was put in prison on Patmos Isle sometime during Domitian’s evil decree from September AD 95 to September AD 96. Rev 1:10,11: “On the Lord’s Day I {John} was in the spirit and I heard a loud voice {Jesus} said, ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the 7 churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatria, Sardis, Philadelphis and Laodicea.” The last 6 churches are all in Western Turkey within 77 miles of Ephesus. About 50 years earlier Paul had started churches in these 7 cities. Paul always had Jewish converts in the cities where he preached since he had the habit of teaching in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath. It was then highly probable that all 7 of these chuches had Jewish believers who were very familiar with the Hebrew language and of course knew that the 22 letters of the Jewish alphabet are also 22 numbers and also remembered the first Roman persecution by Nero or the “MAN OF SIN” about 30 years earlier when Paul & Peter and thousands of Christians were martyred because of Nero Caesar. Nero also sent Vespasian, the father of Titus and Domitian; to kill the Jews and destroy their Temple. He also killed his mother and killed his pregnant wife by kicking her in the stomach.
Christian writings in the early 2nd century AD show that many Christians at that time believed that Nero Caesar {Who adds up to 666 in Hebrew} would return as the Anti-Christ of the End-Times. Rev 13:18: “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight {Even in AD 96}, let him {Even in AD 96} calculate the Beast, for it is a man’s number. His {Nero Caesar’s} number is 666!” And so the above Scripture absolutely guarantees that anyone with spiritual wisdom and insight could figure out who the Anti-Christ of the End-Times would be even when Revelation was first given to the churches in AD 96, and that the number of his name adds up to 666. This would of course mean that the future antichrist must have been alive before AD 96 when this Scripture was given to the churches. Nero Caesar {Whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew} certainly qualified since he lived from Dec 15th, AD 37 to June 9th, AD 68 when he was fatally wounded by his own SWORD.
Revelation 17:8b: “Those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life will be astonished when they see the beast {666}, because he once was {Alive–AD 37-68} now in AD 96 is not {Alive}, and yet will come.” {During the Great Tribulation} The Beast once was {Alive before AD 96} now is not {Alive in AD 96}, and will come out of the ABYSS {Or HELL} and go to his destruction.” {On the last Day-See Rev 19:20b}
The fact that the ABYSS is HELL is confirmed by comparing 2 Peter 2:4 with Luke 8:30b,31: 2 Peter 2:4: “God did not spare the angels when they sinned but sent them into HELL, putting them in gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment.” Luke 8:30b,31: “Many demons {Or Hell’s Angels} had gone into him {A demon-possessed man}. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them into the ABYSS! {Because they had already been in Hell or the ABYSS before!!} Also in Luke 16:22-24 we read that there was a rich man already in HELL at the time of Jesus. Now we can be absolutely certain that an evil Roman king from the city on 7 hills; who was fatally wounded by a sword *BEFORE* Revelation was written in AD 96; and whose name adds up to 666 is presently in this ABYSS or HELL!!
All historical documents agree that Nero Caesar {The 6th Caesar who ordered the execution of Paul & Peter in AD 66 and whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew} was fatally wounded by his own SWORD on June 9th AD 68. In Revelation 13:14b we learn that the False Prophet of 666 will order the building of a statue of 666 “Who was {FATALLY-See Rev 13:3} wounded by the SWORD and yet lived!” {AGAIN} Nero Caesar {Whose name adds up to 666 in Hebrew} again qualifies for this inspired clue as to the identity of the antichrist. Nero’s 4-year Roman persecution began when he blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome in AD 64; and ended when Nero was fatally wounded by his own SWORD on June 9th, AD 68.
Almost all conservative Bible theologians agree that the 4th Beast of Daniel 7:7,19 is the *ROMAN* Empire. In Daniel 7:20,21 we learn that a little horn who is also called a *KING* in Daniel 7:24 will come from this *ROMAN* Empire. Daniel 7:24b,25-27: “A *KING* {From the *ROMAN* Empire–Nero Caesar??} will arise…. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints. The saints will be handed over to him for a Time, Times and ½ a Time.” “But the court will sit, and his {666 or the Roman King or the Beast or Nero Caesar-See Rev 19:20,21 and 2 Thess 2:8} power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. *THEN* the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole Heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His Kingdom will be an everlasting Kingdom.”
Revelation 6:7,8: When the Lamb opened the 4th seal, I heard the voice of the 4th living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death {666, who will cause the death of millions} and Hades {The False Prophet who will cause millions to go to Hades by receiving the mark of 666} was following close behind him. THEY {Nero Caesar and the False Prophet} were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. Daniel 7:8,20,24 says that an evil Roman King will conquer 3 of the 10 kingdoms {which will cover one fourth of the earth??}–Russia {Combined with former Soviet Union}, China and India cover one fourth of the earth and have over one fourth of the world’s population! These 3 kingdoms may object and become jealous of 666 and his False Prophet ruling every country in the world.
The following 10 powerful nations have about 50% of the world’s population and certainly have the military, political and “religious” power to control and rule all the nations of the world: #1. United States #2. Russia #3. China {1.3 Billion} #4. Great Britain #5. France #6. India {1.1 Billion} #7. Germany #8. Japan #9. Brazil #10. Egypt. After appointing 10 kings who have never before ruled {See Rev 17:12,13} of these 10 nations 666 will then have “authority over every tribe, people, language and nation” as per Rev 13:7b, from his headquarters in Rome. 666 and his False prophet will then quickly gain complete control over the radio, tv, internet, newspaper, book and magazine medias.
Revelation 13:4: Men worshipped the dragon {Satan}, and they also worshipped the beast {666 or Nero Caesar} and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?
The next 4 paragraphs are an interesting SPECULATION about what might happen at the beginning of the 1260-day Great Tribulation and who might be the future false propet of 666.
And so Nero Caesar with the help of the armies of the False Prophet {Obama??} and other nations aligned with him will conquer 1/4 of the world {See Rev 6:8; 13:4b} and then 666 will appoint 10 kings over 10 kingdoms to rule the world who have never before ruled {see Rev 17:12-14} and who will then take orders from 666 and his False Prophet from their headquarters in the evil city on 7 HILLS or Rome.{See Rev 17:9}
Revelation 6:6: “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages!” This phrase can also be translated “A loaf of bread for a day’s wages.” This event will occur at the coming of the black horse rider {Rev 6:5} which will take place just before or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Because of the world’s present economic crises the peoples in the 40 poorest counties now have to pay a full day’s wages for a loaf of bread as per Rev 6:6. And if the world experiences a world-wide depression this event could occur in over 100 countries. The world economic crises is rapidly accelarating. Many countries such as the Phillipines are far worse off than people in the USA during the Great Depression when there was 20 % unemployment. Two years ago there was 8 % unemployment in the Phillipines. One year ago there was 20% unemployment in the Philipines and NOW there is 40 % unemployment!! The world economic crises is rapidly accelarating. There are now 70 countries with unemployment rates of over 30 % and this should rapidly increase. And then the world will certainly be looking for an Economic Savior such as 666 and his very deceptive False Prophet. They will be looking for someone who promises CHANGE!! If the Great Tribulation would begin in the near future is there a well-known, powerful world leader that may qualify to be the deceptive False Prophet of 666 who will promise CHANGE you can believe in!! Will this powerful world leader try to bankrupt the USA which will in turn cause a worldwide depression and cause the price of a loaf of bread to cost a full day’s wages??? The antichrist is called a beast 36{6×6} times in Revelation and the false prophet is also called a beast in Rev 13:11. Obama has nicknamed his presidential car “THE BEAST”. The False Prophet is featured in Revelation 13:11-17; 16:13; 19:20 & 20:10.
Do Obama’s religious beliefs qualify him as a False Prophet?? Some insight into Obama’s “Christianity” comes from an interview he gave in 2004 to Chicago Sun-Times religion editor Cathleen Falsani for her book, “The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People.”
I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,” said Obama. He then adds something most Christians will see as universalism: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” Jesus says of Himself, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” That sounds exclusive, but Obama says it depends on how this verse is heard. According to Falsani, Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God. “Obama doesn’t believe he, or anyone else, will go to hell. But he’s not sure he’ll be going to heaven, either.” The False Prophet will certainly teach that you can have your cake and eat it too, and that you will not go to hell if you receive the Mark of the Beast; allowing you to buy or sell everything. However, Rev 14:9-11; 19:20 & 20:10 confirm that he and all who receive the Mark of the Beast will be tormented day and night for ever and ever in Hell!
NOTE: There are many statues of the exact likeness of Nero Caesar including a 151 foot statue in the “Golden House” in Rome. The Statue of Liberty {Without pedestal} is also exactly 151 feet high… hmmm. At the beginning of Great Tribulation the False Prophet of 666, Rev 13:14: “Will order the people of the earth to set up a statue in honor of the beast who was wounded {Fatally-Rev 13:3} by the SWORD and yet lived!” {Again} This staue of the Beast will be the “exact likeness” of Nero Caesar and could possibly be seen on World Wide TV so that people of all nations will be able to worship this statue as per Rev 13:15b. Obama’s Air Force 1 plane just had a photo op with the Statue of Liberty….Hmmm….
“Babylon” is called a CITY 7 times in Revelation, chapter 18, and a SEAPORT in Rev 18:17-19. Peter was inspired to call Rome “Babylon” in I Peter 5:13. Rome is a CITY and a SEAPORT built on 7 HILLS! Babylon and Jerusalem are not seaports and are not built on 7 hills!
Rev 13:14-17: The False Prophet deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was {FATALLY-Rev 13:3} wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast {666}, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast {NERO CAESAR} or the number of his name {666}. And God will supply all the needs of His faithful and corageous Tribulation saints just as He miraculously supplied all the needs of the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness. {See Matt 6:31-34}
Rev 13:5-10: The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for 42 {30-day} months {Or 1260 days or time, times and 1/2 a time-See Dan 7:25 & Dan 12:1,2,6b,7b}….. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb…. This call for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
Matt 24:9-12…Matt 24:29-31: Jesus says, “Then {During the 42-month Great Tribulation} you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by ALL nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved… Immediately after the distress of those {1260} days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the sky.’ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the **CLOUDS**{See Rev 1:7; Mark 14:62 & I Thess 4:16,17} of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud **TRUMPET**{See Rev 10:7; 11:15-18; I Cor 15:51,52; I Thess 4:16} call, and they will gather His elect from the 4 winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” {Mark 13:27 adds, “From the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
There will be 2 Comings of Jesus on the same Last Day: The first above was *FOR* His saints and then after the Marraige Feast of the Lamb Jesus will come *WITH* His saints as per Rev 19:6-8; 11,14,19-21: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns, Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the Wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready, fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear…. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True… The armies of Heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean… Then I saw a beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the Rider on the horse and His army {See Rev 17:14 & Jude 14,15}. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs and his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. The two of them were thrown ALIVE into the fiery lake of burning sulfur {See 2 Thess 2:8}. The rest of them were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. Rev 20:10b: They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
WILL THE CITY ON 7 HILLS OR ROME BE THE END-TIME BABYLON?? AND WHO ARE THE 7 KINGS {REV 17:10} FROM THE CITY BUILT ON 7 HILLS??
Most Bible scholars believe that the book of First Peter was written shortly after the beginning of Nero’s Roman persecution of Christians in AD 64 because of I Peter 4:12,13 & 5:8,9. We know that Peter and his wife were living in Rome at this time. Peter was inspired to write in I Peter 5:13: “She {Peter’s wife} who is in *BABYLON* {Nickname for *ROME*!} sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.” Apparently some Christians including Peter were inspired to call ROME “BABYLON” after Nero’s terrible persecution of Christians starting in AD 64. This is very interesting since the evil city of the End-Times is called “BABYLON” 6 times in Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2,10,21. Ancient Babylon Had destroyed God’s Holy Temple and God’s Holy City, Jerusalem; and killed, exiled and persecuted God’s people for 70 years. Actually all encyclopedias agree that Babylon was completely evacuated in 275 BC and completely destroyed by 141 BC. The Wikipedia encyclopedia states, “By 141 BC, when the Parthian Empire took over the region, Babylon was in complete desolation and obscurity.” The only question that remains is: Was Babylon rebuilt so that there could be people living in Babylon around AD 65 when Peter wrote 1 Peter 5:13??? Which leads us to the promises of God in Jeremiah 50:1-3,13: This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah concerning Babylon..”Babylon will be captured… A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away!” Jeremiah 52:52:61-64: When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. Then say, “O Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither man nor animal will live in it; IT WILL BE DESOLATE FOREVER When you finish readiing this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, “So will Babylon SINK TO RISE NO MORE because of the disaster I will bring upon her.” And God ALWAYS keeps His promises.
And God kept His promise for about 2284 years; since ancient Babylon is still a pile of rubble to this very day, and will remain that way until the Last Day of the Planet Earth; for God always keeps His promises. In Revelation “Babylon” {Nicknamed Rome by Peter} is a “GREAT SEAPORT” in Rev 18:17-19; JUST LIKE ROME and UNLIKE Babylon whose ruins are NOW 4 miles from the very shallow Euphrates River; or Jerusalem which is 2000 to 3000 feet above sea level and 35 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Babylon is also completely FLAT whereas the End-Time “Babylon” will be a city built on 7 Hills JUST LIKE ROME!!
Rev 17:18: “The woman you saw {Rev 17:3–Who sits with the Beast with 7 heads} is the great *CITY* {Rome–nicknamed Babylon in I Peter 5:13–See Rev 17:5a} that will rule over the kings of the earth.” {During the Great Tribulation} Rev 17:9-11: “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The 7 heads are 7 hills on which the woman {Or city of Rome} sits.” Rome is a city built on 7 HILLS!! They {The 7 Heads} are also 7 KINGS {From the city on 7 hills or Rome}. Five {Of these 7 KINGS} have fallen {Or died before AD 96}, one {the 6th KING} *IS* {Or reigning when Revelation was written in AD 96}, the other {or 7th KING} has not yet come, but when he {The 7th KING} does come, he must remain for for a little while. {Possibly the False Prophet of 666 {Or Black Horse Rider} who will be anointed by Satan just before the coming of the 8th KING {Or Pale Horse Rider} who ruled before as one of the 7 Kings} The beast {Nero Caesar who once was {Alive from Dec 15, AD 37 to June 9, AD 68}, and NOW {In AD 96} is not {Alive} is an 8th KING. He belongs to the 7 {KINGS}, because He once was {Alive-AD 37-68} NOW {In AD 96} is not {Alive}, and yet will come {1260 days before the Last Day}.”
WHO ARE OR WILL BE THE 8 KINGS OF REV 17:10,11?? ROME APPOINTED THE JEWISH KINGS AFTER THEY CONQUERED ISRAEL IN 63 BC AND THE 7 KINGS OF REV 13:1B all had “blasphemous names” so we can assume that they were evil kings who had killed or persecuted Jesus and His followers. And so the first 3 EVIL KINGS {Who are all called KINGS in God’s Word{See Matt 2:1; Mark 6:25,26 & Acts 12:1} were all Israeli KINGS who killed or persecuted Jesus and His followers} and who were appointed by the evil city on 7 hills or Rome:
AND SO THE 8 KINGS WERE OR WILL BE:
** {#1} ** Herod the Great who tried to kill the baby Jesus: Rev 12:3-5: “Another sign appeared in Heaven : An enormous red DRAGON {Or Satan-See Rev 12:9} with 7 heads {Or 7 KINGS-See Rev 17:10a}… and 7 crowns on his {7} heads {Satan crowns the 7 kings whereas 666 crowns the 10 horns}. The DRAGON {Or Satan} stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her Child the moment he was born {Thru his first evil king or Herod the Great as per Matt 2:13b,16!!} She gave birth to a Son {Jesus} a male Child, who will rule the nations with an iron scepter!!”
**{#2}** Herod who killed John the Baptist and ridiculed and tortured Jesus {See Matt 14:1-12; Luke 23:7-11}
**{#3}** Herod Antipas who killed the Apostle James and tried to kill Peter. {See Acts 12:1-5,19-23} **{#4}** Nero Caesar who will come again as the 8th KING who will be the anti-christ of the End-Times.
**{#5}** Titus Caesar who killed thousands of Christians when he destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. Titus is also mentioned as a “Prince” in Daniel 9:26. Titus Caesar was the oldest son of Vespasian Caesar who was Caesar from Dec AD 69 to AD 79; and therefore heir and Crown *PRINCE* to the throne in Rome and was Caesar from AD 79 to AD 81.
**{#6**}** Domitian Caesar the 6th KING {“NOW IS”} was ruling in AD 96, and decreed in the last year of his reign {Sept AD 95 to Sept AD 96} that everyone must worship former Roman Caesars {Like Nero} or be killed and put in prison. {Like the Apostle John who was living in Ephesus at that time.}
**{#7}** Possibly the False Prophet of 666 who will be crowned the 7th evil King of Rome by Satan shortly before the coming of the:
**{8th}** KING or Nero Caesar {The End-Time Beast or Anti-Christ}; who ruled before as one of the **7 KINGS** The 4TH & 8TH KING will come up up from the Abyss or Hell exactly 1260 days before the last Day to rule from the evil city on 7 hills or Rome.
Rev 17:6: “The woman {ROME} will be drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bear testimony to Jesus.” While in in Rev 13:7 we learn that the Anti-Christ will be given “power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.” And in Rev 13:15b we read that 666 will “cause all who refuse to worship his statue to be killed.” We must therefore conclude that the evil city “on 7 hills” or Rome will be the HEADQUARTERS of 666 during the Great Tribulation.
The Anti-Christ will very quickly conquer 1/4th of the world with many miracles {See Rev 6:8; 13:4} and will then appoint 10 Kings who have never before ruled over the 10 most powerful nations of the world {See Rev 17:12-14,17}. The following 10 powerful nations have about 50% of the world’s population and certainly have the military, political and “religious” power to control and rule all the nations of the world: #1. United States #2. Russia #3. China {1.3 Billion} #4. Great Britain #5. France #6. India {1.1 Billion} #7. Germany #8. Japan #9. Brazil #10. Egypt. Brazil borders every country in South America except for Chile. Egypt is the university, intellectual and theological center of Islam. And then 666 will have “authority over every tribe, people, language and nation” as per Rev 13:7b, from his headquarters in the evil city built on 7 hills or Rome.
Richard,
Your extended explanation of who the beast and the antichrist represents is full of knowledgeable insight. Nevertheless, God’s Word says nothing concerning your general commit of one requiring “spiritual wisdom and insight to confirm a correct calculation of the name of the beast”. I’m sorry but I never read a verse in God’s Word that stated such a thing. (Rev.13: 18)simply states “Here is wisdom”. Calculations, insights, and speculations are advantageous in seeking answers to worldly questions but are poor substitutes when seeking to understand spiritual mysteries inspired by God. Knowledgeable insight never lines up with God’s Word but only leads to our own self conformed calculations. Knowledge never engenders wisdom but wisdom must always stand on its own. There is the understanding.
Your calculation does not line up with God’s Word. (HEB.9: 27) IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO DIE, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGEMENT. Satan with all his might cannot bring NERO CAESAR back to life and God will never allow such a thing to happen; transforming his Holy Word into a lie.
Sincerely, my opinion
Nor Hitler.
Isaac