Now that you have ventured this far into the book, you are probably growing accustomed to encountering interpretations and ideas you have not encountered before.  You have read a lot of writing that doesn’t endorse the present-day teachings of end-times Bible prophecy that has evolved over the past few centuries.  Revelation 11 and the interpretations you are about to read will continue this pattern.  You are about to read verse by verse commentary full of interpretations you have probably not encountered.  What you are about to read may seem peculiar to you, but the explanations and analysis put forth are entirely Bible-based.  So even though they may not sit well with you because they are almost unheard of in current day teachings, you cannot deny that the prophecies of time work out exactly as shown and are entirely accurate.  Not only do they work out correctly, but you will also see how the time increments collaborate as a kind of double-check, which validates the given measures of time are accurate, as well as the events they reveal.

The following commentary can be said to be Bible-based because they use the Word of God to define the interpretation.  An example of this that should stand out to you as you read is the definition of the two witnesses.  The overwhelmingly accepted interpretation claims these two witnesses are precisely that; two, and only two literal witnesses.  The Bible distinctly identifies precisely who these two witnesses are, but you have to search the Word of God to find them.  The Old Testament defines the identity of the Olive Tree, and the New Testament confirms it and further provides us all we need to know to identify the two candlesticks.  The problem is that when you finally understand and realize what the Bible is saying, it is going to punch some pretty big holes in a number of the other doctrines you have come to accept and believe.

For those who are genuinely seeking the truth, this probably will not be much of a problem.  However, for the vast majority of those that have been taught differently for many years and have not taken the time to sit down and study them seriously, these interpretations will be met with skepticism, cynicism, and disbelief.  You may find it hard to swallow, even though almost everything you are about to read has already happened and was revealed to us by our Lord nearly 2000 years ago.

With that said, let’s get into an outlandish interpretation that you are probably unaccustomed to that we find in the very first verse of Revelation 11.   

Revelation 11:1 (KJV)
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Many believe this verse has to rank as one of the most challenging writings to understand in all of Biblical prophecy. It could very well be.  One could spend weeks meditating, studying, researching, and looking at all the Bible verses concerning the Temple of God, and not understand what this verse is saying.  One could even explore its history and the beliefs and practices that went on inside it, and still not be able to make sense of it.  But if you were to take but a couple of minutes and take a look at a diagrammed layout of the entire temple, an alarm should go off in your head, and the meaning should jump out at you.

In verse one, John receives a measuring rod, and the angel tells him to rise and measure the Temple of God, the altar, as well as the worshipers inside.  The reed like unto a rod is just what it says.  It is a straight rod of a determined length used in the measurement of area or distance, similar to our present-day tape measure.  You could say it was the tape measure of that day.  What makes these measurements unusual is not that John was supposed to measure the area of the temple and the altar; but that he was also to measure the people worshiping inside.  Or was he?  While one can use a measuring rod on the temple and the altar, why would one use a measuring rod to measure all the people worshiping inside?  For what purpose would John or anyone else want this measurement?  That is the million-dollar question and the reason why this verse is so difficult to understand.  It’s the reason why people have come up with the strangest, most prolonged, and remarkably complicated interpretations you could imagine.  That is not to say there is not more to this than what you will read here, but what you read here should provide you with what you will need to know to understand the verses that follow.  As you know, the Word of God is very deep, and we are mostly researching the prophetical aspect of this verse.

If you asked someone what the Temple of God is, they would probably answer that it is the temple the Jews built on the Temple Mount.  A more astute Christian would say that we are the Temple of God, which is 100% correct, but it is not the one John is concerned with here.  25The Temple of God spoken of here is the tall structure towards the back of the temple compound, which contained the Holy of Holies and the Altar of Incense.  The Greek word used here is naos, which refers to the tall structure located inside the greater structure. Here John was to measure the Temple of God (naos), which was the tall temple inside the main structure called the Temple of God. (hieron)

The Greek word for the main structure or the entire Temple of God is hieron.  Located within the outer walls of the temple (hieron) are all the areas John was to measure.  The illustrations above and on the page that follows should help make this clear to you.

Next, the angel told John to measure the altar.  It does not indicate if it is the Altar of Incense or the Altar of Sacrifice.  Common sense tells us it has to be the Altar of Sacrifice because, as we just said, the Altar of Incense is located within the Temple of God (Naos) and included in the previous measurement.  The measurement that John was going to make here was that of the Priests Court because that is the location of the Altar of Sacrifice.  If you are thinking it still could be referring to the altar of incense, the next measurement should make it clear it isn’t.

Finally, the angel told John to measure them that worship therein.  So why would he measure worshipers?  He wasn’t supposed to!  It makes no sense to take a measuring rod to a group of people.  In measuring the Altar of Sacrifice, John was to measure the Priests Court, which is the location of the altar.  So if John were to measure them that worship therein, he would measure the Court of Israel and the Court of Women, which is where the worshipers worshipped.  These are the next courts out from the Temple of God (naos) and the Court of Priests.

How were we able to determine this?  It’s easy; one only needs to look at the layout of the Jewish Temple below.  You will see that the inner temple consisted of:

  • The Temple of God (naos): Located within the Temple of God (hieron) where God dwelt (Holy of Holies) and where the altar of incense is. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies area, and he only did so once a year during the Feast of Atonement.
  • The Altar: Located in The Priests Court. We know this is the altar measured here because the altar of incense was already taken into consideration when the Temple of God (naos) was measured.
  • Them That Worship Therein is the Court of Israel and the Court of Women, where the Israelites worshiped. That accounts for the final area of the Temple of God John measured.

jewish temple layout

The second Jewish Temple of God was destroyed in 70 A.D., so more than likely the Temple was destroyed already when John received this vision.  Also, consider the fact the measurements of the actual temple itself were previously known and readily available, so any further measuring would probably have more to do with the physical location of these three areas on the temple mount itself and not their dimensions individually.  If one looks at the layout of the temple you see that these three areas account for the entire inner part of the temple.  That would suggest this area is going to be reserved or set aside for some purpose not directly stated here.

So why was John asked to take these measurements and what purpose could they possibly have? Just like what happens time and time again in the Word of God, the next verse provides the answer to the question.

Revelation 11:2 (KJV)
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

It is not the area that was measured that needs attention here; it’s the portion that wasn’t measured that’s is being made to stand out, it’s the unmeasured area outside the temple that is the subject here.  This area is given unto the Gentiles; it will not be under the control of its original owners and builders, the people of Judah.

However, there is more to this than meets the eye.  When you think of this verse in connection with verse 1, there must be more going on here than just the measuring of the inner parts of the temple.  If the Temple Mount, God’s Holy Mountain, is to be in control of the Gentiles, they would not be in control of everything but the areas John was asked to measure; they would control the whole Temple Mount.  For the Gentiles to control everything in Jerusalem but a rectangular area towards the middle of the top of a mountain in the middle of the city is ridiculous: or is it?  The inference here is that the Gentiles are going to place another building on the temple mount, but it will not sit on top of the places that John was to measure.  John only measured the entire inner parts of the temple; he did not measure the space between the outer walls and the inner walls.  This space consisted of many champers that lined the outer wall of the temple.  These chambers were used to store materials needed in the operation of the temple such as wood and oils.  They also were used for meeting rooms.

The insinuation here is that God is going to allow more building on His Holy Mountain in the Court of the Gentiles, but not on the area of land that John measured.  Since John measured only the inner area of the temple, it is quite conceivable that whatever building the Gentiles are going to build here, will be permitted to overlap the area that John was not instructed to measure.  This land is God’s Holy Mountain, and NOBODY else is going to build anything anywhere unless He allows it.

There is another connection here that we should not be miss.  God is connecting what happens on the Temple Mount to the duration of time that the Gentiles will tread Jerusalem underfoot, or in other words, be in control of the Holy City of Jerusalem.  The starting point of this date calculation is going to be when the Gentiles set up a building on God’s Holy Mountain in the Court of the Gentiles.

Since we are studying end times Bible Prophecy and we are without a doubt living in the end times, this must be regarding a building that is sitting there now; so this should confirm the prophecies found in chapters 9 and 12 of Daniel, but to what building would this be inferring?

Daniel 9:27 (KJV)
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

We will skip the first part of this verse which has been extensively misinterpreted and go to the 2nd half of the verse which concerns the topic at hand.  “And for the overspreading of abominations He shall make it desolate.”  If you research the Hebrew word for overspreading, it is the word “kawnawf,” which is used in the Bible 108 times.  When you see how this word was used throughout the Old Testament the meaning of this last half of the verse becomes apparent.  This Abomination of Desolation is going to Strongs Skirt 3671sit on a wing, skirt, border, corner, or end of the temple that John was to measure with the bulk of the building to stand in the Court of the Gentiles.  Because of this, the Temple Mount and the surrounding land area of Israel will be desolate until the consummation when the Groom (Jesus Christ) and His bride (The Church) are together, and all the vials of the wrath of God of Revelation 16 are poured out.  If this interpretation is correct, this verse confirms that another Temple of God will not sit on the Mount of the Congregation before Christ reigns as Lord of lords and King of kings.  Remember, the temple of God is within YOU!  So if you are someone who is looking for a 3rd temple to be built on the temple mount before our Lord returns, sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not going to happen.  So when will this Abomination of Desolation be built?

Daniel 12:11 (KJV)
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

Solomon’s Temple sat on the Temple Mount, and it is where the daily sacrifice took place. This verse is saying there will be another building set up and God calls it the abomination that makes desolate.  It also states that it will be set up 1290 days (years) after the daily sacrifice shall be taken away.

This verse speaks of another temple that gentiles will build on the Temple Mount.  We know it must be the temple of a false god and false religion because God calls it “abominations.”  In the Old Testament God calls the altars that heathens built on hilltops, “abominations.”  Those that visited them gave the love, praise, and glory that rightfully belongs to God, to Baal and other false gods.  This temple called “abominations” is so heinous to God that he curses it and proclaims the area around it will become desolate, thus the Abomination of Desolation.  This structure is so abhorrent to God that He uses it as a focal point in many prophecies given in both the Old and New Testaments.  Christ speaks of it in the books of Mathew, Mark, and Revelation.  He said it would stand in the “Holy Place” and “in the place where it ought not” to be.  Christ stated what would happen when it is set up.

Matthew 24:21 (KJV)
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

It is undoubtedly this very same building He is referring to in these first few verses of Revelation 11.  These descriptio09 Dome of the Rockns can be referring to no other building but the Islamic “Dome of the Rock,” which sits on God’s Holy Mountain, the Temple Mount.

Here is another verse that confirms the location of this Dome of the Rock.  It’s giving the location of both a building as well as the bodily temples that belong to Satan located close to God’s Temple Mount in the sides of the north. The physical building temple of Satan, Dome of the Rock sits on God’s Holy Mountain.   If you take a look at a map of Jerusalem you will see that the spiritual body temples, the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem, is located directly to the north of the Temple Mount.

Isaiah 14:13 (KJV)
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

As we mentioned in the chapter on Isaiah 14, in this verse, God is speaking to Lucifer, antichrist, and King of Babylon.  In this verse are three of the “I wills” that caused his fall.  This Biblical prophecy is telling us there will be other temples built on God’s Holy Mountain.  Notice the “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” The Mount of the Congregation mentioned here is Mount Moriah, God’s Holy Mountain on which two temples were built to God by His chosen people.  Invading armies destroyed Both of these temples.

Lucifer saying, “I will sit also” instead of “I will also sit” is very important.  I will sit also tells us there is or was in the past, another temple sitting on this same mountain.

The last part of Revelation 11:2 states, “and the holy city shall they (Gentiles) tread under foot forty and two months.”  Please note the length of time this verse speaks of has nothing to do with the length of time the Gentiles will be in control of the Temple Mount.  That is not what this verse is saying.  Many preachers and teachers connect this length of time to the length of time Gentiles will control (tread underfoot) the Temple Mount.  If you pay close attention to every word you will see the prophecy is referring to the amount of time the Gentiles will control the Holy City. It is still the Muslims who control the temple mount as we speak, but they do not control Jerusalem, which is what this verse addresses specifically.  The Jews now control Jerusalem, but they have allowed the Muslims to continue using the temple Dome of the Rock. They know it would start World War III if they were to forbid them access to the Temple Mount.

As mentioned previously, the amount of time the Gentiles will rule the Holy City Jerusalem, and the land area given them are connected.  To compute the beginning of the time of the Gentile’s ownership, we must not only know what building this refers to but when it was set up.

The building currently sitting on top of the Mount of the Congregation is the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not.  Mark 13:14 (KJV)

This building is the same Abomination of Desolation that Daniel said would be set up 1290 days (years) after the daily sacrifice is taken away.  It is the Muslim temple, Dome of the Rock, which was set up in 688 A.D.  That is the starting point for our calculation.  However, if we add 42 months (3½ years) to it, we end up somewhere in the year 691 A.D.  If you know your history of the Middle East, you know that Jerusalem was not under Israeli control for much longer than 42 months.  There are only four conclusions we can come to here.

  1. The 42 months refers to some time that is still in the future, future. Remember, this prophecy was made around or before 100 A.D., so there have already been 1900 years of the future.
  2. John messed up and didn’t write what the Holy Spirit told him to write.
  3. God messed up and meant to give a much larger figure here. (Which isn’t possible)
  4. Forty-two months is not 3½ years.

The forty-two months cannot start at some point in the future since the building is already sitting there.  Since God is never wrong and would have made sure what John wrote was correct, it’s quite safe for us to assume that we should look for a different time variable for forty-two months.

As you learned in chapter 3 of this book, in the verses Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, we find two witnesses that reveal the key to understanding almost all lengths of time in Bible prophecy; one day is equal to one year.  As explained earlier, this is the key to solving this and most of the periods of prophetical time given in scripture.  All prophecies of time that are not in a day format; one must convert them                                                                           into days.  That means that hours, weeks, months, and years must be converted into days before one can find the proper length of time.

If one uses 30 days for a month and multiplies it times 42, the answer is 1260 days, which is a prophetical 1260 years.  If you add this to 688 A.D. you come up with the year 1948 which is not the year Israel regained control of Jerusalem, the Holy City.  However, if you take the 42 months and calculate the actual number of days therein, you will find it is not 1260. That’s because there are 1279 days in 42 months.  That is why God used 42 months in this verse and 1260 days in the next verse.  If both lengths of time were the same, God would have used the same measurement; to do anything else would promote confusion, and God is not the author of confusion.27

If we take the 1279 days and make them 1279 years as the Bible shows us, we arrive at the proper solution to the prophecy.

1967 is the exact year Israel regained control of the Holy City, Jerusalem.  The Israelis regained control of Jerusalem after miraculously winning a 6 Day War against the Muslim nations that surround her.  Israel gained this victory against unbelievable odds, and yet the losses sustained by Israel were small when compared to the damages they inflicted upon the countries that attacked her.  The Muslim nations of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan suffered more than 17,000 dead while Israel suffered 983 casualties.  Israel lost 46 of 300 aircraft while the three Arab countries lost 452 of 600 aircraft.

NOTE: As stated explicitly in the Word of God, As of June of 1967, Israel is now in control of the Holy City Jerusalem, but they have allowed the Muslims to tread underfoot the Temple Mount.

Revelation 11:3 (KJV)
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Just as verse two was used to establish the Time of the Gentiles, (which is now over) this verse will establish the Time of His witnesses.  Since we have demonstrated that 1 day = 1 year in Bible prophecy, let’s verify this by using it to solve what the Time of His witnesses is in verse three.  Our Lord states that His two witnesses will prophesy for 1260 days.  Using our key of 1 day = 1 year, it would make the thousand two hundred to be 1200 days and the threescore days to be 60 days.  When added together we have 1260 days which converts to 1260 years in Bible Prophecy.  If we then add this to the year the Dome of the Rock was set up, our solution is:28 and half

You should recognize this as the year that Israel became a nation again, precisely as God informed us in His Word.  We won’t do it here, but all the info one needs to calculate the time Israel went into captivity, and the time it would end (1948) are given to the exact year in the Old Testament by calculating the amount of time He said He would punish them if they rebelled against Him and did not keep His commandments.

Here is a graph that demonstrates on a timeline how these first three verses of Revelation 11 go together with the verses we listed from the book of Daniel.

29

NOTE 1: Most Bible Prophecy students believe the “daily sacrifice” stopped in 583 B.C. when the king of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple, but that is not the date Daniel 12:11 refers to.  The verse specifically says “from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away.”  The meaning of taken away is more like carried away or departed.  King Jehoiakim began his reign over Judah in 609 B.C.  Jeremiah 36:9 says “And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.”  This would have made it almost six years into his reign and very close to 603 B.C.  The reason for this fast is that King Nebuchadnezzar had just defeated Syria and Palestine and Jerusalem was next on his list.  When the King of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, II Chronicles 36:7 tells us “Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the House of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.”  Thus the vessels they used to perform the sacrifice were carried away.

NOTE 2: The computation of 603 B.C. and adding 1290 years will come out to 687 A.D. on a calculator.  However, when going from BC to AD, you must add one year because they did not account for a year zero.  For this reason, one cannot calculate from BC to AD or AD to BC by simple addition or subtraction. Those that adopted the BC-AD designation of years actually believed that zero is nothing; thus, they forgot to include a year zero.  To compute time the way it is now set up you must remember to add a year when going from BC to AD, and you must subtract one year when going from AD to BC.

NOTE 3: All the critics like to say the books of the  Bible were written much later than claimed and that’s why Bible prophecy is so accurate.  They try to tell us the events happened before the prophecies were written.  The King James Bible was translated in 1612, and the manuscripts they translated from were much, much older.  These are only three of the prophecies that were written long before the Dome of the Rock or Islam even existed!  All of the descriptions and even the dates are exactly as stated, and these are just three of the many prophecies in this chapter.  It is IMPOSSIBLE for this to have come from anyone but the God who knows the end from the beginning!!!

Please note how nicely all of these events fit together.  If the interpretation given here is incorrect, these things would not fit together the way they do.  At least the odds against all of this fitting perfectly would be EXTREMLY high!  One could still deny it, but as you have already seen in the chapters preceding this one, everything fits!

The time of the two witnesses ended in 1948, with this prophecy fulfilled and Israel becoming a nation again.  The 1260 year period (the time of the two witnesses) is the length of time Christ is referring to in Matthew 24:14.  Many are still teaching the length of time spoken of in these verses is not over yet because there are still languages the Word of God has yet to be translated into, but verse 14 does not say anything about translating the Word of God.  Christ said;

Matthew 24:14-15 (KJV)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 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:)

What our Lord has revealed in this prophecy is a specific amount of time that does not need to be generalized any longer.  These verses are both about witnessing (preaching) and witnesses.  Our Lord even gave us the precise length of time of their service.

Notice that the abomination of desolation is mentioned immediately after the gospel of the kingdom is preached, but in Revelation 11 it is mentioned before the time of the witnesses.  As you will see in the chapter on Matthew 24; the prophecies that Christ gave to His disciples in Matthew 24 are in chronological order from last to first and not first to last.

1948 ended the time of protection for His witnesses.  The ending of this protection served to increase and accelerate the immigration of the Jews back to Israel because their lives were no longer safe in Arab and Islamic countries after the Arabs humiliating defeat at the hand of the Jewish people and the formation of a Jewish nation.  Many parts of the world were showing signs of antisemitism even though World War II was barely over.

From this point on it is Israel we should look to as God tests and rescues His chosen people in the place where He chose to put His name.  These two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, so we know that they are penitent, humble, and mourning.  Revelation 11:3 says Christ’s witnesses are called, chosen, and faithful; but who exactly are they?  The next verse answers that question.

Revelation 11:4 (KJV)
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

You probably have not heard the interpretation you are about to read as most teach that these two witnesses are two individuals such as Moses and Elijah.  Once again, you must keep in mind that Revelation is signified, meaning it uses LOTS of metaphors, so things are not what they appear to be on the surface.  What you are about to read is entirely Bible-based and the verses are provided for your added convenience.

Jeremiah 11:16-17 (KJV)
16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. 17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

God called Israel (12 tribes) Green Olive Tree, but because of their evilness, He split them into two trees, the House of Israel and the House of Judah.

Ezekiel 37:16 (KJV)
Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

The (tree) was included three times in this verse because the original Hebrew word used for a stick is “ates.”  Strong’s Greek Dictionary says “ates” is not a stick; it’s a tree.  Evidently, the interpreters of the King James Bible probably thought it more reasonable to hold a stick then a tree, but our Lord is more than capable of holding the whole world in his hands so it’s doubtful a tree would be much of a problem.

As was stated previously, God consistently uses trees to represent nations.  The picture of the two olive trees and the candlestick (menorah) is the Old Testament symbol of Israel.  The Olive Tree supplies the oil to the menorah (candle holder) which represents the seven churches that give light to the world.

Romans 11:24 (KJV)
For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?  

As Gentiles, we are grafted into the Olive Tree meaning there is no such thing as a Gentile Church.  Gentiles are the Strangers in the Old and New Testament.  Most (not all) of the Gentiles who so readily accepted Paul’s teaching were mixed descendants of the original ten tribes of Israel that never returned from their Assyrian exile and mixed with the Gentiles. The Jews would not take them back because they had mixed with the Gentiles so the Jews called them Gentiles.

30 Olive Trees - Menora

So then who are the two candlesticks?  Just as the word stick was not the best choice of words for a tree in Ezekiel 37, so the word candlestick was not the best choice of words to be used here.  The word candlestick in the KJV leaves us with the wrong impression of what He is describing here.  The original Greek word used here is lychnia which means lamp-stand.  It would be better translated to menorah as you see in the illustration above.  The menorah, when coupled with the Olive Tree is the symbol of Israel.

Revelation 1:20 (KJV)
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

The candlesticks are seven Churches! (Church means called out or chosen ones) So why are there only two churches spoken of here when there were seven churches listed in Revelation 1:20?

When you read the letters to the seven churches, you will find that there are only two churches that received no condemnation from Christ.  Also, take special notice of what He said to the first church at Ephesus:

Revelation 2:5 (KJV)
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

From this verse, one can deduct that although there were probably people saved from all the churches, it does not appear that Ephesus, along with the other four churches, ever paid attention to our Lord’s correction and repented.  Thus the candlesticks of five churches were removed out of his presence leaving only the two remaining candlesticks.

It is also quite impressive what the two churches that received no condemnation reveal to us when you look into the actual meaning of their names.  The two churches that received no condemnation are the church of Smyrna and the church of Philadelphia.

Smyrna means crushed myrrh, which is the embalming fluid that was used to prepare the corpses in those days. The church at Smyrna loved the Lord with all their hearts and was heavily persecuted for it.  They loved their Lord so much that many of them became martyrs for Christ.

When you go to the original Greek you find Philadelphia means brotherly love.  The people of this church era sent out more missionaries and published the Gospel message throughout the world.  They showed a very deep compassion for the lost.

When you take the dictionary meanings of these two churches and put them together, it brings to mind what Christ said when being questioned by the lawyer in Matthew 22.

Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV)
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Since the word and is used to join together as in “These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.” We need to put it all together to find out who these two witnesses really are.  His two witnesses are all those that are called out or chosen of the House of Judah and the House of Israel (Gentiles grafted in) that love the Lord their God with all their hearts and love their neighbors as themselves.

You may or may not accept this, but the one thing that needs to be stressed is that the two witnesses are not two individual witnesses as you most likely have been taught.  If you make them only two witnesses, none of the prophecies of time will work.  Do you know of any 1260-year-old witnesses still walking around?  Did you not just read straight from God’s Word who these two witnesses are; the two trees and the two candlesticks?  

Revelation 11:5 (KJV)
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Jeremiah 5:14 (KJV)
Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

In verse 3 it said that these two witnesses would prophesy 1260 days. (1260 yrs.)  By “prophesy,” it does not mean to make predictions of the future as some might tend to think, but rather it means to speak the Word of God which includes spreading the Gospel message.  The fire that comes out of their mouth is the Word of God.  If any man will hurt them could mean physical pain, but might even mean emotional suffering.  Because just like their Master, His witnesses feel sorrow and compassion for lost souls, and when they are hurt what comes out of their mouth is not anger, but what the Holy Spirit gives them which is the Word of God.  The must in this manner be killed refers back to the fire mentioned earlier in this verse.  In other words, the souls they witness to have two choices.  Like God’s witnesses, they can let the Word of God burn within, or they will have the fire of hell burn without.  It all depends upon how they respond to the Word of God and the Gospel message.  The next verse tells us what will happen when His witnesses are hurt or obstructed from spreading the Word of God.

Revelation 11:6 (KJV)
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

When one first reads this verse in the literal sense, it does not seem to fit with the things that Christ teaches us.  We could probably write an enormous book filled with all the times that Gods witnesses prayed for rain during a drought and had their prayers answered; but I know of no occasions during the time period we are looking at, where they prayed for no rain or for one of these plagues to be unleashed on anyone for any reason.

Remember when Christ was on His way to Jerusalem, and He sent a few messengers into a village in Samaria to make ready for Him?  The village refused them, and His disciples asked if they should call for fire to come down from heaven and destroy the village.  Christ responded, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”  We are taught to turn the other cheek and not to repay evil with evil.

In Revelation chapter 6 it reads that a certain power was given to each of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; meaning God was allowing them this power and they were the ones that would be performing it.  In this case, it is not worded that way which leads one to believe that the power to shut up heaven that it rain not and to smite the earth with all plagues and to turn waters to blood refers to what God will do if and when His two witnesses get mistreated.  The Bible is full of instances where God punished the people and nations who mistreated His people, and all the maladies listed here very much resemble the maladies He has previously used to punish those that would mistreat His people.

However, the power over waters to turn them to blood: could very well have a symbolic meaning here.  There is a double metaphor here because this is what God’s witnesses are supposed to do.  Since seas, waves, waters, floods, are used to refer to varying multitudes or groups of people, the blood that His witnesses turn waters (people) to would most assuredly be the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

There is another way we can think of the time of God’s witnesses which ended in 1948.  It is the length of time God ensured that His Word would be preached throughout the world.  If the time came they were obstructed from spreading the Word of God He would unleash the plagues listed above.  Please do not take this the wrong way.  God always takes care of those that put their trust in Him, but it is during this length of time that God enabled His servants to spread the Gospel with less persecution than at any other time in history.  Even in Revelation 9:4, a verse speaking to the conquering Muslim armies of Mohamed it says: “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”  That is in sharp contrast to what we see happening after 1948; especially now, when it appears to be almost open season on God’s witnesses.  Now, anything which even hints at having some connection with the Word of God is being mocked, belittled, insulted, persecuted, rejected, and killed; and not necessarily in that order!

Revelation 11:7 (KJV)
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

We already determined who the two witnesses are and when the time of their testimony ended.  They are the chosen or called out of God and the time of their testimony ended in 1948 when Israel became a nation.  In the previous chapters, you learned the identity of the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit.  This beast is the feet and toes of Daniel 2:41.  We know this because the Ottoman Empire lost power at the end of World War One when it suffered the wound to the head.  This verse refers to the beast that ascendeth of the bottomless pit of Isaiah 14:19 and the beast coming up out of the earth of Revelation 13:11.  He’s the little horn of Daniel 7:8 and the beast that was and is not of Revelation 17:11.  He is the “King of Babylon” returned from the grave.

When you see all the places in the Word of God that mentions this beast, it should be evident to all that our gracious Lord has given us no shortage of information regarding this terrible beast that many call antichrist.  Still, there are very few Christians today that recognize the identity of this beast even though our Lord revealed so much to us.  He told us what to watch for, He told us when to watch, and He commanded us to watch!  What is even more disheartening is the fact that if you want to determine the identity of this beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit one only had to open their eyes and read the news of the day.  The last part of the verse states; shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.  It is so obvious; even a hardcore atheist could probably figure out the identity of this beast.  (Maybe not, as they would probably never do anything that could lead to their having to concede that God really does exist!)

He’s the King of Babylon and the abominable branch that belongs to the same group of people that placed the Dome of the Rock (Abomination of Desolation) on top of the Mount of the Congregation.  The very building which is the subject of the first two verses of this chapter.

The only group that fits all these chapters and verses is ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, with its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the duly appointed Khalifa of Islam.  He is the Man of Sin, Lawless One, Son of Perdition, the Assyrian, and the King of Babylon of whom our Lord warned us.  In fact, of the multitude of descriptions the Lord gave us of this man and his followers, there aren’t any that do not fit perfectly.  Believe it or not, He provides us with the ultimate evidence in the verses that follow.

Revelation 11:8 (KJV)
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

This verse is not long, but the significance of this verse cannot be overstated.  This verse has many things to tell us that are extremely important to understand, especially at this late date in God’s plan.  The underlined words in this verse should be read together independently in order to discover critical prophetic information that we will discuss shortly.

The great city is mentioned ten times in Revelation.  The tenth time it is used to describe the New Jerusalem, but the previous nine times it is used to reference Babylon.  The first usage is right here in Revelation 11:8.  Even though Revelation is full of metaphors, the usage of great city” here can be shown to be Babylon and the description of it to be quite literal.   The key to understanding this verse is found in two words; spiritually and also.  To find out where the dead bodies of his witnesses are left to lie, we need to look at both Sodom and Egypt spiritually.

Going back to Genesis 19 in the Old Testament, we find that Sodom was both morally and spiritually bankrupt; no good in it.  God could not find ten righteous men in the whole city, and in fact, there might not have been one righteous man in the city as the Bible states Lot got saved because God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.  

That tells us the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were spiritually and morally dead.  These people were sodomites and adulterers.  They were so morally and spiritually depraved they would have molested God’s angels if they could have.  They thought only of the pleasure of the moment and the pleasing of their carnal desires.  They gave God no recognition or consideration in anything they did.  The laws of God meant nothing; to them, it was as though God did not exist.  (Remind you of anyone else?)  The Bible says they were exceedingly wicked and their sins very heinous.

Egypt is where God sent both Abraham and Israel for testing and training purposes.  In both cases, they entered Egypt because there was a famine in the land of Canaan.  Instead of asking God for rain, or asking Him to provide their necessities, both of them looked to Egypt for their sustenance.  Abraham was given much from the pharaoh because of Sarah’s great beauty, and Jacob’s family (Israel) was given much because of Joseph.  Neither Abraham nor Israel left Egypt of their own accord.  They were quite content to stay while Egypt was content with them, and Egypt was providing for them.   In both cases, it was plagues God sent on Pharaoh and Egypt that caused them to leave.  In the case of Abraham God sent plagues on Pharaoh and in Israel’s case, God sent nine plagues on all of Egypt and then sent judgment when He killed all the firstborn of Egypt.  Even though both Pharaohs knew that the plagues were from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, both Pharaohs were content for Abraham and Israel to leave and content to keep worshiping their false gods, rather than humble themselves before the true God of creation.

In the case of Israel, Egypt made slaves out of them.  They were uncivilized to God’s people, making them bear a heavy burden.  Even a slave can be treated kindly and fairly, but the Egyptians were nothing short of cruel to God’s people; even to the point of killing their male children.  Moses did not kill the Egyptian because he was verbally humiliating a fellow Hebrew by hurling politically incorrect insults at him!

From the experience of Abraham and Israel with Egypt, it is easy to see that Egypt represents the world in this verse.  It’s the place from which God’s people are supposed to separate themselves.  It has many enticements and temptations which will eventually make a slave of you and lead to your ruin if you stay.  It is only through the power and grace of our Lord that we can withstand its temptations and separate from it.

We now have spiritual descriptions of Sodom and Egypt, but there are two more important practices mentioned in this verse that we must also consider, which will further help in our understanding of this verse.  In fact, it is these two practices that seal the deal on the spiritual city of Sodom.

The first important practice is the practice of leaving dead bodies to lie in the streets.  This is the practice of one and only one false religion, the religion of Islam.  There are a current-day people and current-day location where this is a practice.  It is the practice of any areas where Islamic terrorists are beginning to control areas of land. It was until recently especially true of the territory controlled by ISIS, (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) which was situated in the very same location of the old Babylonian Empire.  Islam is also morally and spiritually bankrupt.  It does not honor any of the ten commandments taught in the Word of God.  Murder, theft, lying, adultery, pedophilia, deceit, and blasphemy against God can all be committed in the name of religion.  Muslims are taught to hate God’s people and His witnesses.  Both modern-day Muslims and their forefathers have harassed, oppressed, and made slaves out of God’s people from the time they left Egypt.  Muslims do not bury the dead of the enemy.  Instead, they defile it in any number of horrible ways and then leave the corpse to lie in the street or where ever.  It is their way of showing their utter contempt and hatred of the enemy.

It is also worth noting here that Islam is the only religion that practices the second behavior listed in this verse; the practice of death by crucifixion.  This inhumane method of torture and murder is a practice used by the Man of Sin Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the head of ISIS and the formerly appointed Khalifa of Islam.

Just as God refers to Babylon as the great city in the book of Revelation, so it is Babylon in this verse also.  It is the place where the dead, crucified bodies of God’s witnesses were left to lie in the streets, and the whole world saw it but did nothing about it.

But there is still more to be seen here.  Remember, we need to try to look at this through God’s eyes as He portrays it in His Word.  When you look at our descriptions of Sodom and Egypt, you must realize that Babylon is not confined to the area of the Babylonian Kingdom anymore, and we are not talking about the fact that Islam has spread throughout the entire world.  We are saying that for all the evil that Islam is, the practice of adultery, theft, murder, covetousness, lying, deceiving, pride, and the worship of a false god is prevalent throughout the whole world.  Almost all the evil things you see in Sodom and Egypt are practiced and acceptable worldwide.  Just like Egypt, all our governments are in rejection of God, his people, and the commandments He gave us, by which we are to live.  Our Lord was not only crucified in Sodom or Egypt; he is once again being crucified in a world that has turned a blind eye to Him and rejected Him.  In other words, the Great City is not only Babylon and its antichrist teachings and devil worship; it is speaking to the condition of the entire world.  Please take note: God views this world we live in right now to be no different than Sodom and Gomorrah. The history of Sodom and Gomorrah SHOULD teach us that when adultery and homosexuality become rampant, it will not be long before God executes judgment, just as He exercised it on Sodom and Gomorrah.

There are just a few more things to say to clear up any confusion you may still have about this verse.  It should be clear that Egypt stands for the World, and that Sodom represents Islam, which is the reincarnation of ancient Babylon.  However, there is more proof of the great city that we can name here.  That is the ummah of Islam.  Muslims consider themselves to be part of the ummah, which is the whole community of Muslims bound together by Islam.  In other words, a one-world church. The word ummah means community.  What is a city?  It’s a community.  This community is tied together by one real city, the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.  So, of the nine times Revelation mentions the great city it is speaking about Islam (Babylon) as well as the rest of the unsaved world.  Nine is the number of judgment in the Bible, and God is going to judge this great city that has crucified His witnesses very soon.

Matthew 25:40 (KJV)
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25:40 is solid proof our Lord Jesus Christ indeed was crucified in Sodom and Egypt. When you crucify one of His servants, it is just as though you crucified Him.  Our Heavenly Father is very protective of His children, even though it may not seem to be that way to the unsaved.  However, the day is coming that they will understand, but it will be too late.

God has numbered the days of this Babylon using the crucifixion of His servants.  We know this because this verse is not only speaking about our Lord’s crucifixion; this verse is referring to the crucifixion of God’s witnesses.  That word also does not need to be there.  It is there to tell us that these dead bodies left in the streets of the Great City were also crucified.  It is saying that not only was our Lord crucified there, but the dead bodies of His witnesses were also.

The methods of execution practiced by Islam are beheading and crucifixion.  Mohamed also used crucifixion, but its use over time phased out, and beheading became Islam’s preferred method of execution. It became the form of capital punishment for which Islam is known.

But that changed with the arrival of the beast cast out of the bottomless pit, (Isaiah 14:19) that rose up out of the earth, (Revelation 13:8) and made its home in Syria and Iraq. (Babylon–ISIS) This beast made an image to the first beast, which means they were doing everything exactly as Mohamed did.  That is why we saw a large wave of Islamic terrorism, and why we saw the practice of crucifixion restored.  It is also their way of mocking and blaspheming God.  They believe that because God does not strike them dead where they stand, He must not exist.  It is safe to assume they do not know or understand the 11th chapter of Revelation.  Neither are they aware of the fact that the Son of God they say does not exist, is using them to fulfill the prophecy He has laid out for us in His Word.  This prophecy will allow us to know how close we are to His return.  It contains the information we need to compute the 3½ days mentioned in this next verse.

Revelation 11:9 (KJV)
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

“And they of the people and kindred’s and tongues and nations” is saying the whole world will witness this. The entire world saw it and did not do much of anything to stop it.  The entire world saw it but did not make the connection between the events and the prophecy located in the Word of God.  Here again, we see their bodies were left in the streets and treated with contempt by the Man of Sin and the rest of the Muslim world.

Since a day is equal to a year in Bible Prophecy, this verse is saying these bodies will lie in the streets for 3½ years.  No; it does not mean they will leave each individual body lie in the street for 3½ years.  It means that when the beast rises up out of the bottomless pit (Babylon) begins to crucify these witnesses; it will be 3½ years before this King of Babylon will cease with the crucifixions.  One can find the second witness to this in Daniel: 

Daniel 7:25 (KJV)
And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Instead of using days to indicate years, this verse uses “a time and times and the dividing of time.”  Here as well as in Revelation chapter 12, times are just another way of saying years.  One time is one year, times being two years and the dividing of time is half a year.   The dividing of time is the same as one-half year because the word used for dividing is the Chaldee word meaning “half.”

Since we can know when the first crucifixion took place and we know that 42 months is 3½ years or 1279 days, we can compute precisely when this first 3½ days will end.  It began on March 22nd, 2014, and ended on September 21st, 2017, which is the first day of the Feast of Trumpets in 2017.  This will be further detailed in chapter 14 of this book.

This passage gives us even more information which further incriminates Islam.  The “he” in this verse is the Man of Sin; the former Khalifa of Islam. As we mentioned earlier, the great words he shall speak against the Most High is “Allahu Akbar” which states that Allah (Satan) is greater than God.

What you are probably not aware of yet is that Islam has times and laws.  Like our Lord, who gave His chosen people “times and laws;” Islam has theirs, which are different than the ones provided by God.  That is why it says he shall think to change times and laws.  If God appointed them, nobody, and we do mean nobody, can change them except God.  God gave the Ten Commandments; Islam goes by Sharia Law.  God gave Israel His Appointed Times which are the Feasts of the Lord; Islam has it’s appointed times or feast days of Allah.  Once again, we see everything fits Islam and not the European Union or the Catholic Church.

Revelation 11:10 (KJV)
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Whenever you read in the Bible, “And they that dwell upon the earth;” it is not speaking to those that have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  To “dwell upon the earth” is to make it your place of residence.  Every born again Christian knows his home is in heaven.  It is also worth noting that the word dwell means to remain.

This verse does not necessarily speak explicitly to Islam in all cases, but here again, we see another practice, which is a serious indictment of Islam.   When Muslims kill an enemy, Muslims celebrate.  On November 19th, 2014, Muslim Jihadists went into a Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem and murdered three Rabbis.  A video was shown of Palestinians celebrating.  They were dancing in the streets; there were men with large trays of cupcakes and candy going from car to car and business to business, passing them out to celebrate the deaths of 3 innocent men.  When almost 3000 people lost their lives on 9/11, the streets in many Muslim cities around the world were filled with Muslims celebrating their deaths.

These two witnesses tormented them because men want to continue in their evil ways.  Men love darkness rather than light.  The carnal man thinks he’s his own judge and can do what he wants to do when he wants to do it.  He hates anything that reminds him there is a God in heaven that will be his judge.  So anything that reminds him of this as in the case of God’s two witnesses, has got to go, even if it means murder.

Revelation 11:11-12 (KJV)
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (The voice saying “Come up hither” is the Rapture of the Saints.)

“And after three days and a half:” First, it is essential to point out verse 9 states that the crucifixions will go on for 3½ days (years) and then they will stop.  Verse 11 is stating after as in sometime after the 3½ days (years) of crucifixions the Spirit of life from God entered into them, It is not giving us a starting point for another new 3½ day (year) period. In other words, one cannot add the 3½ day (year) period of Revelation 11:9 to the “And after three days and a half” of verse 11 and come up with a 7-year period of tribulation or anything else. However, if the period of the crucifixions began on March 22nd, 2014 and ended 3½ days (years) later on September 21st, 2017, the Feast of Trumpets, that would make the Feast of Trumpets 2017 the first possible day John could have seen “under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.” That would make September 21st, 2017 the first possible date of the opening of the 5th seal. Also, if our interpretation of the 1335 day prophecy of Daniel 12 is correct, that would make the last period before our Lord returns for His saints a period of exactly 5 years on the Hebrew calendar. That would make the last 5 years before our Lord returns a period of Grace.

This sounds ridiculous, but when you consider how wicked and evil this would has become in just the last few years, His great Grace is the only thing that could possibly be holding Him back from destroying this world a few years ago!

Revelation 6:9 (KJV)
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

It would also make September 21st, 2017 the date of the opening of the fifth seal as well the starting date of the “little season” those that were slain for the word of God would have to wait before His return for them.

“The Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet” The beast that rose up out of the bottomless pit spends 3½ years crucifying God’s witnesses.  Then there will be another 5 years to follow after which God’s witnesses are suddenly going to come back to life again.  It is the beginning of the Rapture when the dead in Christ shall rise first.  Remember, we are not speaking of only two witnesses here; this involves all those that have been God’s witnesses.  Can you imagine the fear this would cause in people that did not know what was happening?  An event like this is enough to instill fear in the people that know what’s happening,  imagine the effect it will have on the people that thought they had killed them.  The terrorizers will become the terrorized.  However, at this late point in time, it will probably not do them any good to have the Devil scared out of them!

“And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither” We are talking about all God’s witnesses, not just the ones that were killed by the beast.  The Rapture is a worldwide event, not just the area where Babylon (ISIS aka Islamic State) is now.  Remember, their Khalifa, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has killed Jews and Christians all over the world.  And don’t forget the genocide that is being committed by the other Islamic jihadists that are either under ISIS Sunni control or Shiite (Iranian) control.  The crucifixions of God’s witnesses will go on for 3½ years, but the killing of non-Muslims by Muslims will go on until our Lord puts an end to it.  This even though the Man of Sin is gone and Babylon (ISIS) has gone into perdition just as was stated in Revelation 11:9 as well as Daniel 7:25,26 and Revelation 17:11.  Perdition means destruction, but not total destruction.  Abu Bakr is now dead, but members of ISIS are still killing and planning the killing of innocent people.  Everything has happened just as the Word of God said it would.

Revelation 11:13 (KJV)
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

“The same hour there was a great earthquake” This could be literal or symbolic just as the number of men that died in it could be.  However, because there was an earthquake at the first resurrection when Jesus died, this earthquake should probably be taken literally.  The same hour should be taken literally for the same reason.  It does not make sense that the same hour would mean at a different time of the same feast season using the prophetical time value.  The reason for this is that in Bible Prophecy, an hour is equal to fifteen days.  Fifteen days is the amount of time from Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets to Tishri 15 the Feast of Tabernacles.  More than once in the New Testament, our Lord refers to this hour, as in “But of that day and hour knoweth no man.”

In this case, the remnant is the 144,000 we were made aware of in Revelation 7:4.  Even though they are scared, we know they know exactly what is happening because they give glory to God.  Even though the 144,000 are aware of everything that is happening, it is understandable that a great earthquake would scare anyone, even those that experience earthquakes often.

As for the tenth part of the city fell and the 7000 men that were slain, it should probably not be interpreted literally.  Remember the Great City is most likely speaking of the whole world and for only 7 thousand men to die in a great earthquake is really not that many.  However, if you take into consideration the Biblical meanings of the number 7 and 1000, you do not get a pretty picture. Seven is the number of completeness, both physical and spiritual.  1000 is the number of many and countless.  The interpretation of this we will leave to you.

Revelation 11:14 (KJV)
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

It is interesting to note that according to Webster’s Dictionary, woe is grief, sorrow, misery, heavy calamity, a curse, or malediction.  Again, this is a good description of what Islam brought into this world.  However, this woe has little to do with Islam.  This woe has to do with the wrath of God which makes it something you do not want to experience!  God always warns before He chastises, but this will not be like the previous trumpets that were drawn out over hundreds of years and many warnings.  This third woe will only be a 24-hour warning.

Revelation 11:15 (KJV)
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The last of the seven trumpets sounds and Jesus Christ, the Lord of lord’s, and King of kings is taking His rightful place as ruler of this world.  The Day of the Lord has arrived.  Notice that it begins immediately after the rapture.  As you will learn shortly, the Rapture will take exactly 24 hours as revealed in Matthew 24.  This is precisely as it is laid out in the Fall Feasts of the Lord.

The seventh trumpet sounding also serves as a warning that the third woe will be coming soon.   The third woe will consist of our Lord harvesting the Earth with a sickle and angel’s harvesting the vine of the earth and casting them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.  The first two woes were regarding the plague of Islam upon the world, but the third woe will be God pouring out His wrath on the wicked with the vials of Revelation 16.  These will be followed by our Lord pouring out His wrath on the Muslim population with the pouring out of the cups.  Muslims will be receiving a double dose by receiving His anger in the pouring out of the vials and cups.  The third woe is coming, and it’s going to make the first two woes of the Islamic plagues seem like an enjoyable walk in the park.

Revelation 11:16-19 (KJV)
16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Since the number 12 usually speaks to God’s authority, perfection, completeness, and divine government, these 24 elders could be the heads of the Old Testament 12 tribes of Israel and the New Testament 12 disciples, or 2 elders for each tribe.  These 24 elders are on their faces worshiping and thanking God as well they should.  Now, Jesus Christ will take his rightful place as ruler of this world.  The things that were intended will soon be.  There will be peace, there will be justice, and all evil that was such a cancer on the face of the earth will be gone.  Isn’t it ironic how the people that were telling us that the weather was going to destroy the earth were the very ones that were destroying the planet?  They were more worried about the flatulence of a cow than the commandments of God.  They were more concerned about the population of trees than the ordinances of God, and they cared more about endangered species than their fellow man and the God that created them.  They should have concentrated more on God’s will and less on acquiring money, power, and fame by forcing their will on everyone else.  However, they will be able to take pride in the fact they were right about one thing, the earth is going to experience severe global warming.  Unfortunately, it is not going to be caused by the emissions coming from man-made factories and tailpipes or flatulence of cows, its cause will be all the people who became gods unto themselves.  The people who thought themselves wiser than God, but did not realize they had been educated beyond their capacity. Those who with all their accumulated knowledge, could not understand that all the wonderful things in this universe didn’t just happen.  The people who couldn’t figure out that abortion isn’t a choice, it’s the taking of human life.  They thought they were so smart they could get rid of God by banning the Bible and destroying anything connected with God.  When all is said and done the REAL destroyers of this world will be the Beasts of the Earth.  Even though they may be of all races and regions of the Earth and different social classes, they all have a few things in common.

  1. They are Godless –  They either don’t believe in God or they worship a false god
  2. They are gods – Instead of relying on and placing your faith in God, they want you to rely on government. They are all you need to put your trust in.
  3. They don’t follow God’s laws, they go by what they believe is right or wrong.
  4. They have no mercy or consideration for those who do not believe or do as they do. You must conform to their beliefs.
  5. Because of these characteristics, they are destroyers; laying waste to everything they touch.  The proof of this can be seen almost everywhere one looks, but those who do the destruction are completely blind to it.

Notice how the nations are angry, as though they are the victims here, and not God’s witnesses that they would not listen to.  Judgment day is here and God’s wrath is about to be poured out.

         The Sign of the Son of Man &

The Appointed Time of Christ’s Return

                    CONTENTS

Book Introduction (Read for more info contained in the book)

  1. The REAL 4th Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream  (Daniel 2)
  2. The REAL King of Babylon  (Isaiah 14)
  3. The REAL Key to Deciphering Time Prophecy
  4. The REAL Secret Prophecy of Daniel 4
  5. The REAL Beast of Revelation 13
  6. The REAL 8th Beast of Revelation 17
  7. The REAL 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse  (Revelation 6)
  8. The REAL First 4 Trumpets of Revelation 8
  9. The REAL 4 Angels of Revelation 9 And the Plague of Islam
  10. The REAL Woman, Dragon and Flood of Revelation 12
  11. The REAL 2 Witnesses of Revelation 11
  12. The REAL 70 Weeks of Daniel 9
  13. The FEASTS OF THE LORD; The Appointed Time of Christ’s Return
  14. The REAL Appointed Year of Our Lords Return as Revealed in Daniel 12
  15. The REAL Sign of the Son of Man; and Signs of the End (Matthew 24)
  16. The REAL Parable of the 10 Virgins (Matthew 25)
  17. The Fall Feast Days as Revealed in the Book of Revelation  (Revelation 6,7,8,11)
  18. The REAL Warning to the Church of Laodicea; the Church of Today  (Revelation 3)
  19. Closing Thoughts & the REAL Day of the Resurrection of Our Lord
  20. Ready You Ain’t, Even if You’re a Saint  Not Part of Book 
  21. Main Page: The Appointed Time of Christ Return