My
Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 17:16
Before
Jesus was crucified He told the disciples to watch and pray,
something so simple, but they let their physical bodies take over and
they fell back asleep. In these last hours of time you need to hear
His voice. When He tells you something, it is very important, but
most ignore my voice or just discuss it and go on with what they were
doing. You will see many things start to happen shortly and if you do
not hear and obey His voice,... it will mean death for some of
you....Jesus has only your best interest in mind. Christ knows you
heart, and if you are truly His you will hear His voice. He awakes
many of you at 3am on the dot, but most will roll over and go back to
sleep. There are a few who will get up and pray. Your day is filled
with so many things and Jesus is the last thing many of you give your
time to. But Christ needs to talk to you,... to fellowship with you
and only when you are still and quite (3am) can you hear Him,... the
rest of your day is so busy you do not have time for Him,... but you
need to make time, for time is short and the Lord has instructions
for you.
Revelation
17
And
the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the
whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her
flesh, and burn her with fire. Rev 17:16
ten
horns which...
Here we have the destruction of the great whore, the apostate
religious system which dominates the 10 kingdoms while Antichrist is
coming to power over them (Rev. 17:16-17). This happens in the middle
of Daniel’s 70th week, for this is when the 10 kings give their
power to Antichrist (Rev. 17:17; 13:5).
these
shall hate... After using the false religious system to unify the
world kingdoms and gain control of all, the Antichrist, with the help
of his 10 sub-rulers, will turn against the system, plunder and
destroy it, and seize all power and worship for himself. They will be
carrying out God’s will (verse 17; compare Gen. 50:20).
The
Antichrist will permit the one world apostate church to govern his
actions during the first three and one half years of the Tribulation.
While he is gathering more and more power, but in the middle of the
Tribulation when he feels he can become an autocratic ruler, he and
the ten kings will throw off the prostitute because, in reality,
while being dominated by her, they "hate the prostitute".
shall
make her... None of the world's political leaders have enjoyed
subjugation to religious leaders, but have continued in a servile
role only for expediency. When it is no longer necessary, the ten
kings will "bring her to ruin and leave her naked", meaning
they will confiscate her temples, her gold, and her costly apparel.
In so doing, they will unwittingly be the instruments of God in
destroying this awful Babylonian system once and for all: "For
God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose."
Here,
we see these evil ten nations turning against the world and the
apostate church. This power, these evil nations have been, and are
being used to rule the little people. and burn her... This fire
speaks of war. These ten nations will do away with this church, even
though it is the apostate church.
When
Will the Prostitute Religion Be Destroyed? The religious Babylon (of
Rev. 17), which is destroyed, comes in two parts. One occurs during
the first part of the Tribulation when the governmental system of
Babylon (pictured as this ugly "beast"), is gaining world
control but has to permit the "prostitute" to sit on and
ride the beast. We see this as meaning she exercises a degree of
control over the Babylonian system by bringing the nations of the
world under her idolatrous religious power.
During
the first half of the Tribulation she incurs the wrath of the ten
kings who see her use the authority of the Antichrist to advance her
religious causes. So they plot to kill her. The reason we know this
killing of the prostitute of "mystery Babylon" is done in
the middle of the Tribulation is twofold:
(1)
The Antichrist is indwelled by Satan himself, simulating Christ, in
the middle of the Tribulation.
(2)
From then on the world does not worship mystery Babylon but the image
of the beast. The False Prophet will do away with all religion except
the worship of Antichrist Satan, which he will enforce. That begins
at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, that's described (in Rev.
chapter 13). This is the time when people will have to take the mark
of the beast and swear their loyalty to the beast or face death. No
middle ground, either accept Jesus or accept the beast.
Since
the woman who rides the beast gets her authority from the beast, the
Holy Spirit uses this description to show how religious Babylon and
governmental Babylon are so intertwined they are presented together.
However, they are destroyed at different times. The prostitute
(religious Babylon), is destroyed by "beast and the kings of the
earth," who "hate the prostitute" and kill her.
This
clears the way for Antichrist to fulfill the lifetime dream of Satan
to get people to worship him. She is destroyed in the middle of the
Tribulation. Then Babylon the governmental system will be destroyed
at the end of the Great Tribulation, when commercial Babylon is
destroyed (Rev. 18).
With
"Mystery Babylon the Mother of Prostitutes" out of the way,
"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
that was slain from the creation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).
Religious
Babylon Destroyed. Archaeologists tell us that Babylon is the cradle
of civilization. Located on the shores of the Euphrates River, the
ruins of this city have revealed some of the most ancient documents
of past generations. This city begun by Nimrod, who was a rebel
before the Lord, authored some of the greatest evils ever to fall on
humankind. Two of these evils will be destroyed during the
Tribulation period, according to (Rev. chapters 17 and 18).
In
ancient days Satan seemed to make Babylon the capital of this evil
operation. From this headquarters was started false religion,
humanity's attempt for self-government in defiance of God's will and
city dwellings for commercial and social purposes contrary to God's
command to "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the
earth." (Gen. 1:28). These great evils, which have damned the
souls of millions by substituting counterfeit solutions to natural
human problems that would ordinarily lead a person to God, will all
be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation period.
The
chapter closes with the dramatic destruction of the woman. The beast
(the world ruler, the Antichrist) and the 10 horns (10 kings) will
hate the prostitute and will bring her to ruin. While the exact time
of this event is not given in this passage, it would seem to occur at
the midpoint of the seven years when the beast will assume the role
of world dictator by proclamation (Dan. 9:27; Mat. 24:15).
When
the ruler in the Middle East takes on worldwide political power, he
will also assume the place of God and demand that everyone worship
him or else be killed (cf. Dan. 11:36-38; 2Th. 2:4; Rev. 13:8,
13:15). The world church movement, which characterizes the first half
of the seven years leading up to the Second Coming, is thus brought
to an abrupt end. It will be replaced by the final form of world
religion which will be the worship of the world ruler, Satan’s
substitute for Christ.
