Revelation Prophecy -Who Cares? Making Revelation irrelevant was the quest of a 16th Century theologian. Protestant Reformation leaders were convinced that the Roman Catholic Church was the Antichrist of Revelation. (see Protestant End Times Doctrines) To avoid this accusation Francisco Ribera invented Futurism; sealing up the last 19 chapters of Revelation until a mysterious time at the end of the age. But Futurism had a major shortcoming - it placed Christ's return beyond the earthly lifetime of Christians.
In 1827John Nelson Darby solved this problem by suggesting a 'semi-second-return' which would occur just before Ribera's mystery period; restoring the anticipation of Christ's appearing. -- It's all good; right? Sealing upthe prophetic chapters of Revelation wasforbidden by God - "Do not seal the words of the prophecies of this book" (Rev 22:10).
One of these views is not like the others: Of the four views of interpreting Revelation:Historical, Preterist, Futurist, and Idealist; only the Futurist view directly violates scripture in its approach. The three legitimate views allow for the immediate fulfillment of Revelation's prophecies while the ink was still drying on John's scroll. Only Futurism seals Revelation contrary to God's intent.
The Stage is Set Now that Futurism (the Left Behind scenario) has been generally accepted, if John Nelson Darby's Pre-trib rapture fails to occur, Christians are practically guaranteed to be deceived by the Antichrist; just as the Jews were unable to identify Christ - even though Jesus was fulfilling prophecies right before their eyes.
*The author does not fully endorse any of these sites - Please do your own research - it's easy with internet.
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Join the Great Awakening in End Times prophecy. Purchase "Come out of her, My people" - Fourth Edition
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"Come out of her, My people" is the only major book of this title which preserves its biblical context. ("Come out of her, My people" (Rev 18:4) is a command to leave a physical location - not merely a separation from world systems.)
The unsealed rendering of Revelation fueled the Reformation and saved countless souls from martyrdom. What might the power of unsealed prophecy do to revive America?
Excerpts from Introduction "So what sort of signs of the times should those who "walk in the day" be able to see; as the Day approaches?Some highly visible characters are identified in John’s prophecies.
One of these characters is a nation that rules over all the other nations, and is such a mighty world power that the other nations proclaim, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Rev 13:4)
√Trading capital of the world √ Chief military power √ Unknown at writing of Revelation √Unfaithful to God √ Citizens live in luxury √ Given to sinfulness
(see Table of Contents Below)
"Another, and perhaps the most significant, similarity between the Great Harlot and the US is how perfectly She exemplifies “the Mother of all Harlots”.What is the source of legalized fetal abortion?Where have premarital sex and the homosexual lifestyle been legitimized and promoted?What is the world’s source of pornographic images?Not to mention the biblical definition of spiritual adultery; turning away from the Holy One of Israel. “The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornications”(Rev. 17:2b). Has any nation ever been so successful at spreading her filth throughout the earth?Could a future nation possibly match the breadth and depth of moral depravity that this great country has poured out upon the globe?Hard act to follow!Dare I suggest; impossible.What more could be indulged in?How could a nation be more influential?"
COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE Table of Contents
Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Two Millennia of Interpretations Chapter 2: Babylon the Great Chapter 3: The Outline of the Age (Rev. Six) Chapter 4: The Heavenly Kingdom Completed Chapter 5: The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets Chapter 6: The Secrets of the Separate Scroll Chapter 7: The Beasts of Power and Deception Chapter 8: Approaching the Time of God's Wrath Chapter 9: The Wrath of God Chapter 10: Mystery Babylon Appendix: The Book of Revelation 1 - 5; 9 - 21
Come Out of Her, My People book review Kirkus Discoveries Review****** Interpretation of the Book of Revelation, with special emphasis on the identity of Babylon. Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, Steinle decided to conduct an in-depth study of the New Testament Book of Revelation. He of course treads well-covered ground, and his conclusion will come as little surprise—the fall of the World Trade Center, he intones, may be the beginning sign of the fall of the Great City of Babylon as described in Revelation.
Steinle’s opening chapters describe in detail the various prophesies revealed to John at Patmos, drawing in other biblical literature as well, such as from the Book of Daniel and the apocalyptic sayings of Jesus in the Gospels. The author brings up the intriguing possibility that the city of Babylon does not represent a single nation but perhaps a world government or federation, but he still believes that the United States, as a single world superpower, may be the center or beginning of such a dominating global force. He points out that two major prophecies have yet to come to fruition: global persecution of Christians and the marking of citizens in order to be able to conduct commerce. Both prophecies, he believes, are possibilities within the foreseeable future.
Steinle’s approach differs from those of many other writers on this topic in a major way: He is careful not to make absolute statements or to definitively interpret this very difficult scripture. By presenting his ideas as possible interpretations only, he succeeds in maintaining credibility even with the skeptical reader. His conclusion—that Christians may want to flee the U.S. if it truly is the biblical Babylon—is intimated rather than bluntly stated. Steinle’s reading of scripture is certainly fundamental in approach, but modest enough to be a welcome read to a wide audience. Modest, yet traditionalist, reading of Revelation.
Kirkus Discoveries, Nielsen Business Media 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 646-654-7277 fax 646-654-4706 discoveries@kirkusreviews.com
Kirkus Discoveries Review
Decide for yourselves whether it is better to obey God rather than men. Please read the Revelation of Jesus Christ - click here to read online from CW's ministry site
Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church When Jesus asked the disciples who He was Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". Jesus went on to say, "Upon this rock I will build my church". Did Jesus mean to indicate that His church would be built upon Peter and affiliation to Peter - through apostolic succession. Or, did Jesus mean to indicate that His church would be built on the foundational truth that Jesus is the Christ - the Son of the living God?
The difference between these two rocks is stark. The correct answer could make the difference between salvation or damnation. What is more - from the second century forward there began to be a difference between what the Bible teaches and what was being taught by the mega church leaders (the bishops).
The Old and New Testaments confirm that salvation comes by believing in, and calling on, the name of the Lord. Nowhere in the Bible are we told that salvation comes by affiliation to Peter. In fact, both Jesus and Paul point out that salvation is not merely by affiliation. Jesus said that God could raise up stones to be proper worshipers; and Paul said, not all that are called Israel are actually children of Israel.
The Stone that the Builders Rejected
But history does repeat itself. During the second and third centuries powerful church leaders began to assert that no one could be saved apart from "the church". This is true - but in an indirect manner. The real church is made up by those who have been saved by faith; so that, the church consists of those who are saved - those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. But this is not to say that a person cannot place saving faith in Jesus without first establishing an affiliation with Peter through his appointees.
But once the church was united with the state during the reign of Constantine, church membership (and salvation) began to be equated with citizenship. Once the importance of personal faith was diminished, the control of the church went to the city that claimed the name of Peter. Rome ruled by fear of damnation from the sixth century until the Reformation.
Thanks to the printing press, the common people began to read the Bible and soon discovered that salvation comes by faith in the Son of God - not from their connection to one of His disciples. But the Bible itself warned that a false type of Christ would come - an Antichrist - acting in the place of Christ.
The Protestant Reformers saw that the Antichrist was the false Rock - the one that had become synonymous with Roman Catholicism. When the Protestants brought this charge against Rome - the Catholics struck back by killing the Reformers as heretics. The more Rome shed the blood of the saints, the more she resembled the Antichrist. The pope actually called himself the Vicar of the Son of God - meaning Christ Himself on the earth vicariously!
That's when, in 1589, Francisco de Ribera came up with a scheme to repel the Protestants' accusations. He claimed that Revelation should be interpreted as sealed prophecy - only to become applicable at some distance future time. His theory of Futurism held that their current day pope could not be the Antichrist because the time of the end hadn't started yet. -- IT WORKED. Four hundred years later the Protestants even teach it themselves in their own seminaries! Now that the Left Behind theory has become lodged in Protestant theology (even in some statements of faith right along with the Apostles' Creed) the Protestant Church is truly between the Rock and a hard place. The church has been silenced from identifying the Antichrist because the Catholics have convinced her that the Church and the Antichrist will not exist on the earth at the same time.
But now we have a weapon even greater than the printing press to once again expose the works of the devil. Now with the Internet this great cover-up can be broadcast into every corner of the world. The true Rock was hidden for over 1,000 years before the Protestant Reformation. Don't let the evil one continue to operate in secret. The Reformers were right about salvation by faith - and they were right about the Antichrist. Now it's time for the "Protestant Information".
Playing by the Rules Paul instructed Timothy in 2nd Tim 2:5 - "And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules". When it comes to interpreting Revelation we don't have many rules; but we are told that Revelation should not be treated as sealed prophecy. "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book" (Rev 22:10).
False Start In American football, a play must be started over and any yardage forfeited upon the charge by the referees - "false start". In a track race, getting disqualified off of the starting blocks demands that the race be rerun. So it is with any interpretation of the Revelation prophecies which would presume to began with the perspective of sealed scripture. It is simply against the rules.
Good Beginnings Many great theologians have made honest attempts to identify the fulfillment of Revelation. These legitimate interpretations include associations between:
The fall of Jerusalem and the beast of Rome
The fall of the Roman Empire with a force which had been restraining
The Papal system with the False Prophet (Antichrist)
The persecution of more than 50 Million Christians and most of Judaism as the time of persecution and death known as the Holocaust
And I suggest in my book, "Come out of her, My people" that the time has now arrived for the destruction of the Great Harlot and one-third of the planet.
Freeze Frame Over the last four hundred years a movement known as Futurism has been growing and attempting to interpret Revelation by its own rules. Rule number One - start from the perspective that Revelation is a sealed prophecy which will not begin until a future "trigger" sets Revelation off and running. Learn what the Protestant Reformers beleived about Revelation and why the Roman Catholic Church would break the rules and seal the Revelation prophecies to protect their pope.
Pascal's Wager Blaise Pascal, a mathematician and philosopher during the seventeenth century, proposed that a reasonable person would choose to believe in God. He argued that if God did not exist, and one believed in Him anyway, the believer would still end up living an honorable life even if there were no eternal reward. Pascal's alternative point was that if God does exist, and one lived their life denying God and living out an ungodly lifestyle, they would have lived a miserable and selfish life. The conclusion is that one might as well wager that God exists and receive the immediate and eternal blessings, instead of denying God and then facing eternal condemnation if God is real indeed.
Another great wager is on the table The Book of Revelation may be interpreted as sealed prophecy - inapplicable until a future time or event; or, Revelation may be interpreted as live and active prophecy which demands continual review in order to identify possible fulfillment at any moment.
What are the risks associated with this wager? On my part - if my interpretation of Revelation anticipates the destruction of Mystery Babylon before the resurrection of the dead and the following rapture (1st Thess 4); and, if I am wrong, then some might flee from a wicked nation unnecessarily in obedience to the command, "Come out of her, My people" (Rev 18:4)
On the other hand - if people are taught to expect the resurrection of the dead and subsequent rapture prior to the plagues, persecutions and trials of Revelation; then might some of these people be stumbled if tribulations like the ones foretold in Revelation began to occur while the Church is still on the earth? Might a dozen little ones be stumbled? A thousand. Tens of Thousands? And, what is the great benefit to those who have been so taught. If a rapture came upon them completely unexpectedly ( due to a lack in instruction) how would they have been damaged by their prior ignorance of that event?
The consequences of this wager are staggering indeed. How will you respond to the instruction: "Do not seal the words of the prophecies of this book" (Rev. 22:10)
Guardians of the Faith When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God set a flaming sword at the garden's gate to prohibit man's reentry. God has also set sentinels in His Word to keep men from violating His doctrinal truths. The creeds, which were established from Scripture during the first centuries of the Church, were set up as foundational truths. These basic doctrines set boundaries to prevent the perversion of sound doctrine.
The Galatians Guardian Against New Gospels Paul set a sentinel in the first chapter Galatians to guard against the proposal of alternative gospel messages. "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." (Gal 1:6-9)
There actually have been some religious leaders who have claimed that an angel came and spoke to them a different gospel. Those familiar with God's Word would immediately reject such an experience - based on God's forewarning. But, astonishingly, thousands of people have trusted in Joseph Smith's gospel which was purportedly revealed to him by an angel.
God's Sentinel Verse Against Sealing Revelation God also gave specific instruction regarding the Book of Revelation. Most Bible students agree that Revelation can be difficult to interpret. The prudent course of action when dealing with uncertainty is to fall back on the things that are known. What is plain and obvious from reading Revelation is that the prophecies were not to be sealed up until a future time. "And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. (Rev 22:10) This sentinel truth gives us a starting point to began to piece together the aspects of Revelation that are not clearly stated.
The sentinel which stood against the sealing of Revelation has fallen over the course of the last four centuries. Francisco de Ribera proposed sealing Revelation in 1589 as a means of obscuring the Roman Catholic Church from its resemblance to the Antichrist. Rome was shedding the blood of the saints (the real saints), and placing a man in the place of Christ over the Church (the pope). The Catholics wanted to convince the Protestants that Revelation's prophecies were not applicable until some mysterious time at the end of the age. And so, for thousands of believers, Revelation is a sealed book of prophecy awaiting application for a time in the future.
St John gave stern warnings to anyone who would manipulate the Book of Revelation. -- Please understand that it is not my heart or my desire that anyone would suffer the plagues of the Tribulation, or be left out of the book of life. I'm primarily concerned that God's patience with those who have meddled with Revelation in the past is not mistaken for His acceptance.
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. " (Revelation 22:18-19)
Adding to the Book
What about oral Traditions? Like Revelation 3:23. (Rev Ch 3 actual ends with verse 22) The unwritten verse 23 goes something like this: "The Church has now been raptured." And then verse 23b,c,d,e,f. . . usually contains anywhere from a few sentences to a full-blown sermon explaining why the Church is gone. Did anyone ever wonder why God left verse 23 out; and how the Church might interpret Revelation if verse 23 weren't added?
The most curious consideration is the fact that those who add to Revelation will be the very ones stuck with enduring the plagues that the worthy ones will escape. Look again; "God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book". According to John's curse, even if the Church does escape the Great Tribulation, those who add to the book will either be left behind, or, like the rich man in the story of Lazarus, they will experience those plagues after this life.
Subtracting from the Book Several verses in Revelation indicate that the Patmos Revelation will begin to be fulfilled immediately; like:
Rev 1:1a. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. . ."
Rev 22:6 "And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done."
Rev 22:10 "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. "
Have you heard any sermons on these verses lately? Probably not. If the result of omission is being omitted from the book of life, you'd think there would be whole bookshelves filled with discussion of these verses. Or at least equal time and weight with those "added" verses.
Why is there such a push for Francisco de Ribera's Futurism (sealing Revelation after Chapter 3) that men would risk their mortal and eternal well being to stand up for it? The boldness by Ribera and his followers to add their own spin on Revelation came during a time when very few people had access to the scriptures. Futurism expanded during the nineteenth century when critics were spreading doubt as to the veracity of the Bible. Today, Futurism almost rolls off of the tongue by second nature - as accepted truth. May God's grace abound toward those who have grown up under the influence of Ribera's delusion.
