GOD’S ULTIMATE VICTORY

OVER ANTICHRIST AND SATAN

John Holland

Published by COVENANT MINISTRIES INC.

P.O. Box 975, Warrnambool

Victoria. 3280 AUSTRALIA

Email: contact@covenanttruth.com.au

ISBN  978 0 9875493 1 0

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

God’s ultimate Victory over

Antichrist and Satan

Using Antichrist and his spirit, Satan is endeavouring to destroy all religions and world governments, and to subject the whole world to his control.

Unbeknown to most of the world’s inhabitants, Antichrist has already contaminated all religions, and gained monetary control of the whole world, thereby giving Satan a covert dominance over all world governments and institutions.

Without divine intervention Satan would succeed, but we are assured in ‘Revelation’ that “the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." [Rev 17:14].

Author   John Holland.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 THE KINGDOM OF ANTICHRIST

This chapter describes the emergence of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, and their strategy to cast down the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and replace it with their own world kingdom.

CHAPTER 2 THE HARLOT -- THE CENTREPIECE OF ANTICHRIST’S RELIGIOUS KINGDOM

In Revelation, the symbolic title “Mother of Harlots,” fitly describes the religious component of Antichrist’s world wide kingdom that has deceived and captivated the inhabitants of the world.

CHAPTER 3 THE WORLDLY COMPONENT OF ANTICHRIST’S KINGDOM

This chapter introduces the “ten kings.” Antichrist uses their power and influence to create the global circumstances that enables Satan to control the whole world.

CHAPTER 4 THE ILLUMINATE, MASONRY, AND OTHER SECRET SOCIETIES

For centuries the Illuminate has nurtured many satanic secret societies that have been engaged in a conspiracy to form a single world government.

CHAPTER 5 THE INTERNATIONAL BANKERS’ CONQUEST OF AMERICA

Having gained financial control of Europe, the International Bankers turned their attention to America, whose abundant natural resources made it the focus for future international development.

CHAPTER 6 GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS CREATED BY ANTICHRIST TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR A SINGLE WORLD GOVERNMENT

Using the Illuminate and ten kings as his agents, Antichrist has created a number of global institutions that have the common aim of promoting and creating a single world government.

CHAPTER 7 THE LORD AND HIS CALLED CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL

Without divine intervention Antichrist’s triumph would be inevitable, but we are assured by the Scriptures that “the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings,” and “those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

CHAPTER 8 THE FALL OF BABYLON THE GREAT

When God judges the inhabitants of the earth at the end of the age there will be a time of tribulation, with privation and desolation, culminating in the fall of Babylon the Great.

CHAPTER 9 FROM DESOLATION TO REPENTANCE

In God’s end time judgment, wealth, luxuries, and exalted positions will be stripped away. Antichrist’s control over mankind will be broken, and the way will be paved for people to turn to God in repentance.

CHAPTER 10 IT WILL BE WELL WITH THE RIGHTEOUS WOE TO THE WICKED

World wide judgment is forecast to fall on the earth, but the Scriptures consistently assure us that although the wicked will bear the fruit of their wickedness, God will be a shelter to the righteous.

CHAPTER 11 THE RESTORED AND GLORIFIED CHURCH

As the kingdom of Antichrist disintegrates, the Church will be restored to its original pattern, and the glorious kingdom reign of the Lord Jesus Christ will be established in its midst.

CHAPTER 1
THE KINGDOM OF ANTICHRIST

This chapter describes the emergence of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, and their strategy to cast down the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and replace it with their own world kingdom.

PREPARATION TO STUDY THE KINGDOM OF ANTICHRIST

Descriptions of Antichrist and his kingdom in Old Testament prophecies and “The Revelation,” are for the most part couched in figurative language. For this reason it becomes necessary to see and understand how figurative language is used in the Scriptures.

The Use of Symbols and Types

Symbols and types are an example of figurative language, and when their meaning is brought to light, our understanding is greatly enhanced.  To prepare us to understand the prophecies concerning the operation of Antichrist and his kingdom, we will begin by explaining symbols and types, and give examples of the ways in which each is used.

Symbols

A symbol is the use of one thing to represent another. As we compare the characteristics of one with the other, we gain more insight into the attributes of the thing being symbolised.  For instance --

Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit who ministers to us as in healing and revealing truth. Oil was used to heal wounds and as a fuel for lamps that produce light (which in turn is a symbol for truth).

Leaven, because it eventually infiltrates the whole loaf, is a symbol of sin or false doctrine, which has the capacity to take over a person’s life, or infiltrate a whole fellowship. Paul warned the Corinthian Church, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you… Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” [1 Cor 5:1, 6].

Tares are a symbol of false or apostate Christians because they are ‘look-alike’ weeds in a field of wheat.  In the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus explained, “the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.” [Mtt 13:38].

Types

A type is a symbolic representation of something or someone in the future.  Here are some examples:

Aaron, appointed by God as Israel’s first High Priest, is a type of Christ, appointed by God to be our High Priest.

David, as a shepherd and a king, is also a type of Christ, our Shepherd and King. Because David is a symbolic type of Christ, his name is sometimes used in Scriptures as an alternative name for Christ.  E.g. “David [Christ] My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.” [Ezek 37:23]  (Written centuries after David had died).

Manna, as bread from heaven, is a type of the life of Jesus in us as “the living bread.” “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” [John 6:51].

Babylon   The Babylonian religion rejected God, worshiping pagan deities, and initiating idolatrous religious rites and practices.  As the root of all false religion, Babylon is a type of Antichrist’s kingdom which is referred to as “Babylon the great.” in “Revelation.”

This will be made clear later in our study in the section relating to God’s judgment of “Babylon the great.”

The Use of Parallelism in Old Testament Prophecies

A parallel prophesy is one that has an obvious meaning relating to the historical circumstances of the Israelites, but also has a future prophetic application to spiritual Israel, which is the Church. The use of symbols and types in parallel prophecies often provide the key to interpreting “Revelation.”

Some Old Testament prophecies relating to the fall of Babylon the nation, have a parallel application to the fall of “Babylon the great” or the kingdom of Antichrist. This is illustrated in the following readings.

The Fall of Babylon

In the following Old Testament account of the fall of Babylon, Jeremiah portrays her as a burnt mountain – as an exalted empire overtaken by God’s judgment and cast down forever.

"Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain,

Who destroys all the earth," says the LORD.

"And I will stretch out My hand against you,

Roll you down from the rocks,

And make you a burnt mountain.

They shall not take from you a stone for a corner

Nor a stone for a foundation,

But you shall be desolate forever," says the LORD.” [Jer 51:25-26].

In Revelation Chapter 8, the second trumpet prophecy also describes a burning mountain, this time being cast into the sea.

“Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.” [Rev 8:8].

Because of Jeremiah’s parallel prophecy, we understand that the “great mountain burning with fire” in Revelation, is a symbolic reference to “Babylon the great,” or the kingdom of Antichrist, also destined to be cast down forever.

Warning to Come out of Babylon

The prophetic warning to the children of Israel in captivity to flee from Babylon to escape God’s judgment on her is echoed in a similar warning in Revelation.

Old Testament

“Flee from the midst of Babylon,

And every one save his life!

Do not be cut off in her iniquity,

For this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance;

He shall recompense her.” [Jer 51:6].

The Revelation

“And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!”…"Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” [Rev 18:2 & 4-6].

THE KINGDOM OF ANTICHRIST

INTRODUCTION TO THE KINGDOM OF ANTICHRIST

A Counterfeit Trinity and Doctrine

Satan has created a counterfeit trinity and kingdom that opposes the Holy Trinity and the Kingdom of God.

God is counterfeited by Satan, Christ by Antichrist, and the Holy Spirit by the spirit of Antichrist, who is also called “the False Prophet.”  We may have a better understanding of the nature of the kingdom of Antichrist by comparing the roles of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with those of Satan, Antichrist, and the spirit of Antichrist.

God Compared to Satan

God is the supreme ruler of the universe.  King Jehoshaphat prayed, "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? [2 Chron 20:5-7].  If God were to exert His power, He is absolutely invincible.

However, the Scriptures tell us that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of (His) throne.” [Ps 89:14].  People are in God’s kingdom because they have chosen to submit to His will.  Similarly, people are in Satan’s kingdom because they have chosen to believe his lies and accept his ways.  God’s integrity and justice must acknowledge Satan’s right to have dominion over those who have submitted to him.  Because the world as a whole is disposed to evil rather than righteousness, it is to this point still under Satan’s control.  Jesus called Satan the ruler of the world.  “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” [John 12:31-32].

The whole world is embroiled in a climactic spiritual war, in which God is establishing the kingdom of Jesus Christ in righteousness and love, whilst Satan vehemently opposes Him by endeavouring to extend his kingdom of darkness until all mankind is under his control.

Christ Compared to Antichrist

God sent Jesus Christ into the world to bear the punishment for the sins of mankind by His sacrificial death on the cross.  “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” [Col 1:13-14].  He was sent to establish the Church as a kingdom of believers bearing His image of love, obedience and righteousness.  Because Christ’s atoning sacrifice has removed every legal claim of Satan against mankind, God has paved the way to wrest the control of the world from Satan, and establish in its place the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ.

The nature of Antichrist’s opposition to Christ is brought out when we examine the meaning of his name.  In the original Greek, the prefix ‘anti’ has two meanings.  The first is ‘against,’ suggesting direct opposition.  The second is ‘instead of’ or replacing with a substitute. By combining these two meanings we see that Antichrist is against, or opposes Christ by creating a counterfeit church with apostate doctrines, in the place of the true church that has the true doctrine of Christ.

The following pages will unfold how Antichrist’s false church and doctrines are created in such a way that their likeness to the true Church and doctrines of Christ will cause many to accept them as being genuine.  Jesus warned that “…false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.”  [Matt 24:24-25].

In the parable of the wheat and the tares Jesus warned us that Antichrist would implant false ‘look alike’ Christians amongst the true believers.

A landowner sowed good seed, but at the time of harvest it was discovered that there were tares amongst the wheat.  Tares are a weed that looks so similar to the wheat that it is not detected until the harvest, when its black seeds appear.  This is Jesus’ explanation of the parable. "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.” [Matt 13:37-42].

It is important to see that Antichrist is not a person who is to appear at the end of the age.  Antichrist is a major spirit being, or Satanic ‘prince,’ who has been empowered by him and entrusted with the task of establishing his kingdom on earth.  Antichrist uses human agents through whom he can carry out his work.  In John’s letters to the Church, the apostle warned that there were already many antichrists, or many people who had submitted to Antichrist, and were at his disposal in opposing the church, or kingdom of Christ.  “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” [1 John 2:18 (KJV)].

Most people expect that Antichrist, as a person, will appear at the close of the age, pointing to this reading from 2 Thessalonians as their reference.

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” [2 Thess 2:3-4].

We shall see in Chapter 2 how the “man of sin” relaters to the papacy of the Catholic Church, and is not Antichrist himself.

The Holy Spirit Compared to the Spirit of Antichrist

The Holy Spirit was sent by God to be the Lord’s representative to the Church, to empower her, and to guide her into His and the Lord’s will for her. He indwells Christians individually, so that He might be their guide and teacher. He is God’s instrument in refining them and recreating them in the image of Jesus Christ.

The spirit of Antichrist is Satan’s counterfeit of the Holy Spirit, charged with the task of negating the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and drawing people into his own kingdom. The following are some of the ways the spirit of Antichrist does this.

The spirit of Antichrist manifests false miracles and healings with lying signs and wonders, which people assume to be the work of the Holy Spirit.  This evokes false worship which is unwittingly directed to Satan, who initiated them.

The spirit of Antichrist opposes the gospel truth through false prophets and teachers, who introduce deceptive teachings and false doctrines. For instance the New Age philosophy that man is self sufficient and self dependant, promotes deification of man and worship of the created rather than the Creator.

The spirit of Antichrist uses false prophets and teachers to disclaim Christ’s divinity. In many false religions and sects Jesus is declared to be merely another prophet. “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” [1 John 4:2-3].

People are deceived into thinking that it is the same god that is worshipped by all religions, and that non-Christian religions are just adopting different ways of worshipping God.  People who are worshipping false gods are in fact worshipping Satan.The truth of Christ’s second coming is clouded by false millennial theories.

If we persist in believing the false doctrines of Antichrist, a doorway is opened for Satan to impart a demonic spirit that is generally known as a spirit of Antichrist, which can indwell us, and make it easier for Antichrist to impart his deceptions and lawlessness.  The spirit of Antichrist establishes itself in heretical institutions, and even the Church is not immune from its intrusion.

SATAN IS EXPOSED IN THE TWELFTH CHAPTER OF REVELATION

Satan’s Attack on the Church

Revelation 12 opens with a cryptic vision of a woman, initially symbolising Israel, and then spiritual Israel, or the Church.  She has a garland of twelve stars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.  The woman was about to give birth.  “And the dragon [Satan] stood before the woman [Israel] who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child [Jesus] as soon as it was born.” [Rev 12:4].  Satan’s plans were thwarted when Joseph was warned by an angel to take the infant Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s command to destroy all infants in Bethlehem. After Jesus was crucified, Satan could not hold Him in death, and so he was resurrected and “was caught up to God and His throne.” [Rev 12:5].

When Spiritual Israel, or the Church, came into existence, she immediately became a target of Satan, who attempted to destroy her by violence and persecution. However God protected the Church by dispersing her amongst the Gentile nations, where her activities were not as easily pinpointed.

When the redemption of mankind was accomplished by Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, Satan was defeated and stripped of all legal right or grounds to accuse mankind before God.  “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.  So the great dragon was cast out…” [Rev 12:7-9].

There was a proclamation of victory, presented for the benefit of all generations of God’s children.  "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”[Rev 12: 10-11].

The twelfth chapter of Revelation ends with a dire warning that now Satan is cast down to the earth, he is so enraged with the Church that he will make war with her offspring continually. “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." [Rev 12:12].

Having failed to destroy the newly formed Church by direct persecution, Satan embarked on a new stratagem of deception by counterfeit, in which the Church and its doctrines are counterfeited by a false church with false doctrines.  The agents that Satan has used to create these counterfeiting deceptions are Antichrist and the spirit of the Antichrist, or the False Prophet.

THE EMERGENCE OF ANTICHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM

Chapters Thirteen Seventeen and Eighteen of Revelation, and the seventh chapter of Daniel provide us with a picture of the emergence and fall of Antichrist and his kingdom. Within the overall picture, there are further visions that highlight various aspects of the working of Antichrist and his spirit, and the kingdom they are creating.

The First Beast – From Revelation 13

In Revelation 13, Antichrist is depicted as a beast rising out of the sea, which is a symbol of the turbulent nations of the world, and growing in his earthly influence through successive world empires.  Although the beast represents Antichrist in his fullness, it is the emergence and influence of his kingdom on the religious and secular world that becomes the main topic.

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon [Satan] gave him [Antichrist] his power, his throne, and great authority.”  [Rev 13:1-2].

The word ‘rising,’ is in the continuous tense, indicating the gradual emergence and development of Antichrist’s religious and secular kingdom.  The beast, which is a symbol of Antichrist, is pictured with seven heads and ten horns with crowns on them.  Heads symbolise authority, and seven, completeness.  This tells us that Satan has endowed Antichrist with complete worldly authority.  The horns are symbols of power, and crowns kingship, telling us that there are ten kings associated with the beast.

A parallel prophecy in Daniel 7 also describes a vision of beasts rising out of the sea.  When we compare the description of the beast in Revelation with those in Daniel’s vision, we discover that the visions are complementary, and that the animal parts in Revelation 13 refer to kingdoms of the world.

“And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.  The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings…" “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear…” “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard…” [Dan 7:2-6].

“Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings [or kingdoms] which arise out of the earth.”  [Dan 7:17].

The lion represented Babylon, the bear Medo-Persia, and the leopard the Greek Empire. Whereas Revelation 13 describes only one beast, having the combined characteristics of Daniel’s first three kingdoms, Daniel proceeds further to describe a fourth beast, which represents the Roman Empire.

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.  I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” [Dan 7:7-8].

The fourth beast, or Roman Empire, had ten horns. Revelation 17 tells us that “the ten horns which you saw are ten kings….” [Rev 17:12-13].  Ten is a symbol of completeness of divine order, showing us that the completeness of the worldly power of the ten kings was ordained and controlled by God.  In Daniel’s vision, the ‘little horn’ represents Antichrist and his kingdom emerging from amongst the ten kings. The union of antichrist with the ten kings will be explained further in Chapter 3.

Combining the vision of Daniel with that of Revelation 13, we see Antichrist’s kingdom rising and imparting his satanic characteristics to the four great kingdoms.  The idolatries and paganism of Babylon, the Persian worship of multiple gods, and the humanism of the Greek Empire, were combined and manifested in their fullness in the Roman Empire. The final result of Antichrist’s influence was that Rome became the home of the Harlot, the centrepiece of Antichrist’s religious kingdom.

Daniel reveals a further facet of Antichrist’s kingdom when he states, “And there, in this horn, [the little horn] were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” [Dan 7:8].   In this case the “little horn,” refers to Antichrist’s religious kingdom, and the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking pompous words relate to the Roman Catholic Church, and the Pope as her head.

This reading is paralleled in Revelation, where the beast, or Antichrist, is described in a similar manner, with “a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.”

“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” [Rev 13:5-6].  In biblical symbology forty two months, (3 ½ years, or 1260 days in Rev 11:3), is a symbolic number representing an indefinite time of tribulation, initiated and ended in God’s timing.

The blasphemies perpetrated by the papacy and the Catholic Church against God, heaven, and the Church, will be enlarged on in Chapter 2, in the descriptions of “the Mother of Harlots,” and “Babylon the Great.”

Earlier we are told that one of the heads of the first beast appeared to be mortally wounded but made a remarkable recovery. “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.” [Rev 13:3].

Heads symbolise authority, indicating that the authority of the Catholic Church suffered a severe setback. This setback points to the Reformation triggered by Martin Luther in the Sixteenth Century, which threatened to divest the Catholic Church of her doctrinal authority.  The Catholic Church responded by initiating the Counter Reformation, in which Renaissance architects, artists, and sculptors, were commissioned to create magnificent cathedrals and works of art that glorified the Catholic Church and the papacy.  The Counter Reformation did so much to overcome the distrust created by the Reformation, that even now the Catholic Church is widely regarded as the world’s leading religious authority.

The Second Beast

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.  And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” [Rev 13:11-13].

Whereas John saw the first beast emerge from the sea, or the turbulence of the warring nations of the world, he saw another beast emerging from the more settled religious climate of the earth. In this case the religion that had settled and now dominated the earth was that of Rome.  After she had conquered the nations of the world and had taken on the pagan idolatries of the nations she had conquered, the religion of Rome provided the foundation from which the Harlot and Antichrist’s religious kingdom emerged.

The second beast is called the “False Prophet,” in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10, and in 1 John 4:3 he is referred to as “the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

Although the second beast has a separate identity, it operates in the presence of (or in union with) the first beast, or Antichrist.  The False Prophet, or spirit of Antichrist, exercises all the authority of Antichrist as they work together to bring the whole world under Satan’s control.  The Holy Spirit as an individual identity works in harmony with Christ in establishing His kingdom on earth.  Similarly, the second beast as the spirit of Antichrist, works in union with Antichrist in establishing his world kingdom.

We are told that the spirit of Antichrist, or the false prophet, “causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.” [Rev 13:13-14].

In accord with the title “the False Prophet,” the spirit of Antichrist uses deceit and deception to convince people that the false church he has created is of God.  He has used his power to compel people to make an image to the beast.  An image is a visible representation, and the Roman Catholic Church is the visible representation of Antichrist’s work.  It personifies the nature of the beast in that it reflects his surreptitious opposition to Christ’s Church, through idolatry, blasphemies, and lying counterfeits.  It should be noted that Protestant churches have not been immune from the influence of the spirit of Antichrist, and that they too have been infiltrated with his contamination.

The reading goes on to say that the spirit of Antichrist was given power to breathe spiritual life into the image: “He was granted power to give breath [spiritual life] to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” [Rev 13:15].

The image Antichrist has created by his spirit is not an impotent and neutral worldly institution.  It has been endued with enormous power to influence world affairs. In opposing Christ’s true Church, the spirit of Antichrist has used his power of deception to condemn true believers, and have them tortured or put to death.  Millions of Christians were martyred in the Inquisition because they opposed the doctrine of the Catholic Church, and refused to disavow their beliefs.

To idolise or worship the image, or the institution of the Catholic Church and its doctrines, is to unknowingly worship Antichrist its originator.

In his vision, John saw that the second beast “had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.”  The two horns show us that the spirit of Antichrist has two power bases or areas of operation.  We will see that Antichrist’s kingdom has a religious, and a worldly or secular component.  The operation of the spirit of Antichrist is not limited to just bringing the Church under Antichrist’s control, but the whole world.  In both religious and worldly realms the spirit of Antichrist appears benign and conciliatory, using people under his control to speak of world peace and social justice, but the actions he engenders are in accord with the nature of the dragon, or Satan.

The next part of John’s vision focuses on the spirit of Antichrist’s activity in the worldly realm of Antichrist’s kingdom, where his influence is so invasive that “all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” [Rev 13:8].  The vehicle the spirit of Antichrist uses to bring the whole world under Antichrist’s subjection is the captivating influence of money.

The Mark and Image of the Beast

When we carefully study the reading below, we shall see that the spirit of Antichrist uses the captivating power of money to bring all mankind under Satan’s bondage, and that the implanted mark of the beast signifies that bondage.

“And he causeth  [prepares or conditions] all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive  [literally-- that he might give them] a mark in their right hand [signifying all that they do], or in their foreheads [all that they think]: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or [or alternatively] the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” [Rev 13:16-17. (KJV)].

This reading says that “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark.”  A common misconception is that at the end of the age Antichrist, as a person controlling the world, will force people to receive a literal identifying mark on their hand or forehead. Without the mark being displayed at shopping outlets, people will be prohibited from buying or selling. However, when we examine the literal meaning of some of the words and phrases used in the reading, the true interpretation comes to light. i.e. Buying and selling so conditions a man that it becomes an inevitable consequence that he cannot buy or sell without having received the mark of bondage.  The following analysis of the reading will confirm that this explanation is the correct one.  It will also show that all have received the mark, and that it has to be overcome.

God invests those who are totally surrendered to Him with an invisible mark or seal on their foreheads, signifying that they belong to Him. E.g. “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads”. [Rev 14:1-2]. In the same way, “the mark of the beast” is not a literal physical mark, but a figurative mark of bondage, signifying that the recipients are under Antichrist’s control.

The reading says that the spirit of Antichrist “causes all”… “to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads.”   The words “causes all” make more sense when an alternative meaning, “conditions all,” (from ‘Strong’s Greek/Hebrew Dictionary)’ is used.  Man is conditioned by the enslaving influence of buying and selling until he comes under the control of Antichrist.  The literal translation of the words “to receive” is actually ‘that he may give.’ The spirit of Antichrist conditions all, through the process of buying and selling, so that he might give them a spiritual ‘mark,’ signifying their bondage to him.

The word “all” is universal, meaning that all mankind has been conditioned to be given the mark.  It is not so much something to avoid, because all have received the mark through the influence of buying and selling.  Buying and selling is not the thing to be condemned, but the bondage and dependence it engenders.  Our responsibility as Christians is to overcome, or get the victory over the influence of the mark.  In Revelation, John records a vision of victorious saints who had gotten the victory over the mark, the image, and the name of the beast.  “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.” [Rev 15:2].

Satan uses the power of money to enslave mankind, so that unwittingly man is turned away from God and brought under his control. The continual practice of buying and selling engenders traits like covetousness, self-reliance and self-sufficiency, idolatry, avarice, worldliness, overriding ambition, dissatisfaction, and fear of the lack of provision.  These traits have turned mankind from trusting God in meeting their needs, to seeking their security from the world and its financial supports, the very areas that are under Satan’s control.

The mark is “on their right hand,” signifying a controlling influence on all that they do, and “on their foreheads,” or on their mental outlook.

The Name of the Beast

Notice from the reading that when Antichrist conditions all, it is not just so he can place a mark on our hand or forehead.  It is so that he can give us “the mark,” OR “the name of the beast,” OR “the number of his name.”  It is so that he can impart some of his traits to us, according to our openness in various areas.

In the bible, a name often relates to the attributes of a person.  In receiving the name of the beast, a person takes on board some of the attributes of Antichrist.  Persons bearing the name of Antichrist go their own way rather than submitting to Jesus as Saviour and Lord.  They cater to their own carnal natures, engaging in lawless self works, and obeying the lusts of the flesh and the world. Such persons reject the faithfulness and power of God, and do not trust Him to meet their needs.  Instead, in self dependence, they put their trust in their own ability, and the things of the world.

The Number of the Name of the Beast

The number of the beast is equated with his name, and so in the reading it is called “the name or the number of his name.”  The reading then allots a symbolic number to the name.   “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

In biblical numerology, six is the number of man, because he was created on the sixth day. The phrase, “number of a man,” can be translated just as correctly as “number of man,” which creates an important distinction.  The translation then becomes, “… the number of the beast, for it is the number of man:...”  Symbolically, six taken to the third dimension is the fullness of man.

The embracing of the fullness of man’s potential is the basis of the New Age philosophy called humanism.  Our first notion of humanism may be that it is a rather harmless new age philosophy that promotes the abilities of man and his capacity to do all things by his own ability and efforts. But when we study it more closely we see its origin in Antichrist, and how strongly its man centred philosophy opposes Christianity and the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

The ‘Collins English Dictionary’ definition of humanism reads:  “the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of belief in the advancement of humanity by its own efforts.

Humanism is not neutral in its attitude to Christianity. It actively opposes the observance of Christian practice and ethics in our public institutions, endeavouring to bring about a Godless environment.  The philosophy of humanism has pervaded every aspect of our society.  When we look at the nature of man’s pursuits in areas like education, science, sport and recreation, entertainment, politics, and business, we see that they are man centred and glorify man and his abilities. The Christian viewpoint that we need God to guide us and meet our needs has been replaced with the philosophy that we can do all things without reference to God.  Efforts have been made to prohibit formal prayer, and Christian teaching or ministry in public institutions.  The acceptance of the humanistic philosophy and the Godless society it has promoted has done much to bring about the prophesied “falling away,” and the advancement of Antichrist’s kingdom.

Clearly Satan’s ploy in using the power of money to promote man’s self sufficiency, and turn his heart away from God has been very successful.  Before leaving the earth Jesus remarked, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”   [John 14:30-31]. The majority of mankind have turned away from trusting God to meet every need, and have put their trust in man and the institutions that he controls.  The glorification of man and the things he has created rather than God the Creator, is probably the most prevalent and yet unrecognised form of idolatry.

CHAPTER 2
THE HARLOT -- THE CENTREPIECE OF ANTICHRIST’S RELIGIOUS KINGDOM

In Revelation, the symbolic title “Mother of Harlots,” fitly describes the religious component of Antichrist’s world wide kingdom that has deceived and captivated the inhabitants of the world.

UNVEILING THE GREAT HARLOT

Following the Thirteenth Chapter of Revelation there is a parenthesis, or break of three chapters, before returning to the topic of the disclosure of Antichrist and his kingdom.  The emergence and fall of Antichrist’s kingdom is further portrayed in the seventeenth to the nineteenth chapters of Revelation, where the language is particularly figurative.

We have concluded that the two horns of the beast represent two power bases, or components in Antichrist’s kingdom through which he exercises his influence and power. One is religious, and the other secular or worldly, where trade and commerce, and the power of money, are the tools he uses to hold the nations of the world in captivity.

Revelation 17

The Seventeenth Chapter of Revelation begins by describing the harlot, the centrepiece of Antichrist’s religious kingdom.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”  [Rev 17: 1-3].

The beast is the same beast of Revelation 13, who has been identified as Antichrist.  The fact that the woman is sitting on the beast indicates that the harlot is being supported by the power of Antichrist.

The “great harlot” is a symbolic name for the counterfeit church and religion that Antichrist has created.  Harlotry is a symbol of unfaithfulness to God, as in worshipping false idols and embracing false doctrines.  “Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them.” [Judg 2:17].

We are told that the harlot ‘sits on many waters.”  The “many waters” symbolise the nations of the world, indicating that her influence is so profound and world-wide, that kings, or world leaders, and all inhabitants are captivated by her influence.

The Revelation of the Harlot

One of the clues we are given to discover her identity is, “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains [Strongs -- alternatively, ‘hills’] on which the woman sits.” [Rev 17:9].  The seven mountains or hills, is a reference to the seven hills that surround Rome, telling us that the harlot’s world influence is centred in Rome.  The false church with its mysteries and false doctrines Antichrist has created is the Roman Catholic Church.

PLEASE NOTE:  The following disclosures of the apostasies existing in the Catholic Church are not a criticism of the millions of devout Christians in her midst, but are a revelation of the anti-Christian elements in the Catholic institution itself.

John continues with his prophetic revelation of the harlot:

“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.  And on her forehead a name was written: “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”  [Rev 17: 4-5].

John, as a prophet and the author of Revelation, was taken in the Spirit into “the wilderness,” which symbolises spiritual dryness and deadness, the essential climate for religious apostasy. The fact that the harlot is arrayed “in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls,” remind us of the regalia of the pontiff and his cardinals, and of the prodigious worldly wealth of the Catholic Church.

Mystery

The first part of the harlot’s title, “MYSTERY,” is evidenced by the many mysterious doctrines, liturgies, sacraments, and rituals, adopted by the Catholic Church.  These elements have been incorporated into church services to create an aura of mystical spirituality that extends the senses beyond natural comprehension. The celebration of Mass is the clearest illustration.

The original Eucharist initiated by Christ was a simple ceremony of remembrance, where eating bread, a symbol of His body, and drinking wine, a symbol of His blood, reminds us of His sacrificial death for all mankind.

“…the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,  "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." [1 Cor 11:23-25].

The Catholic Church has changed the Eucharist from a simple commemoration of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, to a mystical realism in which Christ is present, and His actual body and blood are presented as sacrificial offerings.  The Council of Trent (1545-63) declared that "The same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner."   Two things should be noted.

1.    In the observation of Mass, the simple remembrance ceremony has been changed into an actual participation in Christ’s sacrifice. The Catholic Church says, ‘In the Mass, no less than on Calvary, Jesus really offers His life to His heavenly Father…--’ The Question and Answer Catholic Catechism.   And again, ‘…the Eucharistic celebration is the centre of the assembly of the faithful over which the priest presides. Hence, priests teach the faithful to offer the divine victim to God the Father in the sacrifice of the Mass…’ Vatican 11 - Pope Paul V1 December 7th 1965.

There is no escaping the fact that by partaking in the Eucharistic celebration of the Catholic Mass, Jesus is being crucified again and again, and that His body and blood are being offered repeatedly. This blasphemy is refuted by Paul when he declared that Christ was crucified ONCE, and did not have to offer Himself repeatedly. “… not that He should offer Himself often… but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself… so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” [Heb 9:25&28

2.    Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” [John 6:53]. Some use Christ’s statement to justify eating the actual body of Jesus, and drinking His actual blood.  But in this reading Jesus was speaking figuratively. ‘Eating’ and ‘drinking’ in this case is to receive within ourselves all of the BLESSINGS Jesus acquired for us on the cross.  E.g. forgiveness of sins, righteousness, salvation and eternal life.

The following are other examples of “mystery” in Catholic rituals.

Transubstantiation -- The Mass incorporates the doctrine of transubstantiation, which declares that once consecrated, the bread and the wine of the Eucharist are miraculously changed into the actual flesh and blood of the Lord.  On 11th October 1551 the Council of Trent stated that belief in the doctrine of transubstantiation was ‘essential to salvation.’

The ringing of altar bells mark the time of the transformation of the bread and the wine to the actual flesh and blood of Jesus.  There is a time span of approximately ten minutes allotted for this transformation to take place.

Adoration of the host -- Bowing to the sacramental elements on the altar has no scriptural warrant, but is said to be justified by tradition.

Clerical Vestments -- The opulence and symbolic mysticism of clerical vestments are at odds with the unassuming apparel worn by Jesus. According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia, “the liturgical vestments were made to symbolize the official and priestly virtues of their wearers.”   The outward appearance of virtue may impress man, but Jesus warned “what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”[Luke 16:15].

Babylon the Great

The second part of the harlot’s title is “BABYLON THE GREAT.”  This does not refer to the city of Babylon, but is a figurative reference to the religious system that emanated from Babylon and was passed on through the Persian and Greek empires to Rome, which then became the world centre of idolatrous paganism.

The ancient city of Babylon was founded by Nimrod (of Genesis Chapter 10), who rebelled against God, and initiated the first world religion that was in direct opposition to God. The Jewish Encyclopaedia describes Nimrod as "he who made all the people rebellious against God."   Under the influence of Antichrist the religious system of ancient Babylon increased in its opposition to God, so that by the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BC, Babylon was home to every form of pagan idolatrous worship – astrological mysticism, worship of the earth and heavenly bodies.  Temples, shrines, and altars were erected for the worship of gods and goddesses of natural phenomena like love, war, sexuality, and fertility, and pagan rites and ritual sacrifices were performed.

When world domination passed from Babylon to Persia, Greece and finally Rome, the Romans followed their usual practice of adopting the religious practices of those nations she conquered.  And finally, the pagan religion of Babylon was incorporated into the Roman Catholic Church.  The adoption of pagan rites and practices by the Catholic Church has been acknowledged by prominent Catholics, as attested to in the following quotations.

Cardinal Newman wrote; "temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, Holidays, and seasons of devotion, processions, blessings of the fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, monks and nuns), images, and statues... are all of pagan origin."  The Development of the Christian Religion. p.359

Cardinal Newman tells us that the reason for adopting pagan worship rites was to appease the many pagans in Rome  "in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen… ….The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees,… incense, lamps, and candles; holy water; asylums [hermitages, monasteries and convents]; [pagan] holy-days, processions, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images…." Cardinal J. H. Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, 1920 edition, p.373.

"The vestments of the clergy and the papal title of 'pontifex maximus' were legacies from pagan Rome. The [Catholic] Church found that rural converts still revered certain springs, wells, trees, and stones; she thought it wiser to bless these to Christian use than to break too sharply the customs of sentiment . . . Pagan festivals dear to the people, reappeared as Christian feasts, and pagan rites were transformed into Christian liturgy . . . The Christian calendar of saints replaced the Roman 'fasti' [gods]; ancient divinities dear to the people were allowed to revive under the names of 'Christian saints' . . . Gradually the tenderest features of Astarte, Cybele, Artemis, Diana, and Isis were gathered together in the worship of Mary"  Will Durant, The Age of Faith, 1950, pp. 745-746.

The Roman Catholic worship of Mary as “Mother of God,” and “Queen of heaven,” had its origin in the pagan worship of mythological goddesses such as the Babylonian goddess Ishtar.  Elsewhere in the Near East, the mother-goddess was called Astarte, Ashtoreth, Isis, Persephone, Artemis, Diana of Ephesus, and Venus. Confronted by the pagan’s love and worship of their mother goddesses, it seemed prudent to replace them with the worship of Mary, who was then called “the Mother of God.”   In AD 431, the Council of Ephesus decreed worship of Mary an official doctrine, and Mary was given the title, ‘The Mother of God.’   It would seem that Jesus foresaw this blasphemy, for He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." [Matt 12:49-50].

Following her usual practice of courting pagan converts, the Roman Church ‘Christianised’ pagan festivals, giving them Christian names ‘Lent,’ ‘Easter’ and ‘Christmas.’

Lent was an adaption of the forty day period of mourning for the Babylonian god Tammuz, a practice that evidently spread to Jerusalem. “And He said to me, "Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing." So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord's house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.” [Ezek 8:13-14.]

Easter was an adaption of the pagan spring festival, practiced in many pagan civilizations in a variety of forms.   The name Easter comes to us from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, for whom a spring festival was held annually

Christmas – the origin of Christmas had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus.  Roman pagans first introduced the festival of Saturnalia to honour the god Saturn. The festival was a period of liberty and licentious revelry, beginning on December 17th.  To Christianise the festival, December 25th was declared to be the birth day of Jesus Christ. Again, it was introduced into the Roman church to attract pagan converts.

NOTE:  There is no Scriptural warrant for the celebration of Lent, Easter, or Christmas.  Having said that - celebration on those days may be legitimate if it is the Lord that is honoured, and not the day or the holiday.  Paul says,    “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;* and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.” [Rom 14:5-6].

Other Babylonian Rites introduced into Roman Catholicism

The sign of the cross -- The Babylonians used the letter ‘T’ in a similar manner to the sign of the cross, to commemorate the death of the god Tammuz.

Purgatory -- an intermediate place or state between heaven and hell was of Babylonian origin.  Purgatory became an article of faith in 1439 at the Council of Florence, and confirmed by the Council of Trent in 1548.  The sale of indulgences to reduce time spent in Purgatory was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church.

Celibacy -- The Babylonian religion had a celibate priesthood.

Nuns -- Babylon also had female devotees called vestal virgins, later to be known by the Chaldean name ‘NUN.’

Confession to a priest and penances originated in Babylon. The Catholic Church states that priests have the authority to forgive sins and mete out penances.  (Canon Law 870 and 888), and that confessions to a priest should be made at least once a year (Pope Innocent III – Lateran Council).

Cardinals --The Babylonian high priest was attended by twelve cardinals with scarlet robes.

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH

Abominations of the Earth

The following are some examples of the many abominations and idolatries existing in the Catholic Church.

Salvation by Catholicism -- ‘Whoever refuses to enter and remain in the Catholic Church cannot be saved.’  Vatican 11 Lumen Gentium, 14.

Receiving the Holy Spirit -- ‘The Catholic Church alone is the body of Christ.  Consequently those who are outside the Church have not the Holy Spirit.’ The Teaching of the Catholic Church – A Summary of Catholic Doctrine. Pg 666

The doctrine of the ‘Immaculate Conception’ declares that Mary remained a virgin and led a sinless life. It was made infallible and official by Pius 1X, on December 8th, 1854.  He also stated, “There is no salvation to those who do not believe this dogma…”  Note: Mary had other children: "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." [Matt 12:47].

The assumption of Mary -- The doctrine of the assumption of Mary states that Mary ascended into heaven in bodily form. The doctrine was made infallible by Pius X11 on November 1st, 1950.

Mary was adopted as a mediatrix between man and God -- The Catholic Church calls Mary, ‘the Mediatrix of all graces,’ and that ‘her prayer is all powerful with her lord, for he will refuse her nothing, who deigned to be called and to be her son.’

On August 31st 2003, Pope John Paul II entrusted the future of the new Europe to the Virgin Mary. In the words of the Catholic news agency Zenit, “He placed Europe in Mary's hands, so that it would ‘become a symphony of nations committed to building together the civilization of love and peace’.”

The apostle Paul states, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…” [1 Tim 2:5].

Extreme Unction -- end of life baptism to nullify the effect of any remaining sins. There is no Scriptural basis for this practice.

The Holy water -- water blessed by a priest to give it power to sanctify all that it touches.

Rosary -- the practice of recitation of devotional prayers and adoration to the Virgin Mary.  Recitation of parts of the Rosary is often decreed as a penance for sins.

NOTE: God does not require a punishment when we confess our sins to Him.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse   us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9-10].

Contamination of Protestant Churches

As the mother, the harlot is the source of the false religious doctrines and abominations that are spawned from her.  So profound is the influence of the “mother of harlots’ that denominational churches have been contaminated by her influence. These are some features adopted by Catholicism that were accepted by Protestant churches.

The separation of the clergy and the laity, with ministry being the province of the clergy. Christ has undertaken to prepare and anoint ministerial leaders to build up and equip His Church. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying [building up] of the body of Christ…” [Eph 4:11-13]. Christ’s delegated authorities prepared by the Holy Spirit (apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers), have been replaced by clergymen who are trained and qualified in the manner of the world.

Autonomous local churches have been replaced by national and internationally controlled denominations.

The monumental church edifices decorated with statues.

The use of ostentatious vestments and religious titles like, ‘Reverend,’ ‘The Right Reverend,’ ‘Archbishop,’ with modes of address like ‘Your Grace.’

PAPAL PRIMACY and PAPAL INFALLIBILTY

Papal Primacy

The doctrine of papal primacy gradually evolved over the centuries of the Church’s development.  Stated briefly, the doctrine of papal primacy asserts that due to his direct lineage to Peter, as the Bishop of Rome, the Pope has divine authority and rule over all Christendom.

Despite a long history of controversy, opposition and challenges, it has become an established Catholic doctrine that the Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is not only the supreme head of the Catholic Church, but also of the Universal Church.  At the First Vatican Council in 1870, the doctrine of papal primacy was consolidated.

“…we promulgate anew the definition of the ecumenical council of Florence, which must be believed by all faithful Christians, namely that the apostolic see and the Roman pontiff hold a world-wide primacy, and that the Roman pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole church and father and teacher of all Christian people.

To him, in blessed Peter, full power has been given by our lord Jesus Christ to tend, rule and govern the universal church. …

…So, then, if anyone says that the Roman pontiff...has only the principal part, but not the absolute fullness, of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate both over all and each of the churches and over all and each of the pastors and faithful: let him be anathema [Eternally damned]."   Pope Pius IX, in First Vatican Council, Session 4, First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ, Chapter 3, #1, 9, July 18, 1870.

The following was written by Pope John Paul II in his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p. 3.  “[T]he Pope is...the man on earth who represents the Son of God, who ‘takes the place’ of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity.”

The official list of titles of the Pope, in the order in which they are given in the Annuario Pontificio, is “Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servants of the Servants of God.” Wikipedia.  The title, “Vicar of Jesus Christ” is interpreted as one standing in the place of Christ on earth.

The Scriptures declare that Jesus is “head over all things to the church…” [Eph 1:22].  The apostles established churches that were local and autonomous, governed by elders who, by the Holy Spirit, sought guidance from Jesus Christ their head.  Effectively, it was Christ who was head of each church.  By establishing the role of the Pope as head over all Christendom Antichrist has removed Christ’s headship over local churches.  Christ did not elect Peter or anyone else as supreme head of the Church.

When the Church at Antioch sought doctrinal guidance, they sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (not Rome) to seek clarification. After hearing the matter, it was James, not Peter, who pronounced the judgment.

“And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me:  Simon [Peter] has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.”… “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood " [Acts 15:13-21].

It should be noted that Peter was never elected as Bishop of Rome. Peter was appointed by the Holy Spirit to be apostle to the Jews, and Paul, apostle to the Gentiles (which included the Roman Church).

“But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised [Gentiles] had been committed to me, [Paul] as the gospel for the circumcised [Jews] was to Peter  (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles)…” [Gal 2:7-8].

It was not Peter, but Paul who wrote and provided doctrinal guidance to the Roman church. E.g.‘The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans’.  Whilst in Rome Paul directed letters to other churches, in which he listed people ministering with him, but never once mentioned the presence of Peter.  In fact, Peter was ministering to Jewish Christian churches in Asia.

Papal Infallibility

“Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals. This doctrine was defined dogmatically in the First Vatican Council of 1869-1870.” Wikipedia.

“The clearest example of the use of this power, expressed since the solemn declaration of papal infallibility by Vatican I on July 18, 1870, took place in 1950 when Pope PiusXII defined the Assumption of Mary as being an article of faith for Roman Catholics.” Wikipedia.

Despite the claim of papal infallibility, the Catholic Church has embraced many false doctrines like the ones previously described.

The Catholic Church acknowledges that down through the centuries there have been crimes of the grossest kind committed by some of the popes – such sins as adultery, fornication, sodomy, rape, murder, simony, debauchery, carousing and drunkenness.

"Many of the popes were men of the most abandoned lives. Some were magicians (occultists); others were noted for sedition, war, slaughter and profligacy of manners, for avarice and simony. Others were not even members of Christ, but the basest of criminals and enemies of all godliness. Some were children of their father, the Devil; most were men of blood; some were not even priests. Others were heretics.” ‘The Cradle of Christ,’ Bishop Frothingham, 1877; see also Catholic Encyclopaedia, xii, pp. 700-703

In regard to the irrefutable historical evidence of papal corruption, these are the most common responses offered by the Catholic Church.

1. Papal infallibility does not mean that the Pope is morally impeccable. It means that when speaking ‘ex cathedra’ he is protected by the Holy Spirit, from even the possibility of error.

2. These errant popes were in fact antipopes. "At various times in the history of the Church, illegal pretenders to the papal chair have arisen and frequently exercised pontifical functions in defiance of the true occupant.” Catholic Encyclopaedia, i. p. 582. 3.

3. “A sinful pope remains a member of the church and….from whom we may not withdraw obedience.” Catholic Encyclopaedia, Vol. 14 P. 435

On the basis of Jesus’ statement, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” [Matt 7-18], we may conclude that the election of these popes was not by spiritual direction from the Lord, but by such things as political manoeuvring, simony, or power mongering. At the very least it casts much doubt over claims of Papal Primacy, and Papal Infallibility.

The Man of Sin

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reveals that at the close of the age there will be a ‘falling away,’ or a general decline in the numbers of those practicing true Christianity.  In this state of spiritual darkness “the man of sin is revealed.”

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” [2 Thess 2:3-4].

This “man of sin” is not Antichrist himself, for he is a man – a man being controlled by Antichrist, like the “many antichrists” spoken of by John in 1 John 2:18. However the “man of sin” to be revealed at the close of the age is a figurehead, a person of world wide prominence.  Some of the features that will make him recognisable are described in the Thirteenth Chapter of Revelation.

“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” [Rev 13:5-8].

When we look at these attributes in the light of our study of the papacy of the Catholic Church, we may conclude that the “man of sin” is the Pope – not a single pope, but the office of the pope.  The blasphemous titles, the adopting of Christ’s headship of the Church, the deification of Mary and the saints, the claim of papal supremacy and infallibility, the claim of having higher authority than the Scriptures, and the blasphemous claims of the supremacy of the Catholic Church itself, are all in harmony with the description of the “man of sin” above.

SCRIPTURE VERSES TRADITION

Daniel prophesied of Antichrist,

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.” [ Dan 7:25].

Changing Times

The biblical Jewish Sabbath was celebrated on Saturday, the last day of the week.  The Catholic Church changed this day of rest to Sunday, the first day of the week.

Before being converted, pagans had worshipped their gods on Sunday and after being converted the church allowed them to continue Sunday worship. When Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, claimed conversion to Christianity and declared Christianity to be the official religion of Rome, he passed a law forbidding worship on the Jewish Sabbath.  Later the Roman church decided at the Council of Laodicea (364 AD) to pass Canon 29: "Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath [Saturday], but must work on that day; rather honouring the Lord's Day [Sunday]; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.

In response to many debates and criticisms concerning the changing of the Sabbath, the Council of Trent, convened by the Catholic Church in the Sixteenth Century, decreed the following: "The Scripture and tradition:  "The Bible as interpreted by the Church and according to the unanimous consent of the Father…Scripture and tradition are to be received and venerated equally…”

When questioned concerning the change of the Sabbath, C.F.Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons, replied, “Tradition, not Scripture, is the rock on which the church of Jesus Christ is built.”

The Catholic Church claims that its system of worship has been handed down through tradition. But the traditions she has adopted are mostly the traditions of Babylonian paganism.

The importance of Scripture over tradition was highlighted by Jesus when He said to the scribes and Pharisees, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honour your father and your mother';* and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'* But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God"- ‘then he need not honour his father or mother.'* Thus you have made the commandment* of God of no effect by your tradition.  '" [Matt 15:3-7].

Changing the Law

Adding Non-canonical Books to the Bible

In the Sixteenth Century the Catholic Church added several apocryphal books to the bible, even though they were not recognised as canonical. They were added to bolster the validity of erroneous traditions and practices like Purgatory and the sale of indulgences.

Negating the Commandment that Forbids the Worship of Idols

In Protestant bibles the Second Commandment forbids the making or worshipping graven images.  The Catholic Bible has incorporated this Commandment into their First Commandment, in which it states, “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them."

To accommodate the idolatrous worship of such things as statues, images, and relics, the papacy has declared that worship of such images is in fact worshipping the person they depict. At the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, the ecumenical council determined that the veneration of icons and statues was not in violation of the commandment, and stated "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “While Catholics are sometimes accused of worshiping images, in violation of the first commandment, the Church says this is a misunderstanding. In the Church's opinion, the honour paid to sacred images is a 'respectful veneration', not the adoration due to God alone."

The degree of veneration given to images is not relevant because the commandment says “You shall not make for yourself a graven image...you shall not bow down to them.” Making and worshipping any image is forbidden. The fact of the matter is that the many images adorning ‘Sacred’ images in Catholic churches have been the subject of much idolatrous worship throughout the centuries.

Ecumenism

An alarming threat to the true Church is the growing disposition of world clerical leaders to unite all religions with Rome to form a universal church, having the pontiff as her head, and Mary as ‘Queen of the Church.’  This ‘unifaith’ movement was given impetus by the concerted efforts of Pope Paul 11, which culminated in an ecumenical world day of prayer, which was reported on BBC News.

NEWS BRIEF: "Pope leads world prayer day", Thursday, 24 January 2002, BBC News Europe. "Pope John Paul II led 200 other religious leaders in a day of prayers for peace in Assisi, the birthplace of St Francis.  Roman Catholic cardinals, Muslim clerics, Jewish rabbis, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahais, Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians and members of African traditional religions were among those assembled for prayer. The Pope wanted the day of prayer to reinforce his message after the 11 September attacks that religion must not be a motive for conflict in the 21st Century."

The success of John Paul’s endeavours to promote ecumenism is reflected by the response of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who ‘urged all Christians to recognize the Pope as the supreme authority of a new global church (6/99 CRN News).’  In a document called ‘The Gift of Authority,’ he describes the Pope as a "gift to be received by all the churches."

In his book, “Billy Graham and His Friends: ‘A Hidden Agenda,’ p.408, Dr Burns quotes Billy Graham as follows:  “I think the American people are looking for a leader, a moral and spiritual leader that believes something.  And he [Pope Paul 11] does…No other man in the world today could attract as much attention on moral and spiritual subjects as John Paul.  He is articulating what Catholic and Protestant churches have traditionally held, the moral values from the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.”

In 2005 five cardinal co-sponsors of the ‘International Symposium on Marian Co-redemption,’ held in Fatima, were urging Pope Benedict XV1 to declare a fifth Marian dogma, which would proclaim Mary as “the Spiritual Mother of All Humanity, the co-redemptrix with Jesus the redeemer, mediatrix of all graces with Jesus the one mediator, and advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race.”

There is no Scriptural basis for the physical union of all world religions to form a single world ‘church.’ The call for physical unity rather than true unity in the Spirit is a lying counterfeit by Antichrist, leading to a one world religion under his control.  Here are some of the flaws of this religious ecumenism.

The basic tenet is that all religions worship the same God, all leading to salvation through differing pathways.  The bible states, “Nor is there salvation in any other [than Jesus Christ], for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12].

Structural unity of religions, rather than true spiritual unity, is another deceptive counterfeit of Antichrist.All true Christians are already united spiritually.  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” [Eph 4:4-6].

The proposed unity of faiths is based on the lie that we can ignore doctrinal differences and concentrate on the things that we can agree on.  Rather than being prepared to compromise our faith, we should heed Jude’s warning to contend, or fight for the integrity of the gospel truth. “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” [Jude 3-4].

The Following Chapters

Some people think that the kingdom of Antichrist is confined to the Catholic Church and the papacy.  However we shall see that the worldly component of Antichrist’s kingdom is so extensive that it has brought the whole world under his controlling influence.  In the next chapters we shall see how Antichrist has gained control of world finances, governments, and institutions.

CHAPTER 3
THE WORLDLY COMPONENT OF ANTICHRIST’S KINGDOM

This chapter introduces the “ten kings.”; Antichrist uses their power and influence to create the global circumstances that enables Satan to control the whole world.

INTRODUCTION TO ANTICHRIST’S SECULAR KINGDOM

In chapter 2 we revealed the development of Antichrist’s religious kingdom, culminating in its centrepiece, “the harlot.”  By creating the harlot, Antichrist has produced a counterfeit religion that has surreptitiously diverted people’s worship away from God and directed it towards Satan, until now all but those who have made a genuine commitment to the Lord have been brought to some degree under his control.  “It was granted to him [Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.  All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” [Rev 13:7-8].

The next Chapters reveal that as well as establishing his religious kingdom, Antichrist is simultaneously gaining control of the institutions and governments of the secular world.  Satan is not content with gaining spiritual control of the religions of the world.  His ultimate aim is to gain control of the whole world -- every government, institution, enterprise -- every facet of man’s living experience.

It was with this endeavour in mind that Satan has invested Antichrist with his complete power and authority. To help him carry out his aim of subjecting the whole world to his control, Antichrist has been provided with additional assistance in the form of “ten kings.”

THE TEN KINGS

The emergence of the ten kings was first foretold by the prophet Daniel. Represented symbolically by ten horns, they are pictured with Antichrist rising out of the Roman Empire.

"Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast [the Roman Empire], which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn [Antichrist] which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows”. [Dan 7:19-20].

The true nature of the ten kings is further unveiled in Chapters 13 and 17 of Revelation.  Chapter 13 shows us that the ten kings are also associated with the rise of Antichrist.

“And I saw a beast [Antichrist] rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns [symbolising kings], and on his heads a blasphemous name.” [Rev 13:1].

In Chapter 17 we are told that the ten horns represent ten kings, who are of one mind with Antichrist, and to that end will share with him their power and authority.

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.  These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast." [Rev 17:12-13].

In the bible ten is a symbol for perfect divine order, and is often used to signify the perfect number set by God to totally fulfil His purposes.  For instance, ten plagues were designated by God to release the Israelites from bondage. Ten Commandments were used as a perfect representation of God’s moral requirements. In the case of the ten kings, ten  is the perfect measure of authority and power allotted to Antichrist’s confederates for God to fulfil His purposes.

The Ten Kings are empowered by Antichrist

The description of the “ten kings” from the 17th Chapter of Revelation shows that they have an important role in assisting Antichrist to establish his world kingdom.

The reading states that the ten kings “receive authority [to use Antichrist’s satanic power] for one hour,” or a brief period in the history of mankind.  Although they have no kingdom, they reign “as kings with the beast.”  They are kings without a kingdom, and therefore are not real kings.  They are referred to as kings because they have comparable authority and power as that of kings.

The ten kings “are of one mind [with the beast], and they will give their power and authority to the beast."  There is a mutual cooperation and sharing of power. The ten kings have no inherent satanic power within themselves, but are given authority to receive and exercise the power of the beast.  They have their own worldly authority and power, and this is given to the beast to bring about their mutual aim of the destruction of the true Church and all legitimate world governments, and replacing them with a single world government under their control.

The Ten Kings are the Controllers of World Finance

The ten kings are the controllers of the world’s finances, and for the most part, this means those who are in charge of the world’s mammoth banking dynasties. Aided by their satanic alliance with the beast, or Antichrist, they have used trading in money to gain world-wide authority and power.  It has been estimated that they now have ownership or control over 95% of the world’s finances.  Until the Lord intervenes, they have effective control over the government and destiny of the world.

To formulate this study, it is necessary to devote a good deal of space studying institutions such as banking houses, and orders like the Illuminate and Masonry, which are used by Antichrist to create his world kingdom.

Those behind the world banking dynasties have had their own natural ability and flair for making and using money to build world empires.  This has been enhanced by the supernatural power they have acquired from Antichrist, and their direct involvement with satanic institutions.  Through their inherent and acquired authority and power, the ‘ten kings’ now control the economy of the world.  They manipulate the policies of world governments, even to initiating global events like depressions and wars.

Money Creates the Power to Control the World

The ten kings are in effect being controlled by Satan. Through his influence they adopt the view that whoever controls the world’s finance controls the world – a point illustrated by the following quotes from key figures associated with the ten kings.

“Let me issue and control a nation’s money and I care not who writes the laws.” -- Mayer Amschel Rothschild -- (the founder of the ‘House of Rothschild,’ the first and most influential international banking dynasty).

“I care not what puppet is placed on the throne of England to rule the Empire on which the sun never sets.  The man who controls Britain’s money supply controls the British Empire, and I control the British money supply.” -- Nathan Mayer Rothschild.

A Brief History of Banking

To understand how such a small group of elitist banking dynasties have manipulated themselves into a position with controlling power beyond that of any government, it is necessary to make a brief investigation into the history of banking, and the evolution of the great banking dynasties.

Goldsmiths were Prospective Bankers

The origins of modern banking began in the Middle Ages, when disposable wealth in the form of silver and gold was kept in the safe of the local goldsmith, who would give the depositor a formal written receipt.  The depositor would exchange his receipt to regain his gold.  It became more convenient for people negotiating transactions with other people, to exchange receipts rather than gold, silver, or merchandise.  These receipts were the forerunners to bank notes.

The Beginning of Banking Practice

The goldsmiths, now prospective bankers, realised that only a small amount of the gold in their possession was withdrawn at any one time.  They began issuing receipts totalling far more than the amount of the gold and silver held in reserve.  By giving these paper receipts as loans to people requiring capital, the interest that they received from the loans was of real monetary value.  The practice grew until bankers issued ‘paper’ loans worth 90% above their deposits of gold and silver.  This banking practice of issuing loans far beyond the real value of the bank’s assets soon became accepted practice, and is still the operating procedure of banks today.

By issuing unsecured loans created merely by book entries, bankers have made massive profits that have been used for investments in bonds, shares, real estate, business enterprises and international corporate empires. Astute family banking corporations began swallowing up their smaller competitors, and acquired controlling interests in companies producing key commodities like oil, steel, petroleum, munitions, pharmaceuticals, and primary industry products. They also gained control of media corporations and outlets, so that they were able to withhold or regulate information released to the public.

To further their control over government policy, international bankers formulated ‘conditionality’ loans, in which the borrower was granted the loan provided they met certain policy conditions.  By readily issuing loans far beyond the capacity of governments to repay, they could later demand fulfilment of the promised loan conditions.  This often resulted in manipulating government policies on things like privatisation, control of natural resources like oil or minerals, and gaining favourable trade concessions, or contracts for their corporations.

The down side of the growing banking industry was that some banks issued irresponsible unsecured loans with too little in reserve, resulting in their inability to meet withdrawal demands when confidence in the economy flagged.  These failures paved the way for the creation of central banks.

Central Banks or Reserve Banks

With the rapid growth of banking and the many uncontrolled private banks that issued unsecured loans, there was a perceived need in Europe for each country to create a national central bank, to act as the banker for their government, to regulate their national economy, and to govern reserves and loans of private banks.  More than 170 countries around the world now regulate their economies through their central banks. Many of these are state-owned, but increasingly they are becoming privately owned, and independent from government supervision and regulation.  The duties of central banks differ from country to country, but their responsibilities usually contain the following elements.

Maintaining the stability of the national currency and money supply.

To manage inflation by regulating official interest rates.

Issuing of bank notes.

Acting as the government’s banker.

Managing the nation’s foreign exchange rate.

Regulating and supervising the banking industry.

Because their authority and power became more and more autonomous and unregulated, central banks increasingly gained the potential to manipulate the economy and policies of their governments.  Even in his time, Thomas Jefferson issued this warning, "The Central Bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the principles and form of our Constitution...if the American people allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

Because of the potential wealth, power, and influence of the central banks, controlling them became an all important quest for international banking dynasties.  When they finally succeeded, international banking dynasties became so powerful that they were able to govern international policy.  They could incite wars and revolutions, and then make massive profits by lending money to both sides for conducting the war, and then for the rebuilding the infrastructure in the aftermath.

The Emergence of International Banking Dynasties

The Beginning of the Rothschild Banking Dynasty

In researching the history of international banking, we find that the first truly international banker was Mayer Amschel Bauer, the founder of the Rothschild dynasty.  He was born in Frankfurt-On-The-Main in 1743.  Later he changed his name to Mayer Amschel Rothschild, marking the beginning of the House of Rothschild.  His immense accumulation of wealth began in the 1760’s, when he used his inherited collection of rare coins to establish an acquaintance and influence with Prince William of Hanau, who had inherited a huge fortune made from hiring out mercenaries to warring armies.  When Prince William was forced to flee from Napoleon to Denmark, he entrusted his vast fortune to Rothschild’s safe keeping.  Rothschild made use of this money in establishing a large family banking dynasty that eventually controlled the finances of the banking and industrial institutions of Europe.

Endued with a brilliant intellect, unscrupulous cunning, and with a ruthless desire for power, Rothschild became well versed in the control of finance, and the possible use of banking to create immeasurable influence and power.  He discovered that issuing unbacked loans to borrowers gave them such confidence that it induced them to surrender even more of their wealth in the prospect of making greater wealth.  He would then make money scarce by tightening the issuance of finance, forcing the borrowers to surrender their collateral.  The cycle was repeated again and again, until the resultant bankruptcy forced corporations and even governments to agree to place their economic management under his control in order to maintain his financial support.  He also discovered that lending to governments rather than individuals had far more potential for gaining power as well as profit.  By allowing government debts to escalate without exacting repayment, his family banking dynasty was able to exert even more power and influence over national affairs.

The Expansion of the Rothschild Family Dynasty

Mayer Amschel Rothschild sired five sons to whom he passed on his knowledge of banking, and the intricacies of financial management.  Through them he established branches of the ‘House of Rothschild’ in London, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, and Naples.

It is worth presenting some pertinent points of Mayer Amschel Rothschild’s will, as they issued instructions on the future management of the Rothschild dynasty.  All key positions in the House of Rothschild were to be held by male members of the family. The business was to be kept in the family, and marriage with first cousins was encouraged.  Later this rule was relaxed and members intermarried with members of other prominent Jewish banking families.

There was to be no outside examination or disclosure of family assets.  Frederic Morton, author of “The Rothschilds,” wrote, "Though they control scores of industrial, commercial, mining and tourist corporations, not one bears the name Rothschild. Being private partnerships, the family houses never need to, and never do, publish a single public balance sheet, or any other report of their financial condition."

Using these basic guidelines, the Rothschild banking dynasty was outstandingly successful.  Although there was complete secrecy in the control of their own family business, the Rothschilds developed a highly efficient intelligence and courier network throughout Europe, providing them with important inside information that enabled them to make financial dealings ahead of their competitors.  The vast fortune accumulated by the Rothschilds was used to finance a large number of financial enterprises, and invest in everything from mining shares to national debts, until eventually they gained controlling influences in the banking houses and industrial consortiums of Europe.

Gaining Control of London and Europe

Mayer Amschel Rothschild financed his son Nathan, and sent him to England to establish the family banking interests there.  Eventually Nathan established himself as a merchant banker in London.  He invested money in buying gold from the East India Company, knowing that it would be required by both Wellington and Napoleon to finance the battle of Waterloo. Through his extensive and efficient spy network he had knowledge of the outcome of the battle before his competitors, enabling him to enlarge his fortune investing in the stock market.  Later Nathan supplied finance to the Bank of England to avert a financial crisis.  Eventually he gained control of the Bank of England, the central bank of the United Kingdom, which was responsible for regulating the price of gold.  Essentially this put the control of the whole British economy into his hands.  His statement quoted earlier was no idle boast. “I care not what puppet is placed on the throne of England to rule the Empire on which the sun never sets.  The man who controls Britain’s money supply controls the British Empire, and I control the British money supply.”  The headquarters of the Rothschild banking dynasty was, and still is, in London.

Following the crushing defeat of Napoleon, the French government was desperately in need of finance.  By their astute manipulation of the loan market, the Rothschilds eliminated their competitors and eventually gained control of the French economy.  Although the London and French banks became the largest private institutions in the world, the House of Rothschild preferred to use intermediaries through which they could operate unnoticed.  Frederick Morton notes, “…although the French house controls scores of industrial, commercial, mining, and tourist corporations, NOT ONE bears the family name.”

By drawing governments into their debt the Rothschilds were able to manipulate their economic policies, and soon all European governments fell under their control. Eventually the Rothschilds had so much influence in Europe that they were able to mould the shape of the international world.

Other Dynasties Established by Rothschild Finance

It was Rothschild capital that enabled the establishment of the following financial empires -- Rockefellers (oil), Harriman (railroads), Carnegie (steel), Cecil Rhodes (South Africa mining), the J P Morgan, M Warburg, and Kuhn Loeb banking dynasties in Europe and America, and the building of the Suez Canal and European railroads.   Later, the beneficiaries of Rothschild finance proved to be valuable agents in the House of Rothschild gaining control of American finance.

Even the Catholic Church was not immune.  Researcher Eustace Mullins reports that the control of the extensive finances of the whole Catholic Church was placed under the management of the Rothschilds in 1823.  Today Catholic finances are still interlocked with the Rothschilds, and other international banking enterprises.

Authority to Rule as Kings in Antichrist’s Kingdom

The Ten Kings Empowered by Antichrist

Before proceeding further in our brief history of banking, we should be reminded of the influence of Antichrist in the rise to power of the ten kings.  The extraordinary power of the ten kings that enabled them to gain control over the institutions of the world was not entirely within themselves.  They, and others associated with them, received a supernatural empowering from Satan, enabling them to rule as kings in union with Antichrist.

"The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour [to rule] as kings with the beast.”  [Rev 17:12].

The ten kings have been so obsessed by their lust for power that they have allowed themselves to come under the control of Satan.  They have been enticed by him into the kingdom of Antichrist, where they have been infiltrated with his spirits. Some have been directed into secret satanic societies such as the Illuminate, and the higher degrees of Masonry.  By these influences they have become of one mind with Antichrist, and his agenda for the elimination of all religions and governments, and replacing them with a single world government.  Outwardly it would be seen as under their control, but in actual fact it would be controlled by Satan.

One World Government Conspiracy

To most people a one-world government conspiracy sounds fanciful, and it is easy to understand their scepticism.  How could the multi self-interested economic and political forces operating in the ten kings be so united and cooperative in their aim to bring about a single world government?  The ten kings have no inherent cohesive power that binds them to one purpose, but there is a spiritual force behind this conspiracy -- “they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.”  It is the beast, or Antichrist, who empowers and controls the ten kings.

It is by Antichrist’s satanic power that he is able to subject worldly people to his will.  By engendering fear through odious measures such as monetary or sexual bribery, blackmail, threats of financial or political ruin through public exposure, and threats of death to themselves or members of their families, people in high positions of authority have been coerced into servile cooperation.  In others, Antichrist has been able to exploit human weaknesses like ambition for power, intellectual pride, arrogance, and self-centredness, to propagate things like murder and assassination, terrorism, revolutions, and manipulation of warfare.

Financial backing is essential for Antichrist to operate his corrupt practices, and underpinning all of his coercion is the power of money, extended and manipulated by the international bankers.

Quotations from Authoritative People

Many people holding high positions of authority have recognised that there is a sinister highly organised underground force at work that has already usurped the control of the finances and governments of the world.  The following is a selection from their many quotations:

Satanic Powers Controlling Authorities and Institutions

“The governments of the present day have to deal not merely with other governments, with emperors, kings and ministers, but also with the secret societies which have everywhere their unscrupulous agents, and can at the last moment upset all the governments’ plans.”  British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 1876.

“Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organised, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.”  President Woodrow Wilson.

“No one will enter the New World Order unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer.  No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.”  David Spangler, Director of Planetary Initiative, United Nations.

International Bankers’ Control of Governments

“The real menace of our republic is the invisible government which, like a giant octopus, sprawls its slimy length over our city, state and nation. At the head is a small group of banking houses, generally referred to as 'international bankers.”  John F. Hylan, mayor of New York, 1911.

"Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money and control credit, and with a flick of a pen they will create enough to buy it back."  Sir Josiah Stamp, former President of the Bank of England.

"When the Federal Reserve Act was passed, the people of these United States did not perceive that a world banking system was being set up here. A super-state controlled by international bankers and industrialists...acting together to enslave the world...Every effort has been made by the Fed to conceal its powers but the truth is--the Fed has usurped the government."  Congressman Louis McFadden, House Committee on Banking and Currency Chairman (1920-31),

"Those who create and issue money and credit direct the policies of government and hold in the hollow of their hands the destiny of the people."   Rt. Hon. Reginald McKenna, former Chancellor of Exchequer, England.

"The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centres has owned the government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson." -- from a letter to an associate dated November 21, 1933, by President Franklin Roosevelt.

“The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in times of adversity.  It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy and more selfish than a bureaucracy.  It denounces, as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes.  I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the bankers in the rear.  Of the two, the one at the rear is my greatest foe.” President Abraham Lincoln – 1866.

One World Government

“The invisible money power is working to control and enslave mankind. It financed Communism, Fascism, Marxism, Zionism and Socialism. All of these are directed to make the United States a member of a World Government.” Bill Graham.

“The drive of the Rockefellers and their allies is to create a one-world government combining super capitalism and Communism under the same tent, and all under their control.  Do I mean conspiracy?  Yes I do.  I am convinced there is such a plot, international in scope, generations old in planning, and incredibly evil in intent.”  Congressman Larry. P. McDonald, 1976, killed in the Korean Airlines 747 that was shot down by the Soviets.

“In the next century, nations as we know it will be obsolete; all states will recognise a single, global authority.  National sovereignty wasn’t such a great idea after all.” Strobe Talbot, President Clinton’s Deputy Secretary of State, as quoted in ‘Time,’ July 20th, 1992.

“By the end of this decade (2000 AD) we will live under the first One World Government that has ever existed in the society of nations…a government with absolute authority to decide the basic issues of human survival.  One world government is inevitable.”  Pope John Paul 11 quoted by Malachi Martin in the book “The Keys of this Blood.”

“We are at present working discretely with all our might to wrest this mysterious force called sovereignty out of the clutches of the local nation states of the world.”  Professor Arnold Toynbee, in a speech before the Institute for the Study of International Affairs in Copenhagen.

To this point we have discovered that for Antichrist to establish the worldly component of his kingdom, there must be a corporative union of his satanic power with the power of money under the control of world bankers.  Our focus has been on disclosing the banking dynasties that control the finances and governments of the world.

Before proceeding further with our study of the ten kings, or controllers of world finance, and their contribution to Antichrist’s quest to control the world, it is necessary to make a similar study of the satanic secret societies with which they have an allegiance.

CHAPTER 4
THE ILLUMINATE, MASONRY, AND OTHER SECRET SOCIETIES

For centuries the Illuminate has nurtured many satanic secret societies that have been engaged in a conspiracy to form a single world government.

THE ILLUMINATE

Origin and Description

The word Illuminate means ‘the enlightened ones.’  The Illuminate is an ‘Order,’ or secret society that claims an elitist status, due to having been granted special intellectual light from Lucifer, or Satan.  It follows that, in their minds, they are the only ones qualified to govern in a new World Order.  They are the only ones capable of ushering in a reign of enlightenment, peace, and universal wellbeing.

Most people date the origin of the Illuminate to the order founded in Bavaria in 1777 by Adam Weishaup, a professor in canon law.  However there were many other Illuminate Orders dating back to the 14th Century that openly worshipped Satan, and had similar claims to have the ‘light of Lucifer.’  For the most part these secret societies had emerged from the higher degrees of Masonry, making them secret societies formed within a secret society, thereby enabling them to shelter safely in an unassailable cloak of secrecy.

Weishaup, a disenchanted Jesuit, was an ardent admirer of French revolutionary writer Voltaire, who advocated the destruction of the Catholic Church.  When Weishaup was summoned by Mayer Amschel Rothschild and asked to form an Illuminate Order in Bavaria he assented, sharing with him the desire to abolish all religions.  This alliance marks the beginning of the financial backing of the Illuminate by the House of Rothschild, and their common involvement in the quest of world domination.

Weishaup was extraordinarily gifted intellectually, and because he perceived himself to be mentally elite, he felt that he and others like him were the only ones capable of running the world to the betterment of everyone in it. He stated that his aim was to “form a combination of the most worthy persons, who should work together in removing the obstacles to human happiness, become terrible to the wicked, give their aid to all the good without distinction, and should by the most powerful means, first fetter, and by fettering, lessen vice; means which at the same time should promote virtue, by rendering the inclination to rectitude, hitherto too feeble, more powerful and engaging.  Would not such an association be a blessing to the world”?

Despite the altruistic nature of this statement, the true aim of the Illuminate Order Weishaup founded was for its members to rule a new world order contrived by them.  In order to accomplish this it was necessary for the Order to destroy all religions, overthrow all governments, and to abolish private property.  To achieve this it would be necessary to convince enough people that those three things were the real enemies of human happiness.

The Illuminate Orders

The Bavarian Illuminate order Weishaup devised was divided into three progressive levels, each with its own ascending degrees.

The first level was called the Nursery, and encompassed the ascending degrees of “Preparation,” “Novice,” “Minerval,” and “Illuminate Minor.”

The second level was called the Masonry, encompassing ascending orders of “Illuminatus Major,” and “Illuminatus Dirgins” (or Scotch Knight).

The final level, entitled, Mysteries, was subdivided into “Lesser Mysteries,” (Presbyter and Regent), and “Greater Mysteries,” (Magus and Rex).

The first level inmates were instructed to carefully scrutinise all of their acquaintances, and to make and submit a detailed file of all of their individual traits.  This created a vast data base for their superiors, showing them who they might influence and initiate into their order, and whether they could be controlled, used, bribed, or even eliminated if they posed a threat to the Order.

Candidates were encouraged by Weishaup’s promise that once they had reached the status of “Illuminate Minor,” his superiors “will assist him in bringing his talents into action, and will place him in situations most favourable for their exertion, so that he may be assured of success.”

The second level, or “Masonry,” was instructed in the mysteries of ancient sects to evaluate their potential to accept advancement into satanic operations.

All members of the Order were to gain close contact with people in authoritative positions -- “We must do our upmost to procure the advancement of Illuminate into all important civil offices.”

Members of the Order pledged blind obedience to their superiors, and only knew of the Order that which their immediate superiors would tell them.  Part of their oath read, “I bind myself to perpetual silence and unshaken loyalty and submission to the Order, in the persons of my Superiors; here making a faithful and complete surrender of my private judgment, my own will, and every narrow minded employment of my power and influence.”

Every step of the progress of the initiates was monitored by Weishaup and his colleagues, so that the questioning and squeamish never rose from the lower orders, whilst those ready and willing to dispense with religion, morality, patriotism, and other scruples, rose to the top. It was through this careful selection process that within a decade Weishaup was able to assemble into his Order many of the cleverest and most diabolical minds in Europe.

Banned Illuminate Nurtured in Masonic Lodges

When the scope of its subversive activities came to light, Weishaup’s Order, along with Free Masonry, was banned by the Bavarian government in 1784. After being banished from Bavaria the Order went underground, and emerged as a network of “Reading Societies” in Germany, promulgating its message and cultural influence throughout the world.  Branches appeared in most European countries, and dispersed members were often installed in Masonic lodges where they furthered Illuminate aims, assuring the Illuminate’s survival after the Bavarian closure.

George Washington wrote in 1798, “It is not my intention to doubt that the doctrine of the Illuminate and the principles of the Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary; no one is more satisfied of this fact than I am.”

1798 Revelation by John Robison

As early as 1798 John Robison, a former Scottish mason, and professor of natural history, published an extensive volume called, “Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe.”  It presented compelling evidence of a conspiracy by the Illuminate to replace all religions with humanism, and all governments of nations with a single world government.  John Robison’s revelations caused tremendous interest at the time, and in ensuing generations, they incited further investigations and published material as suspicious events surfaced.  An examination of Robison’s work shows how little the ideology of the Illuminate has changed over the centuries, and that it is operative in our present age.

Illuminate Agenda Revealed by Albert Pike

In the latter half of the Nineteenth Century, it became obvious to the Illuminate that to facilitate their plan of world domination, they would have to initiate a series of world wars to fracture, disperse, and eliminate existing world governments.  The blueprint of this operation was outlined in a letter written in 1871, by Albert Pike, the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and the top Illuminist in America, directed to Guisseppe Mazzini, world head of the Illuminate, a 33 degree mason, revolutionist, and initiator of the Mafia.

"The First World War must be brought about in order to permit the Illuminate to overthrow the power of the Czars in Russia and of making that country a fortress of atheistic Communism. The divergences caused by the "agentur" [agents] of the Illuminate between the British and Germanic Empires will be used to foment this war. At the end of the war, Communism will be built and used in order to destroy the other governments and in order to weaken the religions."

"The Second World War must be fomented by taking advantage of the differences between the Fascists and the political Zionists. This war must be brought about so that Nazism is destroyed and that the political Zionism be strong enough to institute a sovereign state of Israel in Palestine. During the Second World War, International Communism must become strong enough in order to balance Christendom, which would be then restrained and held in check until the time when we would need it for the final social cataclysm."

"The Third World War must be fomented by taking advantage of the differences caused by the "agentur" of the "Illuminate" between the political Zionists and the leaders of Islamic World. The war must be conducted in such a way that Islam (the Moslem Arabic World) and political Zionism (the State of Israel) mutually destroy each other. Meanwhile the other nations, once more divided on this issue will be constrained to fight to the point of complete physical, moral, spiritual and economical exhaustion…We shall unleash the Nihilists and the atheists, and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effect of absolute atheism, origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will from that moment be without compass or direction, anxious for an ideal, but without knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view. This manifestation will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time."

In this further directive from Albert Pike to the ‘Supreme Councils of the Illuminate,’ he reveals Illuminate ties to both Masonry, and the direct worship of Satan.

“To you, Sovereign Instructors of Grade 33, we tell you: you have to repeat to the brothers of inferior grades that we worship only one God to whom we pray without superstition. It is we, Initiated in the Supreme Grade, that are to keep the real Masonic religion preserving pure the Lucifer doctrine." -- Albert Pike, to 23 Supreme Councils of the Illuminate -- 4 June 1889.

The effectiveness and success of Pike’s plan, formulated in 1871, can be viewed in the light of history.  It must be understood that the plans of the Illuminate were longsighted, and its adherents realised that their fruition would be very unlikely to be fulfilled in their own lifetime, or in their present century.

The international bankers were in harmony with the Illuminate plan, having the same goal of world domination. They saw in it the avenue to amass vast fortunes through its operation, and the prospect of having a controlling role in the one world government.

International Bankers Involvement in the Illuminate and Masonry

When we return to the original reading regarding the “ten kings,” now recognised as the controllers of world finance, we see the obvious authority and power connection between the beast and the banking dynasties.

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.  These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast."[Rev17:12-13]

Both the worldly and spiritual elements are necessary to accomplish the fulfilment of Antichrist’s kingdom.  The international bankers’ quest for world power is only completely fulfilled as they receive power and authority from Antichrist and the secret societies he works through.  Without the Satanic powers invested in them by the beast, the bankers would be as we assume they are - an unconnected group of ultra wealthy institutions.  On the other hand, without the financial backing of the international bankers, the Illuminate and other secret societies would be just like any other of the many groups of theorists promoting their cause.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild’s Association with the Illuminate

Records from historical investigators show that the international bankers and their accomplices were heavily involved in the Illuminate, the higher degrees of Masonry, and the many surrounding occultist societies.  Mayer Amschel Rothschild’s association with the Illuminate began in the Illuminate controlled Oppenheimer Bank, where he commenced his banking apprenticeship. The extent to which Mayer embraced the Illuminate philosophy was revealed by William Guy Carr, in his book, “Pawns in the Game.”  He records that in 1773, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, when only thirty years old, invited twelve other wealthy and influential men to meet him at Frankfurt.  There he divulged a revolutionary plan to pool their resources so that they could finance and control the ‘World Revolutionary Movement,’ and use it as their Manual of Action to “win ultimate control of the wealth, natural resources, and manpower of the entire world.”

Rothschild listed a series of maxims, which if followed, would achieve their final objective. The list below is from “Secrets of the Federal Reserve” by Eustace Mullins.

“He argued that LAW was FORCE only in disguise. He reasoned it was logical to conclude ‘By the laws of nature right lies in force.’”

“Political freedom is an idea, not a fact. In order to usurp political power all that was necessary was to preach ‘Liberalism’ so that the electorate, for the sake of an idea, would yield some of their power and prerogatives which the plotters could then gather into their own hands.”

“The Power of Gold had usurped the power of Liberal rulers... He pointed out that it was immaterial to the success of his plan… the victor had to of necessity ask the aid of ‘Capital’ which ‘Is entirely in our hands’.”

“He argued that the use of any and all means to reach their final goal was justified…”

“He asserted that ‘Our right lies in force. The word RIGHT is an abstract thought and proves nothing. I find a new RIGHT...to attack by the Right of the Strong…”

“The power of our resources must remain invisible until the very moment when it has gained such strength that no cunning or force can undermine it.”

“They had the right to seize property by any means, and without hesitation, if by doing so they secured submission and sovereignty.”

“Wars should be directed so that the nations engaged on both sides should be further in our debt.”

“Candidates for public office should be servile and obedient to our commands, so that they may readily be used.”

“Propaganda -- their combined wealth would control all outlets of public information.”

“Panics and financial depressions would ultimately result in World Government, a new order of one world government."

The contents of this agenda show that Mayer Amschel Rothschild had already embraced the Illuminate ideology well before he called Weishaup and asked him to organise an Order in Frankfurt in 1777.

The Rothschild Family Involvement with the Illuminate

The House of Rothschild not only provided financial backing for the many Illuminate/Masonic operations throughout the world, they themselves were active participants.  For instance, in Italy, the Carbonari was the front for the deposed Bavarian Illuminate, and the Alta Vendita was its highest Masonic Lodge and the major European occult power.  In 1818 a secret Alta Vendita document Carl Rothschild had participated in preparing, was sent to the headquarters of Masonry.  It was headed, “Permanent Instructions, or Practical Code of Rules for the Heads of the Highest Grades of Freemasonry.”

The Masonic reference book “10,000 Famous Freemasons,” Vol. 4, p.74, indicates that James Meyer Rothschild was a 33 degree Scottish Rite Mason in Paris, and his brother Nathan Meyer Rothschild was a member of the Lodge of Emulation in London.  Jewish Freemason Katz indicated that Solomon Meir Rothschild, another one of the five brothers, was initiated into Freemasonry on June 14, 1809.  Jeroboam Rothschild directed the powerful French Lodge, ‘Prieure de Sion,’ or ‘Elders of Zion.’

The Rothschilds are also prominent in the Illuminate organisations, like the Bilderbergers and the Council on Foreign Relations.  Lord Rothschild was one of the original members of Rhode’s Round Table group which was a forerunner of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Illuminate Involvement in Wars, Revolutions, and Assassinations

Sir Walter Scott, in the second volume of his “Life of Napoleon,” states that the French Revolution was planned by the Illuminate, and financed by European bankers.

The American Civil War was fuelled by the Rothschild Illuminate agents from amongst “Skull and Bones” patriarchs, who became leaders of the various secessionist movements in the Southern States.  The Rothschild Banking house financed both the North and the South during the war.

Jacob Schiff, protégé of the Rothschilds and part owner of Kuhn Loeb Bank, was charged by the Illuminate to organise and finance Leon Trotsky to conduct the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917.  This was a fulfilment of the Illuminate’s plans divulged by Albert Pike – “to permit the Illuminate to overthrow the power of the Czars in Russia and of making that country a fortress of atheistic Communism.”

The Rothschilds supported the Illuminate controlled Zionist movement, which aimed to bring about the restoration of Israel in Palestine as a political rather than religious state.  The return of the Jews and the establishment of the state of Israel were for the most part financed by the Rothschilds.  Their involvement in Zionism was to facilitate the Illuminate aims as set down by Albert Pike.  "The Third World War must be fomented by taking advantage of the differences caused by the "agentur" of the "Illuminate" between the political Zionists and the leaders of Islamic World.”

When Abraham Lincoln authorised the printing of debt free American national currency, he was assassinated by an alleged Rothschild agent, John Wilkes Booth, who was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle.  Bismark, the Chancellor of Germany, made this discerning statement after hearing of Lincoln’s death, “The death of Lincoln was a disaster for Christendom.  There was no man in the United States great enough to wear his boots and the bankers went anew to grab the riches.  I fear the foreign bankers with their craftiness and tortuous tricks will entirely control the exuberant riches of America and use it systematically to corrupt modern civilization.”

John F Kennedy also tried to introduce debt free currency, and signed Executive Order 11110 on June 4th 1963 to strip the Federal Reserve Bank of its power to loan money to the United States government at interest.  After his assassination on November 22nd in the same year, the United States Notes he had issued were immediately taken out of circulation.  After reading the account of the International Bankers’ quest to control American finance in the next chapter, John Kennedy’s assassination maybe viewed in an entirely new light.

It was through their involvement in the network of Illuminate membership that the financial enterprises of the House of Rothschild flourished, and their banking empire became firmly entrenched in Europe and later in America.

Secret Societies

The Illuminate still operates in the highest degrees of Masonry, and in other secret organisations like the “Skull and Bones” and “Scroll and Key,” orders in the Yale University. These two societies are said to be the Illuminate’s secret entry points to its operating in Yale, where they draw young intellectuals from prestigious families under their influence.  Many prominent figures such as Presidents and Vice Presidents, and high ranking officials in the CIA are patriarchs of the Skull and Bones secret society.

CHAPTER 5
THE INTERNATIONAL BANKERS’ CONQUEST OF AMERICA

Having gained financial control of Europe, the International Bankers turned their attention to America, whose abundant natural resources made it the focus for future international development.

A Climate CONDUCIVE TO industrial Growth

Effect of the Civil War

Having gained control of Europe, the International Bankers now turned their attention to taking control of the American monetary system.  With America’s independence enshrined in her constitution, and the spirit of freedom engendered in her people, this would seem a near impossible task.  However, aided by their alliance with Antichrist, the International Bankers had agents from secret societies implanted in the necessary authoritarian positions.  In the bustling climate of a nation rebuilding after the disastrous civil war, there was a power struggle as industrialists and politicians vied with each other for their stake in the investment opportunities that inevitably came with a nation’s regrowth.

In the decades after the Civil War there was a pressing need for new industry to create the necessary railways, communications, and other infrastructure for a rapidly growing nation. Commodities like oil and steel were required for engineering and building construction.  American industry was experiencing a surge of growth, but the primary concern was for the financing of the many projects.  At that time most American banking was uncontrolled, with numerous unsupported and uninsured ‘wildcat’ banks that frequently went bankrupt.  Two trial National Banks had been formed to control the banking system and regulate the supply of money.  Though they were partly successful in regulating banking, when their tenures expired their charters were not renewed.

The Rothschilds Establish the J.P. Morgan Company as a Base in America

Few Americans realise that at the turn of the Twentieth Century, the London based House of Rothschild had already acquired a considerable hold over American financial institutions.

In 1835 American merchant banker George Peabody decided to set up a London branch to be closer to the resources needed for his trading.  Soon after his arrival in London he was summoned to a meeting with Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who proposed a behind-the-scenes bankrolling of his company, on the proviso that the finances were controlled by Rothschild.   Under Rothschild’s financial support and guidance, the firm of George Peabody and Company flourished, buying and selling on both sides of the Atlantic.

Peabody’s American agency was the Boston firm of Beebe. Morgan. and Company, headed by Junius S.Morgan.  Peabody was favourably impressed by Junius Morgan, and in 1854 persuaded him to be a partner in George Peabody and Company, on condition that he accepted the controlling influence of N.M. Rothschild & Sons of London. Having no heirs, Peabody left his business to Morgan, and the new firm Junius S. Morgan Company came into existence.  Supported by Rothschild finance, the company greatly expanded its interests and assets by shipping large quantities of iron to the United States, where it was used from 1860 to 1890 to construct new American railroads.

When Junius Morgan died, the firm was taken over by his son John Pierpont Morgan, who took on a partner, Anthony Drexel of Philadelphia, the firm operating under the name of Drexel Morgan and Company.  After J.P. Morgan and Drexel attended the 1899 International Bankers Convention in England, J.P. Morgan was appointed head representative of the Rothschild interests in the United States.  When Drexel died, the name of the company was changed to the renowned J.P. Morgan and Company

On the surface, the operation of the J.P. Morgan Company was American based and controlled, but in truth it was directed by the House of Rothschild through the London branch.  With the aid of Rothschild finance, the J.P. Morgan firm grew rapidly until towards the end of the Nineteenth Century it dominated American finance.  Financial observers were puzzled at the apparent lack of interest by the House of Rothschild in the rapidly growing American economy, but as always they were content to operate in the background through their agents.

Further Expansion of the Rothschild Interests

The Rothschild influence on American finance expanded when they sent Jacob Schiff to America to gain a foothold there in a banking establishment.  Schiff had been brought up in a five storey house shared by the Rothschild and Schiff families, and his wizardry with money, and ruthless determination were duly noted.  Financed by Rothschild, Schiff bought a partnership in the American merchant banking house Kuhn & Loeb.  They, like Schiff, were Jewish migrants from Germany.  Schiff married Loeb’s daughter Teresa, and bought out the Kuhn interests.  The new firm was called Kuhn Loeb & Company, and was established in New York, where its interests were managed by Schiff.  Under the guidance of the Rothschilds, Schiff financed John. D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, the Harriman railroad empire, and the Carnegie steel empire.  N.M. Rothschild & Sons set up London branches for the American firms they had financed, and of course they were always subjected to Rothschild oversight.  Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs also received financial assistance and came under the influence and control of Rothschild’s agents.

The way had been paved for the Rothschilds to take control of American finance behind the scenes.  The requirement for so much finance for the burgeoning American industry meant that it had to come from European bankers, and essentially this meant the House of Rothschild and their German representatives, M.M.Warburg Company of Hamburg and Amsterdam.

THE FINAL TAKEOVER OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY

It was in this time of expansive economic growth that the Rothschild controlled international bankers put into play a devious but ingenious plan to bring the American banking system under their control without the nation realizing it. The international bankers aimed to usurp the financial control of America in such a way as to have the government’s approval, but without it knowing that it was being delivered into private hands.  To bring such an audacious plan to fruition the bankers needed to create a set of favourable circumstances.

They needed to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear about the security of the nation’s control of its financial institutions, so that there would be a demand for a National Reserve Bank, or Central Bank, to regulate the banking industry. They enlisted the help of J.P. Morgan, who used the time honoured tactic of inflation followed by deflation to initiate the financial panic of 1907, which caused the collapse of the trustworthy bank, “The Knickerbocker Trust Company,” and smaller unsecured banks. This instigated the expected response from economists and some sections of the American public, who demanded the establishment of a national central bank to regulate finance, and to ensure that banks did not issue irresponsible unsecured loans.

They needed a politician to sway Congress into voting for the establishment of a Federal Reserve Bank, and then steer the necessary legislation through both houses.  They had Congressman Nelson Aldridge, Republican whip in the Senate, Chairman of the National Monetary Commission, business associate of J.P.Morgan, and father-in-law of John D. Rockefeller Jnr.

They needed a compliant President who would sign the Federal Reserve Act to make it law.  They produced Woodrow Wilson, who as an unlikely candidate, was elected through the political manipulation of the International Bankers. Unsuspectingly the President was brought under their control through the persistent propaganda of their agent Colonel House, who became his closest advisor.  President Wilson was soon persuaded of the merits of the Federal Reserve System.

The following is an excerpt from a speech by Congressman Louis Mc Fadden to Congress in 1932.  “House, the President's financial/'economic advisor' - a banker's man, was largely responsible for the establishment of 'The Federal Reserve.' House could be seen constantly at the president's side, mystifying him with unqualified 'economic' jargon. The president himself jested House had become his alter ego. In truth, House dominated the president without ever laying a true science before him. The aftermath is a legacy we should never forget.”

They needed a banking expert to devise a banking system that had the outward appearance of being a government owned and controlled Reserve Bank, whilst in fact being owned and controlled by the International Bankers.  Having carefully prepared they sent Paul Warburg, brother of Max of M.M.Warburg Company to America, where he became a partner in Kuhn Loeb & Co.  He was renowned for his wide international banking expertise.

The International Bankers were now ready to set in motion a series of dovetailing acts that would climax with the enacting of the Reserve Banking Act of 1913

In response to the 1907 Knickerbocker collapse and the resultant financial panic, Congress passed the Aldrich Vreeland Act of 1908, creating the National Monetary Commission, a study group given the task of examining the banking practices of European countries.  Senator Aldridge was its chairman, and Paul Warburg its main advisor.  From 1909 to 1912 the National Monetary Commission submitted 30 reports to Congress, effectively delaying government action until the plans of the International Bankers were formulated, and they had gained the backing of Woodrow Wilson, who became President in March 1913.

The outcome of the Knickerbocker collapse and the National Monetary Commission enquiry was predetermined from the outset by the International Bankers, and the response of the government was diabolically steered towards the adoption of a plan already secretly devised by bankers’ representatives at Jekyll Island.

The Jekyll Island Conspiracy

In 1910, representatives of the world’s most powerful banking firms, (the J.P. Morgan dynasty, the Rockefeller dynasty, Kuhn Loeb & Company, the Rothschilds from Europe, and M.M.Warburg from Germany and the Netherlands), met with the utmost secrecy at Jekyll Island, a resort off the coast of Florida.  They were Senator Nelson Aldridge (Chairman), Paul Warburg (banking practice advisor), A P Andrews, Frank Vanderlip, Henry P Davison, Charles D Norton, and Benjamin Strong.  It has been estimated that the banking dynasties they represented controlled one fourth of the wealth of the whole world.  Their purpose was to use the expertise of Paul Warburg to devise a reserve banking system that would place international banking dynasties in control of American finance.

The reserve banking plan devised by Paul Warburg at Jekyll Island was first presented to Congress as the ‘Aldridge Plan,’ but because of an inherent suspicion of central or reserve banks, it received an unfavourable response.  With the name changed to Reserve Banking ‘System’ rather than ‘Bank,’ a second bill was set before Congress and met with more success.  By astute management it was hastily passed at the end of the congressional term, when many of the Congressmen had left for Christmas holidays.  It was enacted by Congress and signed by Woodrow Wilson on December 23rd, 1913.

Unbeknown to members of Congress, the banking system of the Reserve Banking Act was virtually identical to that devised at Jekyll Island by Paul Warburg.  The system he masterminded is called the American Reserve Banking System, which, by their diabolical manipulation, finally placed the American economy under the control of a private corporation owned by world bankers.

The Nature of the American Reserve Banking System

Most Americans think that the Reserve Banking System is an American Reserve Bank, set up, owned, and controlled by the American Government, with the purpose of regulating and controlling American banking, and other financial institutions.  However, the Federal Reserve Banking System has in effect created a privately owned central bank, controlled by a small group of international bankers.  Being privately owned its stock is not publicly traded, its records are kept secret, and its finances never audited by the government.

Congressman Louis Mc Fadden described its true nature in his speech to Congress, “Mr. Chairman, we have in this country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks.”

“Some people think the Federal Reserve Banks are United States Government institutions. They are NOT government institutions. They are private credit monopolies which prey upon the people of the United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers; foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers; and rich and predatory money lenders.”

“Those 12 private credit monopolies were deceitfully and disloyally foisted upon this country by bankers who came here from Europe.”

“Every effort has been made by the Federal Reserve Board to conceal its power.  But the truth is, the Federal Reserve Board has usurped the government of the United States.  It controls everything here; and it controls our foreign relations.  It makes or breaks governments at will.  No man, and no body of men, is more entrenched in power than the arrogant credit monopoly which operates the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks.”

After realising the true nature of the Federal Reserve, President Wilson wrote, “A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit.  Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of our nation, and therefore all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled and one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilised world.  No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.”  From “The New Freedom,” by Woodrow Wilson

The Composition of the American Reserve Banking System

The composition and structure of the American Reserve Banking System devised at Jekyll Island in 1910, and enacted by the American government in 1913, is as follows.

The American Federal Reserve Banking System is structured with twelve privately owned Central Banks strategically situated in major cities throughout America.  Each Bank acts as the Reserve Bank for the satellite banks in its area.  Each area bank has a Board that is elected by its satellite banks.

The American Reserve Banking System, as a whole, has a general board called The American Federal Reserve Banking Board, which oversees the working of the whole System. The Board consists of seven members.  They and their Chairman are elected by the President and endorsed by the Senate.  In almost all cases these members are from banking institutions, and are selected through the adoption of recommendations to the President by the Bankers.  Below is a summary of the duties of The American Federal Reserve Banking Board.

The General Board has many duties concerned with governing the national economy, and as a result conducts the whole direction of American governmental policy. It is responsible for formulating the fiscal policy of the Reserve System, which in effect becomes the fiscal policy of America.

It directs the operation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Central Bank of the Reserve System -- (this will be further explained).

It creates paper currency and distributes it to financial institutions.

It has broad regulatory powers over the money supply and the credit structure, controlling the daily supply and price of money, fixing interest rates, and protecting the value of the dollar by fixing its price daily to regulate foreign exchange rates.

Through its open market operations it buys and sells government securities, like saving bonds, in order to expand or contract the amount of money in the banking system.

It regulates requirements for “fractional-reserve banking,” or the practice of banks retaining only a fraction of their deposits to satisfy withdrawals, and lending the remainder to gain income from interest.

It adjusts the federal funds rate – the rate at which banks borrow reserves from each other.

The Federal Reserve Banking Board has an operational arm called the “Federal Open Market Committee,” which is the working hub of the Board.  The twelve man Committee is made up of the 7 members on the Reserve Banking Board, plus 5 from the regional Reserve Bank Boards.  The Federal Open Market Committee is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the marketing operations of the United States, and is the principle instrument used by the Board to regulate US national monetary policy.

The American Federal Reserve Banking Board and the Federal Open Market Committee are in essence administrative bodies, and need a banking establishment to apply their operations.  The New York Reserve Bank, one of the twelve regional banks, was chosen to be the operational bank of the American Reserve Banking System because of its location and size.  Because the New York Reserve Bank is the operational bank for the American Reserve Banking System, and also the Bank for the American Government, many people think of it as the American Federal Reserve Bank, commonly referred to as the FED.

Who are the Owners of the Federal Reserve?

This has been a closely guarded secret, but we are indebted to the exhaustive research of Eustace Mullins, author of “Secrets of the Federal Reserve.” Here is his definitive answer.

“Because the Federal Reserve Bank of New York was to set the interest rates and direct open market operations, thus controlling the daily supply and price of money throughout the United States, it is the stockholders of that bank who are the real directors of the entire system. For the first time, it can be revealed who those stockholders are. This writer has the original organization certificates of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks, giving the ownership of shares by the national banks in each district.”

“The Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued 203,053 shares, and, as filed with the Comptroller of the Currency May 19, 1914, the large New York City banks took more than half of the outstanding shares. The Rockefeller Kuhn, Loeb-controlled National City Bank took the largest number of shares of any bank, 30,000 shares. J.P. Morgan’s First National Bank took 15,000 shares. When these two banks merged in 1955, they owned in one block almost one fourth of the shares in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which controlled the entire system, and thus they could name Paul Volcker or anyone else they chose to be Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Chase National Bank took 6,000 shares. The Marine Nation Bank of Buffalo, later known as Marine Midland, took 6,000 shares. This bank was owned by the Schoellkopf family, which controlled Niagara Power Company and other large interests. National Bank of Commerce of New York City took 21,000 shares.”

“The shareholders of these banks which own the stock of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are the people who have controlled our political and economic destinies since 1914. They are the Rothschilds, of Europe, Lazard Freres (Eugene Meyer), Kuhn Loeb Company, Warburg Company, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, the Rockefeller family, and the J.P. Morgan interests. These interests have merged and consolidated in recent years, so that the control is much more concentrated. National Bank of Commerce is now Morgan Guaranty Trust Company. Lehman Brothers has merged with Kuhn, Loeb Company, First National Bank has merged with the National City Bank.

The private ownership of the Federal Reserve System has been verified by the American Judicial System.  In the case, Lewis v United States, 680 F,2d 1239 (1982), the Court of Appeals, Poole, Circuit Judge, “held that federal reserve banks are not federal instrumentalities for the purposes of the Act, but are independent privately owned and locally controlled corporations.”

The stock of the Federal Reserve System Banks is not publicly traded, so the banking houses that bought the original shares still have ultimate control of the Federal Banking System.  After intensive investigation, researchers have concluded that even though the Federal Reserve System is American centered, it is still being controlled from London by an international banking cartel of such wealth and power, that it controls the finance of not only America, but ultimately the whole world.

How Does the Federal Reserve Create its Vast Capital?

1. By Printing its Own Money and Investing it

The Reserve Banking Act of 1913 permitted the Federal Reserve System to print its own money, thereby giving it an unlimited supply of free capital for investment.  The Reserve Banking Act has never been repealed.

The privately owned Federal Reserve System uses the facilities of the Treasury Department to print its own money at the cost of ink and paper.  This ‘paper money’ is then used to buy up government and institutional debts, which then must be paid back by the government with accrued interest.  Billions of dollars from interest are distributed to its stockholders annually.  The resultant US government debt was officially recorded in 2005 as 8.2 trillion dollars (at the time of writing). The debt is consistently escalating, and so large that all available money is used to cover the interest. Even more worrying is the fact that the government periodically raises the ceiling of allowable debt.

Before the inception of the Federal Reserve System America was debt free, and there was no personal income tax.  Foreseeing the need for the government to raise finance to cover government debt, Senator Aldridge introduced an amendment to the Constitution that paved the way for the introduction of Personal Income Tax.  Because of the introduction of personal income tax, the general public now bears most of the burden of the debt imposed on the government by the “Fed, whilst the profits of the Federal Reserve are tax free.

2. Purchasing U.S. Treasury Bonds

The largest source of revenue of the Federal Reserve is the interest accrued by its holdings of U.S. Government securities. The privately owned Federal Reserve purchases interest bearing U.S. Treasury Bonds, using their own cost-free Federal Reserve notes.  These bonds are fully redeemable by the Fed at their purchased value plus interest.

This legalized corruption sounds too incredible to be true, but it is verified in a ‘House Banking and Currency Committee’ report in 1964, pp. 9.  It states, “The privately owned Reserve Banks create Federal Reserve Notes out of thin air to buy government bonds from the Unites States Treasury, and lending into circulation at interest, and by bookkeeping entries of checkbook credit to the United States Treasury.”

Despite continual opposition and exposures and almost yearly attempts to repeal the 1913 Banking Act, the control of the banking dynasties is still intact.  This is because of their control of media corporations, allowing them to withhold truth from the general public, and their capacity to manipulate people in high authoritarian positions.  This statement from the House of Representatives 88th Congress, 32nd Session, demonstrates the insidious power the banking cartels exert over individual politicians.  “…it has long been one of the political facts of life that private banks must be able to create the lion’s share of the money, if not all the money.  Thus there is little opposition to the government’s printing bonds and then permitting the banks to create the money with which to buy these bonds; but proposals that the government itself create the money instead of the banks have always set off tremendous political upheavals…  Bankers are politically very powerful.”

3. Manipulating the Economy

The American Reserve Banking System created by the Bankers, controls interest rates and the amount of money circulating in the economy.  Congressional records show that the Fed bankers routinely hold meetings to gain profit by manipulating the stock market via interest rates, and the amount of money they create.  Controlling the money supply has enabled it to create cycles of inflation and contraction, first inciting investment, and then reaping the rewards of depression and bankruptcy.

Huge profits were made from the 1920 Agricultural Depression, where farmers were encouraged to take out long term loans, and then when there was a sudden contraction of credit and increase of interest rates, thousands of farmers were bankrupted and their farms confiscated.

The Great Depression

The Great Depression of 1930 was preceded by open credit and increased loans, followed by credit restriction with the call rate 20%, forcing over 11,000 banks to be closed, and tens of thousands of properties to be seized. The House Hearings on Stabilization of the Purchasing Power of the Dollar, proved conclusively that in 1928 the Federal Reserve Board worked in close cooperation with the heads of European central banks. There is evidence that the Depression of 1929-31 was planned at a secret luncheon of the Federal Reserve Board and the heads of European central banks in 1927.  Eustace Mullins, author of ‘Secrets of the Reserve Board,” found a report of this meeting in ‘The New York Times.’

“The revelation of the Federal Reserve Board’s final decision to trigger the Crash of 1929 appears, amazingly enough, in The New York Times. On April 20, 1929, the Times headlined, "Federal Advisory Council Mystery.”

“Meeting in Washington:   Resolutions were adopted by the council and transmitted to the board, but their purpose was closely guarded. An atmosphere of deep mystery was thrown about the proceedings both by the board and the council. Every effort was made to guard the proceedings of this extraordinary session. Evasive replies were given to newspaper correspondents."

Only the innermost council of "The London Connection" knew that it had been decided at this "mystery meeting" to bring down the curtain on the greatest speculative boom in American history. Those in the know began to sell off all speculative stocks and put their money in government bonds. Those who were not privy to this secret information, and they included some of the wealthiest men in America, continued to hold their speculative stocks and lost everything they had.

Both J.P. Morgan and Kuhn, Loeb Co. had "preferred lists" of men to whom they sent advance announcements of profitable stocks. The men on these preferred lists were fellow bankers, prominent industrialists, powerful city politicians, national Committeemen of the Republican and Democratic Parties, and rulers of foreign countries. The men on these lists were notified of the coming crash, and sold all but so-called gilt-edged stocks, General Motors, Dupont, etc. The prices on these stocks also sank to record lows, but they came up soon afterwards.

Predictably enough, all of the big bankers rode through the depression "with flying colours." The people who suffered were the workers and farmers who had invested their money in get-rich stocks, after the President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon, had persuaded them to do it.

The Rewards of Gaining Control of American Finance

Because of the richness of America’s natural resources and her rapidly expanding economy, the International Bankers could see that the future wealth and prosperity of the world would emanate from America.  Whereas European nations were financially depleted through many wars and revolutions, by comparison America was relatively untouched.  This situation was exacerbated by World Wars 1, and 11, which left the warring nations of Europe destitute and in desperate need of financial assistance.  By comparison, although America’s national debt had dramatically increased, the International Bankers who controlled her economy had made vast profits through lending money for supplying arms and equipment, and the consortiums and corporations they controlled now dominated world industry.

CHAPTER 6
GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS CREATED BY ANTICHRIST TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR A SINGLE WORLD GOVERNMENT

Using the Illuminate and ten kings as his agents, Antichrist has created a number of global institutions that have the common aim of promoting and creating a single world government.

Introduction

In 1933 there was a 700 page book called “Occult Theocrasy” published, written by Edith Starr Miller. It is a very well researched study of the occultist secret societies like Masonry and the Illuminate, that have operated during the last centuries with the aim of undermining and controlling all branches of society.  She wrote, "In offering this book to the public, I have endeavored to expose some of the means and methods used by a secret world, one might almost say an underworld, to penetrate, dominate and destroy not only the so-called upper classes, but also the better portion of all classes."

The quotation below from the introduction of Edith Starr Miller’s “Occult Theocrasy,” summarises the elements necessary to bring about a single world government --  namely a concentration of occultist power, the need of money, and influential intrusion into all phases of international life.

“All secret societies, whether political, philanthropic or occult in appearance, serve a political purpose unknown to the majority of their members.

The power wielded by such societies is real and its character is international.

Regardless of their exoteric [acceptable to general public] objects, the esoteric [understandable only by an enlightened inner circle] aims of most societies are all directed towards the same end -- namely the concentration of political, economic, and intellectual power into the hands of a small group of individuals, each of whom controls a branch of the International life, material and spiritual, of the world today.

The main branches thus controlled are:

The International Banking Groups and their subsidiaries.

International, industrial, and commercial control groups with their interlocking directorates.

Education, Art, Literature, Science, and Religion as vehicles of intellectual and moral perversion.

The Groups already organized throughout different countries for the study of International affairs political, financial, and economic.

The International Press, the medium used to mould public opinion.

The Political party organizations of each nation, whether conservative, liberal, radical, socialist, etc. existing in every country with parliamentary administration.

Internationally organized corruption, the white-slave traffic, vice and drug-rings, etc.

Any one of the branches above enumerated has innumerable ramifications and the control of even the least of them cannot be obtained without money. Money therefore becomes one of the most powerful levers in the hands of men who form the controlling groups. Thus does research in the realm of Finance become indispensable to the students bent upon tracing the real power behind universal control. This power, they will find, is wholly in the hands of the international Jewish financiers.

Glancing at the body frame of all political organizations, do we not perceive that MONEY is its main.  If spiritual control is anti-Christian, Gnostic and occult, it must be subversive of Christianity and Religion. If it directs vice rings of all kinds, it must aim at the destruction of the moral, intellectual and physical strength of the human race.

If, in conclusion, Finance is power and as such is concentrated in one point, it is the arbiter of War and Peace, Life and Death, Welfare and Wretchedness, Prosperity and Ruin. Everything and, it is sad to say, almost everybody, has a price and can be bought though not always with money. Men who today wield financial power have long since based their system of purchase on this axiom.” -- Edith Starr Miller -- “Occult Theocracy.”

Although Edith Starr Miller’s book was published in 1933, the introduction quoted above provides us with a remarkable preview of the diverse international groups that have been established, their common goal of a single world government, their common need of financial backing, and the defiling power of money.  This chapter provides a more detailed account of some such global groups, and their link to the Illuminate and the ten kings.

GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNATIONAL BANKING

Edith Starr Miller sets out the general aim of all satanically controlled groups as “the concentration of political, economic, and intellectual power into the hands of a small group of individuals, each of whom controls a branch of the International life, material and spiritual, of the world today.  She states that one of the areas that secret organisations seek to control is, “International, industrial, and commercial control groups with their interlocking directorates.”  The following are some of the international organisations that they have created to extend their control over the economy and governance of the world.

The Bank for International Settlements

The concept of a central or reserve bank has been so widely accepted that now there are about 170 central banks throughout the world.  Some are national (with or without government control), and some private.  Whether private or national, central banks are indirectly controlled by the International Bankers.  The United States Federal Reserve System Board is not the sole arbitrator of world finance.  There is another international controlling body that has been set up by the International Bankers to direct and control all of the world’s central banks.  It is called the Bank for International Settlements.  It is self proclaimed as “the central bank for central bankers.”

Due to the heavy reparation burden placed on Germany after WW 1, its national economy was threatened with collapse.  In 1924 the allies appointed a committee of bankers and industrialists led by Charles Dawes, to get the payments back on track, and secondly, to establish a forum to unify the operations of central banks.  The Dawes Plan proposed an international central bank, which was later called the Bank for International Settlements.

The Dawes Plan was submitted to the proposed list of central banks, and representatives of the Governments of Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Italy, and Japan. Switzerland was also included as a neutral nation.  The Dawes Plan was accepted and voted into operation by the Hague Agreement in 1930.

The influence of the Illuminate and International Bankers on the formation of The Bank for International Settlements can be seen in the charter it was granted. These are some of the elements that gave it undisputed authority and power.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) offices, employees, directors, and members, have immunity from virtually all regulation, scrutiny, and accountability.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is privately owned and operated by the central banks themselves.

It operates in complete secrecy and it is unassailable.  Movement of money is obscured or hidden when routed through the BIS.  It was used by American banking cartels to channel aid to Germany during WW 11.

It has freedom from immigration restrictions.

It has freedom from legal jurisdiction.

The ownership of the BIS is also enlightening. The BIS was formed with funding by the central banks of six nations -- Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.  The US Federal Reserve ‘Bank,’ had its entry into the BIS vetoed by Congress, but America’s interests were preserved when three of its major banks assisted in financing the establishment of the BIS.  They were J.P. Morgan & Company, First National Bank of New York, and First National Bank of Chicago.

Once again the all powerful influence of the international bankers controlling the American economy is demonstrated.  Whereas each one of the central banks of the nations that subscribed received 16,000 shares, the three U.S. banks that participated also received 16,000 shares each. This meant that the U.S. representation at the BIS was three times that of any other nation. Furthering the American interest, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board has a permanent ex-officio position on the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements.

The Board of Directors meets at BIS headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, about ten times yearly to direct the economy of the world.  The global influence of the Bank for International Settlements is further strengthened by regular meetings of the G-20, which is a forum of the finance ministers and central bank governors of the world’s major economic powers. The G-20 meets regularly to discuss global economic and industrial conditions.  The reality is that it provides an avenue for central bank governors to convey the policy determinations of the Bank for International Settlements to the finance ministers of the major countries.

Financial Power Directed Towards Global Control

The Bank for International Settlement’s involvement in the onward march towards global domination through control of the world’s economy is well stated by noted historian Professor Carroll Quigley.

"The Power of financial capitalism had a far reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalistic fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences. The apex of the system was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world's central banks, which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank sought… to dominate its government by its ability to control treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence co-operative politicians by subsequent rewards in the business world." -- Carroll Quigley, Georgetown University professor -- from “Tragedy and Hope.”

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund

In 1946, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (also known as the World Bank), and the International Monetary Fund, were implemented by the United Nations to provide loans for post-war reconstruction. Basically, the International Monetary Fund supplies short term loans, and the World Bank longer loans for the development of infrastructure in third world nations.

Later other agencies were added to the World Bank to further its financing capacity. They were the ‘International Development Association,’ (providing conditionality loans to impoverished nations), the ‘International Finance Corporation,’ (a lending facility to the private sector), and the ‘Multilateral Insurance Guarantee Agency.’ The overall structure is known as the ‘World Bank Group.’

The World Bank is owned by its member governments which subscribe to its basic share capital. Subscribers receive controlling votes according to the value of their share holding.  In 2004, United States held 16.4% of total votes, Japan 7.9%, Germany 4.5%, and the United Kingdom and France 4.3%.  It is obvious that voting power rests with the major industrial nations in the northern hemisphere, whilst by comparison the voting power of the needy undeveloped nations in the south is insignificant.

After retaining a portion for operational costs, the World Bank distributes the remainder of its profits to its share holders.  The World Bank also obtains finance by issuing bonds (essentially IOUs backed by member governments), for purchase by development bankers and investors through international money markets.  Although it was formed to provide aid to impoverished countries, the World Bank has moved towards financing middle income developing countries, and investing in the private sector, as in mining, transport, energy, and banking enterprises.  It also promotes and brokers loans to undeveloped countries to enable them to engage the services of large engineering consortiums like Bechtel and Maine to build infrastructure.

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund were implemented as altruistic organisations to relieve poverty and provide much needed facilities like water and electricity to poorer countries.  However their financial aid is often conditional to accepting ‘structural adjustment programs,’ or debt reduction measures like privatisation, trade liberalisation, deregulation, cuts in social services, and lowering wages.  Such conditions have lowered the standard of living, and increased the level of poverty of already impoverished nations.  Since the 1980s, the structural adjustment programs have helped create an outflow of wealth and natural resources from the developing world to the industrialized countries of the North.

World Bank Conditionality Loans -- A Case Study

With its economy in a state of duress, the Bolivian government turned to the World Bank for support.  For the next 20 years successive governments were forced to comply with the World Bank’s provisions in order to qualify for continual loans.  Bolivia privatized railways, telephone system, national airlines, and tin mines.  All were purchased by multi-national companies.  In 2000 the World Bank declared that it would not renew a $25 million loan unless Bolivia privatized its water services.

The successful bidder for the tender was Aguas de Tunaria, a consortium led by International Water Limited (England), the utility Edison (Italy), Bechtel Enterprise Holdings (USA), Abengoa (Spain), and two Bolivian companies, ICE Ingenieros, and cement maker SOBOCE.

The Bolivian Government signed a 40 year $2.5 billion contract with Aguas de Tunaria, agreeing to pay a minimum 15% annual return on its investment, annually adjusted to the US consumer price index.  Upon taking control, the company raised water rates an average of 35% to about $20 a month.  In Bolivia the minimum wage was $70 a month, and most workers earned about $100 a month.  $20 was more than the average worker spent on food.  Privatization had left tens of thousands of poor families with no access to water whatsoever.

Demonstrations erupted in which a general strike shut down the city of Cochabamba for four straight days.  Martial law was declared, but violence continued until thousands of demonstrators clashed with the military and police, leaving one teenage boy dead, and more than 100 people wounded.  Eventually Abengoa and Bechtel were forced to leave Bolivia, and the water contract was annulled.

Criticism of World Bank and IMF by “Global Exchange”

This criticism of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was made by ‘Global Exchange,’’ an organisation promoting world-wide human rights, and social, economic, and environmental justice.

“For more than 50 years, the IMF and the World Bank have advanced a form of economic "development" that prioritizes the concerns of wealthy lenders and multinational corporations in the industrialized north while neglecting the needs of the world's poor majority. The institutions work as a kind of international loan shark, exerting enormous influence over the economies of more than 60 countries. In order to get loans, international assistance, and debt relief, countries must agree to conditions set by the Bank and Fund. Under the guise of promoting "free trade," market liberalization, and financial stability, these two institutions have forced cuts in health care, education and other social services for millions of people across the planet, thereby deepening poverty and increasing inequality. By elevating concerns about macroeconomic financial stability above all other competing values, the institutions have created a human rights catastrophe.

In dozens of countries around the world, the IMF and the World Bank have violated that "right to social security." The institutions have forced debtor countries to cut social spending on health, education, and other public services. They have pressured poor nations to charge their own citizens for the use of public schools and public hospitals. And they have demanded that countries keep their wage levels low, a policy which harms ordinary citizens but benefits multinational corporations.”

Despite propaganda extolling the virtues of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, statistics show that their relief measures have not reduced poverty or addressed inequality of assets, and that countries have been driven deeper into national debt.  Through their control of banking and industry, the international banking dynasties have exerted a major influence on management of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, directing decisions towards promoting their own business and investment opportunities.

OTHER GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS

Edith Starr Miller lists “International, industrial, and commercial control groups with their interlocking directorates,” as another area to be used by the Illuminate to promote their aim of global control.

The Illuminate’s instruction for its members to associate with persons in key authoritative positions resulted in the formation of elitist forum discussion groups, through which some participants might be influenced, and others brought into their ranks.  In the forums that developed there were prominent figures from many branches of society, such as international bankers, heads of multinational corporations, controllers of media, influential politicians, academics, scientists, and former CIA members. They were representatives of the wealthiest and most influential people in the world.

As the banking institutions and industrial consortiums became global, it became apparent that their interests needed further protection from international competition and government interference.  They arrived at a consensus that global meetings and alliances were needed to minimise competition, and to coordinate strategies to establish a new world order with a single world government under their control.

Forum groups took on an international status after a series of meetings of about fifty of the world’s most powerful and influential people. According to Gary Allen in the October 1972 issue of "AMERICAN OPINION," participants included ".such potentates of international banking as J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Paul Warburg, Otto Kahn, and Jacob Schiff...the same clique which had engineered the establishment of the Federal Reserve System."

These meetings resolved to form an "Institute of International Affairs," with two branches -- the Royal Institute of International Affairs in Britain, and the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States.  The Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, were eventually established in 1921.

The Council on Foreign Relations

The Council on Foreign Relations was formed in New York on July 29th, 1921.  Throughout its existence, the membership of the Council on Foreign Relations has included influential figures from all branches of elitist society, such as elected and former politicians, heads of state departments, international bankers, academics, former CIA members, industrialists, and controllers of the media  The Illuminate exerted considerable influence on the forming of the Council on Foreign Relations, and maintains control over it through the International Bankers, and the allegiance of leading authoritarian figures under its control.

During the Franklin Delano Roosevelt years, the Council on Foreign Relations captured the political life of the United States. Curtis Dall wrote of his father-in-law, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "...Most of his thoughts, his political 'ammunition,'...were carefully manufactured for him in advance by the CFR-One World Money group.  Brilliantly... he exploded that prepared 'ammunition' in the middle of an unsuspecting target, the American people--and thus paid off and retained his internationalist political support.”

Admiral Chester Ward, a member of the CFR for over a decade, became one of its harshest critics, revealing its inner workings in his book, "Kissinger ON THE COUCH." In it he states "The most powerful cliques in these elitist groups have one objective in common: they want to bring about the surrender of the sovereignty and national independence of the United States." According to Ward, within the CFR there exists a "much smaller group but more powerful...made up of Wall Street international bankers and their key agents. Primarily, they want the world banking monopoly from whatever power ends up in control of the global government ...This CFR faction is headed by the Rockefeller brothers."

David Rockefeller stated on 9th September 1994: "This present window of opportunity, during which a truly peaceful and interdependent world order might be built, will not be open for too long - We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order."

Since 1934 almost every United States Secretary of State, all Secretaries of War or Defence, and nearly all presidential candidates have been CFR members. The CIA has been under CFR control almost continuously since its creation.

The Council on Foreign Relations has no formal affiliation with the American government, but because its members have gained controlling positions in nearly all government departments, it affects considerable influence over government policy.  Its influence should not be underestimated.  James Warburg, a member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s "brain trust," and son of Paul Warburg, one of the founders of the CFR, made this statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 17, 1950: "We shall have world government whether or not you like it--by conquest or consent."

The Bilderberg Group

The Bilderberg Group was formed in 1954 from the world’s elite banking, corporate, political, and academic leaders.  Their aim was to globalise the enterprises of corporate America by promoting a free flow of capital between America and its European partners, and to bring Germany into the alliance.  Because of the enormous inherent power and stature of its international membership, and the unaccountable secretive nature of its meetings, the Bilderberg group has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories.  Few doubt that it has enormous political clout and influence on international policy.

The Trilateral Commission

The Trilateral Commission was founded by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski in 1973. It was founded with the intention of creating a "New International Economic Order" amongst its members, which included North America, Europe and Japan, who had been omitted from the Bilderberg union.  To this end, they brought together 300 authoritative leaders from these regions to engage in regular conferences aimed at increasing globalisation of their wealth and power.

The focus of these groups was supposedly directed towards discussion of world affairs for the good of mankind, but because of the Illuminate influence, they soon became forums for accelerating globalisation and the eventual formation of a  single world government.

The United Nations

In reality the United Nations was a creation of the Council on Foreign Relations, which has a long term plan to eventually control it and use it as the basis for a one world government.  Since its inception the Council on Foreign Relations has worked towards each nation surrendering its national sovereignty to the control of the United Nations, which would eventually become a world governing body under CFR control.

The American delegation to the San Francisco meeting that drafted the charter of the United Nations in 1949 included CFR members Nelson Rockefeller, John Foster Dulles, John McCloy, Harry Dexter White, Owen Lattimore, and the Secretary-General of the conference, Alger Hiss.  In all, the Council sent forty-seven of its members in the United States delegation, effectively controlling the outcome. In his book, “The New World Order,” renowned Christian author Pat Robertson declares, "...the present United Nations organization is actually the creation of the CFR and is housed on land in Manhattan donated to it by the family of current CFR chairman David Rockefeller."

The World Council of Churches

The Changing Charter of the World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches (WCC) was formed in 1948 with 147 churches from Protestant and Orthodox backgrounds.  Originally it had the ecumenical goal of bringing all churches into a visible unity in one faith.  Now it has over 300 members with a far wider range of ideologies. Its original aim has been expanded to entering into dialogue with such diverse groups as Roman Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Communists, Jews, Humanists, and Traditional African Religions.  The original goal of Christian unity has been superseded by the goal of the unity of all religions, and eventually “the unity of all mankind.”

In the Assembly in Canberra in 1992, the Director of the WCC’s Inter-Faith dialogue, Sri Lankan, Wesley Ariarajah, expressed the need for liberalization of attitudes towards non-Christian faiths.  His views expressed at the Assembly were recorded in “The Australian.”  “The World Council of Churches took ecumenism to its farthest limits at the weekend, suggesting Muslims, Hindus and others achieve salvation in the same way as Christians, and warning the latter against ‘narrow-thinking.’ The council’s Director of Inter-Faith dialogue, Dr Wesley Ariarajah, said it was inconceivable to him that God listened to Christian prayers but ignored those prayers to their particular versions of God.”

Witnessing Replaced by Dialogue

Considering the World Council of Churches’ change of objective from the unity of religions to the unity of all mankind, it is not surprising that witnessing has been replaced by dialogue.  The WCC policy on dialogue states in part, "opportunities and occasions for dialogue cannot and must not be confined to men of religious faiths but also must involve men of secular ideologies." According to their own definition, dialogue is, "…an opening of the mind and heart to others. It is an undertaking which requires RISK as well as a deep sense of vocation…this opening, this risk, this vocation, this sensitivity are at the heart of the ecumenical movement and in the deepest currents of the life of the churches."  Although the WCC endeavours to hold together divergent political and religious groups within its membership by continuing dialogue, unfortunately when pronouncements are made it is often the voice of radicalism that is promoted.

Opening the Mind to Spiritual Apostasies

Because of its endeavour to promote forward and liberal thinking, the WCC has fostered apostasy of the worst kind.  In November 1993, the World Council of Churches sponsored a Re-imaging conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some 2,000 women "seeking to change Christianity," attended, and participants were challenged to “expand their horizons, to be enriched and nurtured spiritually, and to engage in dialogue with women and men from around the world.”  An example of their liberal thinking, and being ‘enriched and nurtured spiritually,’ was provided by speakers at the conference.

Chung Hyung Kyung, a theologian from the Republic of Korea, expressed her view of the kinship of the Holy Spirit with pagan religious spirits.  She told the crowd, "My bowel is Buddhist bowel, my heart is Buddhist heart, my right brain is Confucian brain, and my left brain is Christian brain."

During a panel discussion on Jesus, Delores Williams of Union Theological Seminary, said, "I don't' think we need a theory of atonement at all. I think Jesus came for life and to show us something about life. I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff ... we just need to listen to the God within."

Christianity should not be compromised, or listed on the same plane as other religions. The Scriptures clearly state that Jesus Christ, and He alone, is the author of our salvation

“And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'” [Acts 2:21].  And, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12].

Sexual Liberation

During the conference, about 100 "lesbian, bi-sexual, and transsexual women" gathered on the platform and were given a standing ovation by many in the crowd. They were "celebrating the miracle of being lesbian, out, and Christian."

In a seminar on 'Re-imagining Sexuality-Family,' lesbian theologian Mary Hunt said, `Imagine sex among friends as the norm. ... Imagine valuing sexual interaction in terms of whether and how it fosters friendship and pleasure. ... Pleasure is our birthright of which we have been robbed in religious patriarchy." (AFA Journal, Feb. 1994).

Some of the activities of the World Council of Churches take our minds back to Edith Starr Miller’s prediction of the formation of global groups in “Education, Art, Literature, Science, and Religion as vehicles of intellectual and moral perversion”

Failure to Accept the Bible as the Word of God

The readiness of the WCC to promote ecumenism at the expense of departure from true Christian doctrine can be attributed to its failure to accept the bible as the authoritative, infallible, inerrant, unchangeable Word of God.  In fact the following quotation shows that they have found the Word of God to be a hindrance to their overall plan of the ecumenism of mankind.  "In the WCC we experience both the possibility for common confession of faith and worship together and also the obstacles to Christian unity. We are agreed in giving vital place in our thinking to bible study and worship, we are able to worship our one Lord in the very different way of the churches represented among us. Yet we are also aware of problems concerning the authority of the bible remaining unsolved among us and of the fact that we are not yet part of one eucharistic fellowship.”

The World Council of Churches has no Christian validity in that it was initiated by the mind of man and not the Spirit of God.  Consequently the ecumenism it has fostered has led to its affinity with other Illuminate groups advocating a one world government.  In its effort to accommodate pagan spirituality and practice whilst fostering inter-faith ecumenism, it has opened the door to promotion of gross liberality and atrocious apostasy.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

The pursuance of a one world government was instigated by Antichrist, using secret societies like the Illuminate and Masonry, and the international organisations he has instigated, with the underpinning power and control of the ten kings, or International Bankers.  His intention is to destroy all religions and worldly governments, and replace them with a single world government, over which he presides, using the human agencies he has brought under his control.

From a worldly viewpoint the end result appears irreversible, and so it would be without divine intervention.  With the assistance of the satanically controlled ten kings Antichrist has already gained a covert control of the governments of the world.  Already they are orchestrating the right climate for an outright takeover of all institutions of the world and the property of its inhabitants.  Fortunately we are assured that there will be divine intervention, Revelation proclaiming that the Lord will bring about the utter defeat of Antichrist, and cast down his kingdom forever.

"The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.  These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.  These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." [Rev 17:12-14].

CHAPTER 7
THE LORD AND HIS CALLED CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL

Without divine intervention Antichrist’s triumph would be inevitable, but we are assured by the Scriptures that “the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings,” and “those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Key Bible Reading

“These [Antichrist and the ten kings] will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." [Rev 17:14].

The Key Bible Reading reveals two entities that are involved in the final overcoming of Antichrist’s kingdom.  The first is the Lord Jesus Christ, referred to here as “the Lamb,” and “Lord of lords and King of kings.” The second is “those with Him who are called, chosen, and faithful.”

The All Conquering Lord and His Prepared Army

The judgment and overthrowing of Antichrist’s worldly kingdom, or “Babylon the Great,” is the responsibility of the LORD, and the outcome is certain, for He is “Lord of lords and King of kings,” and “… in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily…” [Col 2:9].  The invincible power of God is an attribute equally belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The outcome of the battle between Christ and Antichrist is certain. We are told that Antichrist’s kingdom will be cast down by the Lord in “one hour,” [or a very short time], never to rise again.  'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, [the kingdom of Antichrist] that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'” [Rev 18:10]. “And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges* her.” [Rev 18:8].

The nineteenth chapter of Revelation figuratively describes the Lord going forth “conquering and to conquer.”  Following Him is His army, which is referred to in the Key Bible Reading as the “called, chosen, and faithful.”

“Now I saw heaven opened [to show what the Lord is doing], and behold, a white horse [an emblem of triumph]. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean followed Him on white horses.  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword [the truth], that with it He should strike the nations.” [Rev 19:11-15].

The supreme commander of the army is the Lord Jesus Christ, “Lord of lords and King of kings,” and “Head over all things to the Church.”[Eph 1:22].  In this figurative description, His armies, previously named as the “called, chosen, and faithful,” are described in this reading as “the armies in heaven”…clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

In this reading “heaven” is a spiritual state rather than a physical location.  Because of their purity and righteousness, they have been raised spiritually into “the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” [Eph 2:6], where they may use the authority of His throne in ministry.  In Christ’s last address to the “overcomers,” He says, “to him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”  [Rev 3:21].

Sitting on His throne means that they have been granted the authority to use and experience the power of His name -- “… the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth and of those under the earth…”  [Phil 2:9-10].

The overcomers are those who have learned to appropriate Christ’s victory over Satan, the world, and the flesh, through their union with Jesus, and by learning to exercise their authority to wield the power of His name. Because their ministries have been subjected to Christ’s initiation, they have experienced fruitfulness in their ministries.. They have experienced the blessings of Christ’s overcoming life in their circumstances here on earth, and have gained the victory over the mark and the name of Antichrist.

Being clothed in “fine linen, white and clean” indicates that those accompanying the Lord have a righteousness beyond that of the accredited righteousness we all have by the virtue of the blood of Jesus.  In Revelation 19, those who have been prepared by God’s refining hand to be Christ’s bride, are “granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” [Rev 19:7-8].  Their inherent righteousness is evidenced in their righteous acts, which are devoid of the intrusion of the flesh.

The overcomers are as completely dependant on the Lord as He was on the Father.  On earth, Jesus made it clear that it was not He who did the works, but the Father who dwelt in Him.  God initiated every work of the Lord, and gave Him the words He used in His ministry.

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” [John 14:10-11].

Jesus clearly stated that without Him we can accomplish nothing. “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” [John 15:5-6].  It is in obedience to this relationship of dependence on the Lord that His army follows Him, and is used by Him to accomplish His purposes

The Sword of the Spirit

In describing the all conquering Jesus, the reading from Rev19 says, “now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword [Scriptural truth], that with it He should strike [slay, or bring to nothing] the nations.”  In Revelation, ‘the nations’ is a term consistently used to describe those outside the Church who oppose Christ.  The sword that goes out of the mouth of the Lord is the Word, or Scriptural truth, as in this reading from Ephesians. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” [Eph 6:17-18].  It is Christ’s chief weapon in exposing and defeating the lies and deceptions used by Satan and Antichrist to hold people in bondage.

Although the reading says that the sword goes out of the mouth of the Lord, it is signifying that it originates from Him.  In reality, He presents His word by the Spirit to His end-time prophets and teachers, and when they testify in His name to the scriptural word, the Holy Spirit upholds their testimony with His power.  Consequently the sword of Scriptural truth is all powerful in overcoming Antichrist and his working.

The Called, Chosen, and Faithful

“…the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” [Rev 17:14].

In the midst of the calamitous ruin and desolation on the earth, where desperation and uncertainty reign, it will be the task of the “called, chosen, and faithful,” to reveal the truth that unveils the working of Antichrist in the church and the world.  Their ministry, which is already in evidence, will be directed towards achieving the following objectives.

To reveal the difference between the true Church and Antichrist’s apostate counterfeit church, so that people might obey God’s instruction to “come out of her.”

To reveal the nature of the mark, the name, and the number of the beast, so that Antichrist’s hold over mankind will be broken.  This is to turn people’s hearts away from reliance on self and the world for their provision and security, and learn to trust God to provide for all their needs.  Instead of a time of total calamity, this will be a time when people in need will repent and turn to the Lord for help. As a result, Antichrist’s stranglehold over mankind will be broken.

To unmask Antichrist’s activities in the world, where he is attempting to gain control over all the financial, political, social, and religious institutions.

To prepare people for the tribulation that the Scriptures prophesy is coming on the earth in the latter days.

To reveal the victory of the Lord and the glory of His restored Church.

They are Called

Those accompanying the all conquering Lord are described as “called, chosen, and faithful.”  Amongst all Christians, only a refined remnant will be commissioned by the Lord to be involved in His final conflict with Antichrist and Satan.  As Christians we are all enjoined to put off our ‘old man,’ or carnal fleshly nature, so that the Holy Spirit may refine us and change us into the likeness of the Lord.  However the preparation of those in the Lord’s end-time army involves a much longer and deeper period of testing and refinement.  Those being prepared have submitted to the degree of suffering needed to burn away every trace of carnal fleshly zeal and self works, so that the Lord can use them without unwitting hindrance.

The Call and Commissioning of Isaiah

The call and commissioning of Isaiah provides us with a model of the preparation and call of the “called, chosen, and faithful.”  The reading commences with Isaiah’s vision of the Lord.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!"

And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. [Isa 6:1-4].

Before a person can whole heartedly consign his carnal nature to the cross and submit to God’s refining work, he must first be shown how corrupt and self-centred it is, when compared with the holiness and purity of God.  After seeing this vision of the Lord’s holiness and grandeur, Isaiah had an immediate twofold revelation.  He had unclean lips, and as well, his fellow Israelites had unclean lips.

"Woe is me, for I am undone!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King,

The LORD of hosts." [Isa 6:5].

In ‘Strongs,’ associated meanings for ‘unclean,’ are ‘defiled,’ polluted,’ and ‘impure.’  Our lips are the basic instruments the Lord uses to direct His ministry to others.  What issues from our lips is a reflection of the inner state of our hearts.  Before being called to such a ministry or commission from the Lord, we have to be shown the impurity of the utterances that proceed from a carnal mouth.  It wasn’t that Isaiah was more corrupt than his fellows, but that all mankind, in their natural fleshly state are defiled, polluted, impure, and unclean.

James makes this assessment of the tongue: “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” [James 3:6].

Before entering into a personal ministry of the Lord’s calling, we, like Isaiah, have to be shown the abomination of our carnal self centred natures, and in particular the true nature of our tongues, and our need for them to be bridled by the Lord.  Isaiah’s immediate reaction to the revelation of his true self was one of self abasement and repentance.

The second part of Isaiah’s revelation was, “I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”  If we are to minister to the end-time church, the Lord has to show us its true nature, so that we may know patience in presenting the truth that will lead to repentance.  With such a revelation we may also understand that it is only truth that emanates from the Lord himself that will bear fruit.

Isaiah was Refined

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.  And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

‘Behold, this has touched your lips;

Your iniquity is taken away,

And your sin purged.’” [Isa 6:6].

Touching Isaiah’s mouth with a burning coal is a symbolic picture of refinement through suffering.  Jesus said that our mouths are the organ that reflected our inner natures.

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”  [Matt 12:34-35].

In this light, the refinement of Isaiah’s mouth incorporated the refinement of his whole being.  Such a refinement was necessary so that he would speak only the words of the Lord without the interference of carnal self. In Isaiah’s case this refining process appears to happen instantly, but in reality God’s refining work may take many years before a person can be trusted to present the true testimony of the Lord.

Isaiah was Called

After being prepared, Isaiah heard the Lord’s invitation or calling to be involved in His work, in his case as a prophet.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

"Whom shall I send,

And who will go for Us?" [Isa 6:8].

Similarly, those to be associated with the Lord in His end-time ministry should hear such a calling.  They are not ordered, but called or invited by the Lord to take part in His ministry.  The initiation of the ‘call’ is by the Lord, and it is directed into their spirits by the Holy Spirit.  Hearing the Lord’s invitation, or calling, is a necessary part of being commissioned for a ministry.  Any ministry initiated by zeal rather than a true calling is invalid.  It is the Lord who chooses and prepares his servants, and allots true ministries to His Church.

Isaiah Accepted the Call

Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." [Isa 6:8].

Having heard the invitation, people must still accept it, and secondly, make a commitment to the commission with their whole hearts.  Jesus said, “for many are called, but few chosen." [Matt 20:16].  The basis for being chosen is the steadfast reliability of the commitment each has made, and this is known by the Lord.

Before this stage a ‘called’ person should be aware of the warfare and suffering involved in accepting the commission.  Counting the cost, they are prepared in their hearts to make a steadfast commitment.  They have been made purified vessels that the Lord can use to fulfil His purposes.  “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honour and some for dishonour.  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter [the fleshly nature], he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” [2 Tim 2:20-22].

Chosen

Those involved with the Lord in exposing and overthrowing Antichrist and the ten kings are also chosen.  Not all who are called are chosen.  Not all who have stepped on the path of refinement will remain to endure the full measure of suffering that is required for them to be forged into one of the chosen.  Only God knows our hearts, and it is He who prepares and presents the chosen ones to the Lord.  How do the ‘called’ know that they have been chosen?  It is verified by the Holy Spirit. Those who are chosen are empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfil their calling.

Characteristics of the Called and Chosen

They should know and have experienced the use of the authority and power of Christ’s name, and the use of Scriptural testimony, in casting down Satan’s strongholds.

They should know the power of the blood of Jesus in negating any claim of Satan against them.  They have been brought to realise the importance of the blood of Jesus in maintaining their righteousness in their relationship with the Lord.

They should be equipped with the knowledge of the blessings procured for all Christians by the cross of Jesus.

They should have continually experienced the manifestation of the life of Jesus in them in its power to accomplish all things, and to overcome all things.  They should have learned to ‘feed’ on Him, or draw on His attributes, such as love, joy, peace, patience, faith, strength, and so forth, as part of their daily  living.

Faithful

The purpose of God’s refining process is to bring the refined and chosen volunteers to a state of complete trust in His name, and His faithfulness, to uphold them in their ministries. Obedience has been formed in them so that the Lord can trust them to carry out His will rather than their own.  The final result is a love and devotion to the Lord that is complete in its self-sacrificing commitment. Because they are fully prepared, fully dedicated, and perfectly obedient, the Key Bible Reading declares them to be FAITHFUL.

Summarising their Ministry

With the completion of their preparation, the designated task of the refined remnant, or the called, chosen, and faithful, will be to present truth to people who have been captivated by Antichrist and left bewildered and disillusioned.  By unmasking the working and deceptions of Antichrist, they pave the way for them to be released from his bondage.

They will attest to the magnitude of the power and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the inevitability of His casting down Antichrist and his kingdom.  They will reinforce faith in His love, and trustworthiness in protecting and providing for the needs of His redeemed.

It is through their ministry that Antichrist will be defeated, and the glory of the Lord will be restored to His Church.

CHAPTER 8
THE FALL OF BABYLON THE GREAT

When God judges the inhabitants of the earth at the end of the age there will be a time of tribulation with privation and desolation, culminating in the fall of Babylon the Great

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE HARLOT

Before describing the destruction of the harlot in the 17th chapter of Revelation, John reminds us of the scope of her influence.  The foulness of her false doctrine and blasphemes have polluted all the nations of the world.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters [nations],  with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." [Rev 17:1-2].

Treachery and Disloyalty in Antichrist’s Kingdom

Verse 16 of the 17th Chapter of Revelation introduces a surprising change in the overall working of Antichrist’s kingdom.  Instead of the unity and cooperation that has been enforced by Antichrist, destruction is now ordered within its own ranks.  Having used the harlot to contaminate the Church, she is now singled out for total destruction.  The harlot is now seen as more of a threat than an asset, and has become a victim in Antichrist’s overall plan to destroy all religions.  The ten kings are the instruments Antichrist will use to bring about her destruction.

“And the ten horns [the ten kings] which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” [Rev 17:16].

We are told that the ten horns, or ten kings, will hate the harlot or false religion that Antichrist has created, which is essentially the Roman Catholic Church. The reading states that they will “make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”

They will Hate Her

At first it may seem strange that the ten kings should hate the harlot because both were instigated and developed by Antichrist.  The ten kings, or the rulers of the financial institutions of the world, have embraced the Illuminate agenda of destroying all religions and governments, so that they can have the dominant role in the rule of a single world government.  Because the Catholic Church has a similar agenda, with the Pope ruling over a one world religion, the two agendas of world domination conflict with each other.

They will Make Her Naked

To be made “naked” in biblical symbology is to uncover her secret sins and true nature, which are at present covered by a cloak of respectability.

Some of the harlot’s religious apostasy that denies the fundamentals of Christian faith, and her priesthood’s involvement in paedophilia, are already being brought into the light.  But there is also a dark secretive side of the Catholic Church organisation that was brought about when she surrendered much of the control of the Vatican Bank finances into the hands of international bankers.  One result of their alliance is that the International Bankers now have privy to factual information concerning the Vatican’s involvement in illicit practices.  There is ample evidence to support some of the following allegations and suspicions that have surfaced over past decades, and directed at the Catholic Church.

The Vatican has been involved with the Mafia and other crime syndicates and drug dealers.

It has used its status as a sovereign state to launder money through the Vatican Bank.

It has created dummy off-shore corporations in which to deposit illegally gained money.

The Vatican had a compliant attitude towards both Mussolini’s fascist regime, and Germany’s Nazi regime, seeing in them a useful block to the threat of Communism.

It organised the Nazi ‘rat line,’ or escape route for Nazi war criminals, and provided money, false passports, and transport.

There have been suspicions concerning the nature of the death of newly appointed Pope John Paul 1, after he had intimated that he was about to overhaul the Vatican Bank, and rid it of its corrupted overseers and its illicit dealings.

Prominent Catholics have been involved in Masonic and other satanic secret societies like the Knights of Malta and the powerful P2, or Propaganda Due.

To Eat Her Flesh

To eat her flesh is to strip the Catholic Church of her worldly wealth.  The Catholic Church and the many institutions related to her depend on the capital provided by the controllers of world finance, and if they removed their support she would soon become insolvent.

To Make Her Desolate

To “make her desolate” is to divest her of her loyal supporters, so that she is left abandoned and isolated.  With the loss of her credibility there will be an accompanying desertion by those who formerly afforded to her homage and adulation.

To Burn Her with Fire

To “burn her with fire” is to consume her utterly so that no trace remains.

Three Kings are destroyed by Antichrist

A further example of the disunity and self destruction in Antichrist’s kingdom is prophesied in the following vision of Daniel, where he discloses that Antichrist will subdue three of the ten kings.  Viewed figuratively, three is not the actual number of kings, but is the number appointed by God to fulfil His purpose.

“The ten horns are ten kings

Who shall arise from this kingdom

And another [the kingdom of Antichrist] shall rise after them;

He shall be different from the first ones,

And shall subdue three kings.” [Dan 7:24].

In Verse 8, Daniel says that the three kings were to be “plucked out by the roots.”

“I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one [the kingdom of Antichrist], coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.”  The little horn represents the kingdom of Antichrist, but in relationship with the ten kings, it is basically antichrists secular kingdom that rises and grows in their midst.

Despite the ten kings being of one mind, and sharing their authority and power with Antichrist in establishing his world kingdom, when it is in his interest Antichrist has no hesitation in subduing, or diminishing the power of the ten kings, so that his own control is not threatened.  Verse 8 says three kings, (a portion of the ten) will be “plucked out by their roots.”  The ‘roots’ of the three kings is their valid authoritative standing in the financial world, without which they cannot survive.  There is evidence that Antichrist has already reduced their power and influence on world affairs through the collapse of major banking institutions and industrial consortiums.

God is in Control of all Things

The most pertinent fact in the self destruction of Antichrist’s kingdom is the limitless power of God, who is able to initiate and consummate all things according to His will.  “For God has put it into their hearts to fulfil His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled." [Rev 17:17]

The powers at work in Antichrist’s kingdom will cooperate with each other until God’s purposes are fulfilled.  Then in His timing God will intervene, and the inherent greed, evil, and the animosity in Satan’s kingdom, will turn on it and precipitate self destruction.

The Complete Destruction of Babylon the Great

The Arrogant Over Confidence of Babylon the Great

Economist John Maynard Keynes wrote, “By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate secretly and unobserved an important part of the wealth of the citizens. The process engages all the hidden forces of economics on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner that not one man in a million can diagnose."

Antichrist and the ten kings have established their kingdom by stealth, and their works have passed unnoticed by the world at large.  In their arrogance, the ten kings have assumed that either God has not been aware of their influence on the world, or that He has not been able to hinder their progress.

Scriptures Show that Their Confidence will be Shattered

We have stated previously that some prophecies of the destruction of the nation of Babylon have a parallel application to Babylon the Great in the New Testament. Such a parallel prophecy appears in the 47th chapter of Isaiah, where similar words describe the arrogant confidence of the rulers of both Babylon and Babylon the Great.

Isaiah:

"Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,

Who dwell securely,

Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me;

I shall not sit as a widow [suffer bereavement or loss],

Nor shall I know the loss of children'…” [Isa 47:8]

Revelation:

“In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'”   [Rev 18:7].

Despite her confidence, Babylon the Great is doomed to destruction.

Isaiah:

“But these two things shall come to you

In a moment, in one day:

The loss of children, and widowhood.” [Isa 47:9].

Revelation:

“Therefore her plagues will come in one day -- death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.” [Rev 18:8].

The ten kings have a mistaken belief that because they are unobserved by the world they are immune from judgment.  As Isaiah’s parallel prophecy continues, he forecasts that their confidence will be shown to be misplaced, and that Antichrist’s kingdom will be utterly destroyed.  Isaiah prophesied that the downfall of Babylon will be in a climate of evil, trouble, blindness and uncertainty.

"For you have trusted in your wickedness;

You have said, 'No one sees me';

Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;

And you have said in your heart,

'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'

Therefore evil shall come upon you;

You shall not know from where it arises.

And trouble shall fall upon you;

You will not be able to put it off.

And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,

Which you shall not know.”  [Isa 47:10-11].

God’s Irrefutable Pronouncement of Lucifer’s Demise

In the case of those in the top echelon of authority in Antichrist’s kingdom, their overconfidence is enhanced by their direct worship of Lucifer, believing that he is more powerful than God. They have assured themselves that they are immune from God’s judgment.  They have not seen or known God, and have not feared that He has taken account of their wickedness.

An irrefutable sign of God’s divinity is that He, and only He, can announce the end of a matter at the beginning: “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning.” [Isa 46:9-10] God has declared unequivocally the defeat and demise of Lucifer, or Satan, and what God has spoken must come to pass.

"How you are fallen from heaven,

O Lucifer, son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

For you have said in your heart:

'I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars [angels] of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north [God’s throne];

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will be like the Most High.'

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

To the lowest depths of the Pit.” [Isa 14:12-15].

God’s pronouncement of Satan’s demise is paralleled in  Revelation.

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. [Rev 20:10 ]

Babylon the Great is to be Stripped of her Wealth and Power

The following is an account of the abrupt fall and destruction of the world kingdom of Babylon the Great.  The language is obviously figurative, but clearly points to trading, and buying and selling, as the focus of God’s judgment.  It is not the buying and selling that warrants God’s condemnation, but Antichrist’s use of it to subjugate mankind to his control.

"And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her [the world kingdom of Antichrist], for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.” [Rev 18:9-14].

We are told that “no one buys their merchandise anymore.”  The above reading portrays the result of a total collapse of the world’s economy, which had been formerly controlled by Antichrist and the ten kings.  No one will be able to trade in money, or buy the merchandise of the ten kings and their commercial institutions.  The merchandise listed includes luxury items like “precious stones and pearls,” and everyday necessities such as “wood, bronze…flour… wheat and cattle”.

The most heinous item is the “bodies and souls of men.”  Throughout the whole course of the history of the kingdom of Antichrist, the lives, or bodies and souls of men, have been regarded by Satan as of no account.  The fact that countless millions of lives have been degraded or exterminated through murders and assassinations, wars, revolutions, genocide, slavery, drugs, poverty and the like, has been regarded as an inevitable consequence of establishing a new world order.  It highlights Antichrist’s complete indifference to the well being of mankind, and his willingness to destroy the bodies and souls of men to gain the wealth and influence that will enable him to control the world.

The next part of the reading focuses on the purveyors of trade and commerce.

“The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors [symbols of trade], and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'  They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'” [Rev 18:15-19].

The merchants and shipmasters are symbols for the controllers of all commercial and industrial enterprises owned and controlled by the ten kings, or controllers of the world’s finances.  Their immense wealth and power cannot prevent God’s judgment, for it will have been stripped away.

The Disintegration of Antichrist’s Kingdom from Within

During the development of his kingdom, Antichrist had maintained an autocratic control over the ten kings and the members of his satanic societies, enforcing a strict compliance to his agenda of establishing a one world government.  But just as the fall of the Roman Empire was triggered by corruption and disunity from within itself, there will be similar disunity and disintegration within the ruling elite of Antichrist’s kingdom, causing it to collapse.  The threat of possible ruin will inflame fear, mistrust, and self protection, causing disunity that will play a major role in hastening the total destruction of Antichrist’s kingdom.  This process of destruction will be hastened in God’s timing.

Other Causes of the Destruction of Antichrist’s Kingdom

An end-time prophecy from Isaiah states, “…my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge…”  [Isa 5:13]. Most of the world’s population has been taken into captivity by Antichrist because of their lack of knowledge. The revelation of truth from Christ’s anointed teachers and prophets will deliver many deceived people from Antichrist’s captivity.

With the prophesied desolation that is to come on the earth there will be a total collapse of the world’s economy and the ten kings will be deprived of their sources of revenue.  Simultaneously, Antichrist will be stripped of his power to use money to captivate people and control the governments of the world.

Hordes of Demon Spirits

The agents that Satan uses to influence and control people are his hordes of demon spirits, who incite the same destructive reactions ascribed to Satan their head.  In Antichrist’s kingdom the demonic spirits that incite greed, self will, hunger for power, and fear and panic, have been held in check.  But in God’s timing He will open the abyss and allow hordes of demon spirits to emerge and torment those on the earth who have not been sealed with His seal of ownership.

The reading below from Revelation describes God’s fifth trumpet judgment that is to fall on the earth.  It portrays the opening of the abyss, or abode of the spirits of Satan, and the emergence of myriads of locusts to wreak torment on those who do not have the seal of God’s ownership.  Because of their destructive nature, locusts are used to symbolically portray demon spirits.

“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star [an angelic being] fallen [or having alighted] from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.  And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.  They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” [Rev 9:1-5].

Revelation declares that Babylon the Great, or the kingdom of Antichrist, will become a prey and a home to every demon spirit and demonic power.

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” [Rev 18:1-3].

When the pit is opened, smoke as from a great furnace emerges and obscures the light of the sun.  This metaphorically describes the spiritual darkness that is to come upon the earth with the emergence of the demon spirits, darkening the light of spiritual truth.  The growing wickedness and lawlessness that is presently apparent suggests that the earth is already experiencing the effects of this increased demonic activity.

Directed at the Throne of the Beast

Although the invasion of demon spirits falls on the whole earth, it is specifically sent forth as a judgment on those under Satan’s influence or control, and in particular, on the rulers of Antichrist’s kingdom.

In Revelation, the trumpet judgments in Chapter 9 are paralleled in the bowls of judgmental wrath in Chapter 16.  The fifth trumpet judgment in Chapter 9 describes the demon invasion on the whole earth.  The fifth bowl of wrath in Revelation 16 shows us that their attack is also directed at “the throne of the beast.”

“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.  They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” [Rev 16:10-11].

There will be a focused attack directed “on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom,” or the kingdom of Antichrist.  “On the throne of the beast” figuratively means on the rulers of Antichrist’s kingdom, and in particular, the money controllers of the world.

Plagues Followed by a Conclusive Crash

Further on, Revelation forecasts that the end of Babylon the Great will occur in “one hour,” or a very short period of time.  It will be pre-empted by preliminary “plagues,” followed by a sudden catastrophic and conclusive crash.

“Therefore her plagues will come in one day -- death and mourning and famine.” [Rev 18:8].

“For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.” [Rev 18:17].

This would seem to point to a number of economic recessions and depressions, followed by the catastrophic crash that will mark the conclusive demise of Antichrist’s kingdom.

The Finality of God’s Judgment

The next section of Revelation relating the fall of Babylon the Great declares the finality of her complete destruction.  It is decreed by God that neither she, nor any part of her, will ever be restored or seen again.  The complete cessation of all the actions of Babylon the Great is characterised by symbolic activities being brought to a complete standstill.

“Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore." [Rev 18:21-22].

The last part of this reading from Revelation reiterates that Antichrist’s primary instruments are the controllers of money, trade and commerce, and that the saints of God are among his victims. “For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.  And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth." [Rev 18:23-24].

God will be Glorified in His righteous Judgment of Antichrist’s Kingdom

After the account of the destruction of Babylon the Great, there is an appeal to all those martyred by her to rejoice, for God has avenged them by His righteous judgment of her. "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!" [Rev 18:20]. Large multitudes in heaven are heard glorifying God, and praising Him for His righteous judgment of the great harlot, and His destruction of Babylon the Great.

“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honour and power belong to the Lord our God!  For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her."  Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!"  And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying," Amen! Alleluia!"  Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"  [Rev 19:1-5].

CHAPTER 9
FROM DESOLATION TO REPENTANCE

In God’s end time judgment, wealth, luxuries and exalted positions will be stripped away. Antichrist’s control over mankind will be broken, and the way paved for people to turn to God in repentance.

GOD’S JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD

Prophesies of Desolation

There are many end time prophesies of God’s judgment of the earth that predict worldwide deprivation and desolation such as has never been experienced before.  The following apocalyptic prophesies from Isaiah are examples of this end-time desolation.

“Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste…

The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered,

For the LORD has spoken this word.”  [Isa 24:1&3].

“Behold, the day of the LORD comes,

Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,

To lay the land desolate;

And He will destroy its sinners from it.” [Isa 13:9].

The Nature of the Desolation of the Earth

In describing the utter desolation of the earth in the following prophecy, Isaiah uses dramatic and fearsome language that is needed to shake us out of our complacency. E.g. “the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste”… “the land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered,”…“those who dwell in it are desolate,” and “the inhabitants of the earth are burned.”

Isaiah 24:1-6

“Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty [devastates it] and makes it waste,

Distorts its surface [changes institutional structures]

And scatters abroad its inhabitants.”  [Isa 24:1].

“The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered,

For the LORD has spoken this word.

The earth mourns and fades away,

The world languishes and fades away;

The haughty people of the earth languish.

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants,

Because they have transgressed the laws,

Changed the ordinance,

Broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore the curse has devoured the earth,

And those who dwell in it are desolate.

Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned,

And few men are left.”  [Isa 24:3-6].

To understand the true meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy, we should again remember that the language is figurative.  For instance when the reading says that “the inhabitants of the earth are burned,” we should understand that burning is a symbol of severe judgment, and so these words are indicating God’s strong judgment on those who have rejected Him and submitted to Antichrist’s control.

Where the reading states that the LORD will make the earth empty, and the land will be utterly plundered, it is not the physical land or population of the earth that will be desolated in God’s judgment, but Antichrists kingdom, and the corrupt world system he has created.

In plundering Antichrist’s kingdom and making it desolate and empty, especially refers to the stripping away of all the spoils that Antichrist has accumulated by his control of the world’s economy.  This would seem to point to a complete collapse of the world’s economy that Antichrist controls.  When the ten kings have lost all, Antichrist will be deprived of his main weapon of control over mankind.  God’s judgment of the world will have a twofold effect.

1.                      It will be apparent that it is only God who can be relied on to provide for our needs. Many people formerly enslaved by Antichrist will repent and turn to God.

2.                      Antichrist’s worldly kingdom will be totally destroyed, never to rise again.

Exalted Leaders in Antichrist’s Kingdom will be Cast Down

In the Scriptures, heavenly bodies are often used as metaphors for kings, princes, and those in exalted positions of authority.  In the following Scripture from Isaiah, the heavenly bodies relate to the exalted leaders in Antichrist’s kingdom as their power is dismantled.

“It shall come to pass in that day

That the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones,

And on the earth the kings [dignitaries] of the earth.

They will be gathered together,

As prisoners are gathered in the pit,

And will be shut up in the prison;

After many days they will be punished.

Then the moon will be disgraced

And the sun ashamed;

For the LORD of hosts will reign

On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem [in the Church].

And before His elders, gloriously.” [Isa 24:21-23].

The Whole World must Face God’s Judgment

The following reading from Isaiah indicates that it is not only Babylon the Great, but the whole world that must face God’s testing and judgment.

And it shall be:

As with the people, so with the priest;

As with the servant, so with his master;

As with the maid, so with her mistress;

As with the buyer, so with the seller;

As with the lender, so with the borrower;

As with the creditor, so with the debtor.

The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered,

For the LORD has spoken this word.” [Isa 24:1-3].

The Church is Included in God’s Judgment of Mankind

Peter declares that not only will the Church be included, but will be in the forefront of God’s judgment of the earth.

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” [1 Peter 4:17].

The Removal of Worldly Security Props

In the process of implanting his mark and image on us, Antichrist has imposed on us a dependence on self and the world for our provision and security. The Second and Third chapters of Isaiah provide us with an insight into how God will break our bondage to the things of the world that we cling to for our security rather than God Himself.

We see that the prophecy in Chapter 2 relates to the last days because of the use of such statements as, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days,” [Isa 2:2], and, “When He arises to shake the earth mightily.” [Isa 2:2; also Haggai 2:6 & 21, and Heb 12:26]

Chapter 3 describes how man will be deprived of those things that the spirit of Antichrist has conditioned him to depend on.

“For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts,

Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah [the whole church]

The stock and the store,

The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water…”  [Isa 3:1].

The stock and the store, and the bread and the water, symbolise the basic things man depends on for his wellbeing.  Where the reading says that the whole supply of bread and water will be taken away, it does not mean that man will be deprived of all food, but rather the removal of all those things he has placed his reliance on for his security and wellbeing, instead of trusting God.  All of these things will prove to be unreliable supports.  Isaiah goes on to list some figurative examples of worldly things that man has turned to rather than to God.

The mighty man [world leaders] and the man of war [the military and its leaders],

The judge [the judicial system] and the prophet [false prophets with false predictions],

And the diviner [spirit guides] and the elder [trusted older persons];

The captain of fifty [bureaucratic officials] and the honourable man [statesmen],

The counsellor [worldly advisers] and the skilful artisan [cultural elite],

And the expert enchanter  [world renowned orators].” [Isa 3:2-3].

The nature of God’s judgment of mankind will be to show how unreliable the provision and security of the world is in the face of the torments and privation of the tribulation period.  He will allow people to suffer the consequences of their decision to put their trust in the world order controlled by Antichrist, so that in the duress of economic collapse they might turn to Him in repentance.  Because man is naturally self-dependent, he has made his own decisions concerning his future security by consulting world experts like financial consultants, media commentators, and economic forecasters, rather than seeking God’s guidance.  As a result, people have allowed their whole lives to be burdened by anxiety and uneasiness through fear of things like threats of war, the cost of living, interest rate rises, and stock market crashes, rather than trusting in God and resting in His provision and protection.

By comparison, the biblical concept of God given provision and well-being is expressed in this figurative picture. “And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree.” [1 Kings 4:25]. The fig tree is often used as a symbol of God’s blessing, so the picture is of every man being blessed with provision and peace from God.

When the Power of the Holy People has been Broken

The twelfth chapter of Daniel commences with a prophetic vision concerning the tribulation that will come upon the earth at the end time.

"At that time Michael shall stand up,

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered…”   [Dan 12:1].

In Daniel’s vision, one angel asks another, "How long shall the fulfilment of these wonders be?"  [i.e. how long till “your people shall be delivered”). [Dan 12:6].

His reply was, “When the power [strength and self-sufficiency] of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."  [Dan 12:7 NIV]

The “holy people” refers to God’s children in general, each one held back from spiritual fulfilment by the power of ‘self’ that governs his reactions and decisions. The “power,” or strength, relates to the strength of the self life -- self dependence, self-sufficiency, self confidence, self-will -- the whole arrogant attitude of self belief that denies the need of God.  When the power of self dependence has been broken by their dire need and helplessness, God’s preparatory work will have accomplished its purpose. When the reality of their spiritual condition has been brought to light, and the truth of Antichrist’s deceptions have been revealed, people will be challenged by the Holy Spirit to repent and surrender and trust their lives into God’s hands.

The Effect of God’s Judgment on the Kingdom of Antichrist

Antichrist, the Ten Kings, and the Illuminate, have their own agenda of creating turmoil and devastation through wars, revolutions, terrorism, manufactured global crises, toppling governments, and the ruination and bankruptcy of business enterprises and individuals.  The finalisation of their aim was set forth by Albert Pike.  Disillusioned mankind “will from that moment be without compass or direction, anxious for an ideal, but without knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer.”

On the surface it would seem that the desolation of the earth would support the agenda of Antichrist, and create the ideal opportunity for those in his kingdom to seize wealth and overthrow governments.  They could present a plausible case to the disillusioned populace, that the only way to restore order is through a one world government controlling the economy of the world.  It would seem an ideal time to install Illuminate prepared leaders to head a new world order, and make their triumph complete.  But Babylon the Great, or Antichrist’s kingdom, is subject to God’s judgment on the earth.

Antichrist’s Control over Mankind will be Broken

The desolation of the earth will involve more than the collapse of the economy of the world.  Antichrist’s control over mankind will be further diminished when the truth of his operations in world government is uncovered.  With the disclosure of the involvement of Antichrist and the ten kings in the initiation and control of global institutions, like the Council on Foreign Relations, the Bank for International Settlements, and the World Bank, their power to manipulate and control institutions and governments will cease.

As the monetary system and commercial monopolies that the ten kings have created collapse, every facet of Antichrist’s kingdom will be cast down forever. Antichrist’s monetary powerbase will be eliminated, depriving him of the capacity to subjugate mankind.

Wars will Cease

Both Isaiah and Micah prophecy that as Antichrist’s kingdom collapses, the Lord will reign over a restored Church, and wars will cease.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days

That the mountain of the LORD's house

Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

And shall be exalted above the hills;

And all nations shall flow to it.”

He shall judge between the nations,

And rebuke many people;

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore.” [Isa 2:2&4], also [Mic 4:3].

The main reason that wars will cease is that “the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.”  The mountains and hills are symbols of the world’s most powerful governments and institutions.  The powerful authoritative positions in Antichrist’s kingdom will be cast down, and the authority of the Lord’s Church will be exalted above all worldly authorities.  The result of world wide revival will be that “all nations shall flow to it,” and “neither shall they learn war anymore.”  This will be accomplished by the Lord God Almighty, as only He and He alone, can bring it about.

A contributing factor for the cessation of war will be the change brought about in the economy of the world.  Antichrist and the Ten Kings have used wars and revolutions to force countries to spend billions of dollars annually on defence.  Escalating national debt has made governments more indebted to the Ten Kings, and more subjected to their control.   With the collapse of the world’s monetary system, countries will be forced to cut their huge budget allocations on defence, and it will be beyond their capacity to finance wars.

God’s Power is activated by the Prayers of the Saints

The book of the prophet Joel provides us with a figurative account of the last days’ conflict between Christ and Antichrist.  It contains the four basic elements of devastation, repentance, restoration, and judgment.  It starts with a description of the complete devastation of the earth by locusts, which are used (as in Revelation) as symbols of demon spirits.

After the onslaught by demon spirits and the land is desolated, there is an appeal from heaven for all of God’s children to assemble together in repentance, and turn to Him in prayer, asking Him to intervene.

A call for the Church to unite

“Consecrate a fast,

Call a sacred assembly [an assembly of the saints];

Gather the elders

And all the inhabitants of the land

Into the house of the LORD your God,

And cry out to the LORD.” [Joel 1:14].

The need for whole hearted repentance

"Now, therefore," says the LORD,

"Turn to Me with all your heart,

With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."

So rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the LORD your God,

For He is gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger, and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm.” [Joel 2:12-13].

Gather all without exception

“Gather the people,

Sanctify the congregation,

Assemble the elders,

Gather the children and nursing babes;

Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,

And the bride from her dressing room.” [Joel 2:16].

Cry out to God to intervene

“Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,

Weep between the porch and the altar;

Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD,

And do not give Your heritage to reproach,

That the nations should rule over them.

Why should they say among the peoples,

'Where is their God?'" [Joel 2:15-17].

God cannot intervene when people are double minded, presenting half hearted prayers to Him, and yet by their conduct, still submitting to the things of Antichrist.  But when His children repent wholeheartedly with humble hearts, He will intervene by casting down their enemies and restoring the land.

God’s response to repentance and supplication

“Then the LORD will be zealous for His land,

And pity His people.

The LORD will answer and say to His people,

"Behold, I will send you grain [truth] and new wine [joy] and oil [the Spirit],

And you will be satisfied by them;

I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.” [Joel 2:18-19].

Instruction to rejoice with thankfulness

“Be glad then, you children of Zion,

And rejoice in the LORD your God;

For He has given you the former rain [of the Spirit at Pentecost] faithfully,

And He will cause the rain to come down for you --

The former rain,

And the latter rain in the first month.

The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,

And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.” [Joel 2:23-24].

The former, or early rain, is necessary to germinate the seed and start plant growth.  That is why it is likened to the fall of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which precipitated the growth of the early Church.  The latter rain, or the rain at the end of the season, is necessary to fill out the heads of grain to ensure a good harvest.  The latter rain in Joel’s prophecy refers to a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit to precipitate a last great harvest of souls into the Lord’s kingdom

WHY THE JUDGMENTAL DESOLATION OF THE EARTH IS NECESSARY

God has given us a free will to choose whom we will serve, in this case Christ or Antichrist and the things he represents.  Jesus warned us that "no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money].” [Matt 6:24].  If we choose to allow our lives to be dominated by the power of money, the vehicle of Antichrist’s control of the world, then unsuspectingly we become captive to Antichrist himself.  Paul warned, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” [Rom 6:16-17].

Because of the state of the hearts of mankind in general, the world at large has been brought into subjection to the power of Antichrist.  Revelation states, “It was granted to him [Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them.” [Rev 13:7].  Even Christians have succumbed to the controlling power of money, or fallen prey to the deceptions, and the lying wonders of Antichrist.

The almighty power and authority associated with God’s throne has of its own accord subjected itself to the demands of justice and righteousness. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne…” [Ps 89:14].  If people, including the saints, have chosen to ignore the teachings and warnings in the Scriptures presented by God’s teachers and prophets, and have allowed parts of their lives to be controlled by Antichrist, then because of His justice and righteousness, God must allow Antichrist to reign over all that is submitted to him.

We have become Dull of Heart and Indifferent

The Scriptural passage below from Isaiah was quoted by Jesus and the apostle Paul, to express the basic reason for the indifference and disobedience of many in the Church.

“So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying,

'Go to this people and say:

'Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;

And seeing you will see, and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them."'   [Acts 28:25-27], also [Isa 6:10], & [Mtt 13:14-15].

Even those in the Church have become complacent and indifferent to the word of God.  They have stopped their ears and closed their hearts to the truth, lest they are required to change their way of life.  They have gone their own way, choosing to follow the inclinations of their own minds and hearts, and have settled into a state of spiritual staleness and death.  The end time suffering is necessary to awaken dulled hearts and closed ears and eyes, so that indifference will be changed to repentance and salvation.  The Lord God has been patient with the disobedience in the Church and the indifference of the world, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” [2 Peter 3:9].  But the time of His grace and forbearance are all but over, and His judgment is at hand.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Christ] whom He has ordained.” [Acts 17:30-31].

The working of Antichrist in both his worldly and religious kingdoms has progressed unnoticed by a stupefied world that does not see the spirit forces at work beneath the surface of human activities.  Because Antichrist has used deception to gain control over the inhabitants of the earth, God has delayed His judgment until Antichrist and his works have been exposed and brought out into the open, and all have been given the chance to repent.

The Testing of Man’s Allegiance

Antichrist’s working will become open for all to see, heralded by the desolations he has initiated.  God will empower His end-time prophets and teachers to expose the spiritual reality of Antichrist’s attack on Christ and His Church, and his attempt to subject the world to his control.  There will be a time of tribulation, but it will also be a time of revelation and a time of testing.  God justly tests our minds and hearts in giving us the choice of our free wills.

“I, the LORD, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his doings.” [Jer 17:10].

God’s purpose in allowing this time of trial and privation to come upon the earth is to test everyone, to see where their allegiance lies -- to Christ or Antichrist.  Essentially this is a spiritual war between Christ and Antichrist.  Antichrist’s aim is to destroy the Church and the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and to create world-wide anarchy that will lead to the forming of a single world government that puts mankind under his control.  Christ’s aim is to unveil Antichrist and his working, in order to turn man’s allegiance back to God, to restore His Church, and to establish His everlasting kingdom.  When man rejects Antichrist and turns to God in repentance, God can justly intervene by destroying ‘Babylon the Great,’ and cast Antichrist and the False Prophet, into the lake of fire and brimstone.

The Valley of Decision

Below is a key statement in the final chapter of Joel, which highlights God’s judgmental testing of those on the earth in the last days.

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!

For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” [Joel 3:14].

When Antichrist’s kingdom and working have become visibly apparent to all, and the spiritual truth has been revealed, every one on the earth will be brought into “the Valley of Decision,’’ where their eternal destiny will be decided.

No one is immune from the valley of decision.  Once the truth has been revealed, everyone will be faced with the choice of Christ or Antichrist – to remain in the kingdom of Antichrist and receive the judgment of God allotted to her, or repent and turn to the Lord.  There can be no half measures or “sitting on the fence,” which will be counted as a rejection of Christ.  Revelation issues a stark warning to ‘come out of her’.

Come Out of Her

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” [Rev 18:4-5].

CHAPTER 10
IT WILL BE WELL WITH THE RIGHTEOUS
WOE TO THE WICKED

World wide judgment is forecast to fall on the earth, but the Scriptures consistently assure us that although the wicked will bear the fruit of their wickedness, God will be a shelter to the righteous.

Key Bible Reading

"Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them,

For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,

For the reward of his hands shall be given him.” [Isa 3:11].

WOE TO THE WICKED

God’s Fearful Judgment of those in Antichrist’s Kingdom

Old Testament prophecies consistently portray an end-time judgmental destruction of everything associated with Antichrist’s kingdom.  Below is a further example from Isaiah.

“For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations [those that oppose God],

And His fury against all their armies;

He has utterly destroyed them,

He has given them over to the slaughter.

Also their slain shall be thrown out;

Their stench shall rise from their corpses,

And the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

All the host of heaven shall be dissolved,

And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll;

All their host shall fall down

As the leaf falls from the vine,

And as fruit falling from a fig tree.” [Isa 34:2-4].

Isaiah’s figurative prophecy is stark, with symbols and themes of destruction and chaos.  For instance:

Everyone involved in Antichrist’s kingdom will come under God’s judgment.

Antichrist’s armies, or instruments of power, will be completely destroyed.

The mountains speak of the monolithic powerbases in Antichrist’s kingdom -- like global banking institutions and industrial consortiums.  They will “melt with their blood” [power of life]. With all of their accumulated wealth, they will be destitute and powerless.

The stars in the heavens are depicted as being dissolved and cast down.  This is a symbolic representation of world leaders being stripped of their authority and power, debased and “dissolved,” or brought to nothing.

“The heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll,” indicates that the world system, with all the institutional structures Antichrist has created, will be ‘rolled up,’ or removed completely from the earth, never to reappear.

Zechariah presents a similar apocalyptic prophecy, with even starker symbolic language.

“And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem [symbolising the Church]:

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,

Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,

And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.” [Zech 14:12].

The very graphic symbology of their flesh, their eyes, and their tongues dissolving, relays the horror and finality of their judgment.  The capacity of their bodily members that were previously used to wreak destruction will be dissolved, or totally incapacitated, leaving them helplessly impotent.

Self Destruction

Zechariah continues his prophecy against the followers of Antichrist, depicting self destruction, as every man’s hand will turn against that of his neighbour.

“It shall come to pass in that day

That a great panic from the LORD will be among them.

Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbour,

And raise his hand against his neighbour's hand…” [Zech 14:13].

This theme of self destruction is repeated in this end-time prophecy by Ezekiel.

“I will call for a sword against Gog [Antichrist’s army] throughout all My mountains," says the Lord GOD." Every man's sword will be against his brother.  And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone [symbols of God’s severe judgment]."' [Ezek 38:21-22].

Joel’s Account of Self Destruction in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

The book of Joel contains an account of Satan’s attack on the Church, and God’s judgment on the followers of Antichrist.  Chapter 1 describes devastation by locusts, which are used as symbols of demon spirits.  Chapter 2 is a call to repentance, and God’s response in overcoming and restoration.  Chapter 3, from which this reading is taken, describes God’s judgment on those who do not come out of Antichrist’s kingdom.

“Assemble and come, all you nations,

And gather together all around.

Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD.

"Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.

Come, go down;

For the winepress is full,

The vats overflow --

For their wickedness is great." [Joel 3:11-13].

The Valley of Jehoshaphat

In the third chapter, Joel warns the nations, or those opposing God, of a judgment waiting for them in a valley called “the Valley of Jehoshaphat.” The Valley of Jehoshaphat is a symbol of self destruction arising out of an event that occurred in Judah’s history, when she was confronted by a huge army from surrounding nations, and was threatened with annihilation.

“It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.” [2 Chron 20:1].

King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast, and gathered the people of the land to seek the Lord.  Jahazeil, a prophet of the Lord in their midst, stood up and presented an instruction he had received from God.

"Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's”…  “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!"   [2 Chr 20:15].

When the inhabitants of Judah responded by singing and praising God, He turned the hearts of their enemies against each other, and they destroyed themselves.

“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.  For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. “So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.” [2 Chron 20:22-24].

It took three days for the inhabitants of Judah to gather the spoil from the fallen bodies.

The Unrepentant are Prey to the torment of Demon Spirits

In the second chapter of Joel, God refers to the destroying locusts (symbols for demon spirits) as, “My great army which I sent among you.”

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,

The consuming locust,

And the chewing locust,

My great army which I sent among you.” [Joel 2:25].

This reading shows us that God may use demon spirits as instruments of His judgment.  It is the operation of demon spirits in people that incite animosity towards each other through traits like hatred, jealousy, confusion, resentment, suspicion, ambition, and anger.  These traits eventually cause an aggression that erupts in uncontrollable self destruction.

Those who have submitted to Antichrist have wittingly or unwittingly cooperated with the powers of darkness associated with him.  God has judged that the unrepentant must reap the reward of their misplaced allegiance by being tormented by demon spirits that are inherent in the operation of Antichrist’s kingdom.

Ezekiel 39:4-5, and Revelation 19:17-18, are parallel accounts of the aftermath of the final conflict between the armies of Christ and Antichrist.  God invites all birds and animals of prey to feast on the corpses of Antichrist’s defeated army.

Ezekiel 39:4-5.

“You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.  You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken," says the Lord God”.”

Revelation 19:17-18.

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great."”

If this were a literal account of the battle of Armageddon, we would expect to see literal bird and animal predators feasting on fallen corpses.  But we have previously decided that the battle of Armageddon is essentially a spiritual battle between Christ and Antichrist – truth verses deception.  In these readings the birds and animals of prey are symbols for the spiritual hordes of demons, which Joel refers to as, “My great army which I sent among you.”  This is verified in the following reading from Revelation, which foretells the demon possession of Antichrist’s kingdom after its defeat.

“And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” [Rev 18:2-3].

The Key Bible Reading declares that the wicked will receive a just reward for their wickedness.

Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,

For the reward of his hands shall be given him.” [Isa 3:1-11].

ALL WILL BE WELL WITH GOD’S CHILDREN

Assurance of God’s Faithfulness

The Key Bible Reading, from an end time prophecy by Isaiah, promises us that those who remain faithful to God, and those who repent and come out of Antichrist’s kingdom, are assured of God’s constant protection and care for their wellbeing.

"Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them,

For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” [ Isa:3:11].

Other end time readings assure us that in the midst of God’s rain of judgment falling on the earth, His children will know His protection and peace.  In His letter to the Churches, Jesus assures the church at Philadelphia that because of their faithfulness, He will keep them in the end time tribulation.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” [Rev 3:10].

In the midst of Joel’s account of end time judgment, the same assurance appears.

“The sun and moon will grow dark,

And the stars will diminish their brightness.

The Lord  also will roar from Zion,

And utter His voice from Jerusalem;

The heavens and earth will shake;

But the Lord  will be a shelter for His people…”  [Joel 3:15-16].

Scriptures Consistently Promise God’s Protection and Deliverance

Throughout the Scriptures God consistently promises to uphold those who put their trust in Him in all their circumstances.

“God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.”

“The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.” [Ps 46:1, &  6-7].

The ultimate reality is that God is faithful in keeping all those who believe in Him and put their trust in Him.  Faithfulness is a key attribute of His divine being that will never fall short or be compromised.

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” [2 Tim 2:13].

He cannot deny who He is. Those who trust in His faithfulness will be kept in perfect peace, even in the direst circumstances.

“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah [representing the Church]

"We have a strong city;

God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.

Open the gates,

That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.” [Isa 26:1-3].

CHAPTER 11
THE RESTORED AND GLORIFIED CHURCH

As the kingdom of Antichrist disintegrates, the Church will be restored to its original pattern, and the glorious kingdom reign of the Lord Jesus Christ will be established in its midst.

INTRODUCTION

Many prophecies from Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah, foretell the restoration of Israel and Judah, who had been taken captive by Assyria and Babylon.  The nation of Israel was dispersed among the nations, and has never been restored to the Lord.  For Judah’s part, there was a partial fulfilment when she returned from Babylon to her homeland, but after the sack of Jerusalem in AD 70, she was dispersed amongst the nations of the world.  Because of the scope and only partial fulfilment of these prophecies, they may also be viewed as parallel prophecies relating to the restoration of spiritual Israel, or the Church, at the close of the age.

It is generally recognised that Israel as a whole is a type of spiritual Israel, or the Church.  But within Israel there are other locations such as Mount Zion, Jerusalem, Ephraim, and Judah, which also have symbolic significance, as illustrated in the following readings.

“For I have bent Judah, My bow,

Fitted the bow with Ephraim,

And raised up your sons, O Zion…

And made you like the sword of a mighty man." [Zech 9:13].

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” [Zech 12:2-4].

“As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.' [Ezek 37:16-17].

Because we are interpreting end time prophecies, and some locations like Judah and Ephraim no longer exist, we need to allot symbolic types to these places in order to understand their prophetic significance. We will start at Mount Zion, where the presence of God was manifested, and radiate outwards as God’s influence lessened, to Jerusalem, Judah, and the northern tribes of Israel.

Mount Zion is a type of the perfected Church, or Bride of Christ.

Jerusalem is a type of the true Church.

Judah is a type of the traditional church.

The northern tribes of Israel, represented by Ephraim and Joseph, are a type of the fractured and corrupted worldly church.

Explanation of the Types

Before explaining the individual types, it should be noted that they are not visible organisations within the church, but represent the state of people’s spiritual relationships with God.  For instance, in any church fellowship there may be representatives of the true church, i.e. those who adhere to its principles in their hearts. Similarly, there may e be representatives of the other types as well.

Mount Zion is a type of the Perfected Church, or Bride of Christ

Geographically, Mount Zion, also known as Temple Hill, was located in Jerusalem.  It was the location of the temple which contained “the Ark of the Covenant,” or “The Ark of the Presence,” which in Old Testament times symbolised the presence of God amongst His people.

In New Testament thought and literature, Mount Zion has become a symbol of personal relationship with God -- of those who have matured spiritually to the degree that they know God personally, and are used personally by God in serving Him.  Mount Zion is a type of the perfected Church or Bride of Christ -- of those who have known God’s refining hand, and have been perfected in their relationship with the Lord.

To Christians on a spiritual pilgrimage of holiness, Mount Zion is their end goal.

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca [trouble],

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;

Each one appears before God in Zion.” [Ps 84:5-7].

Knowing their individual corruption, each has chosen to lay his fleshly nature on the altar of the cross, and has submitted to God’s workmanship in putting it to death, and replacing it with the nature of Jesus Christ.  The kingdom and righteousness of Christ are formed in them, and He is able to work through them unhindered by their flesh.  They have grown into experiencing the reality of dwelling in spiritual union with Christ in God.

Revelation 14 presents a picture of Christ and 144,000 standing on Mount Zion -- a picture of the perfected Church with Christ its Head.

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb [Christ]  standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads…“These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes [perfected in obedience]. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.  And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”  [Rev 14:1 & 4-5].

The 144,000 is not a picture limited to the end of the age because there have been representatives of Christ’s perfected Church in every age of the Church’s history.         One hundred and forty-four should not be regarded as a literal number.  Symbolically twelve is the number of eternal perfection, as in the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the church.  Here it symbolises the perfected Church.

Harlotry is a symbolic term describing idolatry and unfaithfulness to God.  By comparison the 144,000 are called “virgins,” reflecting their spiritual purity and faithfulness to their Lord.

They are called “firstfruits,” because they are the firstfruits of the perfected heavenly Church.  The firstfruits that preceded the harvest were considered the most precious and profitable to the land owner.

They are members of the bride of Christ from all ages of the Church. They will be united with each other in their marriage with the Lamb.  Accompanying them will be the rest of the Church -- those who “are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Jerusalem is a Type of the True Church

Jerusalem, as the centre of religious worship in the land of Judah, is a type of the true church.  It was where the temple stood, and worship of God was celebrated.  Jerusalem was where the early Church originated, and its pattern became the model for all true churches. The True Church follows the pattern of the early church in the structure of its leadership, and its adherence to the doctrines and practices instigated by the first apostles.

To those who accept and follow the principles of the true church in their hearts, there are no denominational divisions, no separation of clergy and laity. They see themselves as believers united by the headship of Jesus Christ.  They recognise the Holy Spirit as Christ’s representative, and seek His guidance and anointing on their ministries.  They recognise the ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teaches, or elders, that the Lord has set in the Church. They recognise the gifts of the Spirit, and use them in ministry to each other. There is true life in their midst because they believe in the power and presence of the Lord indwelling each one of them.  Above all, they accept Jesus as LORD, and endeavour to obey His will for them personally.

Judah is a Type of the Traditional Church

Because of its divinely appointed temple in Jerusalem, its faithful prophets and priests, and general adherence to the law, Judah was recognised as being more obedient to God than northern Israel. Unfortunately the latter end of Judah was one of backsliding and idolatry, and eventually she was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and deported to Babylon. Finally Judah was exiled from her homeland and incorporated into the nations of the world.

Judah is a type of the traditional church that evolved after people departed from the pattern of the early Church, and opted for more convenient worldly alternatives. Ministries nurtured by Christ were replaced with clergymen trained at worldly institutions. Autonomous local churches were replaced by denominations with an hierarchical leadership structure.  The guidance of the Holy Spirit in ministry was replaced by worldly programs.

The traditional church, with its organisations and structures, is the one that is generally recognised by people in the world as ‘the church.’  Its worship services usually have very set structures, as in the number of hymns, Scriptural readings, prayers and a sermon.  In the face of such order and predictability the Holy Spirit has little room to move.

Unfortunately, like Judah, the traditional church has been so corrupted by the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of the world, that it is much like any other democratically run worldly organisation.

Israel – is a type of the Corrupted Apostate Church

After Solomon’s son Rehoboam refused to adopt a conciliatory attitude towards the leaders of Israel, the ten northern tribes separated from Judah, thereby making the separate nations of Israel and Judah.  Although Israel outwardly accepted God, the people soon followed their own way of life and slipped into idolatry, adopting the idolatrous rites of the Phoenicians.  It was commonly said of the kings of Israel that they “did evil in the sight of the LORD,” and apart from the prophets, there were few who were faithful witnesses for God. Israel ceased to exist as a nation when she was eventually defeated by Assyria, and dispersed among the nations of the world.  The state of Israel was populated by Assyria with a mixture of people from other nations of the world.

Because of her unfaithfulness and disobedience to God, and her eventual contamination by the nations of the world, Israel is a type of the corrupted apostate church, with its backsliding, its worldliness and shallowness.  The worldly apostate church has spawned false prophets and heretical teachings, and has accepted many illicit, worldly, and even occultist practices to operate in her midst – things like homosexuality, masonry, adultery, martial arts, astrology, and divination.  Some of its leaders have even denied the necessity of believing some of the most basic Christian doctrines like the deity of Christ and His resurrection from the dead. Although the apostate church has lost its spiritual integrity, and has been overtaken by the spirit of the world, for His own name’s sake, God has promised to include her in His overall plan of restoration.

The Harlot is Antichrist’s Counterfeit Church

Because the Catholic Church has usurped the headship of Christ, and undermined the power of His cross by adopting practices like the absolution of sins by priests through penances, adopting Mary as Mediatrix, and other idolatries and apostasies, the Harlot has no spiritual warrant to be regarded as a genuine church of Christ.  This assessment relates to the church institution and its doctrines, and not its adherents. In spite of her apostasy, there are millions of Catholics who have been born into the Catholic Church but have rejected many of its tenets, and have genuinely accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord.  Having done so, they are members of the body of Christ.  Nevertheless, when the truth of the harlot is revealed to them, they have no other choice than to “come out of her.”

RESTORATION AND UNIFICATION OF THE CHURCH

Ezekiel -- Chapters 36 to 39

On the surface, these chapters from Ezekiel appear to be a prophetic portrayal of the restoration of physical Israel.  At the time of their writing Israel had been conquered by Assyria, the inhabitants had been scattered among the nations of the world, and it ceased to exist as a nation.  Jerusalem had been conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, and the prophet Ezekiel, along with most of the inhabitants of Judah, had been taken captive to Babylon.  To the captive nation of Judah, Ezekiel's prophecies would have provided hope and comfort at the prospect of their return to their homeland.  However the scope and extent of Ezekiel’s prophecies stretches far beyond the direct application to decimated Israel and captive Judah.  Judah experienced a period of restoration after returning from Babylon, but later on she never fully embraced Jesus as her Messiah.  In AD 70 Jerusalem was desolated, and the nation of Judah ceased to exist as her inhabitants were sent captive to the nations of the world. We will see that Ezekiel’s prophecies have more relevance when we regard Judah as a type of the traditional church, contaminated by Antichrist and the world, and Israel as a type of the corrupted apostate church, which has lost its true identity, and been drawn into the world system.

Chapter 36 -- The Restoration of Israel or the Apostate Church

First Ezekiel describes the fate of the nation of Israel.  Even though God settled them in their own land they defiled it with their idolatry and unfaithfulness, and so He judged them according to their deeds.  Because they committed harlotry with foreign countries, and worshipped their idols, God allowed them to be conquered by Assyria, who dispersed them throughout the surrounding nations.  We should bear in mind that we are viewing this as an end time prophecy, and the nation of Israel as a type of the end time apostate church.

“Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity.  Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it.  So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds.” [Ezek 36:16-19].

In this next reading from Ezekiel, God promises that when He restores Israel, He will bestow four blessings on her.

He will gather her from the nations and restore her to her own land.

He will cleanse her from her idols by sprinkling clean water on her.

He will impart a new heart and a new spirit to her inhabitants.

He will cause them to honour Him in obedience.

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.  Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God."  [Ezek 36:24-28].

Some people think that Ezekiel’s prophecy of restoration was fulfilled when the nation of Israel was established in 1948, but the formation of modern Israel was instigated by political Zionists who were agents of the Illuminate, rather than of God.  By and large, the Jews who returned to Israel in 1948 still rejected Christ, and the State they founded was political rather than spiritual.  When we examine the extent of the blessings promised in Ezekiel’s prophecy, we see that they point to a spiritual rather than a physical restoration, and that their fulfilment is yet to take place.

When we relate Ezekiel’s prophecy to spiritual Israel, it refers to the restoration of all Christians who have been taken captive by the spirit of Antichrist, and the contamination of the world.  The final result of God’s end time dealing with spiritual Israel will be that she is turned her from her idolatry and worldliness, and united with the true Church of Jesus Christ.  God “will give (them) a new heart and put a new spirit within (them),” so that they will “walk in (God’s) statutes, and keep (His) judgments and do them.”

Restored Spiritually

Ezekiel states, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean.”

Paul indicates that Christ will return to a glorious church, holy and without blemish.  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” [Eph 5:25-27].

Notice that she is to be sanctified to Christ her Head, and cleansed from her apostasy, by “the washing of water [a symbol of the word] by the word.”  In other words, she will be presented with the word of truth, and secondly, by applying the presented word of truth to herself and obeying it, she will be sanctified and cleansed.  By the convicting power of the word, individuals will be challenged to consecrate themselves, their lives, and their possessions, to the Lord.  In a similar prophesy of restoration, Zechariah emphasis that the degree of their commitment is such that even the bells on horses and pots in houses will be considered as the property of the Lord.  “In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.  Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them”. [Zech 14:20-21].

God will implant a new heart and a new spirit in all those who have chosen to sanctify themselves to the Lord, causing them to keep His commandments and honour Him and obey Him as their God.

The Land of their Inheritance is the True Church

The land, “land that I gave to your fathers," is the spiritual land of promise that was granted to Abraham.  It is not the physical land of Israel, but the land of their spiritual inheritance in Jesus Christ, which in this age is the true Church here on earth.  Ultimately our inheritance is our eternal heavenly existence with Jesus Christ.  Whilst further refinement and perfection occurs in heaven, the basic message of Ezekiel’s prophecy is that of unifying and restoring the Church here on earth.

Chapter 37 -- The End Time Church Depicted as a Valley of Dry Bones

The State of the End Time Church

The thirty seventh chapter of Ezekiel continues with the theme of restoration. The prophet was taken "in the Spirit of the LORD" to a valley "full of bones…and indeed they were very dry." There he was told that "these bones are the whole house of Israel [the whole church]. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'" [Ezek 37:11].

This is a parallel prophecy that vividly describes the hopelessness of Israel and Judah, deported respectively to the nations of the world and Babylon, and also, is a picture of the end-time church taken captive by the spirit of Antichrist. When we see the scope of the prophecy, we will see that it is most relevant to the restoration and unification of the end-time church.

In its present state, the end-time church presents an image of a lifeless fragmented collection of institutions that have no hope of faithfully representing the peace, harmony, and love of the kingdom of Christ, or faithfully conveying His gospel message of salvation.

Restoration is instigated by the Spirit of Prophecy

Ezekiel’s prophecy sets out the order of the restoration of the Church.  Ezekiel was asked to prophesy over the bones, or the dead church.  "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!'" [Ezek 37:4].

The restoration of the church, as in all of God’s important dealings with mankind, will be preceded by prophetic revelation.

“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,

Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”  [Amos 3:7].

The eleventh chapter of Revelation describes “two witnesses,” represented by Moses (symbolising the Word), and Elijah (symbolising the office of the prophet).  The two witnesses represent the teaching of the prophetic word.  They had been prophesying during the church age “clothed in sackcloth,” because they had seen the church continually falling under the power of Antichrist.  Eventually their ministry falls prey to Antichrist, and is pictured lying dead in the street, or the spiritless corrupted church.

“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.  And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” [Rev 11:7-8]. The “great city,” Jerusalem, or the church, has been so corrupted that it has been figuratively linked with the depravity of Sodom, and the worldliness of Egypt.

In the end-time church the ministry of prophetic teaching lies dead in the street, having all but disappeared.  Fortunately Revelation 11 goes on to portray the two witnesses coming to life and being anointed with power from heaven.

“Now after the three-and-a-half days [a symbolic time of tribulation] the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.” [Rev 11:11-12].

The two witnesses standing on their feet figuratively indicate that the office of prophetic teaching will be restored, and will precipitate the restoration of the church.  The instruction to “come up here,” is a direction for them to receive the authority and power of the risen Lord, as was promised to the last of the overcomers. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” [Rev 3:21].

A Call to Repentance

When Jesus met with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, His disciples asked about Elijah coming at the close of the age. “And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will [future tense] restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already [past tense], and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.” [Mt 17:10-13].

The first requirement for restoration is repentance.  John the Baptist, in the prophetic spirit of Elijah, came preaching repentance to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord to establish His Church.  At the end of the age that same spirit of prophecy will empower Christ’s end-time prophets and teachers.  They will prepare the way for the restoration of the Church and the second coming of the Lord, by turning the hearts of wayward church goers to repentance.

Physical Restoration

Ezekiel continues, “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them."  [Ezek 37:4 & 7-8].

After repentance, the second requirement of restoration is for the church to return to its uncorrupted state.  In this case the first step is to return to the physical pattern of the early Church established by Christ and His apostles.  That pattern has been fragmented by denominational and other schisms, and the inclusion of worldly programs and enticements to attract more members. This may mean the end of denominationalism as we know it, and even the return to the New Testament pattern of autonomous local churches, distinguished only by the name of their location. The offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers will be recognised, and there will be an end of the division between clergy and laity.  In Ezekiel’s prophecy this is figuratively portrayed as bones coming together and being clothed with flesh.

Restoration of Spiritual Vitality

But even with the physical restoration and unification there was still no spiritual life. Even if the physical pattern is right, but the Holy Spirit is absent, there is no life or vitality. Ezekiel was then commanded to prophesy to the Spirit to bring about spiritual restoration.

"'Prophesy to the breath [Spirit], prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they might live.'"' So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army." [Ezek 37:9-10].

In Joel’s end-time prophecy, Almighty God promised that after they had repented and turned to Him in their hearts, He would send forth the latter rain just as He had sent forth the former rain at Pentecost.

“Be glad then, you children of Zion,

And rejoice in the LORD your God;

For He has given you the former rain faithfully,

And He will cause the rain to come down for you --

The former rain,

And the latter rain in the first month.

The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,

And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”  [Joel 2:23-24].

The former rain of the Spirit fell on the new Church at Pentecost, “and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”  God will pour out the latter rain of the Holy Spirit on the Church in the last days to precipitate a last great harvest of souls.

The Unification of the Church

The last half of Chapter 37 describes a process of unification, which will accompany the Church being restored and filled with the Spirit.  Ezekiel was told to prophesy that God would "take the stick of Joseph," representing the northern kingdom of Israel, and join it to "the stick of Judah," representing the southern kingdom of Judah, "and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."  [Ezek 37:19].  The ‘stick’ is a reference to the sticks or rods on which the names of the tribes were inscribed.

Although specifically referring to the nations of Israel and Judah, it is their division that is the focal point of the passage.  Basically this is a prophetic announcement that the whole church will be restored and united, under the headship of Jesus Christ.

The prophet was then instructed to say, "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all;" [Ezek 37 21-22].

In similar restoration prophecies, the prophet Zechariah presents an insight into how God will work in Jerusalem, representing the true Church, and Judah the traditional church, in such a way that maintains harmony, cooperation, and respect between them.

"The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah.  In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord  before them.  It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” [Zech 12:7-9]

“And the governors [or leaders] of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.'  In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place — Jerusalem”. [Zech 12:5-6].

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.  And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” [Zech 12:2-4].

Looking at the nations of Israel and Judah from a physical point of view, the prophecies of restoration have never been fulfilled.  The dispersed northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah have never been re-united, and neither of them has recognised Jesus Christ as their king. We should interpret these prophesies in the much broader sense of the restoration and unifying of spiritual Israel, or the whole Church.  After repentance and putting off its apostasies and worldliness, and returning to the pattern of the first Church, the Holy Spirit will engender a spirit of unity that banishes all divisions, and re-establish one true Church.

Restoration of the Jews

Ezekiel’s prophecy of unification opens the door to an even wider interpretation that includes the conversion of unbelieving Jews, and their incorporation within the Church.  The apostle Paul says in Romans, that when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” or when the message of salvation has reached all, and all have had the opportunity to come into the Church, the Holy Spirit will be a spirit of conviction to the unbelieving Jews, “and they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in(to)” the Church.

“And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.  For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?  For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

For this is My covenant with them,

When I take away their sins."   [Rom 11:23-27].

When Paul says, “all Israel will be saved,” this is conditional to "the Deliverer will come out of Zion,” and “if they do not continue in unbelief,” and “when I take away their sins.”  In other words, if they accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord they will be saved.

Zechariah prophesied that God will precipitate repentance by pouring out a Spirit of grace and supplication onto the unbelieving Jews. "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplications [earnest prayer]; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”  [Zech 12:10-11].

Chapters 38 & 39

The Defeat of Antichrist and Elimination of Apostasy

In these two chapters, Ezekiel describes the last great conflict between the forces of Antichrist and the restored Church.  It is a spiritual battle in which Antichrist musters all of his powers of deceit and deception in order to mask truth and derail the newborn restoration.  In Revelation 16:16, this final conflict is referred to as the battle of Armageddon.

In Ezekiel and Revelation 20:8, the Antichrist and his allies are symbolised by “Gog, of the land of Magog,” the leader of a confederacy of marauding armies that had often harassed the land of Israel.  Ezekiel prophesied that God would draw Antichrist into the last conflict so that he and his forces would be destroyed forever.

"’Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.”  [Ezek 39:3-4].

Antichrist’s attack will be directed towards the newly restored Church, endeavouring to turn back those who had been brought in and renewed in the Lord.

“In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.”  [Ezek 38:4].

However the fate of Antichrist and his army is sealed, because God has pronounced their utter destruction.

“You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken," says the Lord God”…” [Ezek 39:4-5].

Far from being out of His divine will, this attack on the church is brought on by Almighty God. His purpose is to hallow His name by making it apparent to all that He has defeated and destroyed Antichrist and his allies forever. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God says, “You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land.  It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” [Ezekiel 38:16].

Cleansing the Church from Apostasy

During the time frame of the battle of Armageddon, the existing apostasies in the church will be expunged. In the following reading, Ezekiel uses the analogy of dead bodies and bones covering the land to represent the apostasies that still pollute the Church.  A symbolic seven months (the perfectly complete time) is allotted to remove every trace of their presence from the land, or Church.  Everyone in the Church will undertake the responsibility of ridding the Church from all deception and apostasy.  Watchmen, such as elders, will maintain a constant vigil to ensure that no ‘bone’ or residue of apostasy reappears.

“For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.  Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified," says the Lord GOD.  They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground [remaining evidence of Antichrist’s influence], in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.  The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man's bone [a residue of apostasy], he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers [e.g. elders] have buried it…” [Ezek 39:13-15].

The following verses show us that the weapons of deceit and deception that Antichrist has used will be destroyed by their own exposure.

"Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years [A symbolic time].  They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires [judgmental exposure] with the weapons…”  [Ezek 39:9-10].

The following are some of the reasons that God will precipitate this final conflict, allowing the forces of Antichrist to be as a cloud of deceit and deception over the awakening church.

People have to be tested to see where their commitment lies.

Antichrist and all those who have chosen to follow him are exposed so that they may be judged and totally destroyed.

All nations will witness God’s power, and His name will be hallowed when people see His righteous judgment. “You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes."  [Ezek 38:16-17]. [Gog’s defeat will be to the glory of God]

God’s Judgment Precipitates Further Self Destruction

Flooding rain, great hailstones, pestilence, fire and brimstone, are used as symbols to describe the fury and terror of God’s unrelenting judgment.  Under such extreme pressure, Antichrist’s institutions and followers will turn against each other.

“I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains," says the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his brother.  And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.  Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD."' [Ezek 38:21-23].

The Church will be Restored and Sanctified

The final result of God’s judgment of Antichrist will be that the church will be restored and filled with the Holy Spirit.

“When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their own land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them any more; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.” [Ezekiel 39:27-29].

THE GLORIFICATION AND ENRICHMENT OF THE RESTORED CHURCH

Isaiah-Chapters 60-62

Chapters 60 to 62 of Isaiah portray the glorification and enrichment of the restored Church.  Isaiah 60 opens with a contrast as distinct as that between night and day.  The first two verses portray the entire world and its population shrouded in spiritual darkness by the spirit of Antichrist.  This is contrasted to the light and glory of the Lord as His Spirit enters His Church.

“Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you [the Church].

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.” [Isa 60:1-2].

When all is darkness, the light of truth will reveal Antichrist and his kingdom, opening the door for the children of the Lord to turn to Him in repentance. God will then send forth His Spirit to empower the Church, so that she will be a beacon to those who are being led out of captivity.

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” [2 Thess 2:8].

Notice that Antichrist will be destroyed by

1.                      The breath or Spirit of the Lords mouth - i.e. manifested through His prophets and teachers.

2.                      The brightness of His coming.  In the power of His Spirit, the glory and power of the Lord will return and fill the Church.  The following readings from Isaiah illustrate Christ’s glorification of the Church.

“…I will glorify the house of My glory.”  [Isa 60:7].

"The glory of Lebanon [a symbol of beauty and stateliness] shall come to you,

The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,

To beautify the place of My sanctuary;

And I will make the place of My feet [signifying His presence] glorious.” [Isa 60:13].

“But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light,

And your God your glory.

Your sun shall no longer go down,

Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;

For the LORD will be your everlasting light,

And the days of your mourning shall be ended.

Also your people shall all be righteous;

They shall inherit the land forever,

The branch of My planting,

The work of My hands,

That I may be glorified.”  [Isa 60:19-21].

The Restored Church will be Endowed with Prosperity

Daniel prophesied that Antichrist would be defeated, and that the wealth of his kingdom would be transferred to the restored Church.

"I was watching; and the same horn [Antichrist] was making war against the saints [Christ’s sanctified ones], and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”  [Dan 7:21-22].

“But the court shall be seated,

And they shall take away his [Antichrist’s] dominion,

And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,

Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”  [Dan 7:27].

The Wealth of the Nations will Flow into the Church

Isaiah prophesied that, the wealth of the nations that had been controlled by Antichrist would flow into the restored Church.

“And your heart shall swell with joy;

Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

The multitude of camels shall cover your land…

They shall bring gold and incense,

And they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.”  [Isa 60:5-6].

“Therefore your gates shall be open continually;

They shall not be shut day or night,

That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,

And their kings in procession.” [Isa 60:11].

This does not indicate that the Church will amass great wealth, but rather that she will have an abundant provision to relieve the suffering and poverty inflicted on the world by Antichrist and the ten kings.

Using those under their control, the ten kings have been able to persuade the world that the wellbeing of nations depended on the prosperity of global business enterprises, and that measures like privatisation, and minimising spending on social services and wages, were for the good of the whole population.  The truth is that these economic strategies have consistently shifted the ratio of wealth to the wealthiest sector of the population, whilst poorer people have been driven further and further into poverty.  To Antichrist and the ten kings, third world nations are considered dispensable, and genocide was a necessary part of establishing a new world order.  Consequently millions are stricken with sickness, poverty, and starvation. These are some of the conditions (at the time of writing) that the Church will have to address.

One in two children in the world live in poverty.

640 million live without adequate shelter.

400 million have no access to safe water.

270 million have no access to health services.

10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5.

Nearly 3 billion people live on less than two dollars a day.

It is with the understanding of the pressing needs the Church will face, that we should view these figurative prophecies of the wealth of the nations flowing into the Church.

There will be a Huge Harvest of Souls

The restoration, empowerment, and glorification of the Church by the Spirit of Christ in her midst will precipitate an ingathering of lost souls, and a return of those who have fallen away as victims of the spirit of Antichrist.

“The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Lift up your eyes all around, and see:

They all gather together, they come to you;

Your sons shall come from afar,

And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.” [Isa 60:3-4].

“And the ships of Tarshish will come first,

To bring your sons from afar,

Their silver and their gold with them,

To the name of the LORD your God,

And to the Holy One of Israel,

Because He has glorified you.”  [Isa 60:9].

“A little one shall become a thousand,

And a small one a strong nation.

I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time." [Isa 60:22].

Priests of the Lord’s Commission

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus opened the book of Isaiah in the synagogue, and read the passage that outlined His commission of teaching, healing, deliverance, and salvation of those bound by Satan.

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." [Luke 4:18-19].

The reading from which Jesus quoted is extended further in the following reading by Isaiah.  Phrases like “rebuild the old ruins,” “raise up the former desolations,” “repair the ruined cities,” and “the desolations of many generations,” indicate that Christ’s commission is broadened to include a ministry of restoration to the desolated church.

“To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

They shall raise up the former desolations,

And they shall repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.” [Isa 61:2-4].

The Saints are to be Priests of the Lord in His Restoration Commission

“But you shall be named the priests of the LORD,

They shall call you the servants of our God.” [Isa 61:6].

The Old Testament priest was an intermediary who stood between the LORD and His people, dispensing His blessings. Those of the restored Church are to be Christ’s priests through whom He can dispense His grace and power, and “they shall rebuild the old ruins, and raise up the former desolations.”

Branches of the True Vine

Even though the Church has been empowered by the Spirit, and the power of the Lord flows through its members, it is important that each one holds his true position in the Lord as a branch of the true vine.  Jesus used this analogy to explain our proper relationship to Him.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  [John 15:5].

Jesus needs branches that are sanctified and obedient to His purposes.  Without the branches He cannot bear fruit.  However the capacity to bear fruit comes from the vine itself, for Jesus said, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”  [John 15:4].

A common hazard in past spiritual revivals was that when the Spirit fell, there was a tendency for people to embrace the empowerment of the Spirit as a personal possession that could be used at their own initiation.  This has led to lawlessness and the pollution of ministries by the spirit of Antichrist.  That is why Jesus issued this blunt warning:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”  [Matt 7:21-23].

The prepared and anointed servant of the Lord should be as a polished arrow in His quiver, ready to be taken out and used and directed at His will.

“He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow

and concealed me in his quiver.” [Isa 49:2 (N.I.V.)].

God’s Covenantal Promise

The fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the restoration of the Church is sealed with God’s covenantal promise that He will not rest until her glorification is accomplished.

“For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace,

And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,

Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,’

And her salvation as a lamp that burns.

The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,

And all kings your glory.

You shall be called by a new name,

Which the mouth of the LORD will name.

You shall also be a crown of glory

In the hand of the LORD,

And a royal diadem

In the hand of your God.”   [Isa 62:1-3].

God will Hasten it in its Time

When we contemplate the scope of the events outlined in this study we realise that there is much yet to be fulfilled -- the desolation that is coming upon the earth, the destruction of Antichrist’s kingdom, and the restoration of the Church.  However, we should take these things into account.

1.          The progression of end-time events is already under way.

2.          Many happenings will be concurrent.

3.          God has stated that end time events will be hastened in their time.

“Also your people shall all be righteous;

They shall inherit the land forever,

The branch of My planting,

The work of My hands,

That I may be glorified.

A little one shall become a thousand,

And a small one a strong nation.

I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time." [Isa 60:21-22]