The Victory of the Lamb at Har-Magedon

Transcript

GR 2045
06/24/2018
The Victory of the Lamb at Har-Magedon
Revelation 17:14-18
Gil Rugh

We're going to Revelation 17. It is amazing to me, continually, you watch the news, you see the turmoil, the confusion goes on in our country and in the world, and then to come to the Word of God and find out God is moving everything according to His will, on His timetable, on His schedule to its appointed end. And that is amazing. There is no chaos in the world in the sense that just confusion. All the chaos in the world is under the control of God and all of it is being used by Him to move things to its appointed end.

And that's what we are talking about in the book of Revelation. We're in chapter 17, and we are talking about the final seven-year period that will conclude with Jesus Christ returning to this earth. We will have the Battle of Armageddon, most everyone is familiar with Armageddon, even if they are not familiar with much of the Scripture. And it is that climactic battle of history that will take place on this earth when Christ returns. And Revelation is moving us to that point. And after Armageddon and its judgments, we will be prepared for the kingdom that Christ will establish and over which He will rule and reign. But for even believers, well familiar with the Scripture, we need to remind ourselves when we get caught up in the emotions of what is going on in the world, everything is under control. What an awesome, powerful God we have. And He has unfolded the details of it for us in His Word.

We come down toward the end of chapter 17. Why don't you put the chart up, I can't start unless I have seen the chart. This is the chart that unfolds God's plan from when He gave that 490-year period, in the book of Daniel we get the details. And the chart just simply moves us, brings us up to the coming of Christ on the earth. At His first coming He was born, He was crucified, He was raised from the dead. Then you have the tan area called the church age. That's not included in Old Testament prophecy. And it is there in the beginning of the book of Revelation in the opening chapters. But beginning with Revelation 6 we pick up after the end of the church age where you can see the arrow going up, the arrow coming down and going up. Christ will come in the air, the church will be called to meet Him in the air, and then He will resume His program for Israel. And that last seven-year period, right here is where we are talking about in the book of Revelation from chapter 6 to chapter 19 when Christ returns. And chapter 17 really is highlighting what is going to take place here, then and here to bring us to this point. Chapters 17-18 are about Babylon, we're going to take some time in a future study to talk more about Babylon. Key. Two cities in the Bible, Jerusalem is the most mentioned city in the Bible. The second most mentioned city is Babylon. And Babylon and the whole religious, political, commercial system that goes with it is part of the Satanic empire that the devil is working in opposition to God. And it will come to a conclusion with the judgments of God on the world and the return of Christ.

Revelation 17 opened up with a picture, look at verse 3, “A woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.” We've looked at that. Pictures the seven empires that have impacted Israel or will in its concluding form, beginning with Egypt where Israel began as a nation in slavery. Then Assyria and so on. There is a woman sitting on this beast, the beast referring to the empires and that final form of that empire. The seven empires of the world will come to a final form as we will see again toward the end of the chapter.

The woman sitting on that beast down in verse 5 is identified as a mystery, something that can't be understood or known apart from revelation from God. It is “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, the abominations of the earth.” And this whole Babylonian system that started in Genesis 10-11, coming to its focal point in its opposition to God. This is false religion, the false religions of the world that have operated in opposition to God, they will all be coming together in more of a unified form at this closing period of time.

John asks for more information as the angel has revealed this vision to him. So in verse 7 the “angel said, ‘I will explain it to you.’” So he begins the explanation in verse 8 and the beast, we've talked about this, individual and his kingdom, back in chapter 13. He is going to be killed and miraculously raised from the dead, an imitation of the death and resurrection of Christ. “Those who dwell on the earth,” verse 8, “will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.” And then verse 9, “Here is the mind that has wisdom, the seven heads are seven mountains, they are seven kings.” And the mountains and the heads refer to the same thing, it refers to a king and his kingdom. So those are the seven empires down through the history of Israel. Came to Rome with the coming of Christ and the Roman Empire will experience a revival as we have talked about. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are seven kings.” A king and a kingdom are used interchangeably. “Five have fallen.” We had Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome. Then we have a break, but there is going to be a revival of the Roman Empire. And “five have fallen, the one is.” The one that is, is Rome; the one after that, one will come for a short time, that's the ten-nation confederacy that will be in existence for the first 3½ years of that seven-year period. If you have been here, those are things we have reviewed on a number of occasions.

“The beast which was and is not is himself an eighth and is one of the seven.” And that ten-king federation that forms an empire, the world empire for the first 3½ years, out of those ten kings comes a rather insignificant figure who comes to dominate. And so he says, “The beast,” verse 11, “which was and is not is himself and eighth, is one of the seven and goes to destruction.” And he was part of that ten-nation confederacy. Daniel talked about this in Daniel 7, verse 8, “ten horns.” And then a little horn comes up. He has been part of that ten-nation confederacy, in fact he has that representative sign the agreement that began that seven-year period. But now as you get to the middle there are going to be some changes, and we're going to talk about that in our next study, that enable the world to become focused on him as the religious leader as well as the political leader.

Now keep in mind, what the devil is doing is moving this world and all of its nations toward a point where he establishes a kingdom that is a counterfeit of what God says He will do. What has God promised that Christ is going to do? He is going to return to earth, He is going to establish a kingdom and Christ will rule over that kingdom. And He will be the focal point of the worship of the world. What the devil is doing is creating his own false kingdom, culminating in a man who is an imitation of Christ, the great opposer of Christ, he is the Antichrist, he is the imitation Christ, and a kingdom over which he rules. The devil's intention is to thwart the purpose of God, to replace God, if you will.

So this is what is going on until we get to verse 13, and “they have one purpose, they give their power and authority to the beast.” Those ten kings decide that one of them is the one who deserves absolute authority and worship. We saw this in Revelation 13. We are told in Revelation 13, at that point there are 42 months left until Christ comes. So the Scripture is rather clear, 42 months. So it will be in that middle.

So we pick up with verse 14 and we get the summary of this to the end of the chapter. What we are really going to do here, we started out with that woman, the religious aspect of Babylon the Great. And she is in a position, riding the beast, of having a position of influence. And really what happened in using that religious influence, this man is going to rule, is able to solidify the empire. Once that is done, he does not need this religious conglomeration any longer. So by the time we get to the end of chapter 17 the religious aspect of Babylon in this form will be gone, because the devil's concern is to have one man, an imitation of Christ and in opposition to Christ, the one we call the Antichrist, rule, and he will rule for 3½ years.

So we are told in verse 14, “These will wage war against the Lamb.” These, talking about the ten, and then the one that they agree to give their authority to. Verse 13, “These,” referring to the ten horns of verse 12, “the ten kings who will receive a kingdom in the future. They have one purpose.” So that first 3½ years has been preparation in preparing the way to give their authority to this one who will rule sovereignly over the last 3½ years. “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them.” They will wage war with the Lamb. We are moving toward Armageddon.

Back up to Revelation 16 which we have already looked at in a previous study, look at verse 12. “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the Great River, the Euphrates.” Euphrates, key river we have talked about in Scripture. You know where Babylon the city was located, on the Euphrates River. I think that is where future Babylon will be as well, we'll talk about in a future study. “The water was dried up, the way was prepared for the kings of the east. Out of the mouth of the dragon,” which is the devil as he was described in Revelation 12, “demonic spirits.” In other words these demonic spirits come at the instruction of the devil. So he gives the instruction for them. They come out and out of the mouth of the false prophet, out of the mouth of the beast because they are all joined with one purpose now, the devil is the spiritual force behind the Antichrist and the false prophet.

“They are spirits of demons,” verse 14, “performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” You see all that is going on here. Even the demons, their activity here is preparing them for war, preparing the world for war, gathering the peoples of the world together for one final conflict. And you'll note verse 16, “They gathered them together into the place” which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon, which we refer to or as “Armageddon.” That's where everything is moving, toward Armageddon and that final great conflict.

Come over to Revelation 19, so we will jump ahead. And chapter 19, heaven opens, verse 11, “and a white horse and Christ is riding that and with Him are the armies which are in heaven, verse 14. Come down to verse 19, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” This is the final conflict, this is Armageddon. Chapter 16 gave us an anticipation, preparing the way for the armies of the world to move to Armageddon. We'll talk about that, that is a location in Israel. Some of you have visited when you have traveled to Israel, place of Megiddo. So that is where the center of this conflict will be.

Back to chapter 17, when it says “these will wage war against the Lamb,” that is what we are talking about here. These events in chapters 17-18 with the destruction of religious Babylon, then the political and commercial aspect of Babylon in chapter 18 and its destruction, we are ready for Christ to return from heaven to earth, not to be born in a small insignificant place like Bethlehem, but to come with power and glory. And all the world will see Him, and all the armies of the world gather for a futile conflict, as they cannot win. Note Revelation 17:14, “And the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.” He cannot be defeated, He cannot be opposed with any hope of victory. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He is not only man but He is God, He is the One who will rule and all His enemies will be crushed and destroyed, will get their ultimate destiny at the end of Revelation 20, when they are sentenced to an eternal hell.

So we are preparing for the conflict. The Lamb will overcome them. They talk about the Lamb, we think of the Lamb in His meekness. We have seen Him in Revelation 5. He is the One who has provided redemption and salvation by His death on the cross so that not all have to be destroyed and cast into hell. There is salvation and redemption. He will overcome them in this final conflict so that He can set up His kingdom, at the beginning of Revelation 20.

This title Lord of lords and King of kings has an Old Testament background. It is a title for God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. Come to Psalm 136, several passages here but for time we will just look at this one. One of the ways you recognize and know of the deity of Jesus Christ is you simply look at some of the names and titles and attributes given to Him in Scripture. And they are those that are only applied to God. So in Psalm 136 you start out, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods.” Same thing as the Lord of lords, He is the only One who is absolutely sovereign. All other gods that are worshiped, they are not true gods. And even the most powerful in the spirit world such as Lucifer, the devil, has great power but he is subject to the authority and power of God.

Verse 3, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords.” There is that title, “For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who does great wonders.” Verse 5, “To him who made the heavens with skill.” And on it goes. The sovereign power of God. Then you come down to verse 10 and he will talk about His judgment, example on the Egyptians, so that His people Israel could be delivered.

So when we pick up in Revelation here and talk about Christ coming, He is the Lamb, He is the Lord of lords because He is God. There is one God eternally, existing in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And was the second person, the triune God, who came to earth to be born into the human race, to take to Himself full humanity while still being fully deity, so He could pay the price of our redemption, the penalty for our sin which is death.

Come back to Revelation 17, and you have in verse 14, “The Lamb will overcome them.” And we saw heaven rejoicing in chapter 5 because of the Lamb that was slain and provided redemption. We all deserve hell. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God said “there is none righteous,” we are all under just condemnation, but God provided a Savior. God was not obligated to provide a Savior, we are sinners. Remember what happened when the angels sinned? That sealed their doom forever, there was no second chance, so to speak. There is no Savior provided for angels, the book of Hebrews makes that clear. Christ became a man, He didn't become an angel. There was no one to pay the penalty for the sin of angels. God did not have to provide a Savior for us, it was mercy, grace which by definition those words refer to something undeserved. Sometimes we get the idea, God couldn't condemn innocent people. No, He wouldn't. The problem is there are none because “all have sinned. There is none righteous, no not one.” God's evaluation is the heart is deceitfully sinful and desperately wicked and only He knows the true condition of the heart, so His evaluation is given.

But the Lamb came and He is the One who will overcome. When we get to Revelation 19:16, Christ returns from heaven, “on His robe and on His thigh He has a name, King of kings and Lord of lords.” He comes now with the display of His glory and power, Son of God through whom all things were created and by whom redemption was provided comes now to rule over the redeemed. He will overcome them. We will say more about that word overcome later, but note He is not alone, those who are with Him.

So when He comes to carry out this battle, we saw in chapter 19, when he comes from heaven, the armies of heaven are with Him, He is joined with His people. It started out that His bride, the church, was ready for His return. They have been in heaven with Him since the rapture, so for the seven years. Now the marriage has occurred, they are ready to return to earth for the establishing of the kingdom, which is identified with the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Those who are with Him, think about that. Here we sit in this mundane world with all going on. You turn on the news and it's about this, it's about that and nobody can get along with anyone and everything . . . Do you know what? When you get up tomorrow and you go to work and you clean the house or you do whatever you do, and you have to stop and think, some day I am going to be coming down from heaven with Christ to this earth at the focal point of all history. How amazing is that?

When God comes in His glory to bring victory at the Battle of Armageddon, you as a believer are going to be there. Puts the trivial things of this life in some perspective. Wow, when He comes back in glory and all the world sees Him, and the armies of the world will be destroyed by Him, you can look for me. I will be right there, you will be right there. How amazing is it, what God has done?

Those that are with Him, gives them three names. “They are called,” these are names or descriptions of believers, they are called. And in the New Testament after the Gospels the word called is only used of what we call the effective call or the effectual call. In other words, it is the call of God to someone that is effective in them responding and turning in faith to Jesus Christ as their Savior. That's involved in the work of salvation. There comes a time when God calls someone. You may be sitting here today, you maybe never have trusted Christ. This could be He brought you here and you hear His call as you hear the Gospel and you are drawn to that and you recognize, I need to trust Christ, I need Him as my Savior. That would be God's call drawing you to salvation by faith in Christ. Those are the called.

Come back to Romans 1. So we could refer to ourselves as believers, not with arrogance but with humble recognition, I am one of the called. That doesn't mean because I was more special than someone else, but because God's grace was bestowed upon me. I was just as undeserving as everybody else. So, Paul writes to the Romans in Romans 1:5 that “he has received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith.” That's what happens, you obey God by believing in the Savior He has provided. Brings about the obedience of faith, and that obedience of faith, as we are going to see in a few moments, continues on as a characteristic of your life. I began a life of faith the day I placed my faith in Jesus Christ as the One who loved me and died for me. And this is a message going out primarily to the Gentiles, as the church at Rome would have been a Gentile church. And note verse 6, “Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.” So he is writing to these believers in Rome that form that church and he says, you are the called, you are those that God has called to Himself and responded.

When we were kids, I was little, my dad had a great whistle. He put his fingers in and he could whistle and that thing would reverberate in the neighborhood. You know what that meant? That meant my brothers and I headed for home. Now all the kids in the neighborhood didn't come to our home because my dad was just calling me. That is sort of God's call, when His call goes out, many people hear that truth of the Gospel, but stubbornly continue to say no. But God in His call makes it personal to some people. This is for you. All of a sudden, why? You may have heard it dozens of times but it's like I have to respond, it is clear to me. That's the call of God to an unworthy, hell-deserving sinner, that he might respond and be saved.

There are numerous other passages. Stop at Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called.” Doesn't say He makes everything work together for good to every person. Then he comes down to further explain it. Verse 30, “Those whom He predestined, He also called; whom He called, He justified.” So you see it is a special call, it is a call that is effective, that results in the person called responding and being justified, declared righteous by God, not because of their works, but because of what Christ did for Them. And when they trust Him, then they are identified with Christ, His death is credited to their account so they can be cleansed and credited with the righteousness of God. That's the word “called.” Sometimes it is at the beginning of letters like it was in Romans, in First Corinthians, first verse in Jude he writes to the called. That word for believers.

“To the chosen.” This is the word we get our English word elect from, basically eklektos, those who are selected out. Ephesians 1 says God made choices before the foundation of the world from among sinful people. So God in His grace, I wasn't less a sinner than someone else, my heart was no cleaner than anyone else's, I didn't deserve hell less than anyone else. It is God's sovereign work to call, to choose, and the call goes to those He has chosen. And they are further identified as the faithful. The word faithful, pistos, is a word that means faith or faithful because when you place your faith in Him, you will be faithful. When you walk by faith, you are faithful. So the faithful, that is the manifestation of the fact that God chose and called that person, they have been faithful. This looks at the human side, if you will, the impact of God's work of salvation on a heart. It changes a life.

Come back to Revelation 2:10, he is writing to the church at Smyrna, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison. You will be tested, you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful.” We think that trial, difficulty, trouble is an excuse for unfaithfulness. He tells them you are going to be tested, you are going to be put to the test, your faith will be put to the fire. You will have tribulation, be faithful and you will get the crown of life. It is called the perseverance of the saints. Doesn't say that Christians don't stumble, doesn't say that a believer cannot sin grievously, does not say a Christian cannot even be guilty of sin over time. But you can't stay there, and if you do then why would you say you are a child of God.

We are not saved by our works, we are not saved by our efforts, but when God makes you new on the inside, the outside begins to change. Jesus said “it is out of the heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked” that come all the sinful behavior. When God makes you a new creation in Christ, a new man, as Scripture refers to it, we are made new on the inside. We are now to be growing and more and more of the character of the God who has made us partakers of the divine nature, as Peter wrote. Not that we become God, but something of His character is now being seen in His children. We have the Spirit of God dwelling in us that produces the character of God as we submit to Him—"love, joy, peace, patience,” and so on as we have in Galatians 6. He changes your life.

It's our concern when someone says, I remember I trusted Christ way back here, I just haven't been living for Him. Oh really? How long haven't you been living for Him? How long did you live for Him? What has happened? You don't love Him anymore? He doesn't love you? What is going on? I just think I have lost interest, don't feel like studying the Word, I don't enjoy being with believers, I like the things the world has . . . Maybe you really weren't born again, maybe you had some kind of an emotional experience, maybe you made some kind of decision, but when you truly trust Christ, there is a reason the Bible says you are born again, born from above. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, new things have come.” A person living out here year after year, oh but I know I'm a Christian. Well you better be sure God knows you are a Christian. You may be deluding yourself. He says if you belong to Him, you live for Him.

That's what faithful is, it is faithfulness. It demonstrates the reality of our salvation. And I can't see a heart, I want to confront it. With our children we don't want to let them get by. We sometimes comfort ourselves and our kids, our grandkids, I want them to be saved, I want them to be saved so I'm going to assume they are. They say remember when I was in third grade I prayed? Yes, I remember. Now you are an adult and you don't seem to have any interest in the things of God, you don't have any interest in the Word of God. If you are not interested in being with believers and pleasing God, something is wrong. I don't say that to be mean, we're concerned. Those we love, we are concerned about. For your parents, I attended church, I was baptized, I was confirmed, I'm sure I'm all right. But I don't know, it doesn't seem that things are right. We're not saying that because we are their judge, we just simply want to reflect the light of the Word on them so that they consider carefully where they are.

Believers can be called faithful, if you can't be called faithful I guess you don't qualify to be called chosen, you don't qualify to be called, called. We have to be honest with ourselves, honest with the Word. Again, it's not saying believers don't stumble, “we all stumble in many ways,” the Bible tells us. And sometimes we are quick to get on other people's stumble, but I want to shed the light on myself. Where am I? How am I doing? Am I faithful? Now I'm not as I should be. Well if I know I'm not as faithful as I should be, make some corrections and be as faithful as you should be. Why do I think that's all right? I'm not saying I live a perfect life, but I don't want to be comfortable living an imperfect life. God's goal for me is perfection, which won't be realized until we get there in His presence.

They will overcome, back in Revelation 17, and this word overcome, you are familiar with it if you have been in the study of the Word. It is used of Christ, it is used of us as believers. Christ will overcome them, we will overcome. We are with Him. The reason we will overcome is Christ has overcome. Jot down John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, “In the world you have tribulation. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” So, we in Christ enter into His victory. Now note the connection, He tells them, “in the world you have tribulation but you can be of good cheer.” That doesn't have to kill your joy. All this turmoil going on in the world, I expect it, but I have peace, I have joy because Christ has overcome.

Back up to 1 John, I want to limit the number of verses here, 1 John 5:4, “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” You see we get joined with Christ, He is the victor, by His death on the cross He defeated the world, sin and Satan. When you believe in Christ, “whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.” You'll note it wasn't my baptism, it wasn't my confirmation, it wasn't communion. It was my faith in Christ. Why? Because what He did paid everything. So verse 5, “Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Verse 11, “The testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” So we overcome with Him.

So that's why we come from glory. There is no other victory, there is nothing else that overcomes sin, Satan and the world. If you are still enslaved to sin you need to understand, have I ever been set free? The world has all its allurements and attractions, but all that is in the world is “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.” And that's what keeps you ensnared and entangled. You have to say, how can I be called an overcomer? You can't do it on your own. You can't change your heart, only God can change the heart. You can change some of your behavior, but if all you do is adjust your behavior to look like you think you ought to look, your heart hasn't changed. God says He is examining the heart. So, until you get a new heart, you can't please God.

Back to Revelation 17. Look at verse 15, “He said to me, ‘the waters which you saw where the harlot sits,’” and that was back in Revelation 17:1, the last part of the verse. “Come here I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.” So this spiritually apostate group has brought influence and control over the peoples of the world. It says “the waters where you saw the harlot sit, these are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues.” So you see in that first 3½ years this spiritually apostate religion has pulled together and united many people. That's why the Antichrist is using this religion to solidify his power. “The ten horns which you saw and the beast,” now here is a change, “these will hate the harlot, will make her desolate and naked, will eat her flesh, burn her up with fire.” This is what is used of harlot cities in the Old Testament, of Jerusalem, of Tyre and Sidon because of their spiritual unfaithfulness to God. They are destroyed and consumed and the people that destroy them come and take all their possessions. Like Babylon conquered, as Ezekiel uses this picture, chapter 16, of Israel. It's God's judgment and all their possessions and everything are devoured by the nation that destroys them.

So here they are going to hate the harlot. This ten-nation confederacy, now the religious entity has been pulled together after the rapture of the church and has been so important in helping give unity to the empire. The ten horns, these ten kings, and the beast, the Antichrist, will hate the harlot. They are going to destroy her. We know from Revelation 13 that happens in the middle of the seven years because it says there are 42 months to go. God is very precise, how precise God is. Look at what is going on in the world, look at our country. What has happened? We go from one President to another and everything going crazy. And then you add to that all the world. And God has it down. At this point you have 42 months to go, this is what will happen at this point, this is what will happen at this point. Only the sovereign God who is in control can unfold such information.

And that is what we are told in verse 17, “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, by giving their kingdom to the beast until the words of God will be fulfilled.” Here you see the sovereignty of God, He is not making them sin but God uses the sin of man to accomplish His purposes. This has always been true. Back in Egypt with Pharaoh, God didn't make Pharaoh continue to reject the clear revelation of God to him, Pharaoh did it in the stubbornness of his heart. But God said that was my plan for you to do. And you have man's responsibility and God's sovereignty, and we may not always be able to understand. But God never causes sin, God never moves someone to sin in that sense. But God can use our sin, like Romans 1. If they want to sin, they reject God's revelation, God turns them over to their sin. But now in their sin they can't frustrate the purpose of God.

Here you have “God has put it in their hearts.” So what do their sinful hearts want to do? Not only do they want to continue to reject the living God, but they decide they don't like this religious amalgamation they are dealing with. We don't need it, we don't need to be putting money in it. We are going to get rid of it. They have a common purpose. But you see God's sovereignty in it. They have a common purpose, give their kingdom to the beast. This is what we looked at in Revelation 13. Do you know what happens there? The false prophet arises and he directs all the worship of the world to one man. We don't need this religious system, we don't need this whole religious entity separate from our political system. We will merge them because remember this is the imitation kingdom the devil is setting up to try to thwart God's plan. What is going to happen? When Christ comes to rule on the earth, the king and the priest are merged into one. In the Old Testament they were kept separate, the line of the king and the line of the priest. But Christ over all and He will be the center of worship. So now the Antichrist rules over all and he is also the center of worship. We saw in Revelation 13, anyone who won't worship him has to be executed. So we are now down to one-man rule with one religion. He is the king and he is god, he is the one to be worshiped.

“Until the words of God will be fulfilled.” The reminder, “Jesus said, ‘heaven and earth will pass away but My word won't pass away.’” You can't even have the smallest little part of God's Word unfulfilled. Here it is, black and white in words, God has said that His Word will be fulfilled. It will be accomplished, it will be done as He said. It seems like a lot of confusion. We think people are upset about an election and who got in. I saw in another country, another election going . . . No, it's all in His hands. We can hardly grasp that. He is watching over and taking care of you in all of your life as His child, he listens to you. And at the same time, He is working in every place, in every situation. How do we grasp a God so awesome and powerful? And He is the One we call Father. We can come with boldness, we are told, as His children to the throne of grace to receive help when we need it. And I should be frustrated? I should be miserable? I should be discouraged? Why should I be discouraged. This is our God.

And then you have this important concluding note. “The woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” Because, remember, this is all focused in one city and the religious aspect has been dominant for the first 3½ years. Now it will center in on one person. And the city, remember old Babylon, it was a city in Genesis 11, with the center of it as a worship center. So now that religious aspect has been destroyed except religion hasn't been destroyed. It has now come all squeezed down into one person, the Antichrist. This is not surprising, that's the devil's counterfeit. What did the devil tell Christ when he tempted Him? Worship me, I will give you all the kingdoms of the world, because worship of the Antichrist will be worship of the devil. Just like when you worship Jesus Christ, you are worshiping His Father also. You can't separate them.

So, Babylon. Now we are going to look at it in Revelation 18 in its political and commercial aspect, and it is a city that has to be destroyed. We will have to decide first what this city is, where it is. But there are some other events going on, and I want to bring in some events that will take place that will take us back to help deal with the Muslim world and the nations of the world. So, in our next study, we will fit those in because they fit in this seven-year period as well. And some of you have asked me about that. Won't move us along in Revelation particularly, it will take us back to Ezekiel 38-39 and a little bit of Daniel to see what happens here. We have some other things involved that have to all be worked out so that it can be set up. This is God's purpose, that man in his sinfulness culminate in this counterfeit kingdom in preparation for the coming of Christ and then the two kingdoms collide. Christ coming to establish His and Satan and his coming aligned to oppose. And we have Armageddon. And, of course, Christ wins and we win with Him and the kingdom is established.

Let's pray together. Thanks You, Lord, for Your grace in providing salvation for us. Lord, a salvation that You still offer, that You have paid in full all that is required with the death of Your Son. And we receive it simply by faith. Lord, amazing all the religions of the world that have developed, the variations of Christianity as it is often called, all infusing something else, our own works, our own efforts to corrupt and ruin what You have done. And yet salvation provided in Christ and Christ alone remains pure and undefiled, bestowed as a gift for any and all who believe in Him. Thank You for Your grace in revealing the future. Lord, this is to have an impact upon our lives, the confidence and assurance we have in uncertain days, living in a world of turmoil, perhaps facing persecution. In it all we are secure, we are settled because we have victory in the One who has the victory for us. We pray in His name, amen.