Why the Beast of Revelation 13 is different from all the other Beats.

[christianheretic]

Why the Beast of Revelation 13 is different from all the other Beats

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a LEOPARD, and his feet were as the feet of a BEAR, and his mouth as the mouth of a LION: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.


This New 5th Beast of Rev 13 is very different from the four Beasts that preceded it as recorded in Dan 7.

Each of the four previous Beasts recorded in Dan 7 had only a single Symbol with which too identify it but this New 5th Beasts of Rev 13 has Three Symbols with which we are to identify it.
 
As with all things in the Scriptures the simple answer is always true for even if a verse carries a deeper more Spiritual meaning this deeper meaning never proves wrong the simple and plain meaning in the verse. For with God there is no variableness or shadow of turning. Jam 1:17

The simple answer is that this New 5th Beast is a combination of the lands and the people that were previously governed by the Kingdoms which the LEOPARD the BEAR and the LION ruled.
 
The LEOPARD represents the Kingdom of Alexander the Great, the BEAR represents the Kingdom of the Medes-Persia and the LION represents the Kingdom of Babylon.

This is why Rev:17-8 says of this New 5th Beast:

 Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The lands and peoples of these former Kingdoms are presently totally populated by Islamic nations with the exception of the small country of Greece and the tiny nation of Israel.

That God’s focus should turn back to the Middle East in these last days should not be surprising for He still has promises to fulfill and  all of the activity of the final 7 yrs of this age are centered upon the Land of Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular.

For our Lord upon His return will not appear in Washington D C or Rome but shall set His foot down in the city of Jerusalem.

[nChrist]

Hello ChristianHeretic,

First, I would be curious about why you would use such a name on a Christian forum. Regardless, welcome!

Revelation 13 is really describing something old - the revival of the old Roman Empire. Fragments of the old Roman Empire still exist, so its OLD wounds were not MORTAL, and it will be revived. The seven heads represent seven kings, and the ten horns represent ten kingdoms. We also see the introduction of the false messiah in Revelation 13. We have many highly detailed threads on the forum if you would like to study this matter further.

I hope you enjoy Christians Unite.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 1:16-20 NASB  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

[Shammu]

The Beasts of Revelation 13

In the vision of Daniel 7, the prophet saw four beasts rising from the sea. These beasts were found to represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, the "Greeks", and Satan's end-time rule. In Revelation 12, a more complete picture of the dynasty of Satan's rule was given when John saw a dragon with seven heads and ten horns. When looking,  reviewing Revelation 17, Seven heads correspond to the following divisions in Biblical history.

1. The Fall to the Flood
2. The Flood to Egypt
3. The Rule of Egypt
4. Babylon (Daniel's First Kingdom)
5. Medo-Persia (Daniel's Second Kingdom)
6. The Dominion of Greece (Daniel's Third Kingdom, from Alexander to the end-times)
7. The Kingdom of Iron and Clay (Daniel's end-time Fourth Kingdom)

In Revelation 13, more information is given concerning the most powerful time ever of Satan's rule. It is when he is loosed during the final years of the Fourth Kingdom (the seventh head of the beast) to arise as the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

As found in Revelation 17, the beast with seven heads and ten horns typifies Satan's rule over mankind. The seven heads represent the seven epochs of that rule from the Fall to the last day. The ten horns typify the "kings of the earth" (that is, its rulers and leaders) through whom Satan works to promote war, strife, carnality, immorality, persecution, ungodly civil laws, etc.

John stood on the sand to witness the beast rise out of the sea. The "sand" typifies the insecure spiritual foundation of the earth (Matthew 7:26), while the "sea" emphasizes that Satan's kingdom finds its origin in the wicked nations.

All ten horns are crowned in this chapter, showing that the Great Tribulation period, which begins with Satan's loosing during the final years of the Fourth Kingdom – is now in view. As Revelation 17 terms it, this is the "hour" when the ten horns will receive "power as kings" (be crowned) with the beast:

All seven heads of the beast bear a single name of blasphemy.

Revelation 13:2-3 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

The beast was like a leopard, with feet as a bear and a mouth as a lion's. This language derives from Daniel 7, where the lion typified the strong Babylonian empire, the bear typified the ravenous Medo-Persian coalition, and the leopard typified the speed and agility of the Greeks.

In Revelation 13, we have the same wild animals but in reverse order (because John is looking back in time). The mention of these animals shows that Daniel's Fourth Kingdom, especially during the Tribulation will incorporate all the attributes of the preceding three epochs.

In particular, the Fourth Kingdom will incorporate the attributes of the Greeks, because this beast is specifically "like unto a leopard." Since the achievements of the Greeks form the cornerstone of Western civilisation, we can presume that Satan's final kingdom will be very Greek-like, in that he will use the sinful attributes of the Western world to increase wickedness worldwide, especially during the Tribulation period. (Focus on the Greeks is also evident in the fourth beast's claws of brass [Dan 7:19] through which the world will be spiritually torn. As we found in Dan 2:32, brass is the metal associated with the Greek empire.)

However, when he is loosed to deceive the nations, the deadly wound will look healed.

This same fact of being dead then alive again is also mentioned in..........

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Satan's kingdom "was" in the Old Testament when it commanded great authority. For most of the New Testament age, though, Satan's kingdom "is not" because Christ bound him at Pentecost to enable the extension of the church.

In Revelation 17:8, people whose names are not written in the book of life (the unsaved) gaze in wonder at the newly-alive beast. This corresponds to the people in Revelation 13 who "wondered after the beast." Their astonishment is spiritual. As sin and apostasy rule during the Tribulation period, people will love what this earth has to offer. With all its temptations, such as material goods, power, wealth, feel-good religions and fleshy attractions, Satan's kingdom will be wholly embraced by sinners, to a degree unparalleled in history.

Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Through their adoration of his kingdom, people will be worshipping the dragon himself. Of course, one does not need to engage in satanic rituals to worship the Devil. The unsaved worship him simply by leading their normal, sinful lives.

With Satan loosed to deceive the nations, people will be so enamored of his kingdom that they will say in their hearts, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" In other words, they will be saying: "Why war with Satan by focusing on Christ when it is so much better to fix our eyes on this world and all its wonderful offerings."

Revelation 13:5-7 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

A mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given to the beast. As Daniel 7 confirms, this will occur through the agency of the "little horn," who will arise at some point after the Fourth Kingdom begins.

Daniel 7:7-8 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Daniel 7:23-25 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.  24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

[Shammu]

In Daniel 7 that the little horn "made war with the saints, and prevailed against them," and that they were "given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time" (which is 3½ times). This corresponds to Revelation 13: "and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months . . . And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them." As we know, this period of 3½ times or 42 months derives from the final half of Daniel's seventieth week, which will begin in the closing years of the Fourth Kingdom.

During this time, the beast, or specifically, its little horn, whose rule is typified by the second beast of Revelation 13 will speak "great things and blasphemies." This refers to Satan's rule as the Antichrist through false teachers and prophets who will speak audaciously, witness, for example, the bold statements made by signs and wonders teachers today. Through these men, Satan will blaspheme God's name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. In other words, he will undermine all that is holy and true.

The little horn will "make war with the saints, and overcome them." As noted in Revelation 11:7, this is spiritual language. Please note that Revelation chapters 12 to 14 are chronological in their unfolding.

Revelation 13:8-10 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Because of Satan's great power to deceive, all those on earth who are not written in the Book of Life (the unsaved, Revelations 20:15) will not worship in his kingdom. The unsaved worship Satan whether they realize it or not.

In that context of worshiping the beast, the prophecy states: "If any man have an ear let him hear." Only believers have spiritual ears (John 10:5). With them, God wants us to heed His warnings not to be seduced by the attractions of this world (Matthew 6:24-34; Col 3:2; James 4:4).

The prophecy also states........ "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity." Satan is the one who leads people into captivity to sin. Throughout the New Testament, Christ has been setting these captives free, as they repent of their sins and become saved (Luke 4:18). However, during the Tribulation period when Satan is loosed, he will hold the nations captive again to worldly allurement. This will try believers enormously, requiring both patience and endurance to withstand.

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

John saw a second beast. Unlike the first who arose from the sea, this one came out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and spoke as a dragon. In the Bible, "horns" signify power and the "lamb" is figurative for Christ. In a beast that has horns like a lamb, we therefore see a kingdom of Christ-like power and appearance, but it speaks as a dragon. Accordingly, I believe that this second beast typifies Satan's end-time rule as the Antichrist through false prophets and teachers (Rev 19:10).

The beast coming "out of the earth" alludes to Daniel's prophetic visions. In Daniel 7:8, we saw the little horn Satan, arising as the Antichrist from among the ten horns, who represent the kings and rulers of the earth. Similarly, in Daniel 8:9, the little horn emerged from among the four horns of Gentile power. Like the little horn of Daniel 7 and 8, the second beast emerges from an earthly power base. This shows that Satan's rise to power in the church will be through the agency of the world's wickedness, as it steadily corrupts the church during the course of the Fourth Kingdom, eventually enabling the Antichrist's rule.

Revelation 13:12-13 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

The second beast will be as powerful as the first, meaning that Satan's false prophets will be just as successful in deceiving religious-minded people as Satan's kingdom will be in keeping the unsaved blinded. The extent of the Antichrist's rule is therefore worldwide, and includes all religions that are ungodly.

Of course, Satan's prime target is the Christian church, where the true Gospel is normally found. To deceive churchgoers there, he will work particularly through signs and wonders, even causing fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men.

This is symbolic language, and recalls the prophet Elijah who called fire from heaven in the sight of people, engendering worship of the Lord (1 Ki 18:38-39; cf. 2 Ki 1:10; Lu 9:54). But unlike Elijah who caused the true God to be worshiped by the sight of fire from heaven (cf. 2 Chr 7:1-3), Satan – the false Elijah – will work through signs and wonders to prompt worship of a strange god (Dan 11:39; cf. Mt 24:24; Mk 13:22; 2 Th 2:9).

This notion of a "false Elijah" is fitting because Elijah is recalled in the ministry of the two witnesses, whom Satan will silence (Rev 11:6-7). It also underpins the Antichrist's later title of "false prophet" (Rev 16:13; 19:20 & 20:10).

Revelation 13:14-15 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Through his powers to deceive, particularly through signs and wonders, the second beast will cause people to make an "image" to the first beast.

Whenever the focus of devotion changes from God to this world, an image is being worshiped (Rom 1:23). The second beast will rule in the church through securing such a change in focus, as worldly-minded doctrines prevail over God-centered ones. An image of the beast will therefore be set up, as congregations everywhere embrace teachings that are reckoned by man's standards, not God's, today by doctrines that advocate prosperity, political liberty, social justice, miraculous healing, signs and wonders, the ordination of women, allowance of homosexuality, acceptance of abortion, easy divorce and ecumenicism.

The second beast will also be empowered to give life to the image, to make it speak. Working through ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11:13-15), Satan will make their gospels look full of spiritual life. Hence, the image will "speak," meaning that people will think they are hearing the voice of God in these doctrines. However, they are being deluded (Th 2:11). It is really the dragon, their true master, who speaks.

Should anyone not worship the image, that is, should anyone not worship man-centered doctrines, they will be killed by the second beast (Dan 3:1-6). The ones who do not worship falsehood are believers. They will be "killed" in the sense that their witness will become rejected by the world, as falsehood replaces truth.

Although it seems earlier in Revelation 13 that the first beast is responsible for overcoming the saints, it should be understood that he does so through the agency of the second beast:

Daniel 7:8 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

The statement "there was given unto him a mouth" shows that the first beast will be given the means, through the second beast, or little horn, or Antichrist, to speak his blasphemies and to overcome the saints.

The beast are, The anti-christ, and the false prophet.

[christianheretic]

Hello ChristianHeretic,

Revelation 13 is really describing something old - the revival of the old Roman Empire. Fragments of the old Roman Empire still exist, so its OLD wounds were not MORTAL, and it will be revived. The seven heads represent seven kings, and the ten horns represent ten kingdoms. We also see the introduction of the false messiah in Revelation 13. We have many highly detailed threads on the forum if you would like to study this matter further.

I hope you enjoy Christians Unite.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Well Tom i could not disagree more heartily.

As to this being history, I say fine if you choose to believe that go your way but before you do you might ask yourself when in all of Scripture has God ever fulfilled His prophecies and waited hundreds of years for academics to recognize it and man to acknowledge and glorify Him for it?

Hmmmm; never has this happened and never will this happen.

All Prophecy is fulfilled in present tense to the generation for which it is intended and all people of faith living in the generations in which God fulfills His Prophecies will recognize it as FULFILLED PROPHECY and Glorify God for it.

If Prophecy were not fulfilled in present tense for the people of faith living at the time of the fulfillment of Prophecy then God never would receive the Glory for His fulfillment of His Word and the people of faith could never be sure God has ever fulfilled His Word at all.

In order for your interpretation to be correct God would have to change His assignment of each symbol’s identification in this vision and God never indicates this in His explanation to Daniel or any where else in the Scriptures.

God is very specific in how He identifies each Symbol of Daniel 7 with the specific Kingdom it represents in Dan 2.

Dan 7: vision by night

The Leopard: represents the Kingdom of Alexander the Great.
The Bear: represents the Kingdom of the Medes-Persia
The Lion: represents the Kingdom of Babylon
The IRON TEETH: is the ONLY IDENTIFING SYMBOL WE ARE PROVIDED FOR THE ROMAN BEAST.

There are NO IRON TEETH in this New Beast who arises from the Sea in Rev 13.


So when God says:

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

God is identifying the former Kingdoms of Alexander the Great, Medes-Persia and Babylon.

UNLESS YOU BELIEVE GOD MADE AN ERROR OR LEFT SOMETHING OUT, that we actually need to know, this omission of IRON TEETH can only mean that the ORIGINAL ROMAN BEAST has been vanquished like all the beasts before it and replaced BY THIS NEW BEAST OF REV 13 who arises out of the sea and is comprised of the lands and peoples of three former kingdoms symbolized by the Leopard, the Bear and the Lion.

This New Beast of Rev 13 will rule the entire original Kingdom of the Roman Beast but will be made up of Islamic Nations and Kingdoms.

Unlike man, with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Jam 1:17.

If the original Roman Beast still existed this New Beast would have IRON TEETH as one of its Symbolic identifiers. God specifically omits the IRON TEETH so we will know that a changing of the Guard has taken place.

God is consistent and without variableness or shadow of turning in His symbolism, which He must be for us to have any hope of understanding what He is saying to us, thus the original Roman Beast no longer exists after this New Beast of Rev 13 arises and vanquishes what remains of its Empire.

In the place of the Roman Beast with IRON TEETH we see a Beast made up of the Kingdoms of the LEOPARD, the BEAR and the LION and the original Roman BEAST WITH THE IRON TEETH is no longer in view just like all the BEASTS before it when it has been defeated it is bound in the bottomless pit.

This is why the Angel says in Rev 17 of the New Beast in Rev 13:

Rev 17:8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Realize that when the Angel of Rev 17 makes the above statement it is just prior to 90 AD and the Roman Empire is presently in existence and is still at its Zenith in power and conquest.
 
Yet the Angel says “the Beast, referring to the New Beast of Rev 13, that thou saw WAS AND IS NOT.

God never makes errors in the tense He is speaking in so when God says “WAS and IS NOT” HE CAN NOT BE SPEAKING OF THE ROMAN BEAST for the Roman Beast is in existence when He says this.
 
This is further proof that the Angel is not speaking of the original Roman Beast but rather to a NEW BEAST that had existed previous to the Roman Beast who will emerge and exist again in the future.

One last Scripture Proof these Prophecies are not HISTORY.

Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; BUT RECEIVE POWER AS KINGS ONE HOUR WITH THE BEAST.

As this Scripture Text shows the Ten Kings Rein ONE HOUR with the Beast, that is all together on the same world stage at the same time, which is still future.

Based on literal rules of interpretation please explain how any other result can be obtained.

[christianheretic]

The Beasts of Revelation 13

In the vision of Daniel 7, the prophet saw four beasts rising from the sea. These beasts were found to represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, the "Greeks", and Satan's end-time rule. In Revelation 12, a more complete picture of the dynasty of Satan's rule was given when John saw a dragon with seven heads and ten horns. When looking,  reviewing Revelation 17, Seven heads correspond to the following divisions in Biblical history.

1. The Fall to the Flood
2. The Flood to Egypt
3. The Rule of Egypt
4. Babylon (Daniel's First Kingdom)
5. Medo-Persia (Daniel's Second Kingdom)
6. The Dominion of Greece (Daniel's Third Kingdom, from Alexander to the end-times)
7. The Kingdom of Iron and Clay (Daniel's end-time Fourth Kingdom)

In Revelation 13, more information is given concerning the most powerful time ever of Satan's rule. It is when he is loosed during the final years of the Fourth Kingdom (the seventh head of the beast) to arise as the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

As found in Revelation 17, the beast with seven heads and ten horns typifies Satan's rule over mankind. The seven heads represent the seven epochs of that rule from the Fall to the last day. The ten horns typify the "kings of the earth" (that is, its rulers and leaders) through whom Satan works to promote war, strife, carnality, immorality, persecution, ungodly civil laws, etc.

John stood on the sand to witness the beast rise out of the sea. The "sand" typifies the insecure spiritual foundation of the earth (Matthew 7:26), while the "sea" emphasizes that Satan's kingdom finds its origin in the wicked nations.

All ten horns are crowned in this chapter, showing that the Great Tribulation period, which begins with Satan's loosing during the final years of the Fourth Kingdom – is now in view. As Revelation 17 terms it, this is the "hour" when the ten horns will receive "power as kings" (be crowned) with the beast:

All seven heads of the beast bear a single name of blasphemy.

Revelation 13:2-3 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

The beast was like a leopard, with feet as a bear and a mouth as a lion's. This language derives from Daniel 7, where the lion typified the strong Babylonian empire, the bear typified the ravenous Medo-Persian coalition, and the leopard typified the speed and agility of the Greeks.

In Revelation 13, we have the same wild animals but in reverse order (because John is looking back in time). The mention of these animals shows that Daniel's Fourth Kingdom, especially during the Tribulation will incorporate all the attributes of the preceding three epochs.

In particular, the Fourth Kingdom will incorporate the attributes of the Greeks, because this beast is specifically "like unto a leopard." Since the achievements of the Greeks form the cornerstone of Western civilisation, we can presume that Satan's final kingdom will be very Greek-like, in that he will use the sinful attributes of the Western world to increase wickedness worldwide, especially during the Tribulation period. (Focus on the Greeks is also evident in the fourth beast's claws of brass [Dan 7:19] through which the world will be spiritually torn. As we found in Dan 2:32, brass is the metal associated with the Greek empire.)

However, when he is loosed to deceive the nations, the deadly wound will look healed.

This same fact of being dead then alive again is also mentioned in..........

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Satan's kingdom "was" in the Old Testament when it commanded great authority. For most of the New Testament age, though, Satan's kingdom "is not" because Christ bound him at Pentecost to enable the extension of the church.

In Revelation 17:8, people whose names are not written in the book of life (the unsaved) gaze in wonder at the newly-alive beast. This corresponds to the people in Revelation 13 who "wondered after the beast." Their astonishment is spiritual. As sin and apostasy rule during the Tribulation period, people will love what this earth has to offer. With all its temptations, such as material goods, power, wealth, feel-good religions and fleshy attractions, Satan's kingdom will be wholly embraced by sinners, to a degree unparalleled in history.

Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Through their adoration of his kingdom, people will be worshipping the dragon himself. Of course, one does not need to engage in satanic rituals to worship the Devil. The unsaved worship him simply by leading their normal, sinful lives.

With Satan loosed to deceive the nations, people will be so enamored of his kingdom that they will say in their hearts, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" In other words, they will be saying: "Why war with Satan by focusing on Christ when it is so much better to fix our eyes on this world and all its wonderful offerings."

Revelation 13:5-7 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

A mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given to the beast. As Daniel 7 confirms, this will occur through the agency of the "little horn," who will arise at some point after the Fourth Kingdom begins.

Daniel 7:7-8 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Daniel 7:23-25 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.  24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

I believe God will fulfill each and every Scripture of Revelation and Daniel and all the rest of His Prophecies LITERALLY rather then Symbolically and that all of His children present on Earth when they are fulfilled will be witnesses to these events as they unfold and will know that He is fulfilling His Word.

This is how God has done it in the past and How God will do it in the future.

For with God there is no variableness or shadow of turning. Jam 1:17

[nChrist]

Hello christianheretic,

It doesn't appear that you know about what you want to argue. However, if you argue about semantics only, you might do okay. I'll pass but with two questions, 1) "if you don't think there will be a revived Roman Empire, what might you want to call it?" That is the general consensus among Bible Scholars. 2) Repeat on your user name:  2)  First, I would be curious about why you would use such a name on a Christian forum.

[christianheretic]

Hello christianheretic,

It doesn't appear that you know about what you want to argue. However, if you argue about semantics only, you might do okay. I'll pass but with two questions, 1) "if you don't think there will be a revived Roman Empire, what might you want to call it?" That is the general consensus among Bible Scholars. 2) Repeat on your user name:  2)  First, I would be curious about why you would use such a name on a Christian forum.

As to an exact Name for this New Beasts Kingdom, it can not be known prior to its rising just as all the Kingdoms after Babylon were not named until they had actually accomplished their rise to Power.

What we can know is the area of the world where this New Beast of Revelation 13 arises so lets call it, the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Iron and Clay or just the  Kingdom of the Middle East once everyone knows what we are speaking about.
 
Concerning semantics, in this case the study of symbols, it is a necessary part of interpreting the Written Word of God for if we ignore them we stray from the path of the pattern God has purposely provided for us.

The beginning point that is being established is that God’s Word is Trustworthy and each change in the pattern of the Symbolism or of the Symbols in any prophecy are BENCH MARKS that must be reflected when interpreting the Prophecy.

After the Lion of Babylon, when ever a New Beast appears in this Prophecy a New Kingdom arises that is different from the previous Beast’s Kingdom in culture, language, administration and people, this is the pattern established by God.
 
This New Beast of Rev 13 when it arises will continue to follow this Pattern set by God and conquer the previous Roman Beast"s Empire and take its place ruling over the lands and the peoples of this previous Kingdom.

Each Beast in succession rules all of its own lands and peoples and upon its victory over the previous Beast, it also rules all of the lands and the peoples of the Beast it has conquered.

This is the pattern God has established and we must follow God’s pattern in order to discover His Truth rather then some other person’s version of God’s Truth.

For example when we see the Bear, the Medes and Persia, arise and conquer the Lion, Babylon, we know we are seeing the Silver Breast and Arms of the Great Image as described in Dan 2.

We see further by unfolded history that within the same time frame as the Sliver Metal Portion of the Great Image exists the TWO ARMS represent TWO SEPARATE KINGDOMS, the Medes and Persia

While these TWO KINGDOMS occupy the same time frame as the presence of the Sliver Metal portion of the Great Image they are Two completely separate Kingdoms with different Cultures, Languages Administrations and People.

As it is with the TWO ARMS each being a Separate Kingdom with separate cultures, languages, administrations and People so it is with the TWO LEGS, for they also represent TWO SEPARATE KINGDOMS within the same time frame as the Iron Metal portion of the Great Image is in existence, and these Two Separate Kingdoms will have Two Separate cultures, languages, administrations and People

These TWO KINGDOMS are made up of the Roman Empire of Iron and the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Iron and Clay.

God is always consistent with His patterns.

If we look today we see the Two Legs begin at modern day Istanbul, the Western Leg stretches forth into Modern day Europe and the Eastern Leg extends into the lands of the Modern day Middle East, which for the purpose of this explanation includes all of the lands and Peoples ruled by the three previous Kingdoms of the Leopard, the Bear and the Lion as revealed in the Dream and Vision, with their Explanations, of Dan 2 and 7.

The  Foot of the Western Leg stands in modern day Europe and the Foot of the Eastern Leg stands in the modern day Middle East; these are the TWO KINGDOMS with separate Cultures Languages, Administrations and People, which the Legs of Iron and the Feet of Iron and Clay represent.
 
NOTE: (When I speak of Pseudo-Christianity or Pseudo- Christian I am speaking of the predominate culture present in the Countries involved and not the individual Christian Brethren within those Countries.) 

The Western LEG represents the Beast of Pagan Rome which after arising to the zenith of its power mingles itself with the Christian religion forming a Pseudo-Christianity mixed with paganism and rules until just before the FEET begin to sprout forth as a mixture of Iron and Clay.

The Eastern LEG represents the Kingdoms of the Beast who arises from the sea in Rev 13 which encompass the lands and the people of the modern day Middle East which were formerly ruled by the Leopard, the Bear and the Lion.

Today the people and lands of this Eastern LEG and FOOT are made up primarily of the Arabs and the Bedouins and while they have several different National identities they all have taken the name of Muslims as their singular Religious identity.
 
These Muslims have descended directly from Ishmael and all have converted to a singular religion formed of Pseudo-Jewish Torah observance mixed with the writings of their Prophet which is called Islam.

This Arab-Bedouin Eastern LEG and FOOT has yet to unite into any true confederation which is primarily due to God’s Prophecy concerning them in Gen 16:12.

This Prophecy of God prevents this Kingdom from arising to power prior to God’s time for them to emerge as the people of the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Iron and Clay.

This dormant state of this Middle Eastern Kingdom will change and it will change quickly once it begins for as prophecy reveals this New Beast of Rev 13 arises out of the sea near the end of the time, named in the Scriptures, as the BEGINNING OF SORROWS, Mt 24:8.

This New Beast’s MIDDLE EASTERN KINGDOM of Iron and Clay is made up of the Great Images Eastern LEG of Iron and its FEET of Iron and Clay.

This Kingdom will be centered in the modern day Middle East and will be comprised of the peoples and the lands of the Leopard, the Bear and the Lion and not in its present day European counterpart of the original Roman Beast’s Kingdom.

This is what results if we follow God’s Symbols and God’s Pattern consistently.

This interpretation has significant implications for those who call themselves Christian and for those in the Church who are their leaders.

Every Christian leader should become aware of these Truths so they are not left speechless when these Truths leave the realm of Prophecy and become the present reality.

For the Rising of this New Beast of Revelation 13 PRECEDES THE APPEARANCE OF THE LITTLE HORN BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME.

This is important because the appearance of the Little Horn announces the beginning of the 70th week of Dan 9.

So even those who hold to the position of a Pretribulation Rapture can not escape the prodigious events of the TIME OF SORROWS which do not come to an end until the LITTLE HORN ASCENDS TO POWER.

God’s pattern is consistent and trustworthy and we must follow it to have any hope of comprehending what He is saying to us.


As to what I am called, Christian heretic, I too was offended when I was first called by this name but then I looked up the meaning of the word heretic in the dictionary and now I am no longer offended by being called a heretic.

For while Christian tradition views heretic as quite negative, it is an apt one for me and with this name there is no danger of me ever sneaking up on any one unaware.

I have no desire for followers or acclaim and I certainly have no desire to deceive anyone.

Let the reader be aware and have his guard up from the outset, let him accept or reject with a clear conscious knowing that he is judging that which has been said rather then who it is that has said it.

If what I say really is from God’s sharing with me His Truth, then it will accomplish the purpose for which He has sent it forth and that is far more then I am ever going to be worthy of.

If what I share is not from God then let it be as dry leaves before the wind and leave each person’s perception quickly.

FREELY have I been given, FREELY do I share.
 
Accept it, reject it or refute in from the Scriptures let the reader decide as the Holy Spirit leads them.

[nChrist]

Hello christianheretic,

As I said, I'll pass - so I reject it.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 ESV  If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,  4  he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,  5  and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

[bronzesnake]

OK, this is going to be rather long, but it obviously needs to be done.
Tom and Roger are correct, and I am having serious doubts about anyone who chooses such a username as Christian heretic…still, here is scriptural truth, not my truth, but God’s own truth straight from the pages of His Holy manual.

We all agree that God revealed a future prophetic lineage of world domination to Daniel, through Daniel’s interpretation of king Nebby’s dream, in the form a statue which terrified the king, and represented four great empires which were to  rule the known world during twenty-six hundred years from king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to the return of Christ at the end of this age.

It is utterly amazing that all four empire’s did in fact appear in succession  during the following five centuries and in the exact same order predicted by Daniel.

It is also amazing that from the rise of the Roman empire in 63 BC until today, no one has managed to establish a fifth world empire, despite serious attempts by tyrants such as Charlemagne, Frederick Barbarossa, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin…all tried and failed miserably to create a fifth world empire.

I won’t go into a lot of detail here in explaining the full meaning of the statue, but rather I will merely describe the dream and the interpretation of Daniel…

Head of Gold - Babylon - “thou art this head of gold”

Chest of silver - Media-Persia - “after thee shall rise another kingdom inferior to thee”

Belly and hips of brass - Greece - “third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth”

Legs of iron - Rome - “the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things and bruise”

Toes of iron and clay - Ten nations of revived Roman empire - “the kingdom shall be divided…so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken”

The stone cut without hands - The Messianic Kingdom - “ in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed”

OK I will not go into detail on the revived Roman empire which we see happening today except to point out the following…

Daniel told us that the antichrist will rise out of the Roman empire…
“The price that shall come, will come out of the people who shall destroy the city” Since it was Rome and it’s legions that destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D., it logically follows that once again the “prince that shall come” must come out of the Roman empire, and people.
The antichrist will rule the revived ten nation Roman confederacy, and he will exercise absolute control through satanic power. “Dan 8:24 - “his power shall be mighty but not by his own power”
He will have complete control over politics, economics, and war, as we see in Rev 13:2.


OK now to the four beasts.
After Nebby died in 562 B.C. Daniel received an amazing vision of four great beasts.
These beasts represented the rise and fall of the four great gentile empires that would dominate the known world for thousands of years. Tow of which arose after Daniel had died.
Daniel’s visions represented a span of time that includes the first coming of Christ and the reappearing of the Roman empire in the revived ten nation superstate, just prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

This prophecy of the four beasts paralleled the earlier prophetic dream of king Nebby of the metallic image.
Although this vision represents the same sequence of the first dream, there is one major difference.
King Nebby’s dream focused on military power and outward glory of the gentile empires during “the times of the gentiles”  Luke 21:24.

Daniel’s dream emphasized the greedy and violent character of the four empires.
Daniel stated the four powerful beasts would arise from the great sea Dan 7:2-3 This image represents the sea of politics and also the Meditererranean Sea which was central to each of the world empires.

In his vision Daniel sheds light on the political aspect of the four figures, commenting on the behind the military conquests of each empire…notice the prophetic symbols of the predatory beasts.

To Continue...

[bronzesnake]

Continued from above post...

The first beast
A lion with eagle’s wings.
The Babylonian empire:  
Dan 7:4 -
“The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.”

These images remind me of the images of mythical beasts depicted on the huge walls of Babylon that I saw on CNN from the days when Saddam was rebuilding the ancient city.

The wings on a lion represent swift military action and victories.
The wings having been plucked give a fairly accurate description, after having conqured the known world and resting all military activities to devote itself to massive building projects.

It’s also interesting to note similarities of this section of the scripture…
“and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.”
And the seven year judgement from God upon king Nebby where he went mad and lived as a beast in the field and even ate grass Dan 4:30

The second beast
A bear.
The Medo-Persian empire:
Dan 7:5 -
“And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.”

This is an accurate depiction of an empire which conquered with the strength of a bear.
The Medo-Persian empire conquered Babylon and virtually every other kingdom that got in it’s sights with ponderous and bearlike strength.
Medo-Persian amassed hundreds of thousands of soldiers from their newly conquered nations and went onto crush many other future enemies.

Daniel depicted the bear laying on one side which represented the fact that the Persian kingdom was much more powerful and aggressive than the Medes.
Cyrus the Great took command of both allied kingdoms at the death of his father-in-law Darius the Mede, and from that point on the kingdom was known as the Persian empire.

Daniel’s vision of three ribs in the bear’s mouth prophetically represented the Persian empire’s conquest of three kingdoms - Lydia, Babylon and Egypt. Those kingdoms had formed a defensive military alliance against the Persian empire, but it didn’t work out too well for them in the end! LOL!


The third beast
A leopard with four wings and four heads
The Greek empire:
Dan 7:6“After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.”

The Greek empire of Alexander The Great, which was represented in king Nebby’s dream as the brass belly and hips.
Alexander’s army included just 32 thousand soldiers and 5 thousand cavalry, and yet his army defeated King Darius’s massive army of a quarter of a million soldiers!
Alexander’s small fast army defeated all the ancient Asian empires all the way from Greece to Babylon and southern Russia as well as India, thousands of miles to the east!
So the symbol of the Leopard, which is a small fast and aggressive animal fits extremely well don’t you think?

The four wings represent the historical fact that after Alexander’s early demise, his kingdom was split into four smaller, but very powerful kingdoms.
Alexander’s four greatest generals ruled the middle east for almost two and a half centuries until the Roman empire led by General Pompey the Great conquered the middle east in 63 BC, prior to the known world being taken over by the roman empire’s succeeding Caesars.

The fourth beast
Iron teeth and ten horns.
The Roman empire:
Dan 7:7“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”

The fourth empire is described by Daniel as being the most awesome and powerful kingdom in history.
It’s iron teeth line up with the iron leg’s of king Nebby’s dream.
This fourth empire is significant because the antichrist will lead a revived Roman empire in the end days against God and the Jewish people, as well as the tribulation saints.

OK now I’ll attempt to bring it all together…

Dan 7:8 - “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”

Daniel is alerting us to the arrival of the antichrist in the last days here.
The revived Roman empire - the kingdom of iron  Dan 2:23 , 40-44  Dan 7:7
Will have ten horns, representing ten kings and nations, that will rise within the territory of the ancient Roman empire Rev 17:12,   this parallels the ten toes of king Nebby’s dream in Dan 2   .

Now, a “little horn” representing an eleventh man/king, will rise up the nations of the original ten kings. The “little horn” (the antichrist) will subdue three of the ten horns and destroy them. The seven remaining kings of the original ten nations will submit to the domination of this “little horn”, - the new king/man (antichrist) will then begin his role as antichrist and world dictator.
He will take over the ten nation revived Roman empire and go on to expand his empire through wars and false peace treaties until he finally takes control of the entire planet.
His rein will last for seven years until the second coming of Christ and His saints, which are you and I, the raptures saints as well as those who will convert after missing the rapture, and who are forced to try and survive during this final seven year wrath of God.

John                                             

[Shammu]

God’s own truth straight from the pages of His Holy manual.

AMEN brother John.

I didn't know Pastor Roger posted in this topic.

[bronzesnake]

AMEN brother John.

I didn't know Pastor Roger posted in this topic.

My bad Bob!!...sigh...
Sorry broseph! LOL!

In relation to the post. It seems obvious that the poster made a mistake in misidentifying the Rev 13 beast.

The dream of the king “Nebby“, and the beats of Daniel’s vision was describing the same thing - the Antichrist, however, as we all tried to point out to our friend...King Nebby’s dream focused on military power and outward glory of the gentile empires during “the times of the gentiles”
Daniel’s dream emphasized the greedy and violent character of the four empires.

Our friend was inferring there would be some kind of an Islamic Christian war, and although that may be partially and coincidentally true, it was most certainly not the message of that image.
The image of the beast from both the King's dream and Daniel’s dream represented The Antichrist; satan possessed of a man and pretending to be Christ.

The classic mistake this poster made was placing his own interpretations inside the scriptures, where as we are only able to get the truth of the scriptures by exclusively using the bible to interpret itself.

take care my brothers.
John

[Soldier4Christ]

where as we are only able to get the truth of the scriptures by exclusively using the bible to interpret itself.

This is the key. Unfortunately many people utilize what they see occurring around them at the time in order to attempt to interpret the Bible. The things of this world will very often mislead them into the wrong direction in this very manner.

1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

[nChrist]

AMEN BROTHERS!

This turned out to be a beautiful thread, something that all of us can benefit from. I think that the biggest thing to think about is the End Days of this Age of GRACE that GOD Promised would come. I think that time is soon, so our HOMECOMING is also soon.

I've been delayed some by illness, but I'm doing a Study on the Promises of GOD. I hope and pray to be able to start again soon, and everyone is welcome to join in.

In the meantime:

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 24:23-31 NASB  "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him.  24  "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.  25  "Behold, I have told you in advance.  26  "So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.  27  "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  28  "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.  29  "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  30  "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.  31  "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Matthew 24:32-44 NASB  "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;  33  so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.  34  "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  35  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.  36  "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.  37  "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.  38  "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,  39  and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  40  "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  41  "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.  42  "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  43  "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.  44  "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Revelation 11:1-13 NASB  Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.  2  "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.  3  "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."  4  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.  5  And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.  6  These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.  7  When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.  8  And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.  9  Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.  10  And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.  11  But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them.  12  And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.  13  And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Ezekiel 7:1-9 NASB  Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying,  2  "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land.  3  'Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you.  4  'For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the LORD!'  5  "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming!  6  'An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come!  7  'Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near--tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains.  8  'Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations.  9  'My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the LORD, do the smiting.

Ezekiel 7:14-20 NASB  'They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all their multitude.  15  'The sword is outside and the plague and the famine are within. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also consume those in the city.  16  'Even when their survivors escape, they will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, each over his own iniquity.  17  'All hands will hang limp and all knees will become like water.  18  'They will gird themselves with sackcloth and shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces and baldness on all their heads.  19  'They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling.  20  'They transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them.

Ezekiel 7:25-27 NASB  'When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none.  26  'Disaster will come upon disaster and rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law will be lost from the priest and counsel from the elders.  27  'The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their conduct I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the LORD.'"