04_07 Watch Out!

The Last document of Chapter 4, #04_07, Watch Out! is the unveiling of important prophecy for those who must fight the “beast” and all of his allies in this world of sin. We must know what is going on, in order to not be deceived in this trying hour of history. Our faith in the Bible as the Word of God, for our protection, will be tried by “strong delusion” that Satan will bring to pass, trying to destroy all of God’s children.
Watch Out!

Scripture Text: Revelation 16:12-17

Title: Watch Out!

Are you preparing for the final scenes of the end of time for the world? As you have been studying the End Time Landmarks, in preparation for the glorious coming of Jesus, what should you watch for as you watch and pray?

Today, I’d like to focus on our most severe battle of faith yet to come, that we may prepare ourselves, through awareness given us by Bible prophecy, and the filling out of the picture by the books of Ellen White, to stand to the very end.

This battle of faith has been given a name. “Armageddon.”

It is tied extensively to the three angel’s messages of Rev.14: 7-12, so its importance for our understanding is great. It is also the other side of the coin in the sealing. Some will be sealed, but most will be deceived and lost!

Jesus Himself warned, in Mark 13, verse 22;
“For false Christs and false prophets shall arise and show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect! But take ye heed,” Jesus went on, “behold, I have foretold you all things!”

The battle of Armageddon is not about military war. It is a battle for the mind of every human being on the earth. It is a battle between two trinities, each employing a trio of angels to persuade human beings to its side of the conflict. Also, a fourth angel is added at the very end by both trinities. Watch carefully for the counterfeit fourth angel as we unfold the prophecies.

First, understand that for the purpose of deception, Satan’s most diabolical tool is counterfeit-making. A false Christ, and false apostles and prophets, and false miracles and wonders, will cause most people to be deceived into joining the wrong camp!

Satan has formed a counterfeit trinity supported by a counterfeit trio of angels to deceive everyone on earth: with one exception – those who hold to the faith of Jesus (in the Scriptures as the Word of God) and keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus concerning the end basically correctly understood.
(See Revelation 14:12 and Revelation 12:17).

So. Who are included in this false trinity? Look again at our text, Revelation 16, verse 13. “And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.” Rev.13 reveals the last two. They are called up by Satan to oppose God’s people and the Bible.

The first of those two, because of the nine clues to his identity given in the Bible, is Papal Rome, who claims the place of Jesus on earth! The second, verse 11 and on,
is Protestant America, which is like a Lamb and calls itself Christian, but will finally speak as a dragon, the symbol for a persecuting power. This one will become the “false prophet!” – bringing down fire from heaven!
But who is the first one of this false trinity? The “dragon” is one of the names for Satan himself, according to Rev.12:9, but is not here exclusively being referred to personally. This dragon refers to the Rev.12 great red dragon, with 7 heads and 10 horns and seven crowns upon his heads.

Very near the end, as described in our Rev.16 text, just before the 7 last plagues, this dragon of Satan’s is built upon 7 “beast” kingdoms (crowns on their heads) with ten horn (minor) kingdoms, without crowns as yet (See Rev.17:12) by the end of Rev.12.
(The number 10 represents all kingdoms in an area of the world -here, those Pagan kingdoms East of Europe, all the rest of the world). He goes to make war with the remnant at the end of Rev.12, and this war is Armageddon!

Let’s focus on Rev.16 again. During the sixth plague, the great river Euphrates is dried up. (verse 12) What follows v.12 is a parenthetical (…..) explanation of how the rest of the kingdoms of the earth join with the “beast” and his 10 earlier kingdoms (note – crowned horns, Rev. 13:1) and the false prophet, against God’s remnant people. It is the rest of the kingdoms of the earth that have been symbolized by the great river Euphrates.
The “waters” are peoples, and nations, etc. Rev.17:15.

Is this part of Rev.16 a parenthesis? It has to be, because the plagues fall after the close of probation: but this is clearly before that time, when all people are being persuaded which side they will take. The sealing is in full swing! “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame!” The garment is the righteousness of saints, who keep the Commandments of God!

As you will often see in Revelation, v.12 points us back to the story of the taking of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia – a king from the east – by drying up the Euphrates river. The support of the “beast,” known in Rev.17 as great Babylon, the harlot, by these other kingdoms of the earth, dries up in the sixth plague as they see by the plagues that they have joined the wrong camp! Turn to Rev.17, verses 11 to 14 and verses 16 and 17 to see that. (read). They will turn against Babylon and begin her destruction which Jesus will finish at the Second Coming!

Let’s look closely at this false trinity. Satan’s counterfeits are carried out in considerable detail. First of all, the dragon seems to be the counterfeit of God the Father. Satan, along with all of the kingdoms of the world not professedly Christian, is clearly the leader. He gave his seat and authority to the “beast,” and will call into being the “false prophet” – fallen American Protestantism.

The “beast” is clearly a counterfeit of Jesus, the second Person of the Godhead. The pope’s blasphemous name, “vicarious filii dei,” proclaims him the “vicar of the Son of God;” which means he is Christ’s representative on earth, who claims to be able to receive confession and forgive sins. Thus he takes away the daily ministration of Jesus in the heavenly Sanctuary.

Among other things, the “beast” also has a death and resurrection like Christ, (Rev.13:3) and counterfeits Christ’s 3 and one half years of ministry: (42 months = 3 and one half years = 1260 days – Revelation 13:5).

Is the false prophet a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit? The false prophet, known in Rev.13:11 as “another beast coming up out of the earth,” is not “the beast,” but “exercises all the power of the first ‘beast’ before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein, to worship the first ‘beast’ whose deadly wound was healed.” Note that this false prophet convinces the people of the earth to worship the first beast. Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself, but instead glorifies Jesus. Thus the role of Holy Spirit is to promote Christ. The role of the “false prophet” is to promote the “beast,” the counterfeit of Christ!

And just as the great act of Holy Spirit was to alight, as fire from heaven, upon the true believers at Pentecost and give them the power of speaking in tongues, which proved the disciples to be of God, so the greatest act of the “false prophet” will be to make “fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceive them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.” (Rev.13:13 and 14).

This great deception shall be “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” (2 Thess. 2:11) Right at the sealing time, the “false prophet” will perform a counterfeit of Pentecost! For what purpose? – to prove to the world that the worshippers of the “beast” and his “image” are God’s true church!
Now; let’s turn our attention to the trio of angels used by this false trinity to persuade human beings to its side of the battle. (Rev.16:13). “Three unclean spirits, like frogs.” This is a direct reference to spiritualism; unclean spirits called up by Satan. Why like frogs? Frogs catch their prey with their tongues!

Further, remember that the 7 last plagues point us back to the story of the plagues of Egypt in Exodus. The last deceptive miracle that the magicians of Pharaoh could counterfeit was that of the frogs. Just so, this work by the evil spirits will be the last deception by these earthly powers. They are the spirits of devils, working miracles, to gather all of the kingdoms of the earth and of the whole world to the great battle.

God gathers them (symbolically) all together into a place called, in the Hebrew tongue, “Armageddon.”

This Greek word here translated into English, is from the Hebrew word Har-Megiddo. God didn’t want us to miss that. “Har” means “mountain,” so it is referring to “the mountain of Megiddo.”
Megiddo was a city on a little rise at the edge of the plain of Jezreel. The “mountain of Megiddo” is the mountain which dominates Megiddo, like Hamilton Mountain dominates the city of Hamilton, Ontario. Looming over Megiddo is the range of mountains called Carmel. Carmel is the mountain of Megiddo.

Remember that the “false prophet” is the “beast that comes up out of the earth,” (Rev.13:11) and that he makes fire come down out of heaven onto the earth in the sight of men? These two clues; the mountain called Carmel, and the fire being called down from heaven, point us back to the story of Elijah and the proving of which is the true God. But here in Revelation, it is the false prophet who calls down the fire from heaven!! This time, the fire from heaven will prove to the unsuspecting world that the “beast” and his “image” are the true church of God, a deception so convincing that even the very elect are tempted to believe it! But Jesus foretold that this would happen in Rev. chapters 13 and 16, didn’t He? Remember to Watch Out for this miracle.

Since Jesus foretold it, we must deny our senses and believe the Word of God! Our answer must be, “It is Written!” and quote Rev. 13:13 – prophecy that the False Prophet will, “make fire come down from heaven…in the sight of men…and deceiveth them…by means of those miracles!”

We are not likely to see a return to animal sacrifices for this deceptive proof (as in the illustrative story of Elijah): instead, the test will be based on Acts 2, the Pentecost experience (the only other fire from heaven used as a proof). Tongues of fire will alight on the worshippers of the beast and his image, proving that they are God’s true church! And you can bet they’ll speak in tongues too! This time, the false prophet, American Protestantism, will call all the world to watch the test of which is the true church!! WARNING: In the Elijah story, which may now be prophetic, what happened to the prophets of the now proven-to-be-false religion? Will they attempt to repeat that against those who refuse to believe this sign by the false prophet?

But hang on: this false proof is not yet the almost overmastering deception. Like the fourth angel of Rev.18, who calls the last of God’s people out of Babylon in the Loud Cry, Satan has again a counterfeit. His most desperate act will be to himself counterfeit the Second Advent (Coming) of Christ!

2nd Thessalonians Ch. 2 deals with this last deception in history. 2 Thess.2, verses 8 and 9. Watch this text interpret itself differently than you have ever thought! 2 Thess.2, verses 8 and 9 (read).

Notice that there are two places that the word “coming” appears; at the end of v.8, referring to the Second Coming of Jesus, (which is what the whole chapter is about, if you look at v. 1) and at the beginning of verse 9. In the Greek, the word for both “comings” is “parousia,” very often used as a technical term for the Second Coming of Jesus.

The problems with this text are to do with a preconception which has caused interpretive decisions that twist the meaning of the text! In every translation I looked at, the same thing is done!
The preconception is that the “man of sin” (also referred to, variously, as “that Wicked” or “the lawless one”) is yet to come – in the “coming” (parousia) of verse 9!
Adventists know that the “man of sin” is the Papacy, which from way back in Constantine’s time (321 AD) were “them that forsake the Holy Covenant” (Dan. 11:30) by changing the Sabbath Commandment, and, by instituting worship of an idol of MARY (325) thus “thinking” to remove the Second Commandment: both of which is why the Pope is styled as “the man of sin.” (Sin is the transgression or breaking of the Law).

That is still their great sin, and it focused on the 4th Commandment (as well as on the 2nd Commandment: MARY’S IDOL is the “image” of the beast – Rev. 14: 9)!)! Soon after 1798, when he was “taken out of the way,” (of the Bible) it was recognized that the 1260 day (year) prophecy against this power revealed that the Papacy is both “the man of sin” and the “beast” of Rev.13, who received his “deadly wound” in 1798. (42 months x 30 days-to-a-month = 1260 days or years).

People, there isn’t any “coming”(parousia) of the “man of sin” in the future. He was instead revealed by fulfilling the 1260 day prophecy when he received his “mortal wound” in 1798, exactly 1260 years after the Papacy received the power to be “the corrector of heretics” in 538 AD! He’s been here all that time and will continue till Jesus comes!
So: 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 9, is still referring to Jesus’ Coming (parousia) NOT to a “coming” of “that Wicked” – the sense of the verse is entirely changed.

Verse 7 is the key to correct translation of verse 9. (read)

The old English word “let” is not used in the way we do today, meaning “to allow or permit.” The Dictionary defines it’s use here under the sub-heading “archaic: To hinder; impede.” (read v.7, replacing “let” with “hinder.”)

In your KJV you will note that “even him” is italicized – it has been added to the original text in order to support the preconception. Strike those words out! The words “whose coming,” still using the technical term for Jesus’ Second Coming, continues the theme of the chapter – When will the Second Coming happen? The “is” that follows, is OK, but the next word, “kata” in the Greek, commonly means “according to” – thus KJV “after the working of” Satan. But according to a Greek lexicon (a book which explains word usage by the Greek text) in usage such as verse 9, “after words and
expressions that designate hostile speech, it means ‘to be against someone.’” Since God is hindering Satan’s work through the “man of sin,” – hostile speech – therefore in verse 9, the meaning is that the Second Coming of Jesus is against the working of Satan himself,“ with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

So now we see a direct reference to Satan working with all his power to deceive, through making a counterfeit of the Second Coming of Jesus, to call everyone to his, and the “beast’s,” side of the conflict. (Satan Himself is the counterfeit fourth angel!)

From the book “The Great Controversy,” p. 624, I read you this: “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s Advent [coming] as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Rev.1:12-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!!’ [Remember – Jesus does not come down to earth at the Second Coming -we go up to meet Him]. The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion.” G.C. p. 624. This will bring on Christ’s Return!! Finally, a universal death decree will be legislated world-wide to get rid of the hated sect of Sabbath-keepers. Then it is that the 7 Last Plagues will begin to fall on the worshippers of the “beast” and his “image,” and God’s people will be delivered! See its illustration by reading the book of Esther in the Bible!

Friends, all of this prophecy is soon to be fulfilled. Our understanding of the details may be flawed here and there. But events will reveal the flaws, if we are watching unto prayer. Others have also attempted an outline such as I have shared with you today, and I am indebted to them for some details from each.

So: Jesus cautions us (Rev.16:15) that He is coming when we could be not ready for Him. Blessed is he that watches and sees the unfolding of what Jesus has foretold to us for our protection. Keep your garments – the righteousness of saints – and endure to the end. Then when Jesus really does come, you can say:
“Look! This is our God! We have waited for Him and He will save us! This is the Lord Jesus: we have waited for Him! We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation!

Download & Print Pamphlet Form