The musicians, mourn over the collapse of this international system call Jerusalem.

The merchant, money changers and priest and others were all getting rich on the extortion of others. King Herod was rich off the backs of the people with his taxes, building his massive structures as monuments to himself, and keeping the Priesthood content by building them in the Temple.

Jewish history records that these High priests who walked the temple courts during the first century, were despised by the majority of the people for their brutality and hunger for money. So much so that there is a strong condemnation of these men in the Talmud. Tosefta, Menachoth 13.21 states a Rabbinic Lament over the brutality of the Sadducees - Abba Saul Ben Betnith and Abba Jose Ben Johanan of Jerusalem say: “Woe to the house of Boethus! Woe to me because of their rods!" (Simon, son of Boethus, father in-law of Herod. He was a high priest during the reign of Herod the Great)

"Woe to the house of Qadros (Cantheros)! Woe to me because of their pens!" (Simon Cantheros was one of the high priests appointed during the rule of Herod Agrippa) “Woe to the house of Elhanan, woe to the house of whispers!" (Elhanan is translated ‘Ananus or Annas’ in Greek and here refers to the high priest Annas of the New Testament and his sons.) "Woe to the house of Elisha! Woe to me because of their pens!" "Woe to the house of Ismael Ben Phiabi! For they are high priests and their sons, treasurers and their sons-in-law who were (temple) officers!" "And their servants came and beat us up with staves!" (Ishmael son of Phabi was a high priest under Valerius Gratus, procurator of Judea or may refer to Ismael son of Fabi who was a priest under Herod king of Charles.) Jewish history records that these High priests who walked the temple courts during the first century, were despised by the majority of the people for their brutality and hunger for money. So much so that there is a strong condemnation of these men in the Talmud. Tosefta, Menachoth 13.21 states a Rabbinic Lament over the brutality of the Sadducees - Abba Saul Ben Betnith and Abba Jose Ben Johanan of Jerusalem say: “Woe to the house of Boethus! Woe to me because of their rods!" (Simon, son of Boethus, father in-law of Herod. He was a high priest during the reign of Herod the Great)

"Woe to the house of Qadros (Cantheros)! Woe to me because of their pens!" (Simon Cantheros was one of the high priests appointed during the rule of Herod Agrippa) “Woe to the house of Elhanan, woe to the house of whispers!" (Elhanan is translated ‘Ananus or Annas’ in Greek and here refers to the high priest Annas of the New Testament and his sons.) "Woe to the house of Elisha! Woe to me because of their pens!" "Woe to the house of Ismael Ben Phiabi! For they are high priests and their sons, treasurers and their sons-in-law who were (temple) officers!" "And their servants came and beat us up with staves!" (Ishmael son of Phabi was a high priest under Valerius Gratus, procurator of Judea or may refer to Ismael son of Fabi who was a priest under Herod king of Chaleis.)

Yet Scripture says that God will have His way with this City, it belongs to Him, and one day, soon and very soon, He will make a lesson and an astonishment to the nations that are all around the city of Jerusalem when he execute judgment on them. Ezekiel 5:15 'So it shall be a reproach, a taunt, a lesson, and an astonishment to the nations that are all around you, when I execute judgments among you in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I, the LORD, have spoken.


Indeed the destruction of Jerusalem was a lesson and an astonishment to the other nations. Musicians, mourn over the collapse of this international system because the whole world economy fell with it. This is the loss of world-wide trade. Revelation 18:1-12 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore.” “merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble”

The musicians, grieve over twenty-nine items of wealth in verses 12-14. First, they mourn the loss of precious metals and stones. They also grieve over the loss of precious fabrics. They grieve over the loss of their furnishings business. Souls that derive their central value from material things find disappointment. Wealth escapes from them. There comes a point when they will never find fulfillment in these things again because God removed them. (Revelation 18:14).

The merchants who became rich by her “Jerusalem” on the backs of the people will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing” out of fear. (Revelation 18:15). The apostate religion was good for business. Now that the great whore has fallen and now that the corrupted system has fallen, their business is ruined. Their profits slip through their fingers. ‘For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ (Revelation18:6).

Captains of ships and sailors stand in shock over the fall of Babylon’s/Jerusalems world economy. The transportation industry comes to a halt. (Revelation 18:17) The musicians, in the transportation industry watch as the international economic system goes up in smoke, they lament because there is no other city that had such a strong world economy. (Revelation 18:18-19).

The merchants do not grieve for the loss of Jerusalem as much as they mourn their own personal losses. Jesus warned against making wealth a god.“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

In Revelation 6:9-10 we see souls under the altar of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

Each of them; was given a white robe and it was said to them that they should rest “a little while longer,” until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Revelation 6:11) Notice it says “a little while longer” not over 2000 years.

Now the time had come when God would avenge these souls that cried out for avenges. Revelation 18:20-21 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you (holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her)!” Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters, shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. (emphasis added) They grieve over the loss of their furnishings business.

And the ten horns which you saw on a the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on a the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. As we have seen the book of Revelation is not hard to understand as long as we keep it within its original first century setting.

During the early days of Christianity it was seen as just another sect of Judaism. In Philippians 4:22, we learn of saints in "Caesar's household," which at that time would be Nero's household. The good news of the gospel gave an impulse to the growth of Christianity. (Act 2:47) Soon after the Jewish authorities felt threatened by this new oddball religion of “righteousness without works” and convinced Rome that it was not apart of legal Judaism, and a unlawful, religion.

Because Rome had the men and ships to stomp out Christianity were every it started. Israel entered into a alliance with Roman in order to destroying the church. John uses the symbol of a women sitting on a scarlet beast to picture this arrangement between Israel and Roman to destroying the Church. (Revelation 17:2-3) The alliance between Israel and Rome against the Church had been temporarily successful.

Now God would step in to alter the course of events. God would now use the same beast, “Roman” as a instrument of judgment on the harlot women. Revelation 17:16 tells us that the beast and the ten kings will “hate the harlot” and destroy the harlot with fire. God has put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. v. 17

This was accomplished by God sending the Jews a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 2Thessalonians 2:11 The nation of Israel thought God was going to restore a earthly throne in literal Jerusalem. They thought the world to come would consist of a literal fulfillment of all their Messianic prophecies. She wanted her types and shadows to be fulfilled in a literalistic or nationalistic manner being blinded by the earthly or carnal system of Moses. So the Jews foolishly believed the time had come for them to “throw off the Roman yoke” that they were under and thereby established the kingdom of her prophecies which proved to be her complete destruction. There is no doubt that this Zealot rebellion movement was filled with a theocratic ideal and fervent messianic hopes.

Rome did not initiate the war against Jerusalem. Jerusalem was already under the authority and control of Rome. Headstrong man in Jerusalem itself, kept irritating the people and inciting them to rebel against Rome. The people quit paying their taxes. This would have been sufficient in itself to cause Rome to turn against Jerusalem. In November of 66 Jewish Zealots had driven all Roman forces from Jerusalem and had actually slain more than 600 Roman troops. The bull-necked emperor Nero gave two simple commands - destroy Jerusalem - level the temple. The Romans knew the world was watching and knew that the stakes were high. If the Jews were to win their independence the whole empire would be in revolt.

When Jerusalem was surrounded, the Christians were to think of their safety, and seize the first opportunity for flight. The expression “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. (Revelation 8:4) Is similar to Jesus’ warning when these things started happening to flee into the mountains. (Matthew 24:16-20) Had they not left Jerusalem they two would have been caught in the judgement.

Nero picked the heavy, plodding fifty seven year old commoner Vespasian, who would be assisted by his energetic son Titus. Josephus tells us that when Cestius Gallus had earlier come with his army against Jerusalem, after some time he raised the siege many of the oldest of the Jews went out from Jerusalem as from a sinking ship. He says that a few years later, when Vespasian come with his troops against Jerusalem, a great multitude fled from Jerusalem to the mountains for security.

Titus pressed the siege of Jerusalem, which was crowded with people because of the paschal festivities, cutting off the water and food supply. The besieged were terribly hard pressed by these tactics, as well as by the insufferable heat. Those who tried to escape were captured and crucified before the very walls as an example to others. According to Josephus, such famine that a mother actually ate the flesh of her own small son. He tells of 2,500,000 assembled at the last Passover just before the city was taken by Titus. 1,000,000 perished in the siege, 347,000 perished in other places. Of the remainder, 97,000 were carried into captivity and 11,000 starved through neglect or sullen refusal of food. On July 17th the daily sacrifices were interrupted.

The Romans put to the sword all Jews whom they happened to encounter. The Temple swam with the blood of more than 8000 Zealots. Titus desired greatly that the Temple should be spared, and promised to spare the Jews if they would stop their resistance. Several times he sent Josephus to persuade his countrymen, but the providence of God directed otherwise

First the Jews themselves set fire to the court of the temple, and afterwards the Romans. Fire consumed the buildings and the temple went up. The destruction of the temple occurred on the Jewish Sabbath, August 10th, 70. When Jerusalem was captured, the temple was burned and scavengers would turn over every stone to retrieve the melted gold. The Jewish people were expatriated, and never since has sacrifice been offered up to God on Jewish altars.

After bitter fighting and frightful massacres, in September of 70, after a stubborn and desperate resistance, the city fell and the national existence of biblical Judaism came to an end. The Holy City was taken and burned, and the Tenth Legion encamped in the ruined temple. The temple was leveled to the ground and utterly destroyed. Only the Roman garrison was left. John’s prophecy that the “beast, will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire had been fulfilled.

Many years before John made his prophecy about the beast, burning the harlot with fire Ezekiel had this to say. "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 'and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them. 'Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,' says the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 15:6)

The apostle John sees a scarlet woman called “ Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.”

The apostle John sees a scarlet woman called “ Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.” She is drunk on the blood of Christians the martyrs of Jesus. (Revelation 17: 5-6) John also uses the symbol of a woman sitting on a scarlet beast to picture this arrangement between Israel and Roman to destroying the Church. (Revelation 17:2-3)
God gives us a way to identify the harlot the woman who drinks the blood of Christians the martyrs of Jesus. No Christians were ever martyrs for Jesus during the time of Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Jesus was not even born. It was fleshly Israel who killed his prophets and saints of Jesus. Act 7:52 "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 1Thessalonians 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,

Revelation 18:24 says that the great city is guilty for having shed the blood of the Hebrew prophets of all who were slain on the earth. Jesus said the same concerning the rulers of Jerusalem, the Pharisees: "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, "that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar" (Matt. 23:35). The once and faithful city has become a harlot, and murderers!" Isaiah 1:21 How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers.

From Moses through the prophets, Israel is repeatedly characterized as an imperious whore. In more than 80 instances, she is specifically denounced as a harlot or lewd woman. Ezekiel 16:15 Israel you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame and poured out your harlotry on every passer-by who might be willing. Fleshly Israel is the same harlot woman we see showcased throughout Holy Scripture.

“On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT...” Revelation 17:5. Only apostate Israel can be the “mother” of spiritual whoredom with the name MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT has written ON HER FOREHEAD. Long before John wrote the Book of Revelation, Jeremiah said, “You had a “harlot's forehead”, you refused to be ashamed.” (Jeremiah 3:3) As a result, when she became a spiritual whore, she was indelibly marked, “Mother of Harlots.”

John goes on to write, “And the women whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:18) The title “the great city” is exclusive to Israel. When the two witnesses are killed, their dead bodies lie in the streets of “the great city” (hey polish megaley) Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:8). This unmistakably implies to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was crucified, in the city of Jerusalem. Not Sodom and Egypt. Because apostate Israel has now become an enemy of God and his people, God called “fleshly Israel” by the names of her former enemy’s Babylon, Sodom and Egypt, and Gog and Magog.

The apostle Peter uses the word "Babylon" to describe Jerusalem, in a greeting at the end of his first epistle. 1 Peter 5:13 Salute you both the assembly in Babylon jointly elected, and Markus my son. Peter was in Jerusalem, writing to those in Jerusalem, not Babylon. He is clearly identifying the moral cesspool of antiquity, Babylon, with the city where Christ was killed. At the time Peter wrote 1 Peter, the literal city of Old Babylon was in ruins, and uninhabited. Therefore, "Babylon" was a name for Jerusalem.

The colors of the woman’s adornment matches those of the Temple and the priesthood. The high priest also wore a gold plate on his forehead that was engraved “holiness to Yahweh” (Exodus 28:36-38). In Revelation 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a “golden cup” full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Daniel 5:3 Then they brought the “golden vessels” that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

Because of the harlotry and the alliance between Israel and Rome against the Church the women would drink the cup of God wrath. Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

Do the prophets ever mention, Jerusalem receives a cup of wrath during these End Times? You bet they did for instance, Jeremiah 25:15-18, prophecy verses refer to the future, mentions that Jerusalem will drink from the cup of the Lord’s hand (wrath). Jeremiah 25:15-18 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;

In addition, Isaiah 51:17 Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, “You who have drunk from the Lord's hand the cup of His anger;” The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.

Some have wrongly concluded that the woman is Rome, however Rome was never in covenant relationship with God and therefore could not have forsaken God and became a spiritual whore. The implications and evidence of scripture that "Jerusalem” is Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots are endless. If we remain true to the number one rule to let God’s words interpret God’s words. God will open up an endless new way of seeing scripture.

The great harlot of Revelation.

One of the main reasons why the book of Revelation has been so confusing to many is because we have “all” been taught to try to understand the book “out of its original historical setting in which it was originally written.” John’s original audience knows these symbols were drawing no spiritual truths and historical realities of the nation of Israel.
All we need to understand these symbols is a burning desire to study the Old Testament to see what it has to reveal along with “recorded history.” To the ungodly these symbols were flags of warning being raised. To believers, these symbols were signs of victory. I cannot say this enough. God never intended for the book of Revelation to be a great mystery to Christians. Lest continues where John writes; Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you “the judgment” of the “great harlot” who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth “committed fornication”, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (emphasis added) (Revelation 17:1-2)

Many have made the assumptions that the“Great Harlot” mentioned in Revelation can apply only to Rome, Islam, and even the US.

The truth is John used language in the book of Revelation that is closely associated with the language used in the Old Testament. This type of language was not new to John’s original audience. John did not randomly pull this kind out of language out of the sky as if it was never used before in scripture. This language had a specific purpose to remind Israel of her long history.

All we have to do is let scripture interpreted scripture to find out the identity of the “great harlot. In Hosea 9:1 we read, Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

Over and over God calls the fleshly nation of Israel “a harlot” in scripture. Jeremiah 2:20 "For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, 'I will not transgress,' When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot. (Jer 3:1.6; Eze 16:15-17, 16:28)

The women here are also pictured and introduced as a prostitute women. Spiritual fornication or harlotry in scripture indicates the breaking of God’s covenant, or a departure from God. The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. (Jeremiah 3:6) The nation of Israel had been in covenant relationship with God for 15.000 years, and had been referred to as a woman married to the Lord, had sworn faith and love in all things to her rightful husband; but as so often the case in the day of her redemption and visitation, she has shamefully forsaken and rejected God in whoring after strangers. Jeremiah 3:20 concerning Jerusalem, Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel.’ says the Lord. Rome is never called a harlot in scripture, Rome was never associated with God in a covenant relationship as a wife.

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

What does the term mean she sits on many waters or lives by many waters’? This terminology is used in (Jeremiah 51:13) concerning the ancient city of Babylon where it was first applied. There it denoted the vast expanse of influence she had in both civil and political realms. “Waters" in Revelation often signifies "people" or nations instead of "H2O." (Dwelling upon many waters) denoted the broad expanse of the Babylon kingdom in the exercise of its political and civil power. Babylon was the civil king of that day. Jerusalem was to the world religiously what Babylon was politically.

John makes another observation. And I saw a “woman sitting on a scarlet beast” which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3) Here the harlot women is riding or sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

An interpretive angel appears for the express purpose of explaining the vision: “But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.” (Revelation 17:7) Then in verses 9 and 10 this angel explains the vision: “Here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitting. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.”

Most scholars recognize that the seven mountains represent the famed seven hills of Rome. John’s original audience who lived under the rule of Rome, which was universally distinguished by its seven hills would have immediately recognizable this symbol. How could the recipients, living in the historical churches of Asia Minor and under Roman imperial rule, understand anything else but this geographical picture of John?

But there is an additional information involved. The seven heads have a twofold referent. We learn also that the seven heads represent a political situation in which five kings have fallen, the sixth is, and the seventh is yet to come and will remain but a short while. It is surely no accident that Nero was the sixth emperor of Rome, who reigned after the deaths of his five predecessors and before the brief rule of the seventh emperor.

Flavius Josephus, the Jewish contemporary of John, clearly points out that Julius Caesar was the first emperor of Rome and that he was followed in succession by Augustus, Tiberius, Caius, Claudius, and Nero (Antiquities 18; 19). We discover this enumeration also in other near contemporaries of John: 4 Ezra 11 and 12; Sibylline Oracles, books 5 and 8; Barnabas, Epistle 4; Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars; and Dio Cassius’ Roman History 5.

The text of Revelation says of the seven kings “five have fallen.” The first five emperors are dead, when John writes. But the verse goes on to say “one is.” That is, the sixth one then reigning even as John wrote. That would be Nero Caesar, who assumed imperial power upon the death of Claudius in October, A.D. 54, and remained emperor until June, A.D. 68.
John continues: “The other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space.” When the Roman Civil Wars broke out in rebellion against him, Nero committed suicide on June 8, A.D. 68. The seventh king was “not yet come.” That would be Galba, who assumed power in June, A.D. 68. But he was only to continue a “short space.” His reign lasted, but six months, until January 15, A.D. 69. Thus, we see that while John wrote, Nero was still alive and Galba was looming in the near future. Revelation could not have been written after around Domitian (81-96), according to the internal political evidence. In this vision we discover strong evidence that Revelation was written before the death of Nero, which occurred on June 8, A.D. 68.

The woman/whore represents apostate Israel and sitting on the beast means she is using the political power of the beast. A beast is a symbol used to depict a political state, such as the lion, bear, and leopard of Daniel 7, representing the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persian and Greece respectively.

The ten horns of the beast (17:12-17) are defined as ten kings or provincial governors who aided in the war against the Lamb Christ. Verse 14. Farrar lists ten major provinces that constituted the Roman Empire in the days of Nero–namely: Italy, Achaia, Asia, Syria, Egypt, Africa, Spain, Gaul, Britain and Germany.

The book of Revelation can be understood all we need is a burning desire to grasp the Old Testament and the desire to first century study history.

The sounding of the trumpet.

But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7) One of the keys to tell “when a verse of scripture you are examining has been fulfilled” is to look for other scriptures that have the same (time statements). In this way you have a guide to determine when the (time frame) of the scripture you are examining has been fulfilled as well. You then let the (time statements) of other scriptures interpreted (the time frame) of the scripture you are examining.

John is writing about the very same (time frame and event) of the other disciples, but in apocalyptic language. What was the biblical (time-element involved) before the seventh angel was to sound his trumpet? The Bible tells us the time-element involved here was when the “mystery of God” would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7) In other words the sounding of the seventh angel and the mystery of God are biblically tied into one event. These two events would happen simultaneously according to John.

God always supplies us with tools in order to understand how a prophecy has been fulfilled in the book of Revelation. God never gives a prophecy without also giving us a way to know “when and how” that prophecy has been fulfilled. “Using the books of Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Peter as a “guide” and the “word mystery” as a template we can know the “time frame” when the seventh angel sounded his trumpet.

The mysteries were a familiar subject to the apostle Paul; a topic which he addresses in his epistle to the Ephesians in chapters 1:9-10, 3:3-9, and 5:32: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will. He might gather together in one all things in Christ.” “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.” “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” The mystery centers around the Person and work of Christ,

The apostle preached it to the Colossians in chapter 1:26-27: “The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saint the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The Romans heard it in chapter 16:25-26: “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began. But now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.

The apostle Paul referred to the gospel as a mystery which at the time of the Old Testament was kept secret, but in his time, the New Testament dispensation, it had been revealed. This agrees with his fellow laborer and apostle Peter when he spoke of the burning desire that the prophets of the Old Testament had as they “inquired and searched diligently” of the things which they, through the Holy Spirit, were prophesying.

They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. (1 Peter 1:12 NLT) For all their searching, they were made to understand that the fullness of those things which they desired to know was to remain a mystery in their time and be revealed to those of another time.

Wonderful truths were now being unveiled that once were hidden away in the heart of God. In all of his many references to mysteries, all of which are not mentioned here, it is the mystery of the gospel the apostle Paul speaks. It is this to which he referred in addressing the Corinthians in Chapter 2:7, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.”

Thus we are informed by the apostle Paul that the mystery of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was being reported to the saints as he wrote this epistle. Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the “revelation of the mystery,” which was kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25).

Now is when we allow the inspiration of Scripture to tell us the time and manner the last trumpet sounded. According to the inspired Apostle Paul the mystery that had been hidden from the ages and generations, was now is made manifested to his saints (Colossians 1:26; Ephesians 3:3; 6:19). The things that had been hidden before the world was created concerning Christ were now unveiled and made public.

Since Paul says the (time-element) “the mystery” was established by the preaching of Christ to the saints the seventh trumpet, according to John in Revelation 10:7 had to also begin to sound. The inspired Apostle John ties the events of the mystery being finished and the sounding of the seventh angel together. They cannot be separated. Paul said the conditions were meant, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began. But now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith. (Romans 16:25-26) John said when those conditions were meant the seventh angel would begin sounding his seventh trumpet.

This, of course, puts the sounded of the seventh trumpet and its results in the spiritual realm along with the saints coming to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22) Much of what God does is out of the senses of this world like the salt of the earth; Matthew 5:13 the new temple of God I Corinthians 3:16 the priesthood of God, 1 Peter 2:9 and the new city of God that comes down from heaven (Revelation 21:2)

The correct time and place for the last trumpet in the last book of the Bible will never be found in out future events or history. A literal concept of the sounding of the trumpet is contrary to the (time-element) and purpose of John's revelation. The revelation or gospel, of Christ, was connected with the sounding of the last trumpet. We will do well to allow the inspiration of scripture to tell us when the time last trumpet sounded.

Revelation wow I will never understand it.

Please don't be deceived by those people who come along and say, "The book of Revelation is apocalyptic; therefore, you can't understand it." That's a bunch of nonsense — just nonsense. I heard that nonsense for years. Over the next two weeks or so we will examine John’s use of apocalyptic language in the book of Revelation. I will also show you a “key” to knowing how a verse has “been fulfilled” by using other verses as a “template” that are also in the Bible. God does not use a word in one place and then change its meaning in another place.

Apocalyptic literature is a type of literature that flourished in Judaism. All the term means is that the book of Revelation is a type of prophetic literature that uses a lot of Jewish symbols. Because it contains so many symbols, some people will tell you the book just cannot be understood. Well, if Revelation was not meant to be understood God would never have said blessed is he who reads and those who ear the words of this prophecy. (Revelation 1:3) John wrote these things down so that we could know about them, as well.
God does not use symbols randomly, just pulling them out of the sky as if they have no meaning whatsoever. Symbols are used for a specific purpose. They stand for something and they have a deeper meaning behind them. They were not selected to take up space in scripture.

When a symbol is used, in the Revelation, always look for the meaning behind it in other places of the Bible. Another key to understanding the book of Revelation, is a very important key, let scripture interpret scripture and accept the "plain sense interpretation." My "Golden Rule of Interpretation" that I use throughout the Bible from beginning to end, whether it's prophecy or not, is this. Let scripture interpreted scripture and accept the plain sense that makes sense. Don't look for or try to make the verses fit into our future, then you will end up with what has become traditional nonsense."

God doesn't write in riddles to confuse us. He knows how to communicate. If you don't understand it, don't worry about it. Put aside, what is confusing and hang on to what you do understand. Don't give into the temptation, I will never ever understand Revelation. The more time you spend reading Revelation, along with studying the Old Testament the more you will understand Revelation.. "The book of Revelation is not a hard book to understand at all.

In the mid-60s A.D. there were two big crises. The first was the Jewish leaders who persecuted Christians. The second crisis was the Roman empire who persecuted Christians. John, the author of Revelation, did not want Christians to lose their hope. The central message of Revelation is that God is fulling the hope of Israel and God is in control.

The symbols in the book of Revelation were not written to confuse Christians. They were written so the Romans couldn't understand it not Christians. John used images and descriptions familiar to his Hebrew audience. “Using Old Testament prophecies in a book like Daniel for example, as a “guide” we see a basic "template" of the “First prophecies.”

This is an extremely important point because the way in which the first prophecy is given is the best clue to understand the “time frame” when John’s “Second prophecy about the same event was being fulfilled” in Revelation. We will compare the language of Daniel with John’s Revelation in this short study. The beast in Revelation 13 is depicted in the following terms: "It was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion" (Revelation. 13:2). Notice the animals mentioned-a leopard, a bear and a lion.

To understand prophecy, it is important to understand the symbols used. All we need to do is carefully study the Old Testament we can expect an answer. God does not use a symbol in one place and then change its meaning in another. So we will use Scripture to interpret Scripture. The symbols God used in prophecy are consistent.

Daniel saw a vision of four beasts rising from the sea. "I was looking in my vision by night, and then, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. • Lion. "The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. • Bear. "And then, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, "Arise, eat much meat!' • Leopard. "After this I kept looking, and then, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. • Terrible Beast. "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and then, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It engulfed and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (Daniel 7: 2-7)

Daniel tells us these four successive powers would govern from his time down to the coming of the ruling Messiah (Daniel 2:37-44). As we survey the four kingdoms of Daniel 7. The 4 beasts vision of Daniel chapter 7 are commonly explained as follows: Lion = Babylonian Empire. Bear = Media-Persia, Empire. Leopard = Greek Empire. 4 th Beast = The Roman Empire. It is generally accepted, with good reason, that the four beasts in both Daniel 2 and 7 represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, in that order, reflecting the order of their appearance. John writes during the Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom, would continue to exist in some form until its fatal encounter with the Kingdom of Christ, the fifth and final kingdom. Daniel 2:37-44 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

John looked backward from his perspective at the time of Rome Empire and Daniel was looking forward beginning with Babylon. By using the “template in Daniel 7 we know when Revelation. 13:2 was fulfilled. People have spent centuries, explaining away the symbols in Revelation simply because they don’t take the time to study the basic "template" of the symbols in the Old Testament and try to remove them out of their first century historical setting in which the book was originally written.

I'm saying take the time to study the Old Testament "templates" and take the plain sense approach. The symbols stand for something that is often found in the Old Testament all we have to do is accept them how the disciples used them in “their first century historical setting” that makes plain sense. You will find that God wants to communicate, that God knows how to communicate, and that God, what us to understand what He communicates in the book of Revelation.