Most religion today is spiritual. We worship something and someone we cannot see. We live by faith, not by sight. We offer praise and prayers to God and to our Lord in heaven. We have a heavenly calling (Heb 3:1.) We do not see Him here on earth anymore.

The future one world religion will not be like this. They will worship a man … the Anti-Christ. Much like people today who worship a sports star or a musician, the worship they will give will be to someone they can see and who will respond to them. It will not be by faith they believe, it will be by signs and wonders and by intellect. Lets see this in Scripture:

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. 
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? 

Rev 13:3-4

This first look at the Anti-Christ is where we see him subduing the world through war. (The beast in the above quote is the Anti-Christ. The dragon is Satan who empowers the Anti-Christ.) Those that worship him will admire his battle prowess and his strength and will say, ‘Nobody can beat him!’ More than that he will have the supernatural appearance of one who has risen from the dead. (Sound familiar?) So they will worship the man because of both who he is and what he has done. He will respond to their praise in some way that cements their adoration and ties to him.

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.

Rev 13:8

The people of the earth, all who are not Christians, will join together to worship him. What this religion will look like is speculation but somehow he will fulfill the requirements of all the major religions of the world with his physical presence. At this time, there will be only two factions in the world: those that worship the Anti-Christ and those stand strong on their faith and continue to worship God through His Son. This is why faith is so important to develop and hold. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17.) Develop your faith by spending time in the Word of God … not traditions, or Churches but in the Bible reading and learning.

The final thing we will look at is the mark of the beast which is associated with the worship of him.

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Rev 13:16-17

We see the worship aspect of the mark in the next chapter.

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God …

Rev 14:9-10

The mark of the beast is associated with the worship of the beast. This is why the Not-a-Vax is the not the mark. There is no worship of the Anti-Christ associated with it. (This does appear to be a test run though and will condition people to accept what they are told they need to live. The concept will be the same but with a man in front of it next time.)

So to sum up, the future religion will be characterized by sight … not faith. They will worship a man they can see, and will associate themselves to their man by receiving his mark. He will control commerce, so those without his mark will not be able to participate in his system. This is why we must shorten the supply chains and build a network outside the system of the world.

A final note of hopium. We see in that last quote from Revelation that those who will receive the mark and worship the Anti-Christ will be the ones on whom God will pour out His wrath. We know Christians are not appointed unto wrath (1 Thes 5:9,) so once that wrath is poured out, we won’t be here. When we go up is not something I will be dogmatic about, but it is clear that Christians will be persecuted here on earth by the Anti-Christ, but when the wrath of God comes, we won’t be here. Draw your own conclusions from there.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:13

As Christians we live in the age when the battle will come to us. We will be tested and the testing ground is where you are. We don’t need to go looking for battles, the battle is coming to us. All we have to do is ‘Stand’ … hold your ground using the tools that God has given us to defend and fight.

We have had it so good for sooo long. God gave us and our ancestors peace here in the Americas; a place where we could come and worship our God in quietness. The evil one could not let this stand. As in the time of Job, he has continued “going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Where he found people living in the peace of God, he had to wreck it. He will take peace from the earth in anyway he can, whether it is through perversion, or deception or with the ‘goodness’ of government lockdowns for our own safety. Peace is gone.

So we stand our ground knowing that the fight is coming. Are you ready? Do you have:

• Your loins covered with the Truth? Loins are a place of strength and represent affections. Does your heart wander from God? Do you seek affections elsewhere? Satan loves to attack our affections. Apply the Truth to your own self and live according to Scripture so you have your affections covered (protected) and focused on heavenly things only.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness protecting your heart? This defensive weapon protects you from a wounded conscience before God. Nothing interrupts communion with God more than a guilty conscience. Are you clear with God? Righteous walking with God keeps the conscience clear and allows God to work with and through us without distraction. Righteousness is the breastplate that will protect your heart.
• Your feet walking in the gospel of peace? Is your walk down here in keeping with the gospel? Do you acknowledge strength in God alone? The gospel acknowledges that we are saved only by the death and resurrection of Jesus and His work on the cross. We could not save ourselves. Do you walk with this in mind, or do you ‘lean on your own understanding.’ Do you follow the pure gospel of Christ alone, or have you added on rituals and days and other distractions that take away from the simple gospel of peace? Keep your walk pure by never forgetting ‘the pit from which we have been digged.’ (Isa 51:1)
• The Shield of Faith? Do you believe that God is ultimately in control? Do you see the coming oppression through the lens that we already know who wins the final battle? Faith in God and God alone is the shield we can use to catch all the flaming arrows of the enemy. The shield of faith is expressed again in Job, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25) Walk in faith and the arrows cannot reach you.
• Helmet of Salvation? “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) Do you understand and really know what protection salvation has brought you under? This is not just faith, but knowledge (the mind is protected by a helmet.) Do you operate knowing that your salvation has put you on the winning team? Oh … the peace that comes from truly knowing Him!
• The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God! The ONLY offensive weapon in the whole package is the word of God applied by the Holy Spirit. Satan tried to use Gods words when he tempted the Lord, but this sword can only be used through the Spirit. The Lord simply replied with Scripture and Satan was defeated. Be sure you follow God’s Word and His word alone. Only His word is the sword. Don’t be bewitched by cunningly devised fables and traditions that have been added to His word. Shun those vain and profane babblings. The weapon is the Word of God only! You should know your Bible.

Remember, we are heavenly citizens. We are already seen by God as sitting in heavenly places. (Eph 2:6) We can stand our ground here using the tools God has given us knowing that, though all around may seem bleak and hopeless, we have a heavenly calling and that our Lord and God will crush all these puny enemies under His feet when He comes again.

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Rev. 22:20

We often envision the battle of Armageddon to be this long violent prolonged war between the Beast and his minions and God and the saints. This is not what Scripture tells us will happen.

And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth:

Rev 19:21

1st the Beast and False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire, then the minions are killed by the voice of God. The sword going out of his mouth represents the power of His word. The same power was used in creation:

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made …

Psa 33:6

Armageddon will be bloody, but it will not be a battle, nor will it be prolonged. Before it even really begins, He ends it.

This reminds me of when the Romans and the Jews came to take Jesus:

Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 
As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

John 18:3-6

Jesus used the power of His word here in the garden, and the solders were driven backward and to the ground. What a wonderful taste, a foreshadow of how God END the ‘battle’ of Armageddon.

Never forget the power of the One we love and worship. There is none like Him!

Reading Revelation with understanding and following the instructions is given to us as a blessing.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:3

Revelation also ends with a couple of blessings and a promise.

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Revelation 22: 7, 14 and 20

Accept the blessings. Read Revelation and ask God for understanding. He will use His Holy Spirit to show you what he wants you to know. It’s really not that mysterious once you get away from the nonsense that churchianity has placed into God’s Word.

To begin: Understand the Who, When and Why.

First of all (and most importantly,) the main purpose of Revelation is found right there in the 1st verse.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass …

Revelation 1:1

It is the revelation of Christ set in the future. While there have been some partial fulfillments of some prophecies, the bulk of this book has yet to happen. Jesus Christ has not come back yet. Every eye has not beheld Him. The earth has not yet seen the wrath of God. This is a futuristic book. The events found here have not happened yet.

It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the Jews as some would have us believe. It is not about finding the lost tribes of Israel. The main topic is not even about punishment, even though the majority of the book is taken up describing the judgements. It’s about Christ coming back to the earth in power and might and how He will set up His kingdom here. It is HIS revelation.

God wants us to be watching for His Son’s return. (See Matt 24:42, Mark 13:33, Luke 21:36, 1 Thes 5:6, 1 Peter 4:7. Look these up … we are to be watching for His return. It’s been told to us over and over again.) So, if we are to be watching, we need to know what we should be looking for. This is what Revelation reveals to us.

Literal vs Symbolic

Not everything in Revelation is symbolic. Much of it is meant to be literal.

Some will tell you that everything is symbolic and can only be understood when you know the code … which only they know and can reveal to you. This is Satanic and based in the belief that there is some higher purpose that God is keeping from you. It is the basis of the original lie by the original liar. God is not keeping secrets from us. He gave us Revelation to be understood. He is not trying to trick us or keep us in the dark. He wants us to take the whole of the Bible and see how everything fits together by summing it all up in Revelation.

So, when reading Revelation, simply assume everything is literal unless it is obviously symbolic. (Not the other way around.)

When you read that hail and fire mingled with blood rained down on the earth and that 1/3 of the trees and all the grass were burnt up (Rev 8:7,) you can assume this is literal and true. This has happened before (as a judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah.) It is possible, and you can be assured it will literally happen again.

When you read about something that uses the words ‘as’ or ‘like,’ you can assume that something is being described using an adjective (descriptive term.) The thing is not the adjective but is something LIKE the adjective. For instance, ‘His head and his hairs were white like wool’ (Revelation 1:14.) You can assume that they are white and possibly looked like wool but were not actually wool. Or, ‘his voice as the sound of many waters’ (Revelation 1:15.) This is not about water. It’s not some mysterious symbolic thing. It is simply a description of what His voice sounded like. (To me, this would be like a roaring waterfall, reverberating and thundering.)

Finally. When something is a physical impossibility, you can safely assume it is symbolic of something. ‘And out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword’ (Revelation 1:16.) Jesus is not walking around with a sword growing out of His mouth. This is symbolic of the power of His voice. It is clearly symbolic as it does not make sense as a physicality.

Chronology

Jumping around and grabbing bits and pieces has been a favorite technique of those who try to find hidden meaning in everything … secrets that only they can know. More Satanic influence.

When you read ‘after this’ or ‘after these things,’ these are chronological markers. Don’t assume God is trying to fool you. When He says something will happen after something else, believe Him. When He numbers things, you can assume this is also a chronology; an order of events.

Don’t try to put chronology into Revelation where there is none to be found. A favorite of Dispensationalists is to make the letters to the 7 churches to be some sort of chronology of history and that each letter is describing a ‘church age’ (not a biblical term.) It’s trying to fit God’s Word into a man-imagined system. Don’t do it. Don’t read into God’s Word something that is not there. The letters to the 7 churches are just that: letters. There are no chronological words or markers from church to church.

Gods Order and Divisions in Revelation

There are a couple of two-part divisions in the book of Revelation.

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Revelation 1:19

This is the order that God instructed John to put Revelation into:

• Past = has seen
• Present = things which are
• Future = things which shall be hereafter

What’s interesting is, when we take this order of instruction, we find it as a pattern that was repeated twice in Revelation. This is the first ‘two-part division’ that we will look at.

Chapters 1 to 11 follow the past, present, future pattern and then beginning at Chapter 12 we find Revelation beginning with the past again. So, if you read Revelation with this in mind you will find that you have the same past, present and future written twice but with different emphasis and varying details.

The 1st division (Chapters 1 to 11) have a greater amount of detail on the present. The letters addressed to the 7 churches would have been John’s present time and there are 2 chapters dedicated to these.

In the 2nd division (Chapters 12 to 22) we find details of the future events after the final Vial and Trumpet judgements. These details are not found in the 1st division.

When you understand this division, you can begin to flip back and forth and get a fuller picture of what is happening at the same point in time in each section.

The next two part division we should note is: the book of Revelation details a period of about 7 years which are approximately divided in half. The major event about half way through (3 1/2 years in,) is the ‘Day of the Lord.’ We know this is at approximately the half way point from other Scriptures, specifically Daniel.

The Day of the Lord is characterized by Jesus’ coming back to earth in the clouds. Every person on earth will see him. On that day, the sun will be darkened, the moon turn red and stars will fall. Anytime you read of these events happening, you can know this is referring to the Day of the Lord and that it is approximately half way through the seven year period of Revelation.

The 1st 3.5 years of Revelation is properly referred to as ‘the tribulation’ (see Matt 24 for detail on this,) while the 2nd part is called the Wrath of God.

The events of the 1st half of the seven year period on earth are primarily the opening of the seven book seals of judgement on man and are providential in nature. That means they will be ‘natural.’ Wars, famines, disease, etc.

The events of the 2nd 3.5 years on earth detail the trumpet and the vial judgements. These appear to run concurrently and are mostly un-natural events. These are the wrath of God executed by Jesus and are put on the unbelieving people who are on earth. This will not be a good time for any still here.

OK. Read Revelation.

With these few basic understandings about what the book is about and how it is divided up, begin reading.

I would advise that you read the whole book through one time to get a feel for how it is written. Then read it again, but take the time to begin to compare the two parts. Flip back and forth as you read and picture what is being described.

A third reading can then be done with a notebook in hand. Note how the same events are written twice looking for the commonalities between the two parts. Compare and blend the descriptions together to get a fuller picture of what is happening.

Finally, with these notes, you’ll be able go through the other Scriptures that detail the events of this time period and know exactly what they are talking about and where they fit into the timeline.

Would love to hear your thoughts and comments.