Knowing the identity of “the Dragon, the Beast which comes out of the sea and the Beast which comes out of the earth” will help you understand (1) the chronology of End Times events, (2) The ferocity of the Last Days Judgments (3) How to prepare (4) The timing of the Rapture (5) The timing of the Mark of the Beast (666), without which, no one will be able to buy or sell.
Please, understand, that Bible prophecy has been 100% accurate to this point in history. It is 100% certain that what the Bible teaches is yet to come, will happen. Read, learn and prepare.
Scriptures teach, in Matthew 24: 31, “Jesus 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”, that is, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, from Revelation 13:8, tells us that “only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” will enter into the new heaven, the New Jerusalem”. And, Revelation 21:27, says that, “nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
It would then appear that those who are left behind may have one more chance at redemption, but many of those not taken in the Rapture will die and suffer greatly in the Great Tribulation, through the sounding of the 6th Trumpet.
There will be cosmic disturbances, asteroids will crash into the earth and the earth is set ablaze. The seas and rivers will be contaminated and polluted so that many will die. The sun and the moon are darkened and fierce creatures will come out of the great bottomless pit to torment and hurt many.
If a person dies during this time without having found redemption, they will be lost forever in the outer darkness and then cast into the lake of fire.
Finally, after the sounding of the 6th Trumpet, God will pour out His final wrath, and no one will be saved from the eternal death and the lake of fire, thereafter.
Know what is coming and get ready.
I have tried to find a balance between keeping a very complex subject as short as possible and simple enough to read and understand, yet comprehensive enough to give full disclosure of the important points. Still, to some, this has been a long read, but I pray that it has been well worth your time.
RECAP – WHAT IS COMING
THE SEALS of THE SCROLL: Revelation chapters 6, 7, 8:1
SEALS, 1 through 4, have been successively and progressively open (revealed) since around AD 30 through the current day. It appears that the fifth SEAL is now in the process of being opened. The sixth seal is too opened at a future date, which appears to be in the not-distant-future.
This graphic shows Jesus’ Words, first from The Revelation then from the Book of Matthew, stating and confirming what is coming:
Revelation The Book of Matthew
1st Seal – Rider on the White Horse (occurring since AD 30)
2nd Seal – War (occurring since AD 30)
3rd Seal – Famine (occurring since AD 30)
4th Seal – Death (occurring since AD 30)
5th Seal – Martyrs, Apostasy (occurring now)
6th Seal – Terror, Cosmic disturbances (Yet to come, soon)
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- The Interlude – during the 6th Seal.
- The sealing of the 144,000 – during the 6th Seal.
- The Multitude from the Tribulation gathered around the Throne of God in Heaven ( This is The Rapture)!
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7th Seal – Silence in Heaven for ‘half an hour’.
THE TRUMPETS: Revelation chapter 8:1 – chapter 9
1st Trumpet – hail and fire, mixed with blood – a third of the earth was burned
2nd Trumpet – something like a great mountain burning – a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the creatures died; a third of the ships destroyed.
3rd Trumpet – a great star called Wormwood fell from heaven, fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters; a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
4th Trumpet – a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened, and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.
5th Trumpet – The Bottomless Pit a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit; smoke, of a great furnace; the sun, the air were darkened; came locusts, and they hurt only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation 9:12 “The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”
NOTE: The Scroll Seals, 1 through 5, mark the ‘days of distress’ leading up to the beginning of the 7-year Great Tribulation (also known as “Daniel’s Seventieth Week”).
The 7 years of Great Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th Week) begins with the opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal and will reach the halfway mark, 3.5 years, at the sounding of the 6th Trumpet.
The “first woe” is complete at the end of the 5th Trumpet, and, just before the sounding of the 6th trumpet.
The second half (3.5 years) of the 7 years of the Great Tribulation will begin with the pouring out of God’s Wrath on earth (the bowl judgments).
6th Trumpet – The Army from the East
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- The Angel and the Little Book
- The Two Witnesses
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Revelation 9:20 says, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; verse 21. And they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”
Revelation 11:14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
The Second Woe comes and ends with the sounding of the 6th Trumpet (Revelation 11:14).
The 7th Trumpet marks the beginning of the second half of the 7 years of Great Tribulation and the beginning of the Third Woe.
Christ’s Reign Foreseen
Revelation 12
The Red Dragon
The Male Child Christ
The Angel, Michael
Revelation 13
Revelation 13 introduces the DRAGON, THE BEAST FROM THE SEA AND THE BEAST FROM THE EARTH. Then, I will give a chronology of the Bible, leading up to Revelation 13, and to the end of the Book of The Revelation, to help frame the timing of these events.
THE DRAGON (Satan)
- “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
THE FIRST BEAST (The Anti-Christ)
- Verse 1. “… Then I saw a beast
- coming up out of the sea,
- having ten horns and seven heads, and
- on his horns were ten diadems, and
- on his heads were blasphemous names.
- Verse 2. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.
- And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
- Verse 3. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.
- And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
- Verse 4. they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast;
- and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”
- Verse 5. There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and
- authority to act for forty-two months(3.5 years) was given to him.
- Verse 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
- Verse 7. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and
- authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
- Verse 8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
- Verse 9. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Verse 10. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
THE SECOND BEAST (The False Prophet)
Revelation 13:11
- Verse 11. Then I saw another beast
- coming up out of the earth; and
- he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.
- Verse 12. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And
- he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
- Verse 13. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
- Verse 14. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast,
- telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
- Verse 15. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
- Verse 16. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
- Verse 17.and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
- Verse 18. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
WHEN DOES THIS OCCUR?
You can see when the Beasts of Revelation appear and when the “Mark of The Beast” is given, by following this chronological outline of the Book of The Revelation:
We will start with THE TRIBULATION SEALS: “The SCROLL OF THE SEALS”, found in Revelation 5:1, which represents “that which has been hidden and is now being revealed”.
Revelation define: (The Greek word, “apokalupsis”): an uncovering, revealing, revelation. “The Revelation” is principally used of the revelation of Jesus Christ (the Word), especially a particular spiritual manifestation of Christ, (His will), previously unknown to this extent, because it has been “veiled and covered”.
A Scene of Heaven
The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion
Vision of the Angel with the Gospel
Doom for Worshipers of the Beast
The Reapers
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
1st Bowl of Wrath – loathsome and malignant sores
2nd Bowl of Wrath – the sea became blood
3rd Bowl of Wrath – the rivers and the springs of waters became blood.
4th Bowl of Wrath – the sun scorched men with fire.
5th Bowl of Wrath – it became dark
6th Bowl of Wrath – the Euphrates and its water was dried up
Armageddon
7th Bowl of Wrath – “It is done.”
The Doom of Babylon
Victory for the Lamb
Babylon Is Fallen
Lament for Babylon
The Fourfold Hallelujah
Marriage of the Lamb
The Coming of Christ
Doom of the Beast and False Prophet
Satan Bound
Satan Freed, Doomed
Judgment at the Throne of God
The New Heaven and Earth
The New Jerusalem
The River and the Tree of Life
The Final Message:
Revelation 22:6 “And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
Verse 7. “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Verse 8. “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, verse 9, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
Verse 10. “And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Verse 11. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
Verse 12. “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. Verse 13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Verse 14. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Verse 15. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Verse 16. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Verse 17. “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Verse 18. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, verse 19, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Verse 20. “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” – Revelation 22:21.
NEXT – The final Chapter: PERFECTION – The Epilogue.
PREVIOUS: PERFECTION – Chapter 30 – Be Ready for His Coming – Pt. 2