Posted by Elana Janson on September 16, 2004 at 14:56:06:
Before we continue to the sounding of the sixth trumpet and the second woe, we should take a closer look at the verses in which the words “those that dwell on earth” and ‘inhabiters of the earth” appear. Where these words appear, Revelation reveals that “those who dwell on earth” and “the inhabiters of the earth” were led astray by the ‘beast out of the sea’, the ‘beast out of the earth’. Ultimately it would be the power of the Holy Spirit in the true witnesses throughout the world that would torment “those that dwell on earth”.
Rev 13:8 “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.”
In this verse, that is part of the chapter on the beast out of the sea, it is said that all that dwell on earth shall worship “the beast out of the sea”. This verse shows the tremendous final effect of the ruling of the nations through the opinion and eyes of the people that Revelation refers to as those that ‘dwell on earth’. They will be so misled that they will no longer strive to attain everlasting life (‘names not written in the book of life’). The words, “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth” means that ever since Adam and Eve, man was susceptible to the deception by satan. With the knowledge that the deception of “the beast out of the sea” has to do with the time 2004, we cannot disregard to what degree anti-Christians and non-Christians to-day use the scientific discoveries that pertain to the age of the earth (foundations of the earth) to undermine the truths of Scripture and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. As it has been shown on this website, a “day” in Scripture not only refers to a “day” of 24 hours as we know it but that “day” is also a time measure, that can be a “thousand years” or according to my understanding of Revelation a time measure of 287 years.
Rev 13:14 “And deceived them that dwell on earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Through the repetition of the words” them that dwell on earth” in this verse, Revelation reveals through the words “make an image” that material progress and knowledge of the elements of the earth will mislead mankind. It was shown on this website and in How near Armageddon that the word “image” was linked through the time measures of ‘the beast out of the earth’, and to the year 1886, the year of the completion of the Statue to Liberty. The words “which had the wound by the sword, and did live”, refers to the “beast out of the sea” in Rev 13:3. Through the word “sword”, it also refers to the rider on the red horse that carries the sword (Rev. 6:4) to show that Almighty God was in control of the whole process through the centuries of the replacement of the rule of kings to the rule of men. Through the repetition of the words “them that dwell on earth” (Rev 8:13) Revelation reveals that the end product of this deception will come in the time of “woe, woe, woe”.
Rev 11:10 “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on earth.” Revelation reveals through this verse that in 2002 and beyond, as we see the signs of the end correlate with the words of Revelation, those that are filled with the Holy Spirit will rejoice, despite the fact that at this same time we shall see the forces of satan undermining the rule of the nations, which the nations have built up through centuries.
Readers may have forgotten the meaning of “two witnesses” and “two prophets” in Revelation. In the total understanding of Revelation “two witnesses” have three meanings. Firstly its meaning is derived from the use of the word “witness” in Romans 8:16 “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God”. Therefore “two witnesses” includes all those filled with the Holy Spirit, that over the period of the two millennia were witnesses to Jesus Christ. Secondly, in the time measures of Revelation, two persons were mentioned because of their tremendous influence on the spread of Christianity over two millennia. They were, Origen, in the first millennia and Francis of Assisi in the second millennium. Of significance was the fact that Origen was linked to the time of the rider of the white horse, that is the time 216. It was he that formulated the concept of the Trinity that incorporated the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. About one thousand years later (1224) Francis of Assisi received the Stigmata and he was a forerunner of the missionary movement of the second millennium of witnesses who wished to carry out the message of Jesus Christ as he did, to the poor, the sick and bereaved.
Note the repetition of the words “they that dwell upon the earth” and “ them that dwelt on earth” in Rev 11:10. This repetition seems to show that among those that “dwell on earth” are at the end time both “witnesses” (those filled with the Holy Spirit) who will rejoice in the heritage of the Christian faith that endured and those that are ‘tormented’ by the strength of the Christian faith.
The words, “rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts to one another”, seems clearly to relate to the way that the inhabitants of the earth celebrate the coming of the Christ at Christmas time. As we near the end time, “two witnesses”, also represent the power of the Holy Spirit that gives Christians the insight into understanding the signs of the end and they are filled with rejoicing at a time that the influence of satan seems to overtake the nations.
In Rev 14:6 “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on earth, and to every nation and kindred, and tongue and people.”
Through the repetition of the words “them that dwell on earth “ in this verse Revelation reveals that the deception of man takes place in the time of the spread of the Christian faith to all the nations of the earth.
Rev 17:8 “The beast that thou saw, was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”
This verse reveals that man would initially know (in the first millennium after the birth of Jesus Christ) that the combination of Christian church and state is the best way to promote Christian living (“The beast that thou saw, was”). At that time in history, that is in the first millennium after the birth of Jesus Christ, a division of the Christian Church and State would have been regarded as a taking away of the authority or undermining of Christian truths. As man progressed the unity of Church and State had to make way for a rule of men (“The beast that thou saw, was, and is not”). With all the enmity between the Christian kings and the powerful Roman Catholic Church in The Middle Ages as well as all the religious wars of the second millennium, a separation of church and state seemed to be the answer to world peace and prosperity. Revelation reveals that man was misled in thinking that this situation could last indefinitely. At the time that mankind will see that the rule of men does not have all the answers to world peace (“and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition”) is the last short season. We know this through the repetition of the words “bottomless pit” in Revelation. Through the repetition of the words “they that dwell on earth”, Revelation reveals that those who are in 2004 “wonder” about what constitutes the “beast”, their names are not written in the book of life. This verse seems to confirm the subtlety of the way that man was deceived over centuries.
Inhabitants of the earth
Rev 17:2: Rev 17:1-2 “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither, I will show unto thee the judgement of the great whore that sits on many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication”.
It seems as if the particular angel with a bowl of vial must be the third angel (Rev 16:4) that pours out his vial on the rivers and the fountains of waters. This angel is also the one that is referred to as the angel of the waters (Rev 16:5). I say this because of the repetition of the word “waters” in Rev 17:1.
Also the words of Rev 14:6 and the repetition of the words “fountains of waters. In Rev 14:6, the word “judgement” is repeated, “for the hour of his judgement is come, and worship him that made heaven, and earth and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (The judgement of the “great whore” is revealed in the fall of the “great city” (Rev 18:19); the “fall” ultimately pertains to the entire earth. Because Revelation has to do with the history of two millennia, this “fall” of the “great city” started way back in history and we are only experiencing the final stages at this point in time.)
We see therefore that, through the repetition of the words “inhabitants of the earth”, the time of “three angels” that are about to sound the last three trumpets in Revelation, is also the time of judgement of the nations. As mentioned in the last post, “Four angels”, the symbols of the “four angels” also convey the time of judgement. It seems therefore that which the “four angels” and the “three angels” convey all comes together in the time of “the short season.” To be continued.