Psalm 119:105 SIGNS OF OUR TIMES

 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105 SIGNS OF OUR TIMES Vol. 33 No. 11 Novem 2022 Dear Lovers of Truth, In order that we reach a sensible Biblebased conclusion concerning the major players in world events that herald the glorious return of our Lord, we must trace their appearance in the record in the final words of Jesus Himself. From recent editions of SOT you will know that they are represented in symbol by The Dragon; the Beast; and the False Prophet in the remarkable 16th Chapter of Revelation: 12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 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. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. THE DRAGON In Isaiah 27:1 and Isaiah 51:9 the dragon is mentioned as representing the Pagan nations of Assyria and Egypt and connects the Dragon with the Serpent—the originator of all evil and rebellion against God. The most notable rebel and originator of Pagan doctrine was Nimrod (Gen 10:8-9). His influence is found in Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman mythology—evidenced also in the beliefs of the Jews at the time of Christ—beliefs which Jesus used in the parable of “the Rich Man and Lazarus”, etc. But the most outspoken occasion was when He said: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44). Here Jesus links the Edenic Serpent with those who crucified Him, linking them to the curse on the Serpent: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15). Those who comprised the “Serpent Seed” are revealed in Acts 4: 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. What the counsel of God had determined beforehand was “that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles” [Acts 26:23]. It was in His resurrection that Jesus “slew the Dragon/Serpent”—Sin. THE PAGAN DRAGON NATIONS Nimrod was the “mighty hunter who confronted the LORD” (Genesis 10:9). Nimrod was worshipped under many names: (1) Early Sumerian Enmer, later Mesopotamian Ninurta (originally Nimurda), Biblical Nimrod, Greek Ninus; (2) Old Babylonian Marduk, Biblical Merodach, later simply known as Bel or Baal ('Lord'); (3) Late Sumerian Asar-luhi (a principal epithet of Marduk), Assyrian Ashur, Egyptian Asar (Osiris); (4) Sumerian Dumuzi, Biblical Tammuz, Phoenician Adonis, Greek Dionysus, Roman Bacchus.... Paganism influenced every religion—even the Jewish traditions and beliefs to such an extent that the Apostle John wrote: “we know that the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1John 5:19). THE DRAGON IN THE APOCALYPSE We meet this Pagan Dragon in Revelation 12: 1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. In this scene the True Israel (the woman) has reached the time for the Messiah to be born— but the Pagan-dominated Dragon-powers of both Rome (Herod +) and the Jewish hierarchy combine to thwart his ascent to rulership. The Christ-child is taken to heaven—while the Church escapes into the wilderness of the nations—where—in Chapter 17—John sees her return as a Harlot riding a scarlet Beast! THE BEAST There are three (3) significant “Beasts” in Revelation Chapter 13. The First (1st) Beast has seven heads and ten horns, and has body parts like those of a leopard, a bear and a lion—and “the dragon gave it its power, its seat and great authority” (cp. Daniel Ch.7:4-8). This is a description of Europe in WW2 when, under Hitler, it contained the major countries represented by these animals. These pagan (Dragon) attributes gave the Hitler/Beast his power. Germany behaved like the barbarian hordes from whose roots this nation matured. Rev 13: 1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 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. 4 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? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. . The description of Adolf Hitler here is hard to miss. He systematically murdered the Jews (the Saints - Psalm 148:14) in the Holocaust which lasted from the summer of 1941 until the end of World War II in Europe in May 1945—a period of 42 months (3½ years). The nations of the world “worshipped the Beast” by copying Hitler’s mechanised form of warfare and barbarism in every detail. . At the end of WW2 Germany was divided by “The Berlin Wall”—described in verse 3: “one of his heads as it were wounded to death….” THE BEAST OUT OF THE EARTH This Beast had “two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (v. 11). History tells us that this Beast was the USA and the USSR who raged against each other in “Dragon language” but acted “like lambs” because they never fought each other. The “Deadly wound” which divided Europe was known as ‘the Berlin Wall’ which lasted from 1961 to November 1989. Its removal signified that the same Germany that had been wounded to death; had his deadly wound healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. Thus all Europe has gradually revived! This is “THE LATTER DAY BEAST” which appears at the end of Revelation Ch.16—and on which the Harlot Church rides in Ch.17:3! THE FALSE PROPHET We have little to gain by referring to the Old Testament to trace this phrase. It is of New Testament usage BUT describes three Muslim nations that align themselves with Gog. However, before the Gogian invasion, we find “the false prophet” with the Dragon and the Beast “drawing all men to the Great Day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:13-14). The present alliance of China with Russia and Iran appears to some to fulfil this verse— but according the foregoing reasoning, a case is made for Europe as being “the Beast”. CHAPTERS 17-20 OF REVELATION These chapters apply to events after the Kingdom of God is established in Jerusalem. In Ch. 17:3 the Harlot is riding this European Beast as the nations revolt against the rule of Christ (the Lamb) and the redeemed (v.14.) In Chapter 19 there is a more detailed recapitulation of the events in Chapter 17. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse (Jesus) , and against his army (the Elect). 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Germanic-European beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. EZEKIEL 39:17-20 By comparing the above with these verses from Ezekiel 39 will convince the reader that “the False Prophet” is Persia (Iran), Cush and North Africa—that is— all remaining Islamic nations. The Dragon’s demise is in Chapter 20. In the Master’s Service, Arthur Wright,