HopeLives365

Mark Finley: According to the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, we are living in the last days of Earth's history.

Mark Finley: Can we predict that Jesus will come in a year, two years, three years, five years? We can't predict that. This is no wild-eyed sensationalism. But based on scripture, we are living in the final days of Earth's history when church and state will unite and God is calling men and women to be faithful to him. He's calling men and women to be totally committed to Christ.

Guest (Male): The great lines of prophecy in the Bible indicate that we are living in the last days of Earth's history. The books of Daniel and Revelation are specifically designed to help us to understand where we are in the stream of time. In Daniel chapter 2, God reveals four great world empires that would rule: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Then in that great image of Daniel 2, with that head of gold, breast and arms of silver, thighs of brass, legs of iron, we see the ten toes of the image, representing the breakup of the Roman Empire. Immediately after that, a stone strikes the image, indicating the coming of Jesus. So, in Daniel chapter 2, that first foundational prophecy, we're not in the head of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the thighs of brass, or legs of iron. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome have passed away. The Roman Empire has been broken up. The next event? The rock smites the image: the coming of Jesus.

When you look at Daniel chapter 7, you have now not four metals, but four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a dragon. When you look at those four beasts of the lion, the bear, the leopard, and the dragon, again, it is Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. You come to the last of those, and you have ten horns, not ten toes. Again, the ten divisions of the Roman Empire. Then you have something new added. A principle in Daniel and Revelation is a basic prophecy is given, and then that prophecy is repeated and enlarged. Now you have a little horn arising: the great apostasy that takes place when church and state unite under Papal Rome. After that event, you have the judgment or the coming of Jesus.

Daniel chapters 8 and 9 reveal the timing of that judgment. Daniel chapter 11 and on into chapter 12 reveal once again these great nations that would rise, but they also reveal that we're living right in the last days of Earth's history. So Daniel 11 ends with a conflict between the King of the North and the King of the South, between atheistic powers and false religious powers, and the final time of trouble and the coming of Jesus.

In the book of Revelation, particularly from chapters 13 to 22, we have this same scene essentially repeated, but we have the final details. In our study today, we want to look at Revelation, the 17th chapter, that focuses in, that zeroes in on these last days of Earth's history. So, if you've been following us in our YouTube ministry, you know this is a Bible study ministry. So get your Bible and we're looking here at Revelation chapter 17. We begin with verse one.

"There came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials and talked with me, saying, 'Come hither, I'll show you the judgment of the great whore that sits on many waters.'" What are the seven vials? Who's the great whore? What does it mean she sits on many waters? First, we know what the seven vials are because when you go to Revelation 16, the chapter before, it says, "I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, 'Go your ways and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.'" The first went and poured out his vial, and there fell a noisome and grievous sore. So the seven vials are obviously the seven last plagues.

Revelation 17 describes the events that lead up to these seven last plagues, the events that will take place before the seven last plagues. Then it says, "I'll show you the judgment of the great whore." What does that mean, the great whore, the harlot woman? In the Bible, a pure, chaste virgin represents the bride of Christ. So, a virgin in the Bible, faithful to Jesus, who has not left her true lover, is loyal and committed to Jesus. The church of God is represented as this pure, chaste woman who has not left her lover, Jesus.

But when you have a woman that's gone into apostasy, you have then a picture of a harlot woman. James chapter 4 says, "You adulterers and adulteresses, the friendship of the world is enmity against God." So in James chapter 4, you have again this allusion to this harlot woman, this woman that's committed adultery. So what does the great whore represent? A church in apostasy, a movement that has drifted from God. It says she sits on many waters. What do the waters represent? We don't have to guess. Verse 15 in Revelation 17: "And he said to me, 'The waters that you saw where the whore sits are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.'"

So what is the water? People, nations, tongues. So what do we see in Revelation chapter 17, verse one? What we see there is a fallen or apostate church that has drifted from Christ, her true lover, drifted from the word of God, who's going to be ultimately a recipient of the seven last plagues. The Bible describes this scene even further: "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." Fornication is an illicit union, a forbidden union.

So the apostate church unites with the kings of the earth, the state, rather than uniting with Jesus. The true church gets her strength, her power, her directions from Jesus. The true church, knowing the word of God, walking in the truth of the word of God, is instructed by Christ. The true church walks in the truth of Jesus and in the law of God. The false church, turning from Jesus, attempts to get her strength from the state powers. Now she passes around the wine cup of her doctrines. Where wine affects the forebrain, it affects conscience, reason, and judgment; people get drunk with these false doctrines.

Throughout the Bible, the idea of the cup being passed around is the cup of salvation. But here, she passes around not the cup of the wine of truth, the pure juice of the grape of truth, but rather the wine cup of error. Look at, for example, Psalm 116, verse 13. He says, "I'll take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord." What's the cup of salvation? It's the word of God. Remember what Jesus said when he instituted the communion service? He said, "I'll not drink of this cup till I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

What did he mean by that? The cup representing the wine of Christ, the wine of his blood. His blood is shed. It's pure juice of the grape, and it illustrates that wine cup that Jesus would pass around. It's the wine of the gospel that brings life and joy and peace and gladness. But this woman who unites with the state, this apostate church, does not pass around the wine of the gospel, but she passes around a fermented wine, a tainted gospel. She passes around a corrupt doctrine. And what happens? The whole world gets drunk.

Guest (Female): We'll be right back with Pastor Mark Finley. We thank you for listening and hope you're enjoying today's message. Our mission is to attractively present the Christ-centered biblical truths of scripture in a practical, relevant way to people around the world so that they may experience the abundant life that Christ offers and effectively share with confidence His life-changing truths with others. You can support this ministry and help us reach even more by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, back to Pastor Mark Finley.

Guest (Male): Now, verse 3 is a critical verse because it tells you the timing that Revelation 17 is looking at. Revelation 17, as a laser, zeroes in on one particular time in history. If you miss Revelation 17:3, you've missed the meaning of the chapter. Revelation 17:3: "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness and I saw a woman sit on a scarlet colored beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns." So what time period is this? Where is this apostate woman? She is in the wilderness. What period is that?

Well, Revelation 12, verse 6 and onward tell us that the true church of God fled into the wilderness for a period of 1,260 years. So the wilderness period is 538 to 1798. It's the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages. So what Revelation 17 is focusing on is the period of the Dark Ages and the church coming out of the Dark Ages, and God is going to reveal to us what's going to happen. So he looks there. He says, verse four, "The woman is arrayed in purple and scarlet color." Her color, the colors of this superchurch, the colors of this apostate church, the colors of this church that is ornamented with lavish wealth, are purple and scarlet.

It says that on her name or her forehead was a name written: "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots." So she's the great mother church, and other churches that have come out of her have not come far enough; they've gone into apostasy and they are noted as the daughters of the harlot woman. So what we see in Revelation 17 is a church during the Dark Ages that has drifted away from Christ. It's become the great unifier through power and coercion. Church and state have united. And then out of this mother church from Rome come the great Protestant churches who become their daughters.

Now, when there were those that did not go along with the mother church, Revelation 17:6: "I saw the woman drunken with the blood of saints and the blood of martyrs." So there was martyrdom. We know that to be factual. You have the great persecutions of the Waldenses during this period of time. You have the persecutions of the reformers, Huss and Jerome, burned at the stake. Thousands of others, tens of thousands, died in dungeons. Many died as they were burned at the stake. Others were killed in various fashion.

Now verse 7: "The angel said unto me, 'Why did you marvel? I will tell the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has seven heads and ten horns.'" Now notice ten horns, ten divisions. Seven heads. What are those seven heads talking about? The seven heads are the great kingdoms upon which the ideology of the beast was built. Now is where we come to something very interesting, verses 8 and onward. And that's where I want to concentrate. "The beast that you saw was and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. They that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names are 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."

What is a beast in Bible prophecy? It is a power. What power are we looking at during this time? We're looking at the Roman church that unites church and state during the period of the wilderness period from 538 to 1798. What happened at the end of 1798? What happened in that year? Well, Revelation chapter 13 tells us, after describing the beast power, the union of church and state, after describing the Papacy in clear terms, Revelation chapter 13, verse 10: "He that leads into captivity will go into captivity, and he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword."

So what happens in 1798 at the end of the wilderness period? Napoleon is the ruler of France. He looks to the south; he sees a rival ruler in the Pope of Rome. He sends his General Berthier down to Rome. The Pope is taken captive. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity. He that killeth with the sword will be killed with the sword. And the Pope dies in captivity. So who is the beast or the power that was and is not, yet is? That would be the papal power, of course.

Now verse 9: "Here is the mind which has wisdom." Now you want your mind that has wisdom. It says there are seven, "Here are the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth." Now some people have equated these seven mountains to the hills of Rome. But I think there is a better interpretation of that, because there were seven great powers that would rule the world, and the papal power would be dominant over all of them.

It goes on to explain: "There are seven kings: five are fallen, one is, the other is not yet to come, and when he comes, he must continue a small space." There are seven kings; five are fallen. If you look at Daniel, now I realize that there may be some that have a little different interpretation of this, but if you look at Daniel, I think it's very clear. You have Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, pagan Rome, and then the Papacy. So you have five kings or five powers that ruled: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, the Papacy.

But what happened in 1798? The Papacy went into captivity. So that makes sense. There are seven kings; five are fallen. What would the "one that is" be? The power that took the Papacy in captivity: France at the time, that represented atheism during the French Revolution, 1793 to 1797. So that would represent the atheistic powers, in particular, in France. Five are fallen: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, the Papacy went into captivity. One is. What is the one that is? Atheism or France. The other is not yet to come. What world power was not yet to come mentioned in the book of Revelation chapter 13, the last part? The United States.

Then it says, "And when he comes, he must continue a short space." So according to this prophecy, America would rise based on the prophetic word of Revelation 13:11-18. She would rise after the Papacy went into captivity. She would rise as the seventh of these beasts or the seventh of these kingdoms. But the United States would last only a short period of time. Indeed, could we be living on the knife-edge of eternity with America having its day in the sun, and the decadence and immorality and the crime and the natural disasters that this nation is just eroding at the very foundation?

We pray God there will be a mighty revival. But this is what we know from prophecy: this nation will continue to deteriorate. Then it will rise to prominence when the eighth, when the beast that is one of the seven, but is actually the eighth, rises again. Notice what scripture says. It says verse 11: "The beast that was," that beast that was, what was that? The Papacy. "Is not," it went into captivity. "He is of the eighth." So that the eighth beast has to be one of the seven.

You have Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, then you have the Papacy. Then you have the rise of atheism, France. Then the United States, seven. Then you have the eighth beast that rises, which is of the seven, and he's the one that went into captivity, namely the Papacy. "The beast that was and is not, even he is of the eighth, and is of the seven, and he goes into perdition. The ten horns which you sawest are ten kings that have received no kingdom yet, but they receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, they shall give their power and strength unto the beast."

So what do we have taking place here? You have a revival of the papal power, the eighth beast. And you have the papal power uniting with the ten kings or the kingdoms of this world; that is a symbol of the world's kingdoms. So you have church and state united in an attempt at a time of great crisis, at a time of natural disasters, at a time of economic collapse, at a time of international war and strife, at a time rampant with disease. The eighth beast, the Papacy, the revived Papacy, one of the seven, the one that went into captivity, rises again. He unites with the kings of this earth.

The United States is prominent for a short period of time, and the beasts that unite with the Papacy, the kingdoms that unite with it, they give their strength, verse 13, their power to the beast. "These shall make war with the Lamb." So in the last days of Earth's history, there is this final conflict. In the last days of Earth's history, there is this final war. And this triumvirate of error—the Papacy united with spiritualism and united with false Protestantism and united with the kings of the earth—this movement makes war with the people of God.

How does it do that? Well, it passes a decree that no man can buy or sell save he takes the mark of the beast. It forces human beings into a forced worship with a death decree. God's people, though, are faithful to him. Revelation 14, verse 12: in the light of the enforcement of this mark of the beast, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus." So God has a people whose faith burns in their heart, whose faith changes their lives and leads them as they trust Jesus completely to keep his commandments.

Verse 14: "These shall make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings. They that are with him are called, they're chosen, and they're faithful." They're called by Christ to redemption. They are chosen as his special people to reveal his light to the world, and they are faithful; they do not yield. The devil unites church and state. The people of God are impressed. They cannot buy or sell. A death decree hangs over their heads. It appears that the truth of God will be snuffed out. But the work of Christ arises. And the workers of Christ arise. And the people of Jesus arise. And the light of God's truth shines from one end of the earth to the other, as it says in Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 14: "And the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will go from one sea to the other." Jesus' work is not going to be defeated. Jesus' plans are not going to be defeated. Jesus' people are not going to be defeated. Jesus' purpose is not going to be defeated. We are living in the final days of Earth's history.

Mark Finley: According to the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, we are living in the last days of Earth's history. Can we predict that Jesus will come in a year, two years, three years, five years? We can't predict that. This is no wild-eyed sensationalism. But based on scripture, we are living in the final days of Earth's history when church and state will unite and God is calling men and women to be faithful to him. He's calling men and women to be totally committed to Christ.

He's calling men and women to live in harmony with his law, and as Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Christ is appealing to people to be faithful in this final hours of Earth's history, in these crisis hours of Earth's history when an overwhelming surprise will burst upon the world. Do you sense Jesus calling you? Do you sense the Spirit of God speaking to your heart? Do you sense God making an appeal to you right now? Wherever you are, sitting in your home watching this YouTube video, watching it with a friend but you hear the call of God, watching it with your family but you hear the call of God, and you're saying, "Lord, I want to be faithful to you."

Guest (Female): You've been listening to HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at HopeLives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: Do you sense Jesus calling you? Do you sense the Spirit of God speaking to your heart? Do you sense God making an appeal to you right now? Wherever you are, sitting in your home watching this YouTube video, watching it with a friend but you hear the call of God, watching it with your family but you hear the call of God, and you're saying, "Lord, I want to be faithful to you." If that's your decision, let's pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you with all of our hearts for these prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. We thank you that Jesus is coming soon. And we thank you that we're living in the final last days of Earth's history based on prophecy. And Lord, we've studied about the five kings. We've studied about Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, and the rise of the Papacy. We've studied about the Papacy going into captivity. We've studied about the rise of atheism in France, the sixth king, and the rise of the United States, the seventh.

But then we've seen that the eighth would be one of the seventh, that the Papacy would rise again, the church and state would be united, that a decree would be passed that no man could buy or sell except he had the mark of the beast, and a decree would be passed, a death decree. But we've seen that God's people will be faithful, that they will stand firm. They will be filled with his love and charmed by his grace and changed by his power and they'll keep his commandments. Lord, deep within our hearts, we want to be faithful to you. We want to walk in your footsteps. O God, seal within our hearts and minds your divine truth and help us walk with you. In Christ's name, amen.