End Time Insights

Jesus of Nazareth is the King of Kings and the True Emperor who reigns supreme over all things . Jesus has reigned over the nations since his death, resurrection, and exaltation. Even now, the slain Lamb sits firmly on the messianic throne. Because of his obedience and submission to an unjust death, God made him the ruler of the kings of the Earth. But it is the sacrificial Lamb that reigns.

Every man and woman must choose whether to follow the Lamb or submit to the Dragon and his antichrist agenda . Satan tempted Jesus by offering him power over all the nations of the Earth. However, he refused this seductive offer, choosing instead to walk the path of self-sacrifice and obedience to God, a decision that resulted in his death on the imperial cross.

Jesus is the Lamb and the true Messiah of Israel. He was sent by God to redeem men from every nation by his sacrificial death . Jesus is the Faithful Witness and the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth, and these designations are inextricably linked. The first establishes how he obtained the second, his sovereignty. Through his death, Jesus redeemed his people, and because of his “ obedience unto death ,” God exalted Christ and made him Lord over all things:

The Book of Revelation applies messianic promises of the Old Testament to the present reign and exalted status of Jesus Christ . Jesus has governed the Cosmos since his death and resurrection. He is seated at the right hand of God, where he rules as the prince of the kings of the earth. “ The woman produced a son who is the shepherd of the nations… And her child was caught up to God and his throne .”

In the Book of Revelation, every man and woman must choose between loyalty to the Beast from the Sea or the Sacrificial Lamb . Discussions on the “ Mark of the Beast ” focus on the significance of its number, ‘ 666 .’ We wish to understand it so we may avoid taking it. To better appreciate the ramifications of taking its “ Mark ,” we must perceive that the  Book of Revelation  contrasts the “ Mark of the Beast ” with the “ Seal of God .”

Jesus of Nazareth unlocks the Hebrew scriptures and our understanding of the last days, and he reveals the nature and the mysteries of God . Jesus unveils the “ mysteries of God ,” and only he is qualified to reveal the nature of the “ unseen God .” Only in him are  all the promises of God fulfilled. He is the key that unlocks the Hebrew Bible and explains the “ times and seasons .” This is especially so in the  Book of Revelation  which is a “ revealing of Jesus Christ .” He is the absolute Lord who reigns over all things from God’s Throne – (Revelation 5:9-14).

The Inhabitants of the Earth refuse to follow the Lamb, choosing instead to swear allegiance to the Dragon and his Beast . In the  Book of Revelation,  there are no geographic restrictions on the reign of the “ Beast .” All the “ Inhabitants of the Earth ” take the Beast’s “ Mark ” or “ Number ” and venerate its image. No national government resists the monster from the Sea, for it is granted “ authority over every tribe, people, tongue and nation .” There are no exceptions.

Revelation’s first vision presents Jesus as the Son of Man, the high priest who watches over his people – Revelation 1:9-20. Jesus is the faithful high priest who oversees the churches of Asia (Revelation 1:10-3:22), and he is the Son of Man who will return in great glory to gather and vindicate his saints. In chapters 2 and 3, he sends each of the seven congregations a letter of encouragement, correction, and promises for faithful Christians.

Jesus is the one who unveils the Mysteries of God, and only he is qualified to reveal the nature of the “ unseen God .” In him, all the promises of God find their substance. He is the interpretive key that unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures and provides the correct understanding of Bible prophecy, and this is especially so in the  Book of Revelation  where the sacrificial “ Lamb ” reigns over all things.

His disciples reign with Jesus as priests who render service in the True Tabernacle and minister his light and message to the world . The present sovereignty of Jesus is based on his past Death and Resurrection, and His disciples participate in his reign. Like him, their royal position is paradoxical. It is characterized by self-sacrificial service rather than the suppression and destruction of their human enemies. The shedding of Christ’s blood is what consecrates them as “ priests ,” and priestly service for others is how they rule with him.

When certain “ super-apostles ” began undermining his authority, the Apostle Paul warned the Assembly in Corinth not to heed anyone who “ proclaimed another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or a different spirit, or a different Gospel .” He pointed to the same Jesus that he first proclaimed, the “ Crucified Messiah ,” the Jesus who is the measuring rod against which all other messianic claimants must be evaluated.

Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who redeems men, but both the Beast and the False Prophet mimic him to deceive humanity .  In  Revelation , several names are applied to Jesus, but by far the most frequent and important is the designation “ Lamb .” And in his war against him, the “ Dragon ” employs two entities that imitate the “ Lamb ,” namely, the beasts from the sea and the earth.

Language from Daniel’s vision of the “little horn” that waged war against the “saints” is applied in Revelation to the church – Daniel 7:21.  In the interpretation of the image of the “ little horn ,” this malevolent figure made “ war on the saints and prevail over them .” That same image is reapplied in the  book of Revelation  to the “ war ” of the “ Dragon ” and his vassals against the “ saints ,” those who “ follow the Lamb wherever he goes .” Similarly, descriptive language from this same vision was applied by the Apostle Paul to the coming “ man of lawlessness .”

The fifteenth chapter introduces the seven angels who empty the contents of the “ seven bowls of wrath .” But first, the “ overcoming ” saints are found standing on the “ sea of glass mingled with fire ” where they “ sing the song of Moses and the Lamb .” They have overcome the “ Beast, its image, mark, and number .”

The Messiah “shepherds” the nations by the “word” that proceeds out of his mouth in preparation for the final battle  - Revelation 19:11-16.  The vision now anticipates the destruction of the “ beast ” and the “ False Prophet ” by introducing the warrior figure riding a “ white horse .” The groundwork for the coming “battle” was laid with the announcement of the victory of the “ Lamb ” over the “ beast ” and the “ kings of the earth ” in chapter 17.

John saw a vision of a female figure identified as “ Babylon, the Great Harlot .” She was carried by the “ Beast with Ten Horns and Seven Heads .” She deceived the “ Kings of the Earth ” along with its “ Inhabitants ” with her “ fornications ,” and she was “ drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus .” She was (and remains) the “ Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth .” Her powers of seduction were so great that even John found himself momentarily “ marveling ” after her.

The central figure of the book is the freshly slain Lamb who alone has the authority to open the Sealed Scroll, beginning with its seven seals - Revelation 4:1-5:14.  The scene in chapters 4 and 5 is the theological center of the book of Revelation and sets the stage for all that follows. Through a paradoxical victory, the sacrificial Lamb is crowned sovereign over the Cosmos.  This next scene is connected to the preceding seven letters by verbal links.