Today is the 8^th day of celebration for restoring the Jewish Temple in BC 167.

Maccabees is the inspiring story of the Jewish people fighting for the right to worship God. A Syrian king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, determined the Jews must give up their religion and start worshipping Greek gods. He killed 40,000 Jews, enslaved 40,000 others, turned the Temple into a place for the Greek god Zeus, and ordered Jews to offer sacrifices to Greek deities...as the abominable desolation prophesied by Daniel. 

The Maccabees overthrew the Syrians, restored the Temple, and ruled Israel themselves until the Romans and Herod took over in 37 B.C. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a central figure in the Book of Daniel as a type of the Antichrist who will desecrate the Endtime Temple yet to be built.

The Book of Second Maccabees, one of the earliest sources on the origins of Hanukkah, connects the 8 days of the festival with the 8-day observance of Sukkot, the feast of Tabernacles. The first Hanukkah in 164 B.C. was celebrated as a delayed Sukkot, since the Maccabees had been unable to observe the holiday properly while they were fighting in the hills.

Daniel also prophesied about the end of the age struggle between the elements of "Iron and clay that do not cling together" but mix and are held together among the "seed of men by the strength of the iron." Dan.2:40-43. Revelation’s White Horseman represents a prolonged struggle between the forces of good and evil which I think will lead to peace and the restoration of the Jewish Temple before it is defiled once again by the coming "lawless one." Peace will be taken away by the Red Horseman. Rev.6:1-4.

By knowing how the Beast relates to Babylon the Great before Antichrist takes over, we may realize the vital role of the White Horseman’s victories in the struggle against evil forces. God’s judgment will fall upon the nations that make up Mystery Babylon after she begins to "rule the kings of the earth." Rev.17:18. What is it about Mystery Babylon that results in God using the suppressed forces of evil to "take peace from the earth after Israel dwells in peace and safety and without fences" as predicted in Ezekiel 38 and 39?

God’s judgment on Babylon the Great concerns more than the revival of the Old Roman Empire in the E.U. This judgment is symbolized by the beast so that it no longer carries the Harlot. It is symbolized in Rev.13 by a "wounding and healing" of its 7^th Head…to represent the personification of the Beast as the Antichrist.

The entire world worships the Beast after Babylon the Great rules for a short time. Rev.13:3 and 17:8-11. Judgment is symbolized by "wounding and healing" (W&H) the 7^th head on the beast. The W&H precedes the role of the Beast as Antichrist. The 7^th head symbolizes the world power Entity of Mystery Babylon before it begins to symbolize the Person identified as Antichrist when she is destroyed and God causes the Ten Kings to support him. Rev.17:17.

Victories of the White Horseman should lead to worshiping the Beast that comes up from the Abyss and empowers the Antichrist. But not until the W&H occurs. The "beast carries the Woman" (Babylon the Great) before it is wounded, i.e., until the beast is personified and no longer "carries the woman." Rev.13:3; Rev.17:7. The beast represents Antichrist’s rule when Ten Kings destroy Babylon and remove her from sitting on the beast.    Rev.17:3-7; Rev.13:3-7.

The Ten "receive power with the Beast when God puts into their minds to agree and to give their (oil) power" to the one who, according to Daniel 7:7-8,23-24, will be a "little horn" among the Ten and subdues 3 of the Ten before God lets them destroy Rome "in one hour by fire." Her fall in Rev.17:16 and Rev.18:8 is the W&H of Rev.13:3 and also the beast that "was, is not, yet is" of Rev.17:8.

                            Two Stages to History's Seventh World Empire

The meaning of being "W&H; of the Beast that was, is not, yet is" has not yet been recognized as symbolizing two stages in the 7^th World Empire. The first of two stages in Daniel occurs while the "Little Horn" on the beast subdues 3 of the Ten Kings. Dan.7:8,20. The first stage is also depicted by the attempt to "mix elements of iron and clay among the seed of men." Dan.2:40-43. They cannot "cling to one another" but are kept together by the "strength of the iron." This, I believe, is the preliminary work of the White Horseman’s spread of Democracy and overcoming the forces of terrorism. Revived Rome must first arbitrate among the world’s rulers and regimes and religions. Their strength will result from Democracy’s power to overcome evil forces that would destroy us.

The Horseman’s "bow" means to "struggle against much travail" in order to obtain a goal. "He goes forth conquering in order to keep overcoming." Peace with radical Islam requires a "mixing of the iron" of Democracy which will have the strength of the "iron" until God inspires the Ten Kings to support the Beast.

The "strength of the iron" will then be confiscated by the Ten Kings and by the Little Horn who comes "out of" the 7^th world empire. Dan.2:40-43; Rev.17:11,16. The personified Little Horn becomes the Beast speaking great words of blasphemy just as the healed 7th Head on the Beast of Revelation becomes the personified Beast. Dan.7:8,11,21,24,25; Rev.13:5-7.

This personified Beast will "go to perdition." Babylon must first be removed from her seat on the Beast as the ruler of history’s 7^th Global Power. This will be God's judgment on the Apostasy. Then the beast, as the 8^th King (2^nd stage), persecutes the Saints 42 months and will be cast to Hell. Dan.7:11; Rev.19:20.

Next month we consider the amazing growth of Democracy in the 20^th Century. We will also see how the second stage of "End-Times" becomes the first of two stages in the "Restoration of all things." Acts 3:21. Jesus Christ will complete the restoration only after disciplining the apostate church so that all Christians become worthy of His Kingdom.

1. The Beast is a Symbol of world power before it becomes a Person.

2. Babylon is represented by the Harlot sitting on the beast Entity.

3. Mystery Babylon rules the kings of earth a " short time."

4. Her global rule ends as Ten Kings destroy the City.

5. She "sits on many waters, 7 mountains and (finally) on the beast."

6. Its also a System confiscated by Ten Kings who "eat her flesh."

7. While the beast "carries the Harlot," it represents the world power System ruled by the Harlot. It does not yet symbolize a Person.

8. Ten horns and beast are NOT personified to rule the world until they destroy the City and give their power and authority to the personified beast for 42 months. Rev.17:15-17.

9. Peace will be "removed from earth" for 42 months when the Ten Kings destroy Babylon. The Beast continues to symbolize world power.

10. The Beast speaks as a man after Rev.13:3 and Rev.17:16 for 3½ years.

11. World peace begins under Mystery Babylon after the White Horseman of Seal One "wins the struggle" against evil forces.

12. The Little Horn participates in establishing world peace under Mystery Babylon before coming "out of" the 7th World Power and being possessed by the Beast "coming up from the Abyss." Rev.17:8-11. Mel