And he opened his mouth inblasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

His reign of power will only last three and 1/2 years. We will find this in the following scriptures:

Daniel 7:25:

Daniel 11:7:

Revelation 13:5:

In the Bible a time is a year, times is two years, and a half time is a half year. The dividing of time is also a half year. In Revelation it said forty and two months. This is also 3 and 1/2 years. So we can easily see that his reign of power will only be for 3 and 1/2 years.

Many Bible teachers believe that the middle of the tribulation will not occur until the end of the seventh seal, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. But this is clearly a mistake. Too many people have read Larkin's theory for too many years. He was a great man, but was too early to be sharing Revelations. It had not been revealed yet. He was a great man though and gave us a lot of interesting diagrams to help us today. You need to ask questions when trying to get an understanding about scripture. Ask God about the things that puzzle you.

The middle of the tribulation will occur during the third seal. I have already proved this once with the mystery of the four beasts around the throne. Showing that Israel would be invaded during the third seal according to what the mothers had to say at the birth of the three sons. Remember? But I don't need this to prove this point.

In Revelation 12:3, at the time the red dragon invades Israel, he will have seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on the seven heads. What this is saying is this. The seven heads are seven nations. The fact that they are wearing crowns tells us that they have been given their positions of authority with the Antichrist. The fact that he has ten horns is telling us that he has ten men who will be his kings but he is still lacking three more nations before all of these kings will have a nation to rule. In other words at the time of the invasion he will only have seven nations under his authority.

But this changes in Revelation 13:1. The beast in this scripture represents the same kingdoms of the Antichrist, only this time he will have all ten nations. Because He has all ten crowns instead of just seven.

Now, think on this a minute. In Daniel 11:30 the ships of Chittim embarrass him by forcing him to leave the king of the south's country. The scripture shows him being grieved because of this. The only reason he obeys the ships of Chittim at that time is because they are stronger than he is. Which means that he hasn't received power as of yet. But He will. He contacts six other countries that he has already made a pact with, and they join forces with him. Verse 31 tells us that arms stand on his part. What this means is that these nations have joined him. We then see him pollute the sanctuary of strength which means, that He has invaded Israel! The ships of Chittim will be a strong nation to the west of Cyprus. In Bible times any ship coming from west of Cyprus was either called ships of Chittim or ,if merchant ships, they would be called ships of Tarshish. I believe that the ships of Chittim in this scripture is the United States of America. Think about it! We are the only nation in the world that is used as a police force to keep other nations in line.

At any rate this proves that the Antichrist does not receive any allies until his invasion of Israel at the middle of the tribulation. Now let's look at the fourth seal in Revelation 6:8:

There are four things to look at in this scripture:
1. This is the last horse he rides, he will ride no more.
2. He is given power over 1/4 of the earth.
3. He is using the mark of the beast. The mark is implemented during the last three and a half years.
4. It says them instead of him when talking about receiving power. Them receiving power is referring to him and his allied nations.

All of these things in this seal will occur after the invasion of Israel in the middle of the tribulation. Before he invades Israel he doesn't have enough power to keep the ships of Chittim from forcing him to leave the king of the south alone. His allies do not join him until the time of the invasion of Israel and that is only him and six more countries. How in the world could these teachers be right that are teaching that the middle of the tribulation is not until after the seventh seal? When it has to occur before the fourth seal!

Look at the fourth seal a moment. It says that they kill with the sword. This is talking about their armies. It says that they kill with hunger. This is the use of the mark of the beast. In order to buy or sell you will have to take the mark, if you refuse to take the mark, you will starve to death (Revelation 13:16-17). You will have to hide out in order to starve to death because if you outright refuse they will kill you for it. To kill with death is still talking about the mark of the beast. If you take the mark of the beast, you will be forever doomed to hell and the lake of fire (this is the second death). If you don't take the mark, they will kill you for it. One of the ways will be to cut off your head (Revelation 20:4, 20:14). Next it says that he kill with the beast of the earth. This is referring to the people who are wicked enough to carry out this horrible holocaust on God's people.

I sometimes think that God's people lose all their good sense when they get into the book of Revelation. I recently heard a minister say that scientists have recently discovered a tiny microbe that is animal like in nature that is some sort of disease. He believes that this is the way the Antichrist is going to kill with the beast of the earth. I felt very sorry for him, and I do every time I hear about all of these weird gadgets and computer systems that people are trying to relate someway to the Antichrist. Revelation is given to us in allegories, which means that the scriptures you read have a deeper meaning than their appearance. God speaks to us in mysteries, but when you understand the mystery you realize that it is simple.

The Antichrist will only have power for 3 1/2 years, this begins in the middle of the tribulation (Revelation 13:5). At this time there will be two witnesses who will oppose him until the end of the 3 1/2 years (Revelation 11:3). This is also the time that the false prophet will come on the scene to help him in his endeavors to destroy God's people (Revelation 13:11-18). Who will this prophet be?

I feel that it is reasonable to believe that the false prophet will be the next pope of Rome. The reason I believe this is because of the two religions that are in the nations of the Antichrist, Muslim and Catholic. The Muslims hate any form of Christianity, but will tolerate the support of the Catholic Church in that part of the earth in order to accomplish their goals. The Pope will be a false prophet because he will influence many of the Catholics in those nations to worship the Antichrist and to take his mark. The scriptures show us this by the harlot on the back of the beast in Revelation 17.

In Revelation, the 17th chapter, we see a woman dressed in purple and scarlet decked with gold and jewelry. She is drunk on the blood of the saints who she kills because they love Jesus. This is the reason God is bringing her into judgement.

The beast that she is riding is the ten nations of the Antichrist. The ten horns are the kings of those nations (Revelation 17:12). These ten kings hate her and will kill her at the end of the 3 1/2 years (Revelation 17:16-17). We also see this wall that exists between these two groups of people in Daniel 1:41-43. The Roman religion is represented by the iron; The Muslim religion is represented by the clay. It tells us in these scriptures that they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men, but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. Both Catholic and Muslim religions are strong and cannot be mixed together. This causes hard feelings among the people, but it is power and control that causes the Antichrist and the false prophet to continue to work together.

The Pope will feel that it will be a great opportunity to strengthen his power, and to get rid of the evangelical Christians who are preaching the Gospel to that part of the world. This is why God left a message with the seven churches of Asia. This warning to those churches is for the Christians living in the Middles East. The Antichrist will gain control of that part of the world. Although many of the cities of the seven churches don't exist anymore, God was warning their descendants of the time to come. God will deliver many of these people who are faithful. Some will die for the Gospel. Those who are unfaithful will perish at Armageddon and suffer eternal death.

The woman is that great city in Revelation 17:18:

It is obvious who this woman is by this scripture. Today there is not any city that rules over the kings of the earth. But in John's day there was. He told John that it was that great city that ruled over the kings of the earth. There was a city at that time who did rule much of the world. They thought it was the whole world. That city was Rome, Italy. The Roman Empire today is only powerful through the Catholic Church, but it does control millions of people through that religion. This city will be destroyed by the Antichrist and his people by fire at the end of the tribulation right before Armageddon.

At the end of the tribulation Christ will return and cast the anti-Christ and the false prophet alive into the lake of fire. The Antichrist will try to kill the false prophet moments before this happens, but he will be spared from the anti-Christ so that God can judge him instead.

Babylon that great city, is the city of Rome. This is the spiritual name that God has given to her. Mystery Babylon is the religion that comes out of her, the Roman Catholic Church. In Revelation 14:8, God tells us that the city of Rome is going to be destroyed.

Revelation 14:8:

This is the city of Rome being destroyed because she has caused others to follow her into God's wrath. But God tells us when this will happen. It will occur at the time of the seventh vial of wrath, right before Armageddon.

Revelation 16:19:

The great city in this scripture is referring to Jerusalem who is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt.

Revelation 11:8:

This amazes me! Every time he says the great city he is talking about Jerusalem, but every time he says that great city he is referring to Rome. Who would have ever thought that the difference between the words the or that could make such a difference? God has spiritually called Jerusalem Sodom and Egypt, and he has spiritually called the city of Rome, Babylon. In the same way he gave the religion that came out of Rome a spiritual name. He calls her mystery Babylon Revelation 17:5).

The 18th chapter of Revelation tells us more in detail about Babylon that great city being destroyed. It calls her Babylon that great city in verse10. In the 16th verse it calls her that great city again.

In verse 8 in the 18th chapter it tells us that Rome will be destroyed by fire. This agrees with the 17th chapter verse 16. Let's compare.

Revelation 18:8,18:

Revelation 17:16:

You see? God is going to cause the Antichrist nations to turn on the Roman Catholics in that part of the world, and they will burn the Vatican and the whole city. But God will take care of the Pope personally.

Some people have believed in the past that America is mystery Babylon because of our wealth and power. What most people do not know, in fact I myself didn't know, is that Rome is a great city of commerce dealing in world trade. I got this information out of the encyclopedia. This is a quote from Funk and Wagnall?s New Encyclopedia Volume 20, page 373 under the word Commerce. Rome is a major railway junction, with lines radiating to all parts of the nation, which is served by airlines operating to all parts of the world. The city is a Mecca of hundreds of thousands of religious pilgrims and tourists annually. Catering to these visitors is the production of church ornaments, bronzes, mosaics, cameos, and other objects for tourist trade. Other industries of importance include clothing establishments, light engineering firms, and film-production companies.

Rome is a very wealthy city with around three million people. It is easy to see why that in Revelation18:11 the scripture says:

In verse 15 it says:

God is going to bring His wrath on this city. He has waited a long time, in fact it has been almost 2000 years. This city has killed more of God's people than any other group of people in the world (Revelation 18:23-24). They did it under the reign of the caesars, and they did it in the name of the Holy Catholic Church. They have spread false teachings world wide that deny the born again experience which is required to make heaven. Teaching men to go to Mary for intercessory prayer. Christ is the intercessor.

In the first four seals found in Revelation 6, we will find the progressive ride of the Antichrist and his powers. He will begin with the white horse of peace, and end with the pale horse of death. This will lead us to Armageddon. He only rides four horses. "No more." This will be his whole ride not part of it like some false prophets teach.

THE FIRST SEAL

Revelation 6:1-2:

Every Bible teacher knows that the rider on this horse is the Antichrist. (The horse he is on is the white horse of peace.) One of the teachings that seems to captivate people's minds is this: the teaching that the Antichrist will be the solution to all the world's problems; that he will be a world leader in technology; that he will form a one world government, and bring a plan for world peace. He will later betray everyone, and make everyone take the mark of the beast. All of these teachings are false, and have no scriptural soundness.

Daniel 9:27:

This is not a covenant that he invents himself. It says that he confirms the covenant with many for one week. The covenant he confirms is already in existence, he simply agrees to it. He signs a treaty with Israel that agrees with a covenant that they have already made with someone else. He is not the leader of world peace or the man with all the solutions to the world's problems.

This covenant that he agrees with is the Holy Covenant. A Holy Covenant is one that God makes with someone. Only God can make a Holy Covenant. This covenant is the covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed, that all the land of Israel is theirs, according to His promise. He will simply sign this covenant, along with many other nations who are Israel's enemies, giving them the right to live in the land that God gave to them, in peace, a trial treaty that will last seven years, and cause great joy in Israel.

He will be one of Israel's enemies who has no intention of keeping his word. He uses this treaty to gain respect from the nations that he wants to become his allies. He will not be the king of Spain, the leader of the New World order, or the president of the United States. He will not form a one world government, but, I promise you, he will be a Muslim in belief, he could possibly be from Syria, Turkey or from Iraq. The United Nations will split when he invades Israel, dividing the world into two camps. There will be wars fought among these two groups till the coming of Jesus Christ, at Armageddon.

In this first seal, he only confirms an already existing Holy Covenant with Israel. He tries to gain allegiance to himself with words. He will gain some support because of the things he tells to some of the nations? leaders. He will use this peace treaty to sit at the same table with other nations who believe as he does. These countries who support him will all be of Muslim faith. Mohammed their prophet, Allah will be their God. He will become the common enemy of the United States, her allies, Israel, and Russia, herself.

In this first seal he has not come to power yet! He will be the leader of a small Islamic country. He will have a plan to form a secret league with some of the other Islamic countries.

Daniel 11:21-23:

He will have a small country compared to the world powers, but will eventually become a fierce enemy to try to conquer. The white horse he rides is the horse of peace. It is not something he has invented, it is a spirit sent from God, (Zechariah 6:1-8).

This horse has been in the world for a long time. It goes into the Middle East and he rides it. He simply uses it to buy himself some time to gain support for his plans. Israel will experience peace under this first seal.

THE SECOND SEAL

In the second seal we will see his rise to more power, as he tries to form a United Islamic people. Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the Middle East that happens to be one of our allies. They are not one of Israel's allies, but, for being one of our allies, the other Islamic countries see her as an enemy, just like Israel, or the United States. But, Egypt is also hated because they signed the first peace agreement with Israel in the Middle East, acknowledging Israel as a nation.

Revelation 6:3-4:

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

The rider in this scripture is the same man. He is the Antichrist, only he has changed horses. He is also given a great sword. The red horse he rides is the horse of war. This horse is also sent from God, and the Antichrist takes advantage of it, and uses it to increase his kingdom. At this point, Satan begins to work hand in hand with this person.

Daniel 8:24:

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the Holy People.

II Thessalonians 2:9:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.

Revelation 13:4:

In this seal the Antichrist and his nation invade the king of the south. In Daniel 11:25, we see this invasion.

The king of the south could possibly be the nation of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a very well equipped army. They have all the modern weapons of warfare that the United States and her Allies have supplied to her. She is very wealthy, with vast oil deposits. She is a very attractive target indeed.

The Antichrist and his armies invade the king of the south with a fierceness that is unequaled in the History of the Middle East. He conquers this nation but only stays long enough to gather the things he wants to steal and leaves. He will take arms, gold, aircraft, and ships to use in his own army. The rest of the Middle Eastern countries are very impressed with this leader. There has never been one of their own become so powerful in the past. They will definitely believe that God is with him.

But, why does he leave this country instead of occupying it? The Bible does not say, but I believe that the Super Powers warn him to get out, so he takes as many goods as he can and leaves. But it is still a great victory for him. All of the eyes of the Middle East are on him. The king of the South is also killed by his own people, and another king takes his place, who will try to negotiate a treaty with the Antichrist.

In Daniel 11:27, it shows this negotiation take place.

The king of the south will agree to become an ally of the Antichrist, but is lying when he says it. The Antichrist makes him promises that he does not plan to keep, and the Antichrist returns to his own land, with the hope of keeping the Super Powers off his back. But, in the third seal, he will attempt to do it again.

In this seal, Israel is still experiencing peace. The only thing that troubles this country is the new Christian conversion that is happening within her own borders. Remember the 144,000 that are saved under this seal?

But, at the same time the Antichrist is becoming very popular in the Muslim world. He has also gained the attention of the Free World, who fear his rise of power. What amazes everyone is his ability to recover from the deadly wound that his power has received in the past. They never thought that he would ever rise to power again. Most people today would laugh if you suggested that Saddam Hussein, from Iraq, could ever regain his power in the Middle East. The United States and her allies have delivered him such a deadly blow, that no one would believe it. This would cause people to wonder after the beast for sure.

THE THIRD SEAL

In the third seal, announced by the face of a man, we see his further rise to power.

Revelation 6:5-6:

The black horse in this seal is the horse of famine. Food becomes an issue in the Middle East. The rider on this horse is also the Antichrist. He will use this famine to rise even higher among the Muslim people. He will become a very terrible power under this seal, and will gain much support from the nations who begin to think that he is more than a man. By the end of this third seal he will invade Israel and declare that he is the Messiah.

At this point allow me to share with you what the Muslim people believe. They, for the most part, believe that they are descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son born to the bondwoman. They believe that they are God's chosen people, and the Children of Israel are impostors. They believe that Jesus was merely a prophet, not the Son of God. That, when Jesus spoke of another comforter who was to come to lead us into all truth and righteousness, He was talking about Mohammed.

Mohammed came to these people declaring to be the one about whom Jesus had spoken. They believe this! They believe in the same God of Abraham that we do but refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They believe that Mohammed came with the real truth. The more radical among them believe that God wants to destroy every Jew and anyone who does not accept Mohammed. Their dream is that God will send Mohammed back to them to conquer the world, and to destroy every last Jew from the face of the earth.

In John 16:2, Jesus told Israel, "whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." It is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost to believe that Mohammed is the comforter that would come. Does this sound like Antichrist to you? They believe that Americans are devils.

In this third seal, the lack of food becomes the issue, especially in the areas that the Antichrist has been fighting. War always brings famine. We see him on the black horse with balances in his hand. He believes that he has the right to decide who lives and who dies. Many people's lives, during this seal, will be in the balances of the Antichrist.

He begins to kill anyone in his own kingdom, and in the other nations who are his allies, who do not totally give their loyalty to him. He comes up with a mark for people to identify their allegiance to him. If they refuse this mark, they will not be able to buy or sell food. They will starve to death. He will put a price on the heads of anyone who are Christians or Jews, "a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny." He is making a severe mistake, because he is tamperingwith God's harvest! He is about to be weighed in God's balances!

At this point he is not nearly as powerful as he would like to be. He realizes that the king of the south is not going to keep his promises, so he attempts to invade them again. Remember that I said the king of the south could be Saudi Arabia?

Daniel 11:29-30:

Whoever they are, they are very powerful, and put fear in the heart of the Antichrist. He returns to his own land without a confrontation. He becomes very angry about having signed the peace covenant with Israel. There is something about that covenant that includes these people from Chittim. He probably thinks these people should mind their own business. He feels that since he has agreed to a treaty with Israel, this country that has come against him should not interfere with his plans. He also knows that Israel is very important to these people. Since he is afraid to fight this powerful nation, he decides to hurt them, out of spite, by breaking the treaty and invading Israel!

Does it not sound to you that it is possible for these ships to be from the United States? It says also in this scripture he has intelligence with them that forsake the Holy Covenant. This is not talking about a bunch of backslidden Christians, as some would suppose. But, it is talking about those nations who signed the peace treaty at the same time the Antichrist did. They had guaranteed Israel peace for seven years. He secretly contacts these nations, and, because of a former league with him, they decide to help him fight his enemies.

Daniel 11:31:

This time, in Daniel 11:31, is the same time that Satan is cast out of the heavenly atmosphere (principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places), into the nations of the Antichrist.

The dragon in Revelation 12:3 has seven crowns, compared to ten crowns on the beast at a later date. These seven crowns represent kings, or nation's leaders. The Antichrist will possibly use the nation of Syria, who is very powerful right now, to invade Israel. Let's picture this for a moment: if the Antichrist does invade Saudi Arabia, the ships from the United States and her allies will move into the Persian Gulf to protect Arabia. They will be strategically correct for the defense of Arabia, but will be completely out of place for the defense of Israel, which sets on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

We will be at least a thousand miles from Israel, and that by air. In order to get our ships in position for Israel's defense, we would have to leave the Persian Gulf, cross the Arabian Sea, enter into the Red Sea, and come through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, to become strategically helpful to Israel. That distance, by sea, is at least two and one half to three thousand miles. And, if the Syrian army invades Israel, it will take everyone by surprise. At the most, we will only be able to send some air support to try to slow down the invasion. But, God will help Israel this time!

If the king of the south happens to be the nation of Egypt, then the position of the United States Fleet will be in the Mediterranean Sea. This will interfere with their helping Israel, because Israel will be driven out of their land before anyone can stop it from happening.

It is also possible that from the time the Antichrist is driven out by the ships of Chittim (the United States) there will be a time element before he has intelligence with the other nations and invades Israel.

He may wait until the United States Fleet leaves the Middle East and goes home to America, before he launches an invasion against Israel.

Either way, we will be hindered from stopping the invasion. But, we will be able to help rescue Israel from Jordan, and the other areas to which they have escaped.

How do I know that these events occur in the third seal? Look at the name Gad, under the banner of the face of a man. His mother said, "a troop cometh." His name meant fortune. Israel is going to escape to a land that God has prepared for her, and she will find her fortune (Christ), there. It is Satan's plan to catch the 144,000 in Israel during this invasion. But, when they get there, the 144,000 are gone.

God has caught up these 144,000 Jews to Himself in order to seal them from the plagues to come under the seven trumpets and seven vials of wrath. They do not receive new bodies at this time because this is not the resurrection from the dead. These men will do something that no man has ever done before.

Revelation 14:3:

The song they sing will be that they have been in His presence in heaven and have come back to earth to preach the Gospel. No other man has been to the throne and come back to this earth in the flesh to tell about it.

They will then preach the Gospel in the quarter part of the earth that the Antichrist conquers. They will go anywhere that God wants them to go.

In Revelation 14:4 it says that they will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. This indicates that they will probably be martyred for the Gospel during this last three and one half years.

Remember what Jesus told Peter in John 21:18-19:

God has chosen these men (the 144,000) to be a witness against the Antichrist and his people, to give these people the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and find eternal life.

He also proves his love for Israel by helping Israel to escape this invading army. I believe that the remnant of her seed that remains in Israel will do this by choice, knowing that they could be killed by the Antichrist for a testimony of Jesus Christ.

Because of some kind of hindrance, we will not be able to make much of a difference in Israel's defense. But our ships, wherever they are, will get there as fast as they can, but only in time to help evacuate Israel's masses.

When they are invaded from the North, Israel will have no place to go except the sea, or east into the land of Jordan. It is there, in Jordan, that Israel will be rescued by two wings of a great eagle told about in Revelation 12:14.

In Ezekiel 17 we can see by God's shadows, that eagles are a shadow of great, swift, powerful nations. Our ships, which I believe are the ships of Chittim in Daniel 11, will rescue Israel from Jordan. We will rescue everyone except military personnel, who remain to try to retake Israel. We will also leave our troops there to help.

Daniel 11:41 says this, concerning the Antichrist:

These people form the nation of Jordan. With our forces in Jordan, we will form a defensive from the Red Sea and Jordan across the nation of Saudi Arabia. But, we will be encountering a fierce enemy.

THE FOURTH SEAL

Then, the fourth seal begins. This seal tells us what happens to the Antichrist during the last three and one half years of the tribulation. We will get further enlightenment from Revelation 13, Daniel 11, and Revelation 19. The fourth seal is announced by the Eagle. Remember the three sons born under the banner of the eagle? The last one, Asher, shows us that by the end of this seal Christ has come back to the earth to establish Israel forever. The rapture has already taken place, and He has returned from Heaven, to set up His Kingdom for a thousand years.

This verse tells us several things about the Antichrist. He is the rider on the pale horse. He has changed horses again, and will ride this horse to his own destruction at Armageddon. He will bring death to those who oppose him, and all those who are joined to him. He does not ride any more horses after this. This is his last horse.

It changes in this scripture from him to them. They are given power over a fourth part of the earth. This is talking about the ten nations who are allied with him. During this last three and one half years all the power he is ever given is one fourth part of the earth.

In Revelation 13:7-8, it tells us that he is given power over all the nations, kindreds, and tongues. That all that dwell on the earth, who do not worship him, will be killed. This is simply saying that he will not spare anyone. No matter what your nationality happens to be, He will have no mercy. Every person in the fourth part of the earth that he conquers, will have to take the mark of the beast, and worship him, or they will be killed. Now, remember this, Israel escapes to a land that God has prepared for her, from the face of the dragon.

He will not have power over these people who escape to safety. In Daniel 11:41, it says, "but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon." He fights wars till the coming of Jesus Christ. He will have to conquer in order to enforce the mark, but he does not conquer all. It has to mean only in his kingdom, the fourth part of the earth.

In the first few chapters of the book of Revelation, Jesus warns the Seven Churches in Asia to do the things that they are not doing. Even though we have preached many spiritual messages out of these messages to the churches, the message is really to the Church in Asia. If they please Him by the time that the Antichrist comes into power, He will warn them of the coming danger, and make a way to escape. But, millions of Christians in that part of the world will not be prepared when this happens. He would not have said "the seven churches in Asia" if he had not meant just that. This is the part of the world in which the Antichrist will be the most destructive. The western part of the world will be kept under the protection of Christ, during this holocaust.

In Revelation 6:8, it says that he is given power to kill with the sword. The sword is talking about his weapons of warfare. Millions of people will die in that part of the world because of his armies. Satan gives him his ability to be a strategic, military genius. We have never fought an enemy like this! He will suffer losses, but will never be defeated, till Jesus comes back at Armageddon.

In Revelation 6:8, it says that he is given power to kill with hunger. There will be great famine in that part of the world. His armies will confiscate all food goods, and only sell to the people who swear allegiance to him, and take a mark in their hand to prove it. If they do not receive this mark they will starve to death.

In Revelation 6:8, it also says that he is given power to kill with death. What is this death with which he is able to kill? It will be the same mark that I just told you about. Revelation 14:9-10:

There will be no fence straddling. If a person takes the mark, he will be destroyed by Christ at His coming. If a person refuses to take the mark, the Antichrist will kill him, or let him starve; it is one kind of death or another. If they refuse the mark they will find everlasting life but, will become martyrs for Christ. He kills with death.

In Revelation 6:8, it says that he is given power to kill with the beasts of the earth. In this scripture, God calls the people who willingly help the Antichrist kill millions of innocent people, animals. And, like wild animals that are destructive, they will be destroyed by Christ, at His return.

Revelation 13 tells us about the Antichrist during the same time period as the fourth seal, the last three and one half years. The same time from the beginning of the fourth seal to the Battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 12, we see the dragon with ten horns, seven heads, and seven crowns. In Revelation 13, we see the beast with ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns. At the invasion of Israel, which is at the middle of the seven year tribulation, the Antichrist only has seven nations with him, that all wholeheartedly give their allegiance to him. He will conquer three more nations and places.

His own leaders will be kings over these nations. These nations will be Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia. In Daniel 11:42-43, it shows this take over. He then controls ten nations, as we can tell by the ten crowns on the beast in Revelation 13.

We know who some of these countries are from the Bible. The nations of Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), and Syria will be some of these nations. I believe that Greece, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, and Turkey will join him willingly. Does this sound like the European common market to you?

The word Rosh in Ezekiel means leader, and is used as leader over two hundred times in the Hebrew, in the Old Testament. Rosh does not mean Russia; it means leader. I believe that at one point in this last three and one half years, he will acquire nuclear missiles. The Bible tells us that during the time of Jacob's troubles, all men's faces will be turned to paleness. I do not believe that Jesus will allow any major use of these weapons, but I do believe that the Antichrist will have them, and may possibly use a few.

The false prophet joins forces with the Antichrist during the last three and one half years. Although the Pope of Rome will probably be the false prophet, the ayatollah from Iran will no doubt influence many Muslims to believe that the anti-Christ is Mohammed, the Messiah, raised from the dead. All will worship him. Because of the Antichrist's great military victories, which they will believe are miracles, the Muslim people will believe that he is God.

During this time there will be a religious group that claims Christianity, who will join up with him. They have the hope of profiting through his rise to power. He will let them ride for a while, but will eventually destroy them. You will find this in the 17^th chapter of Revelation. The Bible calls this group of people the harlot. They have killed many true believers in Christ, down through the centuries. Their main city is the city of Rome, and Rome will be destroyed during this last three and one half years.

There are several things in these scriptures that I would like for you to notice. The first thing is, at the time of the end, means right at the end of the seven years.

Next, that the king of the south (possibly Saudi Arabia or Egypt), and the king of the north (possibly Russia), will come against him. Many people teach that the Antichrist is Russia, because the Bible calls him the king of the north, and Russia is the farthest north country above Israel. Russia is north of Israel all right, but there are several other countries north of Israel. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Turkey?

There is something else I would like to bring to your attention. In Daniel 11:41 it says, He shall also enter into the glorious land. This is Israel being invaded again. This tells us that during this last three and one half years, sometime during this period, the Antichrist has been forced out of Israel since his first invasion at the middle of the tribulation.

In Micah 5:3-6, it tells us that during the time that Israel accepts Jesus as Saviour, that God would raise seven shepherds to defend the land of Israel. These shepherds are the nations who take it upon themselves to take care of Israel. The eight principal men are the leaders of these countries along with Jesus, who will drive the Assyrian army that occupies Israel completely out of Israel, across Lebanon, through Syria, all the way to Iraq. These nations will be the Israeli army, the United States, and her allies. But, at the time of the end, we will be driven back. (The Assyrians and Babylonians come from present day Iraq.)

At this time, China enters into the war with a very great army, coming from the east, crossing the river Euphrates, into the valley of Megido, in northern Israel. Daniel 11:44, But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: China is to the east.

What troubles the Antichrist is this: he hears about the approach of the Chinese army, but he does not know for sure whether they are with him, or against him. The Russian army in the north will probably make another offensive against him. He destroys much of the Russian army, and to his relief, finds out that the Chinese are on his side. This will give him great boldness and he brings his armies to Megido. The Chinese feel that the United States should stay out of other nation's affairs, and sees this as an opportunity to teach us a lesson, and to establish herself as the world Super Power.

God has gathered all the enemies of Israel together, just as He said He would. In Zechariah 12:3:

Zechariah 12:9:

End Chapter Eight