NOTE: This Bible study on the end times comes from the perspective of a pre-tribulation Rapture.
Tonight, we are going to look at Revelation chapters 14 and 17. The last time we met, we discussed in detail “the Antichrist’s rise to power.” Tonight, we are going to discuss “the Antichrist’s worldly kingdom.” We will reflect some more on “the mark of the beast.” We will re-identify one possible location of the Antichrist’s headquarters, and will also talk about the government of the Antichrist’s worldly kingdom, known as the “One-World Order,” and sometimes called “New World Order.” I wish to encourage you to be filling out the provided handout as we go along, so you can keep track of all this information.
(Refer to Handout: “The Symbolism of Chapters 14 and 17”)
The 144,000 Believers
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 14:1-5:
1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
• Who do you think the 144,000 are?
We read (past tense) about the 144,000 back in Revelation 7:4-8, and we identified them as Jewish converts to Christianity. The reason why is because they are numbered by the twelve Jewish tribes. For example, Revelation 7:4 says, “And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.” This figure does not represent the totality of all those in heaven; just the number of Messianic Jews.
But they are also said to be virgins in verse 4. It has been noted that they should be viewed as “spiritual” virgins who have not committed spiritual adultery against God. As the Bride of Christ, or part of the Church, they maintained their spiritual purity for Jesus (Hunter). We see that they are redeemed from among men, and that they are also firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. The part about being “redeemed” means they were given salvation through Christ. The part about “firstfruits” means they were the first ones, or the premiere, of their group.
For the 144,000, fill in “Possibly the Jewish Converts.”
The Gospel Preached
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 14:6-7:
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people – 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
• In verse 6, what is the “everlasting gospel?”
It is the message of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the apostle Paul tells us about the gospel message. He says, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved . . . For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
• To whom is the gospel supposed to be preached, according to verse 6?
The answer is to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people; or rather, the entire world.
• What do these verses tell us about salvation in the Tribulation period?
That it is still possible to receive Christ.
For the Everlasting Gospel, fill in “The Message of Jesus Christ.”
The Fallen City Babylon
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 14:8:
8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
We’re not going to discuss this verse, because this subject matter is covered in more detail later in the book of Revelation. In fact, there are one and a half chapters devoted to this topic, found in chapters 18 and 19; nevertheless, I am going to go ahead and tell you what this represents.
For Fallen Babylon, fill in “The City of Rome.”
Worshipping the Beast and His Image
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 14:9-11:
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
• From our study on chapter 13, what is another title or description used in reference to the beast?
The answer is the Antichrist.
• In chapter 13, verses 16 and 18, we discovered some things about the mark of the Beast. Where is the mark going to be located on a person’s body, and what is its number?
The mark is going to be placed either on the right hand or the forehead, and its number is 666. This might not be a literal, physical mark, such as a tattoo. It might be a spiritual mark, seen only by spiritual beings, like the devil and his demons; and by God and the angels. We just read back in verse 1 (Revelation 14:1), that the 144,000 have the “Father’s name written on their foreheads.” This appears to be a spiritual marking, designating those who belong to God; and the mark of the beast might be something similar. Perhaps those who submit to the New World Order will be spiritually designated as those who worship the Antichrist.
For the Mark of the Beast, fill in “The Number 666.”
• In chapter 13, verse 17, we learned that the consequence of receiving the mark is being unable to buy or sell, but what is the greater consequence of worshipping the beast and his image and receiving his mark?
That person will go to hell. In verses 10 and 11 we read, “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” A person can’t worship the image of the beast, or receive his mark, without first rejecting Jesus Christ; and in many places in the New Testament we read where those who reject Christ will spend eternity in hell.
Those Who Persevere
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 14:12-13:
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them’.”
There is not a lot to say about these two verses, except that the people mentioned here are converts of the Tribulation period who persevere and remain “patient.” We read that this is “the patience of the saints.” They are patient by waiting on God and not receiving the mark and worshiping the image of the beast. If they are persecuted and killed for their faith then they are considered “blessed,” and they shall depart into God’s eternal rest in heaven.
For Those Who Persevere, fill in “The Saints of God.”
A Glimpse into the Harvest
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 14:14-20:
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
In these verses, we are given a glimpse of what the final harvest will look like. 1.) In verses 14-16, the “Son of Man,” or rather, “Jesus,” thrusts in the sickle to harvest all those who believe in Him as Savior and Lord, and He takes them into heaven. 2.) In verses 17-20, a powerful “angel” gathers all the unbelievers and takes them to the winepress to be trampled and to experience the wrath of God.
In Matthew chapter 13, in “The Parable of the Wheat and Tares,” Jesus said, “Let both grow together [the wheat and the tares] until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn’ . . . The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
For Jesus’ Harvest, fill in “Christians of the Tribulation.”
For The Angel’s Harvest, fill in “The Un-Believers.”
Let us now move on ahead and skip over to chapter 17, and we will begin discussing “the Antichrist’s worldly kingdom,” and the rise of the “One-World Order.”
The New Babylon (The Antichrist’s Kingdom)
Turn with me in your Bible’s, and let’s read Revelation 17:1-18:
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. 12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.”
14 “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” 15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
• The woman has it written on her forehead the name of Babylon. The city of Babylon is symbolic of another prominent metropolis existing in the final days. You might say that Babylon has a sister city in the end times. To which city does Babylon allude?
The answer is the city of Rome. We read here about a harlot who sits on many waters (v. 1), who is full of abomination and fornication (v. 4), and who is drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs (v. 6). We also read that the harlot has seven heads; and in verse 9, these seven heads are said to be seven mountains on which the woman sits. During our previous study we established this harlot to be “the city of seven hills,” or rather, Rome. The Babylon mentioned here is possibly the revived Roman Empire, and this new empire is spiritually comparable to the ancient and sinful city of Babylon.
• In verse 7, we read that a “beast” carried this woman, or that he supported this new Roman Empire. This is the same beast that we have been talking about all along. So, who is he?
The answer is the Antichrist. What is being described here is the kingdom, or the empire, of the Antichrist. It is what some people call the “New World Order” or the “One-World Order.”
For The New Babylon, fill in “The Antichrist’s Kingdom.”
A Discussion of the One-World Order
• In verses 13 and 17, what phrase provides us with the idea of a one-world order or government?
The answer is the phrase “of one mind.” Verse 13 speaks of ten kings that give their authority and power to the Antichrist as being of “one mind,” or rather, in agreement with one another. It is important to note in verse 17 that they are of one mind, because this is part of God’s plan in order to fulfill His purposes. The citizens of this new empire of the Antichrist will both believe that they are in control and that this New World Order is their own idea and creation; however, God is the one who is in control. They will have a false sense of security in their new “perfect” world, and then God will bring it all crashing down around them.
For the statement “Of One Mind,” fill in “One World Order.”
Back in chapter 13, verse 7, we read, “It was granted to him [the Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” This new Roman Empire, or the New World Order, will be the vehicle through which the Antichrist gains authority over every tribe, tongue and nation. In fact, we read in chapter 17, verse 15, that “the waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” Through this One-World Order the Antichrist will be able to persecute all people who do not comply with his government and reign. We already know that those without his mark will be unable to buy or sell (13:17). In verses 13-14, we read about how the Antichrist, through this New World Order, will make war with the Lamb and His saints.
So, how close are we to a one-world government, or One-World Order? Allow me to read for you part of an article I found on the Endtime Ministries website:
When the United Nations set forth its system of international law in 1945, it envisioned the need for a world court system to enforce that law. However, the nations of the world were unwilling to countenance surrendering sovereignty to the extent necessary for the establishment of the projected world court system. Global re-education would have to take place first.
From then until now, those favoring world government have labored tirelessly to enlighten the peoples of the world to the necessity of creating adequate structures for global governance.
Finally, as the new millennium approached, the globalists sensed that the time for the establishment of a world court system had arrived. On September 22, 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton strode to the podium of the United Nations to launch the drive toward the establishment of the long-desired world court.
On June 15, 1998, representatives from 160 nations met in Rome for the purpose of giving birth to the International Criminal Court. After 32 days of laborious negotiations, the final draft was approved for the establishment of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The vote for the adoption of the ICC was 120 for, 7 against and 21 abstaining. The United States and Israel ended up voting against its establishment.
On April 11, 2002, the International Criminal Court statute achieved the 60 ratifications it needed to become reality. It opened for business on July 1, 2002 and began taking cases in 2003.
We already have the makings of a one-world government with the International Criminal Court. During our last study, I talked about how much of Europe has adopted one common currency called the Euro, and how it has been in development since March 25, 1957 in what was called “The Treaty of Rome.” The Euro came out of what is called the European Union, and the European Union is an international government for the countries comprising Europe.
For there to be a one world government, countries from across the world will need to get on board with this idea; and the U.S. government appears to be joining the movement. Allow me to share what President Joe Biden stated on March 21, 2022. On “The White House” website, under “Remarks by President Biden Before Business Roundtable’s CEO Quarterly Meeting,” we can read where the President said this: “Now is a time when things are shifting . . . There’s going to be a new world order out there, and we’ve got to lead it. And we’ve got to unite the rest of the free world in doing it.” In the same speech, Biden also stated that the world has been in a “liberal world order” under the United Nations since 1946, which has led to positive results.
Events are taking place right now that are paving the way for the formation of a one-world government that will one day be enforced and overseen by the Antichrist! So, what will be the sign of the Antichrist’s arrival? Allow me to share some words of prophecy from the book of Daniel that present some similar details concerning the rise of the Antichrist’s kingdom, and how it all unfolds to culminate in the end of this present age.
Sign of the Antichrist’s Arrival
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Daniel 9:27: 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.
• According to this verse, how does the seven-year Tribulation and the period of the Antichrist begin?
The Antichrist will be responsible for confirming a covenant for one week. The covenant will likely be a peace treaty among the Arab nations and Israel. The Antichrist will confirm, or support, this treaty; he will not necessarily be the one who orchestrates the treaty.
The one week here is a prophetic week, which comprises seven years. Daniel was speaking of the seven-year Tribulation period in which the Antichrist will reign, and the covenant will be made near the beginning of the week. Near the middle of the week, an end is made to the Temple Mount sacrifices, signifying that the covenant is broken. The covenant must be one that begins the system of sacrifice on the Temple Mount! How this will occur, no one knows, for the Dome of the Rock presently sits on the Temple Mount.
For the Arrival of World Government, fill in “The Covenant.”
Daniel chapters 11 and 12 provide some amazing details concerning the Antichrist’s rise to power, and the sequence of events that will take place during the final days. Instead of reading all the way through these two chapters, I have summarized the main events and given them to you in a handout; and right now, I am going to go over this handout with you.
(Refer to Handout: “Summary of Daniel Chapters 11-12”)
Many kings and kingdoms will be at war with one another (11:1-20), and then a king will arise who will seize the world by intrigue (11:21). He is the Antichrist, or the Beast, referred to in Revelation chapter 13.
A league, or alliance (NLT), will be made with him and he shall rise in power (11:23). He will show great favor unto those who forsake the Lord and the holy covenant (11:30), and his followers “shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation” (11:31).
Those who remain faithful and true to God will be persecuted (11:33-34), which will serve to refine them and make them strong until the end (11:35).
Then “the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, [and] shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods” (11:36), but his time will come to an end (11:45).
Then the archangel Michael will rise up to assist God’s people during a time of great trouble (12:1), and then “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (12:2), which will be “the end of the days” (12:13).
