THE JUDAS IS ALWAYS FROM WITHIN
And it is always a traitor from within who is used by satan to persecute Christ. This is what Judas is all about. Should we then just study Judas as a history and ignore the typology?
Antiochus Epiphanes overthrew the God-authorized line of priests in Jerusalem. Then, and under his reign, the city of Jerusalem and all the religious rites of the Jews began to deteriorate as they came fully under the power of the Syrian king.
In 171 B.C. Antiochus invaded Egypt and once again Palestine was caught in the nutcracker of rivalry. Palestine is the most fought-over country in the world, and Jerusalem is the most captured city in all history. It has been pillaged, ravished, burned and destroyed more than 27 times in its history and therefore 'trodden by the gentiles'. But this does not mean we ignore the deeper sense.
While Antiochus was in Egypt, it was reported that he had been killed in battle, and Jerusalem rejoiced. The people organized a revolt and overthrew Menelaus, the pseudo-priest. When report reached Antiochus (who was very much alive in Egypt) that Jerusalem was delighted at the report of his death, he organized his armies and swept like a fury back across the land, falling upon Jerusalem with terrible vengeance.
He overturned the city, regained his power, and guided by the treacherous Menelaus, intruded into the very Holy of Holies in the temple itself. Some 40,000 people were slain in three days of fighting during this terrible time. When he forced his way into the Holy of Holies, he destroyed the scrolls of the law and, to the absolute horror of the Jews, took a sow and offered it upon the sacred altar. Then with a broth made from the flesh of this unclean animal, he sprinkled everything in the temple, thus completely defiling and violating the sanctuary. It is impossible for us to grasp how horrifying this was to the Jews. They were simply appalled that anything like this could ever happen to their sacred temple.
But he was guided by a Jewish traitor: Menelaus.
THE TRANSGRESSORS AND HOW THEY COOPERATE WITH GOG AND MAGOG
Luther continued to posit medieval Catholic Eucharistic theology as a foil to emerging evangelical teaching on the Lord’s Supper persisting in advancing a “high” view of the Supper while Modern Protestants take their cue from Zwingli in rejecting the idea that the phrase “This is my body” is anything other than a symbol. Hal Schee and E.W. Bullinger are two people who agree that the phrase “This is my body” is symbolic and from henceforth Protestants to have finally discovered the truth in 1898, a 'truth' that was supposedly hidden for nineteen centuries.
And its not that we need to elaborate on "For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56) but that such dwelling is "Christ residing" in the Christian Temple (body). This necessitates the believer to believe this is the "perpetual sacrifice" as the real presence of Christ in the human temple. What these heretical concepts ignored is that the rest of scripture points to the spirit of Antichrist and its denial that Christ "come in the flesh" included the attack on the Eucharistic sacrifice which was the whole crux of the Abomination of Desolation for it denies that the Eucharist is 'Christ come in the flesh'. Therefore, Protestantism is a spirit of Antichrist.
It is this part of ignored scripture that not only defines the Eucharist but reveals the transgression Protestants committed from their own arguments that scripture should be verified in harmony with other scripture.
Yet that 'scripture' seems to be speaking of them: the protestant collaboration with Antichrist regarding the issue of the perpetual sacrifice.
Daniel, the primary source Christ even referred to "when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet" was completely ignored by the host which was strictly speaking of a perpetual sacrifice that is simply stopped and removed by allies of Antichrist who abandoned this covenant called "the Daily Sacrifice".
So who are these “host” of peoples who aid the Antichrist and how does "Gog and Magog" tie into all of this? And what is this “Daily Sacrifice”? And what is the transgression they commit? And where did such "transgression" enter to "cast down the truth to the ground" and how did "it practice, and prosper" and did scripture tell us when all this began?
Luther translated the Bible primarily relying on the older German translation called “Codex Teplensis”. But if Sacred Scripture was the ultimate authority and not the church as scripture itself taught "the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15) who then would protect the scripture from faulty translations and interpretations?
But Timothy 3:15 is exactly why Luther isolated the scripture changing his German Bible to change “full of grace” in the Annunciation as “thou gracious one”; Romans 4:15 “the law worketh wrath”; Luther translated it as “the law worketh only wrath”, thus changing the sense. Again, Romans 3:28 states: “We account a man to be justified by faith without the works of the law”; Luther changed this to state: “We hold that a man is justified without works of the law but by faith alone” completely reversing the text and its meaning.
And similar to Muhammad's encounter with the angel of light were the devil is known to mix truth with lies, “In his work ‘The Mass and the Ordination of Priests’, he tells of his famous discourse with the ‘Father of Lies’ who accosted him at ‘midnight’ and spoke to him in a deep powerful voice, causing ‘the sweat to break forth’ from his brow and his ‘heart to tremble and beat.’ In that celebrated conference, of which he was an unexceptionable witness and about which he never entertained the slightest doubt, he says plainly and unmistakably that ‘the devil spoke against the Mass, and Mary and the Saints’ and that, moreover, Satan gave him the most unqualified approval of his doctrine on justification by faith alone.” (O’Hare, The Facts about Luther, P. 130)
And thus the leaven entered to destroy the whole batch by focusing primarily on the mental faith adding that one should only consult scripture alone while forgetting that Paul in II Thessalonians II warned of the apostasy to beware of anything "whether by word [tradition], or by our epistle [scripture]."
Paul here accepts tradition.
As a result, Luther, like Muhammad began to attack Free Will: “Everything happens of necessity”; “Man, when he does what is evil, is not the master of himself”; God “decrees all things in advance by His infallible will”, including the inevitable damnation of the reprobate (O’Hare, The Facts about Luther, P. 259). Faith alone became the necessity for salvation while all other human actions became insignificant even if such actions appear to be evil while no blame will be attached to the sinner for such actions since he is justified by 'faith alone'. (O’Hare, The Facts about Luther, P. 259)
And thus transgression (sin) crept in "and by reason of transgression [related to rebellion against Christ’s authority], and it [the host allied to Antichrist] cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered [it grew to challenge the valid church]."
While Luther caused a litany of private interpretation of the Bible which he later complained about: “This one,” he says, “will not hear of Baptism, that one denies the Sacrament, another puts a world between this and the last day: some teach that Christ is not God, some say this, some say that: there are about as many sects and creeds as there are heads. No yokel is so rude but when he has dreams and fancies, he thinks himself inspired by the Holy Ghost and must be a prophet.”
This began the chaos. This chaos still exists to this day and if in doubt look at my comment section under this article in a few days.
Yet protestantism failed to connect the verses Christ said regarding His Communion being a perpetual sacrifice and Malachi's 1:10-11 which clearly explained that Christ would "shut the doors" on the old sacrificial system while God will extend to the gentiles to usher in a new perpetual sacrifice: "my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering".
And in Daniel 12, he prophesied interferences into this offering. The Hebrew usually translated for “daily” in “daily sacrifice” is “Tameed” which strictly means “perpetual sacrifice” as translated in the Septuagint (Daniel 12:11).
Reading Daniel it becomes obvious there is a split over this 'perpetual sacrifice' where one side that abandoned God's covenant follows the Antichrist while the other side that kept it is persecuted by the former and is how Antichrist the little "horn made war against the saints, and prevailed over them" is fulfilled. Turkey can never do it alone. Daniel 8 provides the clue. The little horn is given a host of alliances against the true church.
So this ‘host’ of peoples deny and hates the ‘daily sacrifice’.
Haydock comments on II Thessalonians II:
The two special signs of the last day will be a general revolt [apostasy], and the manifestation of antichrist, both of which are so dependent on each other, that St. Augustine makes but one of both. What presumptive folly in Calvin and other modern reformers, to oppose the universal sentiments of the fathers both of the Latin and Greek Church! What inconsistency, to give such forced interpretations, not only widely different from the expositions of sound antiquity, but also widely different from each other! The Church of God, with her head, strong in the promises of Jesus Christ, will persevere to the end, frustra circumlatrantibus hæreticis. (St. Augustine, de util. cred. chap. xvii.) -- In the temple. Either that of Jerusalem, which some think he will rebuild; or in some Christian Church, which he will pervert to his own worship; as Mahomet has done with the churches of the east. (Challoner)"
So this possible "Gog" Erdogan standing in Hagia-Sophia is not far-fetched while the "general revolt" will aid the Antichrist "both [Antichrist, Revolt] of which are so dependent on each other".
The attack on the Eucharist therefore will stem from liberal pro-Muslim Catholics as well as Protestants who daily issue anathemas accusing the Catholic “daily sacrifice” to be re-sacrificing Christ.
The text clearly reveals a reaction to the Romans as Antichrist is angered at them and therefore he conspires against them by colluding with Rome’s enemies, the Protestants and other Catholic/Orthodox Arab syncretists who departed from the faith and polluted the perpetual sacrifice of the mass as we already are beginning to see happening in the Middle East which we explained in detail here.
The whole crux of this alliance with Antichrist is summed up here:
“And such as do wickedly [syncretists, eugenists and Protestants] against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)
Wisdom 2 also gives much more detail on this issue of Eugenics which we already see forming in parts of Europe and elsewhere. This proves beyond doubt that the Church God established will remain steadfast but in patches and valleys and wilderness where Zion splits and the “woman is nourished” that is “her seed” the seed of Mary who cannot live without the Eucharist is fed the Eucharist in secret in the valley.
Christ established His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and is why the text says:
“but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits”.
This is the major struggle where who continues without giving up shall be saved.
Therefore, the falling away is not exclusively what we see happening from time to time in the Vatican but is also a departure from the faith protesting Vatican’s authority, the Eucharist, the Church and Mary.
This is an Altar which Christ and His seed adores which the average none-apostolic American Joe does not. He is part of "the court, which is without the temple, cast out, and measure it not [do not test it through persecution]: because it is given unto the Gentiles [the Antichrist], and the holy city [the Jerusalem of God] they shall tread under foot two and forty months” (Revelation 11:1-2)
And this is why Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can manipulate the U.S. God prophesied that the ones who do not adore the Altar of Sacrifice where the perpetual sacrifice is offered (the Eucharist) these are given up while the ones who adore the Altar must suffer persecution which Russia is destined to suffer much persecution just as Rome will.
And it is not as if Russia and Rome are excluded from prophecy. On the contrary, they are named by direction (Russia) and by name (Chittim/Rome) as the main two enemies of Antichrist Turkey.
SOLVING THE MOST DIFFICULT PROPHECY
So we have Gog and Magog coming out in Ezekiel 38 to invade and then you read Revelation 20 where "Gog and Magog" just pops up all of the sudden after a thousand years. So you start researching to only have some theologian throw a monkey wrench in the whole equation and you enter deeper into confusions and splits where many verses become literal when they are allegoric and many allegoric become literal and the confusion settles in where one's theology becomes doubtful. The arguments they create is over these verses:
"And when the thousand years shall be finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go forth, and seduce the nations, which are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog and shall gather them together to battle [at Armageddon], the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."
The first question is this: when does this thousand years begin and when does it end? Is it a thousand years after Armageddon when the first Gog is defeated?
One can read a book that throws several monkey wrenches that would cross a rabbi's eyes debunking such views. We do not even know if this is a literal thousand years but many use the Church fathers who struggle to reach a decision on this issue where Augustine's City of God finally settled the matter. It is the type of struggle over the circumcision issue with the question 'to Judaize or not to Judaize'; to believe in temple building or the intricate global magnificent temple of God, the universal Church. The latter was the better decision.
But assume this is a literal thousand years, the fathers did not live in our history and today we have much more data than they did before prophecies were fulfilled. What some monkey wrench throwers always forget (and curse till kingdom come) is the glory of Christendom. This was between 400 A.D. - 1400 A.D. This is the golden era of Christianity where the devil was restrained, unable to shake the foundation of Christendom which was united and strong despite all the wars and persecutions by the devil against Job.
This rise of united Christian nations began in the fifth till the fifteenth century. And then "Satan shall be loosed" fits just perfectly. In fact, this is exactly where we find the first "Gog and Magog" coming to the scene (the Ottomans) to chip at christendom and is when the Christian nations began to fracture and the church began to lose control of some of its nations one by one just prior and after the Protestant Reformation. Actually Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38 (the Ottomans) is the same Gog and Magog of Revelation 20.
Beginning in the fifteenth century, several nations began to abandon the altar and where cast to the outer court becoming the acolytes of the Muslim Turks. But "when the thousand years shall be finished [400-1400], Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go forth, and seduce the nations, which are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog".
Before the rise of the first "Gog and Magog," the period roughly AD 400-1400 were the massive growth of Christians who agreed with the Council of Nicea: the Catholics, the Greek Orthodox spread all throughout North Africa, Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), Syria, modern-day Iraq and Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and southern India.
But the text clearly reveals that during this period, there is the good, the bad and the ugly. And while the Church was under attack by the bad Arian heresy during and after Constantine, where nearly half the church became anti-Trinitarian Arians. But the Arians did not prevail. The Arians were crushed in the Vandalic War by the Byzantine general, Belisarius, and the German Arians were crushed in Spain in 587 and then Clovis I became first Christian king in France and ended the Arians' reign in his own land. Christianity was able to conquer its enemies until the 1400s when the chipping away began by the protestant Hussite wars (1419-1434). Luther simply continued on the cause of Jan Hus and the Hussite Wars resumed again for thirty bloodiest years in Church history (1618-1648) until the French Revolution ended the Papal control in France to fully lose government control in the unification of Italy in 1849. Rome then became an independent republic when Pope Pius IX was exiled to Gaeta.
But this whole era from the fifteenth century onwards, and unlike the Arian problem, the church was unable to counter the Protestants and the 'perpetual sacrifice' was vehemently attacked and they began converting masses to abandon the altar ultimately becoming the main aid to the first beast, the first "Gog and Magog", the Ottomans during the fifteenth century so-called reformation.
Once we understand this, instead of simply griping over debates between church fathers over millenarianism and Chiliasm versus Amillennialism, the story of the glorious era of Christendom and its greatest threat came from seven Muslim dynasties to finally invade Asia Minor the land of all seven churches (seven lampstands) began to fade away. Keep in mind, it was seven lampstands and seven heads of the beast. In the end its two horns and two witnesses in Revelation 11 and there are only two: Orthodox and Catholic holding the ark are these two poles, two sticks which God will unite as one (Ezekiel 37:16). We must all understand and appreciate biblical typology and allegory.
Once we understand that this Ottoman first rise was right after the golden age and this "re-resurrection" comes in our age, then Revelation 20 becomes a breeze:
"And when the thousand years shall be finished [around the fifteenth century], Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go forth, and seduce the nations, which are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog [the Ottomans of Ezekiel 38 from the fifteenth century onwards till the end] and [later on] shall gather them together to battle [at Armageddon], the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they came upon the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints and the beloved city [first Constantinople then Rome and Jerusalem]. And there came down fire from God out of heaven, and devoured them; and the devil, who seduced them, was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone, where both the beast And the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
It is that simple.
No need for a monkey wrench to shuffle your mind and soul in endless debates being labeled 'premillennialist' or 'amillennialist'. I am just in awe how scripture foretold it all.
The fathers simply did not have all this history to examine and see how this is fulfilled. Therefore, to harp over these debates between Justin Martyr "Dialogue with Trypho" or if one pours weeks into church history to only find out that they did not believe that Christ’s return would take place before a millennium and neither did the Church believe that the millennium was a literal earthly reign of Christ.
Apocalypse 20 is about a rise of a church kingdom and martyred souls living with Christ. It remained so until the Ottomans come, Gog and Magog who allied with the Protestants. This is a dual of Holy Jerusalem being trodden by pagans until the times of the pagans is fulfilled. The whole church uses temple typology and not a temple building with animal sacrifices.
Therefore, the thousand years reign is not speaking of a physical millennium reign of Christ on earth, but the glory of Christendom with martyrs residing with Christ in heaven, the golden era, its Church reigning which history recorded a thousand years golden era from the fifth to the fifteenth century and after that things went southwards with the advent of the Hussites, Luther and with Gog's first rise (the Ottomans) invading holy Constantinople in 1453 with the help of apostate German technicians who built the first super cannon for Gog collaborating as acolytes of Antichrist. Turkey can never win without western aid. Impossible. And history as well as prophecy reveals how Protestants gave the means to crack Christendom. Jezebel, a foreigner, needed an insider (Ahab) for power.
From there, things continue for a while "and after that he must be loosed a little season" (v.3) and then this beast is bruised and has a resurrection (the neo-Ottomans) which is finally captured and thrown into the abyss "the pit" which is repeated several times in the theme of Ezekiel 28-32 and Ezekiel 38-39 being cast into hell along with the false prophet.
Even secular historians who do not link their research to John's millennium recognize this church history: "The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia — and How It Died".
Christ said that “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man.” Satan held the earth captive and the human race enslaved where war, death, gladiators sacrificing each other to Jupiter including cannibalism was rampant while Christianity struggled to reach its epoch.
It is obvious therefore from the text that God will have His thousand years. If this is some sinless utopia, why would the context clearly reveal there is still sin and martyrdom during this era (Revelation 20:4).
But it is here where many harp over this "first" resurrection". But this is contrary to the bodily resurrection when all the dead will be "literally" raised up from the grave then assembled for judgment (Revelation 20:12). Nowhere does Revelation 20:4 resemble the real and literal resurrection in this "first resurrection" which many make a controversy over.
The monkey wrench is thrown in when the divisive begin to apply labels. Premillennialism and Chiliasm are just that, labels. I run from labels. The Church Fathers thousand years does not match modern premillennialism. It was the question of where in history some positioned this 'millennium'.
But now we are quite advanced into the future from henceforth and we have seen unfolding prophecy to be confident where this millennium is to be wedged between the fifth and the fifteenth century since we know when the decline (the splitting) began and the Ottomans (Gog and Magog) sacked Constantinople in the fifteenth century. The whole new testament is regarding the temple of God which God promised will be built in glory to fulfill Christ's promise: "I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". While John promised an altar be intact he also mentioned there will be defection and the court that is without will ally with Antichrist and it is given to him, just as we see the decay from the fifteenth century onward.
So when it comes to Christ, their is a birth, death and a resurrection then the war between the devil and the seed of the woman (the church) continues till the end. The devil had dominion over the earth, he then wounded Christ's heal and in turn Christ bruises his head. He was then arrested then loosed and then a final arrest to be thrown into the lake of fire.
So when the thousand years of triumph of the church where satan is restrained from victory over the Christian nations until the fifteenth century, then Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go forth, and seduce the nations by plucking certain nations off the church.
This is what the protestants fulfilled. They plucked out of the West several nations while growing side by side with Gog and Magog (the Turks) who roamed the four quarters of the earth and in the end they are gathered together to battle. The Ottomans began to expand in the fifteenth century than was bruised and now they return once more.
So how could a "Gog and Magog" be coming one thousand years after Christ's return especially after they were cast into the pit in Ezekiel 32 "There are Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes ... Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war"?
Aren't these who used the super-canon against Constantinople? Why not cross-reference Apocalypse 20's "Gog and Magog" with the rest of scripture? Satan comes as Antichrist and as “Gog” and as “King of Babylon” and as “Pharaoh of Egypt” and as “The Assyrian” and as “the man of sin” where God provided ample explanations to his rise, his alliances, even including when he and his cohorts and allies are cast into hell.
In essence, we have two "Gogs" if you will. We also have two resurrections both of which are different where one still includes sin on earth and the other defeats sin forever. We must also link Apocalypse 20 to the Gog of Ezekiel 38 which are the same entity, the two beasts; one with seven dynasties (seven heads) in Apocalypse 13:1 and another with two horns in Apocalypse 13:11. This covers a massive span of history.
This beast that "spake as a dragon" is the same as the "red dragon":
"And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads." (Apocalypse 12:3).
And once we do all this examination from the whole of scripture in light of the history which was not in the disposal of the church fathers, it becomes clear as the sun. This Gog came in the fifteenth century, after the thousand years from the golden church era was completed, and sacked Constantinople in 1453 and then another beast (another Gog) at the end of the age shall arise in Ezekiel 38 and is judged in Ezekiel 28-32 beginning with Lucifer in Ezekiel 28 (the cherub in the garden of God).
A quick search of “the pit” in the Bible we find it replete with repetition of “the pit” in Ezekiel 28-32 with precision regarding the very national makeup of Gog's kingdom: “Sidonians” (Lebanese), Ezekiel 28: 20-24; “Egyptians”, Ezekiel 29:9; “Cush” (Somalis, african), “Put” (Tunisians, Moroccans), “Lydians” (Turks) and “Arabs,” “Assyrian [Syrians, Iraqis]”. Sudan (Cush) and North African states (Phut) Lydia (Turkey) and all Arabia and Egypt (see Ezekiel 30:5); “Cush, and Put, and Lud (Lydia/Turkey), and all Arabia, and Libya, and the people of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.” They also include Asshur (Iraq – Syria), (see Ezekiel 32:22-23) and Elam (Iran) (see Ezekiel 32:24-25) and Meshech & Tubal (Asia minor which includes the Southern Russian Muslim states) (see Ezekiel 32:26) and the harlot (Arabia) (see Ezekiel 32:29, also see Ezekiel 25).
The Church fathers did not have this history. Christendom withstood the wiles of the devil until the fifteenth century when the Protestant split began to weaken the church splitting Christian nations. This was used by Islam which did the rest bruising the Church as the devil bruised Christ's heal in its last and final epoch, yet the Church withstood the onslaught and remained in the Altar of the Temple while the splitters were given to aid Gog the Antichrist.
There is only one beast (threat) that fits John's first beast "seven mountains [kingdoms]" as well as Daniel's Four Kingdoms, as well as the Two Legs of Daniel's image and the Two Horns of the "lamb with two horns that speaks like a dragon [red dragon/Turkey]"; all in one beast: the Islamic Caliphate.
No other history fits these prophecies combined except this one.
Whoever persecuted the church throughout history must be the beast (the threat) mentioned in scripture. Nothing in history so perfectly fits like these seven heads and ten crowns. Anyone who disagrees must answer: where else would anyone find a beast that persecuted the woman (the church and the seed of Mary) like these seven Islamic dynasties?
Islam is four main caliphates and Islam is also seven caliphates. There was the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abasid and Ottoman with the other three within this same timeframe (Fatimid, Ayyubid and Al-Mohad) constitutes seven heads. This we explained here.
When this empire received a mortal wound on its head it fell into the abyss, the earth, and died. This is why we have a break. This is why we have two beasts. The church age suffers two beasts (two massive threats) as clearly described by John; one comes as a “seven headed beast” which its seventh head is wounded to also come again as the second beast (in the end of days) described as “a lamb with two horns” which finally resurrects out of the grave (earth) and is why Erdogan is so fascinated with the dead Ottomans. So here is the prophecy starting with the first beast, the longest threat to God's people:
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [first beast] rise up out of the [Mediterranean] sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy [denies Father and Son (Trinity), see 1 John 2:22]”
And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his head seven diadems (Apocalypse 12:3)
This seven headed (7 caliphates) beast from 1. Rashidun to 7. Ottoman was controlled spiritually by the Arabian harlot city, Mecca and it made war with the church specifically at the Mediterranean region (the Sea): “it was given unto him to make war with the saints,” and “to overcome them” and it ruled “over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations”.
It was all fought around the Mediterranean sea and all the battles were against the Church. When scripture speaks of the “sea” its always the Mediterranean sea. This was the production of the martyrs in Apocalypse 20 who refused to take the mark of satan on their foreheads (through prostration) and arms (as it was customary for Muslims to show a badge of servitude to Allah).
And Daniel's dual fulfillments gives us the same kingdoms but as “Four Beasts” in Daniel chapter 7 arise out of “the Great Sea” (Daniel 7:2) because Islam has four main caliphates. And sure, the Four Beasts were history past for Greece, but they are also future: the Four Muslim Caliphates.
“The Great Sea” is the Mediterranean region, not the entire globe. That with all the literal nations of end-times encompasses only the Middle East and Asia Minor. If the first beast (Babylon), second beast (Medo-Persia) and third beast (Greece) all were out within the “Great Sea” (Mediterranean) then the fourth beast of Daniel 7 could only pertain to the Mediterranean Sea as well and it too has four dynasties.
So the two beasts John spoke of, one with seven heads, the first one, which finally got a mortal wound, this deadly wound, has to be on its seventh head, the last head, the Ottoman, and then the one which “looks like a lamb” is "the eighth," the final one and “is of the seven" as the text strictly mandates.
So here we have 'two Gogs' if you will.
This is crucial. So what fell in 1924, which was the Ottoman, must revive, we estimate after 100 years in 2023-2024.
All the biblical text that mention the literal names of nations involving the end-times match this Ottoman geographical composition to exact. If in doubt examine history in light of all nations in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Amos, Joel, Zechariah, Galatians … they all follow this model.
Therefore, understanding that God does not instruct only a select group helps tremendously in understanding these prophecies. Church history has already endured the first beast (which will revive again) as the second beast with two horns encompassing the two legs of Daniel. This is why when one continues reading John then ‘pop’, we have both beasts summarized as one since both are the same.
It all makes sense now. The first beast comes out of “the sea,” which are multitudes of nations, tribes and different tongues within the Mediterranean region then is “swallowed by the earth” (Rev 12:16). This is the same as when the seventh head (Ottoman Caliphate) which was wounded to death and John explicitly tells us “is also the eighth” which resurrects from the dead and comes "out of the earth".
This “also” makes it clear. Its the same empire: the Ottoman, Gog and Magog.
It all fits. Like a glove.
I realize that my years worth of research closing every hole is a big load to fathom, but keep in mind “it exercises all the power of the first beast". Scripture several times makes this point.
A Jesus-style question should put many in checkmate: Ezekiel 32 speaks of Ezekiel 38's Magog: “There are Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes ... Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war"; so how does this "Gog and Magog" go to hell at the end of this age and then resurrect after a 1000 years when no Turk remains after being cast into hell?
And so they etch their theory using two verses which they proclaim is strictly the ends of days:
But Islam's onslaught against Christendom began in 629 A.D. (the Rashidun) marking foreheads an arms and is still ongoing. This was the church's main enemy. But we had two beasts not one. One Islamic Caliphate with seven dynasties (seven heads) in Apocalypse 13:1 which ushered its onslaught in 629 A.D. and another with two horns in Apocalypse 13:11 which comes at the end. The first beast covers a massive span of history.
During this span, many were the martyrs who were beheaded for rejecting to take the mark of Islam's prostration on their foreheads and the banner of "no God but Allah" on their right arms. This is not just an end-times event. Scripture is not written exclusively for these lazy servants who only speak of the last seven years where they rapture and feel no pain. Do not worry, you won't. You are not tested.
It is here where the word 'resurrection' is commonly misunderstood. John speaks of a thousand year "first resurrection" when the influence of "the dragon" against the church has no grip.
During this thousand years, the kingdom of God, and the Church reigns with saints on earth plus the martyred saints with their souls (not bodies) in heaven with Christ for they did not adore the beast, nor his image, nor received his mark, yet "the rest of the dead lived not till the thousand years were finished" that their souls were damned since they should have lived in heaven yet they rejected the truth and their bodies shall rise to judgment and damnation at the second death.
"The rest of the [spiritually] dead lived not” during the time in which they ought to have lived by passing from death to life even during this thousand years.
So we have saints dwelling in heaven in spirit and tares during this thousand years, during this first church triumphant resurrection, and the bodies are united in the last resurrection.
The monkey wrenches harp on the word "death" as a physical death while ignoring the spiritual death.
Some still even today allude to Rome as this beast. But this is impossible. Rome did not expand throughout church history as a persecutor of the church, but was persecuted by Muslims, Cathars, Hussites, Nazis and Fascists. Protestants, to make a fit and to claim martyrdoms and persecutions, they claim that the Cathars as "the blood of the saints" was drank by the harlot.
But the Cathars were not real Christians. For Rome to fit, one must show how it persecuted the saints throughout the ages. This is impossible to do and is why Apocalypse 11 and Daniel make clear that the testing will be of the Altar observants and not the outer court given to Antichrist. That with the thousand years wedged into the proper timeframe reveals an era void of Protestantism.
Had Protestantism been the pure faith why would God wedge it within the times when satan was loosened? All this, plus no sound Protestant today would agree with the idea that Cathars were 'saints' (examined here). This is why Protestants scratch to find martyrs because what is outside the court are not tested.
And the Muslim Brotherhood, which under Erdogan is now ruling the second most powerful army in NATO after the U.S., will be soon heading towards their homeland of Egypt and is why Daniel speaks of the king of the North (Turkey) going towards the king of the south (Egypt).
So when the verses say “the rest of the dead lived not,” Protestants want to force a first bodily resurrection literally. But if the words “lived not” necessarily mean that the rest of the dead did not enjoy physical life on earth, then the living with Christ of the saints and the first resurrection must be understood as giving physical life on earth to the saints.
There is only one communion, one Christ, one Church, one Gospel and one ultimate resurrection of the physical dead. The context in John's Apocalypse 20 finally explains the ultimate resurrection in Apocalypse 20:12-13:
So must I sing everything I said here all over again? But I will summarize it in this: God is looking for the meek, the humble and the poor in spirit. Make sure you are found in the book of life: confess your sins, partake in the Eucharist, the perpetual sacrifice before the final resurrection takes you by surprise. In the meanwhile sing what I said here to the rest of the world.