The Beast of 2015 AD

The Beast of 2015

The Coming Resurrection of “Babylon”

Chapter 7 Preview: There is a lot to know about the Beast of Daniel and Revelation. This chapter presents evidence that may unlock the mystery concerning the exact dates of the fulfillment of these prophecies. Does prophecy reveal a precise date for when the one who will become the “Abomination of Desolation”, or “the Beast”, will actually come to power over the ten kings (“toes” of Daniel 2)? The main purpose of this chapter is to show that “Tyre” is equivalent to “Babylon”, in prophecy, and that the date of its resurrection appears to follow another prophesied event, now past, by exactly seventy years, as determined from Isaiah 23! The final countdown is well under way!

In Isaiah there is a remarkable prophecy that is boldly stated; yet so far as I know, virtually no one has noticed the countdown.

Isaiah 23:15-17 It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be ‘forgotten’ [Hebrew: “forgotten” or “ignored” or “withered”] SEVENTY YEARS, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute. 16 Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered. 17 It will happen after the end of seventy years that [Yehovah’] will visit Tyre, SHE SHALL RETURN TO HER WAGES, and will play the prostitute with ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD on the surface of the earth. WEB

This is an incredible and unmistakable prophetic event that will begin to take place seventy years after an earlier prophesied event. When translated correctly, the phrase “giver of crowns”, rather than “the crowning city”, indicates that the great city will actually delegate which men and nations will make up the Beast:

Isaiah 23:8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the GIVER OF CROWNS, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? WEB

When it says “according to the days of one king,” the indication is that it is referring to seventy literal years, if not to even a particular King’s actual life span.

Isaiah 23 is exactly parallel to Revelation 18, and Jeremiah 50 and 51; the notorious rise and fall of Babylon. There are several significant details unique to these chapters:

Revelation 18:3 & 23-24 For ALL THE NATIONS have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury. 23 ... for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of Saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth. WEB

While many acknowledge that the axis powers were the last political/military aspect of the beast I can find nothing anywhere on the net pinning the 70 year countdown to Mussolini. It is the tyrant Mussolini who I believe turned this prophecy into a time bomb!

Babel pictures formerly found on Truth on the Web

With a literal expectation of the events of Isaiah 23, added to a basic understanding about the four Babylonian beast/kings of Daniel 7, we will have two dates to work with-the date when Tyre is forgotten and the date when she comes back for a smashing encore. It is not likely that you ever read all of these chapters at the same sitting. It is essential that you have a basic awareness of these chapters before you read on. For your convenience, I have included the entire text of the pertinent Biblical chapters at the end of this chapter. You will notice that Isaiah 23’s Tyre has many exact parallels elsewhere in prophecy.

Before going further, I would like to explain that the pagan empires which have fought with (and will fight) the twelve tribes of Israel are all viewed as animals (beasts) by God. We use the same terminology today when someone refers to a man as an “animal”.

Political entities that oppose the truth are also likened to Sodom. There are over two dozen references to “Sodom” used to compare other evil kingdoms or cities to that of the city/state already destroyed by God. Even Jerusalem “is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” When Isaiah spoke of “The burden against Tyre” (Isaiah 23:1) he was really talking about: “Behold the land of the Chaldeans” (v.13) (another name for Babylon). Ancient Tyre is presently under water, so prophecies for our last generation can not reasonably be mistaken for ancient Tyre, the former island fortress! Tyre, or Modern Babylon or the modern Roman Empire is part of the same type of political system instituted by Nimrod to oppose God.

The head of gold represents the Babylonian Empire. ( “You, O king,” said Daniel, “are the head of gold.”) Over the centuries three successive kingdoms, each inferior (off site) to the ones before it—the one of silver, the one of bronze, and the one of iron which would finally be mixed with clay (Daniel 2:37-43). History confirms Daniel’s interpretation. Three empires succeeded Babylon in world domination: Media-Persia, Greece, and then Rome. Each successive government, however, survived for more years.

Nebuchadnezzar was a man/beast:

Daniel 4:16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him. NKJV

All of the prophetic beasts were cut from the same Babylonian mold. Whether it was called Babylon or Media-Greece or Greece or Rome, or any of the smaller look-alikes they are all part of a religious/political system soon to become obsolete.

Luke 4:5-7 The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD in a moment of time. 6 The devil said to him, “I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THIS AUTHORITY, AND THEIR GLORY, FOR IT HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO ME; and I give it to whomever I want. 7 If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours”. WEB

The Eastern Orthodox connection to the two legs of the man/beast is the reason for this revision. It is commonly understood that the Roman Empire represents the two legs of iron of Daniel’s vision, however the simple idea that the two legs represent THE TWO HALVES of the Holy Roman Empire and their remnants in the form of the Roman Catholic “Church” (off site) and the Eastern Orthodox is very rarely considered. Once the idea occurred to me I did find one article on a Google search that had also put 2 and 2 together, in part, as commented on below.

The historical aspects of the Beast are well understood but the prophetic aspects are all but unknown.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the historic political division of the Roman Empire:

The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 286 AD. It would exist intermittently in several periods between the 3rd Century and the 5th Century, after Diocletian’s Tetrarchy and the reunifications associated with Constantine the Great. Theodosius the Great was the last Roman Emperor who ruled both east and west, and he died in 395 AD. After him the Roman Empire was definitely divided and the Western Roman Empire ended with the abdication of Romulus Augustus under pressure of the Germanic chieftain Odoacer on September 4, 476 AD.

Despite brief periods of reconquest by its counterpart, the Eastern Roman Empire (also called Byzantine Empire), the Western Roman Empire would never rise again. The Eastern Roman Empire would survive for another millennium.

As the Western Roman Empire fell, a new era in western European history began: the Middle Ages.

Influenced by the last remnant of the Western Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church, the new war-like “barbarian kingdoms” would rise from the ashes of Western Roman Empire and would eventually adopt roman culture and roman law. Increasingly, these “barbarians” also saw themselves more and more as the “true heirs” of Rome.

Here is Wikipedia’s equally succinct summation of the division of the religious legacy of the divided Roman Empire.

“The East-West Schism, known also as the Great Schism (though this latter term sometimes refers to the later Western Schism), was the event that divided Chalcedonian Christianity into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Though normally dated to 1054, when Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael I excommunicated each other, the East-West Schism was actually the result of an extended period of estrangement between the two Churches. The primary causes of the Schism were disputes over papal authority-the Pope claimed he held authority over the four Eastern patriarchs, while the four eastern patriarchs claimed that the primacy of the Patriarch of Rome was only honorary, and thus he had authority only over Western Christians—and over the insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed. There were other, less significant catalysts for the Schism, including variance over liturgical practices and conflicting claims of jurisdiction.”

(Wikipedia) “The Church split along doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political, and geographic lines, and the fundamental breach has never been healed. It might be alleged that the two churches actually reunited in 1274 (by the Second Council of Lyons) and in 1439 (by the Council of Basel), but in each case the councils were repudiated by the Orthodox as a whole, given that the hierarchies had overstepped their authority in consenting to these so-called “unions”. Further attempts to reconcile the two bodies have failed; however, several ecclesiastical communities that originally sided with the East changed their loyalties, and are now called Eastern Rite Catholic Churches. For the most part, however, the Western and the Eastern Churches are separate. Each takes the view that it is the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church”, implying that the other group left the true church during the Schism”.

The Lateran Treaties essentially created a resurrection of the Roman Empire between Mussolini and the Pope. Adolph Hitler, the other part of the evil axis also negotiated political deals with the Vatican.

Wikipedia used to say (it changes daily):

“After Hitler came to power in January 1933, he made the concordat negotiations with [Pope] Pacelli a priority. The negotiations proceeded over six months with constant shuttle diplomacy between the Vatican and Berlin. Hitler spent more time on this treaty than on any other item of foreign diplomacy during his dictatorship.” http://emperors-clothes.com/vatican/hitlers.htm

The last political/religious resurrection of the Roman Empire—both east and west—ended in 1945. This marked the beginning of the 70 years of the Beast being forgotten as a frightening military force. Yet despite the history I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE COMING BEAST WILL BE A CATHOLIC! The reason why is that the next Beast’s religion will apparently be a mutated politically correct composite of several of the saviors of the world’s “great religions”. The last Beast will claim to be the Messiah to Christians and Jews, the Maharishi of India, and possibly even the Mahdi for the Muslims, etc. all rolled up into one person, however since a major opponent, the Kingdom of the South, will be a Muslim kingdom the Beast might not compete for that title. There may well be a supernaturally impressive “mahdi” there uniting the southern nations.

Notice what the scriptures say about the Beast’s religion:

Daniel 11:36-41 The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didnt know shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whoever acknowledges him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price. 40 At the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

While viewing a political leader as a god seems inconceivable to us today, it is historically quite prevalent. Not just Roman Emperors but even until Japan’s Hirohito—who was a major reason for the last world war. Throw in a bag of supernatural tricks and some deadly coersion and the false god notion will make a dramatic comeback!

Satan, “the King of Tyre”, will literally posses a human king!

Ezekiel 28:11-15 Moreover the word of [Yehovah] came to me, saying, 12 son of [Adam], take up a lamentation over the KING OF TYRE, and tell him, Thus says the Lord [Yehovah]: You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 YOU WERE IN EDEN, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. WEB

I tried to find someone else who had come to the same conclusion as I did about the future Tyre, so I did a Google search for the words: “Tyre will be forgotten seventy years” and “Mussolini.” While most searches yield hundreds or thousands of matches this only yielded one article cited by two sources (in January 2006. Substituting Hitler also yielded nothing.) This lone article about Tyre (culminating with Mussolini) turned out to be very informative and contains a great deal of relevant information about Tyre’s long history and was right on target until it got to the concluding 70 years. The article then claims that the 70 years of being “forgotten” ended with Mussolini rather than beginning the countdown with his defeat and that Mussolini fulfilled the prophecy of the world ruling empire! As might be expected, the article also concluded that the Catholic remnant of the Roman Empire alone (no mention of the Eastern Orthodox Empire) has apparently fulfilled both legs of Daniel’s prophecy. Still I highly recommend reading their PART 3: Ancient and Modern “Tyre” in Prophecy. You will need to scroll down just over half way thru this multi part article to find PART 3. One other comment is that they rightly identified the King of Tyre as Satan but when it got to the part where he dies they switch off and say that only the human counterpart can die—believing that Satan will never die. (Have you read my Disclaimer?) You might also want to read about Satan’s Second Death.

Whether “Babylon ”is called Chaldea or Tyre or Rome or Sodom the conclusion is the same:

Isaiah 23:17-18 ... and she [Tyre] shall return to her wages, and will PLAY THE PROSTITUTE with ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD on the surface of the earth. 18 Her merchandise and her ‘wages’ [spoils] will be holiness to [Yehovah]. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before [Yehovah], to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. WEB

Revelation 18:2-3 ... Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird! 3 For ALL THE NATIONS have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her SEXUAL IMMORTALITY, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury. WEB

There is an important aspect concerning the Babylonian type beast of prophecy that is imperative to understanding end time prophecy. We must know that the beastly Babylonian empire turned Media—Persia turned Greece turned Roman Empire, opposed to the people of Israel was divided into two empires (“two legs” in Daniel 2) While Israel occupied Jerusalem and the Promised Land, the beasts came to them there. Then when the twelve tribes of Israel went into Diaspora (exile), the beasts have come to wherever they were (and are).

While the east-west division of the Roman Empire by Diocletian in 286 AD is extremely well documented in history, as summarized my first Wikipedia link—the two legs of the beast aspect of Daniel’s prophecy is usually overlooked even by those teaching the prophecy!

It might also seem strange, upon first reading the book of Ezekiel, to find that he spent so much time telling about the defeat of the nation of Israel while they were already defeated and slaves of Babylon. It is apparent that he was referring to unfulfilled events yet to happen! We understand that the Babylon of Revelation is the same as the Roman Empire. The context within and surrounding these chapters places the timing well within the end time—however the Isaiah 23 account apparently DATES the interval between TWO HOLOCAUSTS! Seventy years after the defeat of “Tyre” the whore will come back! (Isaiah 23:16) Notice also that Tyre considered herself a “virgin daughter of Sidon.” And she was of “the land of the Chaldeans”. (Isaiah 23:12-13) Babylon also considered herself a “virgin daughter” and a “daughter of the Chaldeans” (Isaiah 47:1). The coming “Fourth Reich” will be built upon the foundation of the ancient Babylonian Mystery.

What does this mean? If indeed these are parallel accounts, then we now know that the exact interval between these two theocratic empires is “seventy years!” If we plug in dates, we have the defeat of the whore sponsored Axis powers on V.E. Day, 1945. Add seventy years and you end up with V.E Day, 2015. This marks the BEGINNING of the ten horned kingdom. For entirely different reasons I believe that the final Jubilee of this age is in 2027 AD—which is also the year long “Day of the Lord” . Counting backwards for the 3½ year duration of the Great Tribulation takes us to the fall of 2023 when the armies gather at Armageddon. Following the “Day of the Lord,” the Everlasting Kingdom begins. 2028 is the first year of the Seventh Millennium!

Revelation 18:16-18 ... saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.’ Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away, 18 and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city? WEB

Might this represent the entire life span of the last resurrection of the Roman Empire?

Here is more important information on dating the arrival of the next Super Power.

Daniel 9:27 He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease .... WEB

The meaning of this has been thought by some to be another proof text concerning Jesus’ Wednesday death. But this is referring to the next Hitler, not Jesus! Jesus did not stop any sacrificing! Decades after the book of Hebrews was written, sacrifices were still taking place. Paul said of his time that:

Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices .... WEB

On a millennial scale, that is, using seven days to represent seven one thousand year periods, Jesus came as the Anointed One at the close of the Fourth Millennium. His ministry marked the absolute end of the last Jubilee of that millennium, COMPLETING the 69th “week”. On a millennial scale, [The 7000 year plan: off site] it was 500 years past “the middle” of that millennium. Continuing into The Mysterious Seventy “Weeks” of Daniel: “... and the people of the prince who shall come [the destroyer] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; [70 AD was a “trial run” of the event to come] and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined”. (Daniel 9:26) Toward the end of the coming conflict, Jesus will defend Jerusalem, (Isaiah 31:4-5) but not before a lot of sorrow! The very next words in Daniel are: “He [the destroyer] shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease ....” This is the scripture that some claim means that the Great Tribulation will last for seven years, using the day for a year principle. Close but no cookie.

Daniel 9:27 ... of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full END [of the age], and that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate. WEB

This exact date is also “determined”, not capricious! The logical understanding of this passage is found by comparing it to the almost identical use of these words, used just two and three chapters ahead.

Daniel 11:31 Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt offering, and THEY shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. WEB

The following chapter dates the time when “the sacrifice and the offering [will] cease”:

Daniel 12:1 From the time that the continual burnt offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days. WEB

The explanation for these verses is that the “king” who is to become the Abomination will “cut a deal” ( “confirm a covenant”) with “many ”nations that will last “week.”for one (Again, as explained in Jubilee 2027 AD.) Part of that deal is that Jews, probably descendants of Zadok, may begin sacrificing exactly seven years before the Day of the Lord. Then half way thru Satan’s final seven year “week”, [“in the middle of the week”] “he”, according to plan, will double cross Israel and “bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” This amazing scripture reveals the seven year count down to when God first intervenes! This is the “missing week” in The Mysterious Seventy “Weeks” Prophecy that Daniel just described! This “week” begins with “desolations are determined” and ends with the Resurrection and the Trumpet plagues! This is connected to the Latter Temple described in Ezekiel 40 thru 48!

Here is the entire chapter:

Isaiah 23: The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kittim [in Genesis 10, Kittim is listed as a son of Javan, the son of Japheth, likely representing the Japanese] it is revealed to them. 2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. 3 On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. SHE WAS THE MARKET OF NATIONS. 4 Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed, nor brought forth [children], neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.” 5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre. 6 Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast! 7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel? 8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the GIVER OF CROWNS, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? 9 [Yehovah] of Armies has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. 10 Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more. 11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. [Yehovah] has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s strongholds. 12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.” 13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people was not. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin. 14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste! 15 It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute. 16 Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered. 17 It will happen after the end of seventy years that [Yehovah] will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her wages, and will play the prostitute with all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth. 18 Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to [Yehovah]. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before [Yehovah], to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. WEB

There is something that will happen after the seventy year period that will be of great significance to “the wise.” This is a dual prophecy as there are two different seventy year periods. The former seventy years began when Israel went into Babylonian captivity and ended when a remnant returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. During the second seventy year period, Tyre or Babylon or the Modern Roman Empire, will herself have been restrained for seventy years before making her comeback. Notice what was planned for “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant” (v.9) after the former seventy years:

Jeremiah 25:12- 14 It shall happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says [Yehovah], for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall make bondservants of them, even of them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands. WEB

This is the same seventy year period that pertained to ancient Israel’s captivity. After a remnant of Israel returned to Zion, God punished “Babylon” “the land of the Chaldeans.” Modern Babylon, which I believe will rule until the Day of the Lord (2027 AD), will be punished after a remnant of Israel is gathered into a “Place of Refuge”.

Jeremiah 29:10- 14 For thus says [Yehovah], AFTER seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says [Yehovah], thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. 12 You shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says [Yehovah], and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says [Yehovah]; and I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive. WEB

This is where the modern day “seventy years ”gets interesting.

There are many parallels between the “latter temple” and “Joshua and Zerubbabel” also referring to the “Two Witnesses” bringing a remnant of Israel together after the scattering. I believe that the first period began due to the sins of Israel but that the final seventy year period pertains to the sins of Babylon first and God’s blessing of the remnant of Israel after the seventy years when Tyre is forgotten.

Daniel 9:1- 14 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the word of [Yehovah] came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years. 3 I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes ... 14 Therefore has [Yehovah] watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for [Yehovah] our God is righteous in all His works which He does, and we have not obeyed His voice. WEB

Zechariah lamented the insincerity of the religious people of his day. And as it was then, when the religious community really decides to seek God it will be too late. Israel had to and will again learn the hard way.

Zechariah 7:1- 14 It happened in the fourth year of king Darius that the word of [Yehovah] came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev. 2 The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech, and their men, to entreat [Yehovah’s] favor, 3 and to speak to the priests of the house of [Yehovah] of Armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?” 4 Then the word of [Yehovah] of Armies came to me, saying, 5 “Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to Me, really to Me? 6 When you eat, and when you drink, dont you eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7 Arent these the words which [Yehovah] proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’” 8 The word of [Yehovah] came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus has [Yehovah] of Armies spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother. 10 Dont oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’ 11 But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which [Yehovah] of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from [Yehovah] of Armies. 13 It has come to pass that, as He called, and they refused to listen, so they will call, and I will not listen,” said [Yehovah] of Armies; 14 “but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they made the pleasant land desolate.” WEB

The time will come when our own leaders will sell us—literally. Preparations for the sale are already underway!

Zechariah 11:4-10 Thus says [Yehovah] my God: “Feed the flock of slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them, and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be [Yehovah], for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds dont pity them. 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land,” says [Yehovah]; “but, behold, I will deliver the men everyone into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.” 7 So I fed the flock of slaughter, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for Myself two staffs. The one I called “Favor,” and the other I called “Union,” and I fed the flock. 8 I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for My soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed Me. 9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 I took My staff Favor, and cut it apart, that I might break My covenant that I had made with all the peoples. WEB

Many people respond to anyone who would dare ask “when”, concerning end time prophecies, that we can not know, citing their favorite “thief in the night” scripture such as Matthew 24:42-43. The Apostles thought that Jesus would come in their lifetime. Surely at that time no one knew “when”. Perhaps only this last generation, will have sufficient information to understand “when”. The key to understanding the end time time line is knowing when the next Jubilee is! We are told to “watch.” Today, if you are watching, you may see something! This is the generation that needs to know! There is one “thief” scripture that should be carefully underlined:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know well that the Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. [For the vast majority of mankind] 3 For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. 4 But YOU, brothers, arent in darkness [ignorance], that THE DAY should overtake YOU like a thief. 5 You are all children of light, and children of the day. We dont belong to the night, nor to darkness, 6 so then LET’S not sleep, as THE REST DO, but LET’S watch and be sober. WEB

Then there is the “Behold, I am coming as a thief” warning which follows the sixth trumpet plague! (Revelation 16:15) Some people, even during the trumpet plagues, wont know when or even if Jesus will arrive until they see Him! “The day” underscored above is the Day of the Lord, the year of God’s intervention. On the Feast of Trumpets, of the next Jubilee year, at exactly the 12th hour of the day, Satan’s rule will be “cut ... short!” The twelfth hour approximates our 6:00 P.M. at sunset (Matthew 20:6-8,12). Only in this way can people in all 24 time zones hear the trumpets on the same day!

Romans 9:26-28 It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved; 28 for He WILL FINISH THE WORK and CUT IT SHORT [in the seventh month, this part wont take all year] in righteousness, because the LORD will make a SHORT WORK upon the earth”. WEB

There will be no postponements. Plan on a long event filled evening! (Zechariah 14:7) Start preparing for a wonderful future and keep oil in your lamp. I hope to see you there!

2007 note: It has been seven years since I wrote this article and no one has suggested a plausible alternative explanation to me as to when the “seventy years” might have begun. It is now eight years until the “seventy years” countdown will end, as I understand it. I am not a prophet, and I could possibly be in error about the exact event and date that initiated the Biblical seventy years countdown.

This article hopefully answers the “who” and the “when” of the Babylon prophecies. The Biblical chapters in the Addendum address the rest of the story. I am not saying that this is the only possible fulfillment of the Beast’s seventy weeks of being forgotten. I just cant think of another likely scenario. One factor that does not fit is that if this is a part of a 70 year cycle then it is not the same 70 year cycle as the 7 X 70 year cycle of Daniel 9. There will not be another (Godly) 70th year until 2064 AD, and 1994 was not too exciting either. But then I suppose that Satan is surely on a different page.

Now for the Addendum:

Recommended Reading:

The Antichrist and a Cup of Tea—Tim Cohen

The Antichrist and a Cup of Tea (Amazon.com) will answer your questions about who the Antichrist may likely be. How literally should you take God’s written word? Is it literal even to the point of its apocalyptic symbolism?

Some Scriptures are from the “New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.” “Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.”