- seems all the more glorious when seen through the filter of our suffering here on earth! |
A Biblical Outline of End-Time Events
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BE ALERT TO THE "SIGNS OF OUR TIMES"
"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." Revelation 1:2-4
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they ...did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." Matthew 24:36-39
Matthew 24 |
Mark 13 |
Luke 21 |
"Jesus... said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. 'For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. ...And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." Matt. 24:4-5, 12. |
“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.... But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand." Mark 13:5-6, 23 |
“...take heed that you not be deceived. For Many will come in My name, saying 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.'" Luke 21:8 |
One example of today's popular deceptions is the notion that a "near death experience" can open the door to heaven. There, according to popular opinion, a person can chat with deceased friends as well as with Jesus before returning to earth.
But, as you will see near the end of this chart, such "heavenly visits" and earthly returns have no place in God's chronology! Based on misguided "faith" -- not God's unbending Truth -- such a fictional "heaven" doesn't exist. Instead, God's Word assures us that a "new heaven" awaits those who truly are "born again" and belong to our Lord. When they die, their souls enter a time of "rest." But when Jesus returns "at the end of the age", they will rise in their new bodies and rejoice with our Lord for all eternity:
“At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.... And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.... But as for you (Daniel)... you will enter into rest and rise again... at the end of the age." Daniel 12:1-3
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." Rev 21:1
Apostles' Letters |
Revelation | |
"....when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them.... But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:4-4 |
"...the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." 2 Pet. 3:10-11 |
"Blessed is he who keeps the words of this prophecy in this book." Rev. 22:7 |
Beginning of 'BIRTH PANGS' and the 7 Seals (war, famines, earthquakes, plagues...)
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places." Matt. 24:7 |
"Nation will rise against nation... There will be earthquakes... and... famines and troubles. These are the beginning of sorrows." Mark 13:8 |
"There will be great earthquakes... famines and pestilences..." Luke 21:11 |
7 SEALS. (Rev. 6:1-8) SEAL 1. White horse: "went out conquering..." [Antichrist?] SEAL 2. Red horse: "take peace from the earth," slay, kill..." [War] SEAL 3. Black horse: "had scales...[weigh] wheat..." [Rationing food] SEAL 4. Pale horse: "kill with sword...famine...death...[wild] beasts..."[Death] |
PERSECUTION
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." Matt. 24:9 |
"...they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten.... But when they arrest you and deliver your up, do not worry... what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that, for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit." Mark 13:9, 11 |
"...they will... persecute you... you will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. But it will [be]... an occasion for testimony." Luke 21:12-13 |
"...the time is
coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service."
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SEAL 5.: Persecution: "I saw... the souls of those slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held." Rev. 6:9 |
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DECEPTION, BETRAYAL, APOSTASY, "FALLING AWAY"...
"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another..." Matt. 24:10 |
"...brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all men for My Name's sake." Mark 13:12-13 |
"...the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness .... |
"...in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves... proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents... despisers of good... lovers of pleasure..." 2 Tim. 3:1-5 |
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but... they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Tim. 4:2-4 |
"And many will follow their destructive ways... the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words..." 1 Peter 2:2-3 |
FALSE PROPHETS WILL DECEIVE MANY
"Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ... For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders... to deceive, if possible, even the elect." Matt. 24:11, 24. |
"For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect." Mark 13:22 |
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." 1 Tim. 4:1 |
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies... and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." 2 Pet. 2:1-9 |
"For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity." 2 Pet. 2:18-19 |
GREAT DISTRESS ON EARTH
"The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?" Joel 2:11 |
"For there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." Matt. 24:21-22. |
SEAL 6. "There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black... the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell... the sky receded as a scroll... every mountain and island was moved out of its place. ...men... hid themselves.... and said..."Fall on us and hide us ... from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" Rev. 6:12-17 |
GOD'S PROTECTION IN THE MIDST OF CALAMITY
(Old Testament protection while the wicked are punished): "...put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within [Jerusalem]. ...do not touch anyone who has the mark." Ez. 9:4,6. [This is God's protective mark; not the beast's mark] |
"The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them." Psalm 34:7 |
"For if God... did not spare the ancient world... but saved Noah... and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot who was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the wicked.... then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly... and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment." 2 Peter 2:4-9 |
"Do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." Rev. 7:3 |
The following verses suggest that the sequence of the 7 seals shows events that are parallel to other parts of Revelation. For example, Rev. 7:17 promises the same final comfort we find in Revelation 21:5. Both follow "the great tribulation." |
MOUNTAINS MELT, SIGNS IN THE SKY, 1st TRUMPET
"The LORD is coming. ... The mountains will melt under Him and the valleys split like wax..." Micah 1:3-4 |
SEAL 7 & The 7 Trumpets. TRUMPET 1: "hail and fire followed, mingled with blood... thrown to the earth, and a third of the trees were burned up..." TRUMPET 2: "something like a great mountain burning with fire... and a third of the living creatures in the sea died." TRUMPET 3: "a great star fell from heaven... a third of the waters became wormwood; and many... died from the water, because it was made bitter." Rev. 8:7-11 |
SIGNS IN THE SKY, the 2nd, 3rd & 4th TRUMPETS
"The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness." Joel 2:10 |
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken." Matt. 24:29 |
"But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Mark 13:24-25. |
"I will show wonders in heaven above.... The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and notable day of the Lord." Acts 2:19-20. |
TRUMPET 4: "a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened.... "I heard an angel... saying with a loud voice: 'Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet..." Rev. 8:12-13 |
DEMONIC BEASTS from the pit, the 5th & 6th TRUMPETS
TRUMPET 5: "Then the fifth angel sounded. ...he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose. ... the sun and the air were darkened.... "...locusts [like horses] came upon the earth.... They were commanded not to harm... any green thing.... but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads... they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months... In those days men will seek death and will not find it.... And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit." Rev. 9:1-6,11 |
TRUMPET 6: "'Release the four angels who are bound...' The four angels... were released to kill a third of mankind.... "I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red... and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions [and tails like serpents].... By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed.... "But the rest of mankind... did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols ... and they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts." Rev. 9:13-21 |
THE 2 WITNESSES
"I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy [1,260] days... These have power to shut heaven so that no rain falls... and to strike the earth with all plagues.... "When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.... "...after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them.... they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here...'" Rev. 11:3-13 |
GOSPEL PREACHED IN THE WHOLE WORLD
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14 |
"...you will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations." Mark 13:9-10 |
"I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue and people." Rev. 14:6 |
THE EMERGENCE & REIGN OF THE ANTICHRIST
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"I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.... "The woman was... adorned with gold and precious stones... having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornications.... "The beast... was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit..." "And the ten horns which you saw on the beast... will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. "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." Rev. 17:3-4, 8, 16-17. |
This event (in Rev. 13) follows Rev. 17, as you saw in the note above: "I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns... and on his heads a blasphemous name.... And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.... "... his deadly wound was healed..." "And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them... All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life..." Rev. 13:1-2, 7-8 |
"I saw another beast coming out of the earth. ...he exercises all the authority of the first beast... whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs... even makes fire come down from heaven... "...he causes all... to receive a mark ... no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark..." Rev 13:11-13, 16-17 |
"...another angel followed saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen,... because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8 "And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit..." Rev. 18:2 |
[Notice that the beast and Babylon -- two centers of evil --clash with each other, even as they are linked together] |
7 BOWLS OF WRATH
"Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out the BOWLS of the WRATH OF GOD on the earth.' So the first went and poured out his bowl..." Revelation 16:1-2 |
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Bowl 1: "...foul and loathsome sores" broke out on people who had accepted the mark of the beast . Bowl 2 & 3: "the sea" and rivers turn into blood. Bowl 4: People are scorched with fire. Bowl 5: Utter darkness, sores and pain. Rev. 16:2-10 |
Bowl: "unclean spirits" come from the mouths of the dragon, beast and the false prophet. They "go out to the kings of the earth.... to gather them to the battle of.... Armageddon." Rev. 16:10-16 |
BOWL 7: Lightning, a massive earthquake... The great city split... The "fierceness" of God's wrath fell on Babylon.... Huge "hailstones" rained down on the people. Rev. 16:17-21 |
Biblical insights into the TRIBULATION PERIOD
Matthew 24:4-33 "...Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.... But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. |
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!" |
The Period of Tribulation Ends - Forever!
The 7th (last) TRUMPET ~ then CHRIST comes in the CLOUDS
TRUMPET 7: This section on the last trumpet begins in Revelation 11 and concludes in Revelation 14. There is an interlude starting in chapter 12 where the scene shifts to an earlier (and most vital) event.
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"Behold, He is coming with CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him.... And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him." Rev. 1:7-8. |
"...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.... And another angel came out... So He who sat on the CLOUD thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped." Rev. 14:14-16 [See note] |
"...they will see the SON OF MAN coming in the CLOUDS with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds." Mark 13:26 |
"...in the night vision... One like the SON OF MAN, coming with the CLOUDS of heaven. ... His dominion is an everlasting dominion..." Dan. 7:13-14 |
"Then the sign of the SON OF MAN will appear in heaven... all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN coming on the CLOUDS of heaven with power and great glory. "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they will gather together His elect ..." Matt. 24:30-31 |
"...they will see the SON OF MAN coming in a CLOUD with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21:27-28 |
VARIOUS VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIUM
"...My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,
" says the Lord. We, as inadequate humans seeking to follow our Lord, may differ in our end-times views, but I hope and pray that our differences would not hinder our love for each other or, more importantly, for the precious Gospel of Christ. |
Note: The Greek word for reap (theros) can also be translated "harvest" or "gather." (Many use the word "rapture") |
The same word is used in another next scene, which points to the gathering of all who refuse to trust God and repent. They would face "the great winepress of the wrath of God." Rev. 14:17-20 |
SATAN IS BOUND
"And I saw an angel come down out of heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit... so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while." Rev. 20:1-3 |
The FIRST RESURRECTION and the START OF THE MILLENNIUM
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven.... And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thess 4:13-17 |
"...we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.... 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'" 1 Cor. 15:51-52 |
"I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God... and had not received his mark.... And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years...." Rev. 20:4-5 |
"Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." Rev. 20:6 |
AFTER THE MILLENNIUM
"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations... to gather them for battle... They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown…" Rev. 20:7-10 |
The GREAT WHITE THRONE & The SECOND RESURRECTION
"As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow.... Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." Dan. 7:9-10 |
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ..." 2 Cor. 5:10 |
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it... And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God.... And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged..." Rev. 20:11-12 |
JUDGMENT and THE LAKE OF FIRE
"...Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged every man according to his works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (the opposite of the second resurrection)." Rev. 20:13-14 |
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:13-14 |
The NEW HEAVEN and THE NEW EARTH
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. ... I, John, saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Rev 21:1-2 |
"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them...they shall be His people..." Rev 21:3, 5 |
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the lamb's BOOK of LIFE." Rev. 21:27 |
NO MORE TEARS or MOURNING
"He will swallow up death forever... the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away...." Isaiah 25:8 |
"To console those who mourn...give them beauty for ashes... joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness... that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:3 |
"I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jer. 31:13 |
"God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then, He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21:4-5 |
GOD'S LIGHT and THE WATER OF LIFE
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." Rev. 22:1 |
"He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he will be my son." Rev 21:6-7 |
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"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light." Rev. 21:23 |
"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Rev. 22:17 |
"...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!" Ps. 23:6 |
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Note from Berit: This chart may not be finished. I will continue to update it as God leads me.
The end-time events we see in Revelation 20:1-14 (the last pages of this chart) indicates the sequence of final events.
Please help us by sharing your insights and letting us know if we have left out relevant Scriptures. We pray that this outline of Scriptures will encourage you to discern "the signs of the times" and to stand firm on the Rock of His Word until the day of His long-awaited coming! As He told us,
"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." Revelation 1:2-4
"If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:18-19
From Rick Belz:
"The white horse of Rev. 6 is NOT conquest. It is
religious deception, which we find all over the world in corrupted "christianity."
Berit's response:
Thank you, Rick. Your message encouraged me to highlight the warnings about deception
in other passages. As Truth, faith, honesty and rational
thinking erodes, the forces of evil are spreading fast.
"Revelation 6:2 says, "behold, a white horse. And he
who sat on it had a bow... and he went out conquering and to conquer."
Decades ago, many theologians believed the rider was Christ, our Lord.
Today's consensus seems to indicate that the rider was the antichrist --
especially in light of the evils listed in the seals that followed. Our only hope is to
follow our Shepherd, spread His love, and share His Word with all who will
listen!
More from Rick Beltz:
"The word 'conquer' or 'conquering' in the Greek is as follows from Strong's:
3528 nikao (nik-ah'-o); from 3529; to subdue (literally or
figuratively): KJV-- conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory.
"It is not the type of conquering that brings honor to the leader and praise
from the people. In this case, the word "conqueror" reflects the fact
that this is Satan's domain, and God has allowed him to
"conquer" and deceive this blinded world (and its corrupted
churches) because the faithless masses choose to believe Satan rather than God." |
Home Email: hope@crossroad.to