Angels-Aliens

[To fully understand the Satanic System that is being constructed before us, see my video and book, System of the Beast.]

Though most are surprised by the recent events in our economy, they were startlingly predictable. In fact, those with their ears to the ground knew this was coming since early into 2020.

Just in the last couple weeks, more bad news emerged in the banking industry. Numerous regional banks experienced a total collapse. Among them was PacWest, Western Alliance, and Zions. In just the last several days, PacWest slumped just over 50% while Western Alliance lost 38%.

This comes on the heels, mind you, of several major bank collapses. In March 2023, Silvergate and Signature Banks failed. The much larger Silicon Valley Bank also collapsed, leaving a disaster in its wake and requiring the government to perform another “not a bailout” bailout.

Fear rightfully swirls in the minds of concerned citizens, as the days of having unbridled access to our own funds are clearly coming to an end.

I wish I could say there was better news when we look at food prices, but not so much. A recent GAO—U.S. Government Accountability Office—article explains where we have recently been:

“Last year, U.S. consumers saw the largest annual increase in food prices since the 1980s. While food prices generally increased about 2% in prior years, they increased about 11% from 2021 to 2022. Inflation contributed to the increase. But there were other factors—like global disruptions to the food supply chain—that may have had a greater impact. And not everyone felt this increase the same way.”

The article continues later with some more interesting information about the cause of the insanity:

“But there were some unique challenges in 2022 that may have contributed to the double-digit increase in food prices. For example, COVID-19 caused disruptions across the food supply chain.  As U.S. households shifted away from full-service restaurant meals, they purchased more food at grocery stores. There were slowdowns in production at meat processing plants when workers became sick and plants shut down. Similarly, transportation of food was bottlenecked when truck drivers got sick. The war in Ukraine also disrupted the global supply of agricultural commodities—such as wheat, corn, sunflower oil, and fertilizer. This reduction in supply, coupled with a U.S. drought, caused American consumers to see wheat prices increase.”

COVID-19  . . . slowdowns in production . . . plant shut downs . . . did I mention COVID-19?

However, anyone who has been to the grocery store in the last six months or so doesn’t need any fancy explanations or data; the sticker shock of going to the store, alone, is harsh enough to jolt even those of significant means.

Prices keep getting bigger and servings smaller. Even a quick stop to “grab a few things” leaves one about $75 lighter in the wallet. Personally, I am left wondering every time I leave the store: “what on earth did I get that cost so much?”

Yes, friends, it’s a mess out there. Banks are imploding, food prices are soaring while shortages ensue, and inflation is wreaking havoc on the average man and woman. This is undeniable, and here’s the painful truth: it’s not going to improve in the long term.

How do I know that? Well, it’s simple—they have told us that it won’t for years now.

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When I say “they,” I of course mean the global elites. You know, the kind of people that run the Central Banking Cabal. The kind of people who meet in Davos annually to plan our lives. The kind who gameplan global pandemic events just months before they occur in real life. Those who have books prepared about said pandemic events before they even take place, and who have “vaccines” ready to roll out just two days after the release of a virus’ genome.

These are the kind of people who fill our governmental offices with their puppets, while offering the illusion that we have a say in such things. I am referring to those who make up the Freemasonry enterprise, providing us with our favorite actors, politicians, world leaders, athletes, and everything else of importance.

You know, “they.”

While the world grows darker, living conditions worsen, and our rights and freedoms disappear with each passing day, remember that they told us it would happen.

Remember all the globalists talking about the “Great Reset” with the release of COVID-19? 2030 would be the year that the Great Reset would be fully accomplished, and we were already living in a “New Normal.” We had to “Build Back Better” from the pandemic. Everything would be forever changed, for reasons that normal people could never comprehend.

As Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, proudly proclaimed: “This pandemic has offered us an opportunity for a reset.”

Klaus Scwhab, the founder of the Word Econic Forum, tied the Build Back Better campaign and the Great Reset together for us: “It’s a big effort to—some would say to build back better—we would say to really have great reset.”

Similar things were said everywhere and by all of the global “elites.” They were absolutely transparent and boastful about their plans for the world, and that COVID-19 would be the driving force behind it.

But why did a virus that had a lower mortality rate than the seasonal flu—and one that overwhelmingly claimed those who had surpassed normal life expectancy—need to change the world forever?

Don’t ask questions! It simply needed to.

As mentioned earlier, some people even wrote books claiming exactly that: the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated global disruptions and a Great Reset of the world’s economy. Moreover, people like Bill Gates, Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci (remember him?), and their demonic cronies have continued to tell us that we will have another pandemic. Yes, one in the form of the “other” great pandemic—COVID-19.

We are not done with anything . . . anything.

What I am saying, friends, is that everything you are seeing around you is happening by design. As I detailed in my video and book, System of the Beast, COVID-19 was the catalyst to energize their master plan. We are now seeing the long-term effects of this plan play out in front of us. I even made the case—which I stand by—that COVID-19 was the Great Lie that swept across the entire world.

When you close the world’s economy, shelter in place, lock people down, and destroy the supply chain on a global scale, then you are preparing the world for both immediate and long-term destruction. They knew this, while most people denied it. “Nah . . . it couldn’t be!”

Well, it is. The banking situation is part of the plan to move toward totally digital currencies. Each of us will someday (soon) need to play by the rules of the Beast’s System to function in the world. The food crises are connected, obviously. You cannot tank the banking system and the overall economy without them. You also cannot make people dependent upon the government and the emerging monetary system without them.

All of this is necessary for control. If you want to bank, eat, and live in this world, you will have to do it by their rules. For example, you don’t want a mystery “vaccine” for the next mega-virus? Too bad: I guess your social credit score just dropped through the floor!

This may seem over the top to some, but it’s the same message many of us have been preaching for several years now. It’s also the reality that continues to emerge around us, in every way previously mentioned. As it was with the pandemic and the Killer Jabs produced to accelerate it, only those with eyes to see and ears to hear will understand.

This is the world “they” promised us. Are you surprised to see they meant it?

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There are many things in life that have no need of certainty. How did things like pogs, yoyos and crocs ever become national sensations? Why is it called a “pair of jeans” when we don’t call one half of a “pair” just a “jean”? What on earth really happened to Jeffrey Epstein?

This doesn’t simply apply to matters that have little bearing on our lives, either. Ultimately, what car or home we buy, where we work, and even who we choose to marry—while all being very important here and now—only matter for a finite period.

When you get down to it, only one thing in all of life has everlasting implications: whether I am saved.

The “I” part, of course, is not simply about Brian Rossiter but is about all of us. You must ask yourself the same question—am I saved? Ultimately, nothing else amounts to a blade of grass or clump of dirt if the answer to that question is no.

I have been asked many times throughout my ministry—typically by honest, God-fearing people—how (or if) we can know for sure that we are saved. My answer is always the same: Yes, we can know that we are saved.

Don’t worry; I plan to unpack the “how” part throughout this article.

However, we must briefly begin with what it means to be saved in the first place. Without an explanation of that, the rest could never make sense.

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What is Salvation?

Acts 4:11-12 makes it clear that salvation is found only through one name: Jesus, the Son of God:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus said these famous words concerning himself in John 14:6:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Further, this simple—but life-changing—reality is echoed multiple times and ways throughout the Bible:

“Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”[1]

Those who truly seek the Lord will find salvation. This reality is made clear all throughout the New Testament, and was prophesied in the writings of the Old Testament.

Salvation is typically characterized with descriptions like “to save, help in distress, rescue, deliver, or set free.” While this often refers to perilous times or calamitous events, I am of course talking about something different.

Salvation, in the holistic sense, is about being forgiven for our sinful acts and spared the much-deserved consequences of these acts. Chiefly, salvation is about being spared from an everlasting sentence to hell (Gehenna) and instead being rewarded with everlasting life in the new heavens and new earth.

While many terms—like justification, regeneration, and sanctification—and some very involved issues—like the role of faith and works—are involved in the reality of salvation, it essentially comes down to my explanation above.

Being “saved” is something that begins when we invite Christ into our lives but has no ending; not in this life or the life of the world to come. Further, salvation is not something one seizes and then inherently possesses for the rest of time. Salvation is an unending process that we very much participate in.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purposes” (Phi. 2:12-13).

Salvation is an ongoing process that involves a continuous relationship with God, the results of which have indescribable—and everlasting—effects.

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How Do We Know We Are Saved?

With a workable explanation of salvation in place, we are now prepared to answer the question raised in the title of this blog: Am I really saved?

I recall once running into a group of “evangelizers” at a festival and being asked if I was a believer. Trying to be polite, I said: “I know the Lord.” My courtesy was rewarded with this smug response: “Well, how do you know that you know Him?”

While this individual was clearly more invested in making a show of himself than assisting in my spiritual life—the group had banners, signs and such, after all—the truth is that the question is a vital one. How do we know that we know the Lord? How do we know that we are saved?

There are many ways that one could attempt to answer this question. We can certainly first understand this reality: we can know that we are saved because God tells each of us.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16).

The true believers will feel the Spirit of God’s indwelling presence and know that we are part of God’s family. This is both true and incredibly powerful. However, I want to suggest that there is more to this.

As previously mentioned, salvation is not simply a feeling or a “one and done” experience. Rather, salvation is an ongoing process that lasts throughout our lives here and in the hereafter. With that said, let me offer what I feel is an all-encompassing suggestion about how we can truly know we are saved, and pardon me for answering a question with a question. In this case, I feel it’s the most impactful way to appropriately frame the issue:

Are we becoming more like Christ or more like Adam?

That’s it. The answer to this question will determine if we are saved and, nearly as importantly, how we can know it. It’s truly that simple but, as with any serious theological discussion, a basic reality requires adequate unpacking.

My rationale for framing the matter this way is based on my understanding of the entire sinful predicament that we find ourselves in, and on Paul’s comparison of Adam and Jesus. Let’s briefly start with the former, which is a fundamental biblical teaching.

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Our Fallen Nature

We live in a fallen world, and each of us possess a fallen nature. The world is out of sorts and has been since essentially the creation of our race. As I have pointed out in my most recent book, the Bible contains approximately zero chapters where the world operated as it was intended. At least, zero chapters that include the existence of human beings.

No sooner did God create His prized creatures that we mucked up the rest of “very good” world! The Fall of Man, as recorded in Genesis 3, reveals this plainly . Adam, being the first created human being, functioned as our representative; he was the “federal head” of humanity. When Adam fell, we fell. Because of this fateful decision—which was enabled by the evil lure of Satan—we are now born with corrupted bodies that must be transformed, just as we are born with a sinful human nature that must also be transformed.

This reality is literally the great predicament described in Scripture and is the very matter that God has been rectifying since that time. Ultimately, this will only be fully accomplished when Jesus returns and gives us new bodies that can marvelously dwell in the new world he will create.

All this means that we are born to be like Adam; we are born into his image and are under the control of the evil one. That’s our starting point, and there is nothing we can do to prevent that.

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Jesus and Adam

Since we are born into Adam’s fallen image, the obvious conclusion is that we must somehow get out of his image. We must not—we cannot—be like him and expect to be saved. But how does one accomplish the task of being made into a different image?

The bottom line is that there is nothing we can do at all. We have no way of changing our starting point, or even our trajectory, on our own.

The “good news”—quite literally—is that we don’t have to. One facet of Jesus’ entrance into the world and his divine achievements is that he provided the only way to leave the image of Adam and be reborn into another image: his image.

Paul explains this clearly in several places. Of note, Romans 5:12-19 describes the contrast between the only two men in history that served as the heads of humanity. Adam—the “one man”—brought about sin, death, and condemnation to all people. Alternatively, Jesus—the “one man”—brought righteousness, life, and forgiveness to all who follow him.

Paul further explains in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus not only reversed the spiritual effects of Adam’s corruption, but also rectified the physical effects.

“If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man” (15:44-49).

That’s right: though our current bodies are frail and fallen, our resurrection bodies will be patterned after the glorious body of Jesus.

In these two sections of Scripture, Paul clearly contrasts Adam and Jesus, even calling Jesus the “last Adam.” This means that Jesus—being both fully man and fully God—was able to do what no one else could ever accomplish: replace Adam as the head of humanity.

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Conclusion

Are you becoming more like Jesus, or are you remaining like Adam?

This is the pivotal question that we must all ask ourselves. If we are becoming more like Jesus, then we know that we are saved. This does not mean that we will lead spiritually flawless lives. Instead, it does mean that the trajectory of our lives is on the upswing.

It means that we are being spiritually transformed as we go along and are constantly improving: shedding the sinful nature and being transformed into the image of Christ.

A person who is not exhibiting spiritual growth is not saved, plain and simple. Every branch that bears no fruit will be cut off (Jn. 15:2). Every person who does not bear the fruits of the Spirit are indeed performing the acts of the flesh.

Everyone who is not becoming more like Christ is not only becoming more like Adam . . . but is, in fact, becoming something far worse than imagined.

In the end, there are only two paths to take in this life. Each of us are either walking with Christ or walking with Satan. We are either becoming more like Jesus or more like Adam. The former will lead to everlasting life, while the latter will conclude in everlasting condemnation.

The stakes could not be higher and, ultimately, nothing else—not your house, your job, your health, or even your family—means a thing if this issue is not settled in your life.

So, what about you—are you becoming more like Jesus or more like Adam?

I will continue to work this out in my own life and strive to be transformed into the image of the risen Savior. I pray that you will do the same.

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For those interested in knowing more about the Bible in nearly every important way, please see my brand-new book, Simply Scripture. (I keep no proceeds from my books, but reinvest them into my ministry)

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Footnotes

[1] See Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2:21, and Romans 10:13 for a few examples.

Several years back, I wrote numerous blogs and even a rather lengthy book about the state of the dead. Specifically, this was all about how the Bible describes what happens when we die and how the afterlife will play out.

Now, I would like to revisit some of these concepts since many readers were probably not familiar with this website at that time. Since the topic can be extremely expansive, what I hope to offer here is a brief snapshot of my views on the matter.

To state it plainly, I believe that the Bible describes death as the absence of life and a time of unconsciousness until Christ’s return and the resurrection. Put another way, we do not die and go to heaven (or anywhere else).

Instead, we will be resurrected when Christ returns, given new bodies, and then proceed to reign with Christ in the new heavens and new earth that will be made at that time. Only at the resurrection will we live again.”

Let me provide a few of the reasons why I believe this is the case.

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Death as Sleep

The first thing I would like to point out is that the Bible consistently refers to death as “sleep.” In fact, the sleep-death comparison is easily the most widely used association within Scripture. Here is just a sampling of these occurrences:

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 The. 4:13).

“After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up” (Jn. 11:11).

“Then he (Stephen) fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60, my addition in parentheses).

“That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 11:30).

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:50).

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2).

This terminology is used in many other parts of Scripture; the sleep-death analogy is an irrefutable aspect of the Bible.

The question must be raised, then, as to why the biblical authors—and of course God, who inspired them—chose to refer to death as sleep. When you think about it, a couple thoughts emerge as logical explanations.

1). Sleep is an unconscious state of being. Like being in a coma, being asleep is exactly when we would consider ourselves to be unconscious; we have no awareness of the passing of time or what is going on in the world.

2). Sleep is a temporary state of being. So long as one does not pass away in their sleep, they will always wake up. Death, like sleep, is not an endless mode of existence. This reality is, of course, part of the “good news” that Jesus died for our sins and conquered death on our behalf.

I believe this is what the Bible is portraying with its consistent comparison of death and sleep. When we die, we are no longer conscious. As the author of Ecclesiastes said, “The dead know nothing” (9:5). This means that, upon death, the soul—however that is viewed (discussed later)—does not consciously survive the death of the body.

We do not go on to live in heaven, hell, Abraham’s bosom, Hades, or anywhere else in between death and the general resurrection.

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The Resurrection of the Dead

As the church creeds affirm, believers hold to the resurrection of the dead. That is, there will be a day in the future when Christ returns and raises the dead to life.

Biblically, this is undeniable. For those who doubt this, please see my blog here on the resurrection.

With this said, here is the problem with the typical understanding of the afterlife that is taught within most churches and institutes of higher learning: if we continue to persist upon death, then the resurrection is rendered null and void.

Think about it: what is the purpose of being resurrected—that is, raised back to life—if we are already living in heaven or elsewhere?

It is just as the legendary scholar (and martyr), William Tyndale said:  

“And ye, in putting them [the departed souls] in heaven, hell, and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection . . . And again, if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they not be in as good case as the angels be? And then what cause is there of the resurrection?”[1]

Tyndale is correct on all counts, including the objection that we should be given bodies like the angels possess. That is, if believers die and go directly to heaven.

I would go a step further though. Not only does life as a disembodied soul destroy the very purpose of the resurrection, but it in fact destroys the purpose of getting a body at all. If we are able to survive and live in a blissful existence as disembodied souls, then why does God need to add the body at the resurrection?

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Soul Damage

I have separate blogs dedicated to this issue but let me again summarize it here.

One of the major problems with the view that people die and depart to a conscious realm of the dead is the nature of the soul. For such a thing to occur, it would mean that human beings are souls which are trapped within bodies. Oddly, this is exactly how many Christian hymns and teachings describe things.

The immortal Albert Brumley hymn, “I’ll Fly Away,” comes to mind, with its focus on shedding this body so that we (our souls) can “fly away” to heaven.

The very notion of the immortal soul—as described in Neo-Platonic thought and elsewhere—is antithetical to Christian teaching. The Bible does not describe human beings as conscious souls that simply join bodies but could live without them. Rather, the Bible describes us as beings who only live because of the union between the body and the soul.

Simply put, we do not have souls but are living souls. This is very much like the hardware and software of a computer; neither can function apart from the other. Likewise, the body and the soul are both required for life. Take one element away and we no longer have a living being.

But this leads to the problem I am describing here. If the soul really is the “us” that lives within (or attached to) the body, then why on earth would sustaining a physical injury impair our souls? If one sustains a traumatic brain injury, why should the soul—the “real me,” that will later live by itself after death—be harmed? Why should a car wreck or a blow to the head change my identity, if “I” am really the immaterial soul that is living within the body?

This is just one of the many logical problems involved with the popularly held view that people die and go to heaven or hell at death.

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I understand that I have by no means explained every aspect of what is at stake within this one article. I am fully aware that certain passages of Scripture have been widely interpreted to suggest that we do survive death as disembodied entities. Among these are the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the account of the “thief” on the cross, and select other passages of Scripture.

I strongly urge anyone interested in this topic to read my book, The Death Myth, because it covers nearly every argument and passage used to promote disembodied life after death. Of course, it also details all of my arguments to the contrary.

For the time being, please reflect upon the points made here and try to approach the topic with an open mind. I fully understand that there is a strong emotional drive to believe that we and our loved ones will experience an immediate life of bliss upon death. We often badly want to believe that the deceased are “in a better place” and that they are enjoying the splendors of heaven.

However, reality is not determined by what we wish to be true but by what is actually true. In this case, an unconscious state of the dead—as described in the sleep-death analogy and in many other ways throughout the Bible—seems to best adhere with reality.

For those interested, part two of this discussion is on its way. Please check back in and consider subscribing to my blog so that you will be updated whenever new material is available.

I also have numerous videos here, if you would like to check them out.

Until next time, never stop searching for the truth and God bless.

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[1] William Tyndale, An Answer to Sir Thomas More’s Dialogue, book four, chapter four, 180-81.

(For those who want to really delve into the madness, see my video, System of the Beast. It connects all the dots and unveils the evil scheme at work in our world.)

As I have been discussing for the last several years, the all-seeing eye has fixed its gaze upon the entire world. More than that, it runs the world.

In case you didn’t know, the “all-seeing eye” is none other than Satan himself. For those who doubt that, I again point you to my video, System of the Beast.

This has been apparent in Hollywood and much of our culture for a while now, but now it is equally obvious in the world of sports. Take the recent situation with Damar Hamlin. Forget about the entire debacle, as to what really happened on the field and in the days following the event.

Instead, let’s focus on his alleged appearance a couple weeks later during the Bengals-Bills Divisional Round matchup. There, a heavily garbed and shielded “Hamlin” was seen making several gestures toward the cameras and the crowd. The official narrative was that he was making a heart symbol. Adorable, right?

Well, perhaps it would have been . . . if he were actually doing that. Look closely: he was instead doing a very common symbol that is found within the Illuminati and all related societies: the pyramid.

I had to change the colors of the photo a bit, because the originals are blocked by the snow-storm that hit that evening in Buffalo. Can you see the pyramid?

In case you don’t believe this is the pyramid-which hearkens back to Egyptian mythology and is deeply Satanic in nature–then observe the hand symbols that were performed immediately after. Yes, “Hamlin” flashed the infamous 666 sign that is rampant within Hollywood, politics, and now sports.

Further, observe Hamlin’s sacrilegious “Jesus jacket” that he wore at the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

That looks like something that a true Christian would wear, right?

To compound the evidence, compare “Hamlin’s” pyramid and 666 hand signs above with Lebron James’ signs below. Identical right? I suppose James was just making a love symbol as well?

Just to be clear: James incessantly makes the triple-six for all the world to see.

Here, another James (Harden) shows his allegiance to the all-seeing eye.

Kevin Durant knows what power he serves, too.

In truth, it’s been this way for a long time. Just ask Magic and some of the old-time Yankee players.

“The Babe” covers his eye in homage to the one-eyed god.

Yes, it has been this way for a very long time. Probably from the beginning. The difference now is that no one has to hide it. The Devil is no longer in the details, and the examples are endless. See Jamarr Chase and his teammate, Tee Higgins, as well as the other images beneath.

Now, behold Usaine Bolt–perhaps the greatest sprinter of all time–as he puts all the Satanic symbols together for us. Also, note the bottom-left photo where he displays his Masonic ring.

Observe the 666 hand sign, Bolt covering/emphasizing one eye, showing us the Masonic “vow of silence,” and sporting his Masonic ring.

As I have shown ad nauseum in blog and video form, Freemasonry is Satanism in disguise.

With all this in mind, I want to propose something that may sound crazy to some but is simply consistent with the way the world works. I propose that most of our “gifted” athletes are exactly like our “talented” celebrities: they have derived much of their fame and abilities from their pact with Satan.

If you find this idea to be radical, understand that many of our cherished musicians and stars of film have downright bragged about “making it big” purely because of their pact with Satan. Don’t believe me? I have personally shown this for the likes of Bob Dylan, Yungblood, Pete Davidson, Katy Perry, Grimes, and Billie Eilish, among others.

[Just see my videos, Making the Pact (parts one and two) for undeniable proof.]

If one can derive musical abilities by calling upon Satan, then why is it a stretch to believe that one could obtain athletic abilities in the same way? Some people are genetically predisposed to have better skills than others, sure. But what about when you get to the very top in all the world?

Perhaps the degree of separation there has no earthly explanation. Obviously, the world-class athletes shown above (and others) believe this, as they consistently pay homage to Satan through their signs and symbols.

But again, beloved readers, the symbols I have shown here are a ubiquitous part of our world. Satan leaves his calling cards with all his followers and, like “legion,” they are many.

Recall a few of the images in my World Beneath series.

For one final piece of evidence, just scan through the images on this link to see a tiny sampling of the harsh reality. There is no denying this!

In the end, my message is the same one that I have been broadcasting for several years now. In simplest terms, the unpleasant truth is that Satan runs the show: nearly every aspect of this corrupt planet. He is the “god of this age,” the “ruler of this world,” and the “prince of the power of the air.”

Step one is coming to understand this reality: coming to really understand it.

Step two is putting as much distance between yourself and this Satanically-led world as possible.

Cling to Christ, hide yourself in Him, and stand firm to the end.

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**Check out my new book, Simply Scripture, available now in eBook and paperback versions!**

Without any question, the Book of Revelation has produced more confusion within the church than any other biblical text. Frankly, it probably isn’t close. Many books have seen their original meaning butchered over time, but Revelation stands on its own pedestal in this regard.

Its rich imagery and blend of literal and metaphorical teachings has led many readers to wild—and often heretical—conclusions. As I have often seen, some are willing to cast aside all other biblical texts and much clearer passages in their quest to hold certain cherished views: views that are typically based on a literal reading of a metaphorical passage.

Add to the mix Revelation’s questionable date of writing and authorship, and it’s not surprising that the book was barely included in the canons of the early church and onward.

But let me be clear: I am not criticizing Revelation or questioning its inclusion in the biblical canon. Moreover, I fully believe that God inspired the book and that it serves as the rightful conclusion to the Bible.

(For those who are interested in how the Bible was put together, please see this blog and my new book, Simply Scripture.)

With this said, my point here is that we all need to use caution when reading Revelation and employ certain interpretive tools in studying it. In other words, the problem with Revelation is not the text itself, but is the way we have been taught (or not taught) to interpret it.

Hopefully, this blog can help to clear up some of the confusion.

Why is Revelation so confusing?

There are several reasons for this. However, the primary reason is that Revelation is not—and never was—intended to convey a chronological account of how history will unfold. We cannot read chapters 1-22 as a continuous series of events. In fact, Revelation is a blended drink of past, present, and future events that are interspersed throughout the text.

For example, the “seals” of Revelation 6 are typically interpreted as describing the events surrounding the last days. However, flip to Revelation 12 and you are dealing with the distant past, wherein Satan is cast out of heaven and begins to pursue God’s people. Head to the very next chapter (13) and you’re back at end time events again (supposedly) involving the two great “beasts” and the Antichrist.

This can be seen throughout Revelation; the only pattern is that there is no pattern!

Second, Revelation is confusing because it also mixes literal and metaphorical teachings from beginning to end. This can be seen in the enigmatic “Mark of the Beast” (discussed in the next section), but it’s also evident throughout. Most scholars see the message to the Seven Churches (cc. 2-3) as being sent to churches that literally existed in that day. The same reality applies to the creation of the new heavens and earth (ch. 21), being that it is echoed in other parts of Scripture (Is. 65:17-25, 2 Pet. 3:13). Other examples include the final judgment, the destruction of Satan, and the return of Christ (22:12).

All are typically viewed as literal descriptions of either the past, present or future.

On the other hand, most—and I do mean most—of Revelation has a very symbolic flavor. That simple statement will sit uneasy with many readers, but it’s undeniable. Moreover, it’s exactly what the author (and God) intended!

Should we really believe that a great beast will one day emerge from the sea (13:2-8), or might that be an allusion to a Satanic empire? Does it make sense that angels will literally pour “bowls of wrath” out onto the earth (ch. 16), or might that be illustrating the calamities that will befall the world? Do we really think that locust/horse/scorpion creatures with human faces will be unleashed to torture the unbelieving world, or is that also an illustration that severe wrath will come upon the godless?

If we are being honest, we know that these images are not intended to be taken literally but symbolically. Revelation is replete with similar examples.

Indeed, when the chronological and symbolic issues are combined, Revelation can make for a fascinating but difficult read.

Keys to Interpretation

While there is no exact recipe to properly understanding every aspect of Revelation, there are certainly some keys that can help us.

The first key is understanding the historical context of Revelation. Contrary to what many would like to believe, the book was not written exclusively to those who will be living in the last several years of human history. Like any other biblical text, Revelation has a message for all generations of believers. Imagine if everyone who has read (or heard) this incredible text for the last two thousand years believed that it had no bearing on their lives: that only the last generation of believers could apply its teachings to themselves?

Well, that is apparently what many have come to believe. But let’s be clear: Revelation has not been holding most of its meaning for the final days. Like Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, and other passages, Revelation does have some end time application, to be sure. However, this is a relatively small amount of its overall content.

Most of Revelation had bearing on people’s lives throughout history. This is especially true given that its central purpose is to affirm God has the final victory, and that the world will one day be set right.

The second key is connected to the first, and it’s that John (presuming he was the author) drew heavily upon OT concepts and teachings. One simply cannot understand Revelation without appreciating this fact. Let me provide a couple examples to consider.

Revelation 12 discusses the “Great Harlot.” I have made the case that I believe this figure saw its initial (or historical) fulfilment in Jerusalem. The reason is that Revelation’s description of the Harlot almost perfectly echoes Ezekiel 16’s portrayal of Jerusalem as the adulterous wife. Both readings are rather long, but looking at them side-by-side plainly reveals that John was pulling from Ezekiel’s words.

On twelve separate occasions within Ezekiel 16 alone, God calls Jerusalem a harlot (zanah). This is sometimes translated instead as “prostitute,” as is the term used for harlot (porné) in Revelation 17. Clearly, it’s the same idea being expressed; Jerusalem—encompassing God’s people, here—had continuously betrayed her Husband by fornicating with many other lovers.

Another example of Revelation’s OT connection is, believe it or not, seen in the “Mark of the Beast” in chapter 13. While this is almost always viewed exclusively as a physical identifier that will be placed on either the right hand or the forehead—and in the final years of human history, no less—the reality is that this is much more of a symbolic identifier.

On at least five occasions in the OT, the Jewish people were commanded to place God’s laws on their hands and on their heads.[1] This was the most sacred duty—contained within the Shema—for those who worshipped Yahweh. They were instructed to instill God’s laws in their lives:

“Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads” (Dt. 6:8).

This was not intended to be taken literally, though many Jewish leaders did so (Mt. 23:5). Instead, this was a symbolic gesture of one’s allegiance to God. Binding the laws to the forehead meant ingraining them into the mind. What about the right hand, though? In Scripture, the right hand symbolizes honor and power. For example, notice that Christ ascended to the “right hand” of God (Mk. 16:19). However, it can also represent the actions we undertake.

When Revelation talks about the “right hand,” it is talking about carrying out the actions of our will: acting upon what is in our hearts and minds.

Clearly, Revelation was drawing upon the OT Shema, meaning that there is at least a strong symbolic meaning to the “Mark of the Beast.” For more on this, see this blog.

Cracking the Code

With the previous section in mind, let’s finish with a practical view of Revelation and how best to interpret it.

It’s imperative that we understand that Revelation’s content is a blend of time periods, as well as literal and symbolic teachings. If you put the past, present and future into a blender—adding copious amounts of literal and allegorical teachings to the mix—what would come out is the Book of Revelation.

It is a terrible mistake to interpret every bit of the book literally or to see it as an explanation of how history will or has unfolded from front to back. We need to be extremely cognizant of which time period each passage is addressing, understanding that Revelation often deals with things that are now in our past.

Further, we must also remember that Revelation is steeped in Old Testament symbolism and teachings. We must ask what the author had in mind and what text/s he was drawing from. What OT parallels should we be considering? How should those parallels inform our interpretation of a given section of Revelation? These are both serious and critical considerations.

I have saved perhaps the most important suggestion for last. The simple reality is that Revelation must be viewed in light of the rest of Scripture.

I cannot stress this one enough.

The biggest problem I see with how many people interpret Revelation is that they start there and then interpret the rest of the Bible based on their understanding of Revelation. This, dear friends, is completely backwards. Given Revelation’s undeniable mystery and interpretive difficulties—which I have previously discussed—it makes no sense to use it as the foundation for our entire eschatological worldview.

In fact, it’s a recipe for disaster.

I’ll give you a powerful example. If you studied all of Scripture concerning Christ’s return, you would find that he returns only once and that the righteous and wicked are separated at that time.[2] What you will find nowhere else in the Bible is an allusion to a 1,000-year Millennial Reign that is sandwiched between Christ’s return and the ultimate destruction of evil.

Such a view is contrary to every other biblical passage, particularly those passages that require much less interpretation. See Matthew 24, Luke 17:20-37, John 5:28-29, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 for some examples.

So, is Revelation wrong? Of course not! As I said in the beginning, it is our interpretation that is wrong. The “thousand years” of Revelation makes much better sense as a symbolic period wherein Christ reigns over the church from heaven after the Resurrection. In other words, the thousand years has been occurring since that time!

This is consistent with how “a thousand years” is used throughout most of the Bible, as illustrated in Psalm 50:10, 91:7, 90:4, and 2 Peter 3:8, to name only a few. I explain this interpretation in much greater detail here.

All this speaks to our interpretive lens. If we remember that much of Revelation is symbolic, that it does not follow in chronological order and, most importantly, that Revelation must be evaluated in light of the rest of Scripture—especially passages that are much more clearly stated—then Revelation need not be so confusing.

In fact, Revelation can be one of the most impactful and enlightening books in all of Scripture.

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[1] See Exodus 13:9 and Dt. 6:8-9, and 11:18.

[2] See Dan. 12:1-2, Mt. 13:24-42, and Rev. 22:12.

Are you looking to better understand the Bible?

If so, Simply Scripture is a logical choice for your next read.

I put this book together after years of research into the many texts and teachings of the Bible. What I came to understand is that most believers–even those who have studied Scripture for years–have never been properly introduced to many aspects of God’s word. There is truly a vast ocean of issues surrounding the Bible, and some of them are vital in developing a deeper faith and appreciation for the only collection of books that the true God has given to the world.

Why were the books of the Bible chosen? What others were excluded, and why? How many authors were involved, and just how involved were they? Why were the books of the Bible put in that order? Why do we believe that God participated in the writing process of Scripture and its overall formation? Why did they even write the books of the Bible to begin with? What is so special about this collection of books when millions of others now exist? What is with all the translations? There are so many other questions we could ask about the nature of the Bible itself, and nearly all of these are preliminary issues. Put another way, they exist separately—for the most part—from the content of Scripture itself.

In Simply Scripture, I answer all these questions and many more. My sincere prayer is that this text will be a valuable asset in your journey of faith, and that it will provide you with the tools to better understand the greatest book in all the world–the Bible!

You can grab the paperback version here, and the eBook version by clicking here.

God bless!

(For those who want to see the entire Satanic scheme at work in our world, please see my video, System of the Beast on Rumble.)

Over the last couple of years, I have written several blogs in the “World Beneath” series. In particular, parts one and two illustrate the connection between the Freemason enterprise and the greater Satanic cult that runs our world.

I am daily reminded of this connection, but Elon Musk’s latest charade brought it fresh to my mind. For those who don’t understand the terror that is Elon Musk, please see my article here. For those who want an immediate image to prove the point, take a gander below.

(Musk, donning an ode to the Satanic Baphomet with an upside-down cross as the centerpiece.)

Putting Musk aside for the moment, another thing that reignited my interest in this topic is what I saw yet again at my town’s local festival in October, 2022.

In part three of The World Beneath, I showed just how thoroughly the Masonic-Satanic connection has saturated our culture by showcasing some children’s art that I discovered at said festival in 2021. This so-called “art” paid clear homage to the “eye of Horus,” which is really just the eye of Satan. Before proceeding, I strongly urge you to go back and revisit my prior article.

Again, here is the link.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the hideous pictures I displayed in that article is how many readers attempted to tell me how “rare” it is. Put another way, the artwork I was showing was apparently just the product of one school system, one teacher, and one particular, local agenda. “These photos don’t suggest that the practice of worshipping the all-seeing eye is rampant among our youth,” I was reassured.

Well, allow me to flatten this notion. I returned to the same festival about a month ago and discovered exactly the same thing. In fact, it’s even worse. Now, all manner of age groups, schools, and instructors can be pinpointed. Make no mistake about it: this is a pervasive problem.

Observe the latest . . .

(Here, the person in the picture is clearly emphasizing one eye.)

(All-seeing eyes for all to see.)

(The same applies here. Elementary children, grades 4-6, are showcasing the all-seeing eye.)

(I took only one from this section, though there were literally countless others in the display.)

(More homage to the one-eyed god.)

(Now we take it up a notch. The eye is concealing none other than Satan himself. It doesn’t get any clearer than this one!)

(I saved my personal favorite for last. Not only is the girl in the picture covering one eye, but she is using an animal skull to do it. This adds to the Satanic theme at play.)

These photos represent only a tiny fraction of the ones present at the art display. I assure you that there were all-seeing eyes showcased from almost every age group and every school district. This is not (I repeat, NOT) an isolated incident.

The takeaway is the same as it was within the first three articles: Satan has so come to dominate this world that his fingerprints can be seen everywhere. Everywhere. He tucks our children in to sleep, crafts their music and programming, controls their precious idols, and even shapes their art.

The figure that the Bible calls the “god of this world” really is . . . you guessed it . . . the god of this world.

Everyone reading this needs to put as much distance between themselves and this corrupt world as humanly possible. Cling to Christ and flee from Satan.

There is no other way.

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The notion of a secret “Rapture” that splits Christ’s return into two parts is a pervasive lie within many parts of the church. In this video, I help to dispel the myth.

See these related blogs concerning the Millennial Reign and how the current nation of Israel is really connected to the end time events.

Click here to see my other videos on Rumble.

*This article was taken from an upcoming book that I have been working on called, Simply Scripture: What You Need to Know about the Bible. When ready, I will announce it on this website.

Critics sometimes assert that the Bible was formed by a council of men, who basically threw darts at a board to decide which books should be accepted. Either that, or it is suggested that some group of ruling elites simply chose a bunch of books that would fit their conspiratorial agenda. Both views are false; they couldn’t be farther from the truth. The fact is that the books included within the Bible had long been recognized by the church as inspired works before they were established as the biblical canon. I will mainly describe the NT canon, because more is known about how it came to be than is known about the OT canon. However, I will also discuss elements of the OT canon as well.

Most people within the mainline church—rather than the many smaller, heretical groups of the day (like the Gnostics)—already viewed the texts as instructional and authoritative. The NT books could be traced back to Jesus’ closest followers, whether directly or indirectly. Again—and this point cannot be emphasized enough—those books selected for the “canon of Scripture” were previously recognized by worshipping communities as divinely inspired and authoritative. This did not mean they were always accepted everywhere but they certainly were in general. While the exact process of canonization—how the biblical texts were selected and compiled into a finished volume—is an extremely complex matter, we know that the books included had long been cherished within the religious communities.

Clearly, the issues surrounding the authorship of the OT canon are more difficult to explain than those of the NT. The books are so ancient, having been written over the course of many centuries and in so many different circumstances, that it is virtually impossible to know who all the authors were. We can be sure, however, that the Jewish people believed these texts to be divinely inspired. The texts where authorship was in question had to align with those books with known authors, like most of the Major Prophets and the Pentateuch.

The NT is a bit different, for numerous reasons. Its books were written within a much smaller time frame (roughly within forty years or so), they describe events that would have occurred in the very recent past, and some (though very few) physical texts were being used by early Christian communities. As a result, we know who wrote most of the NT texts and we even have a solid idea of when each was written.

All this pertains to the issue of how the Bible was compiled and which books were selected. When the need arose to choose the various books that would be included, these factors were heavily involved. The way the OT came together is a complicated matter, but we can understand the broader brushstrokes of the process. When the Jewish people returned to their lands after exile—under the guidance of Ezra and Nehemiah—they had no temple and not much in the way of a normal civilization. They did, however, have writings about their history; their “scriptures.” Chiefly, this centered on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT). The exile gave them a sense of urgency not only to record their history but to preserve the writings and traditions they already had. There was no definitive list of books that were included (or excluded) from being considered as Jewish scripture until the 2^nd century AD.[1]

There were multitudes of books that the Jewish community referenced and viewed as authoritative, some of which are not contained within Protestant Bibles or even within the more inclusive Catholic Bible. For example, Jesus and Jude both referenced writings from the “Septuagint,” or the Greek translation of the OT. This collection, as a whole, did not come to exist until sometime in the 3^rd century but parts of it were written before the Hebrew texts (for a given book). While it may be strange to hear, the OT canon was not set and universally recognized in ancient Jewish history or even during the time of Jesus and the apostles. Many texts were considered authoritative, obviously, but the breadth and scope of these books was much larger than the thirty-nine books we now have.

Concerning the NT, a series of influential Christian thinkers and church councils—mostly from the 4^th century—revealed which books were finally viewed as authoritative and divinely inspired. However, none of the seven Ecumenical Councils— the meetings that were convened to determine doctrine and church practice—specifically took up the issue of what should be classified as Scripture. Like the OT, but to a lesser extent, the process of canonization for the NT is not perfectly concrete. Still, we can certainly understand the key points of how it occurred. Keep in mind that the original texts (again, the “autographs”) of the NT were written before the beginning of the 2^nd century. What we are dealing with here is how the many texts written during that era came to be viewed as sacred Scripture. It is logical to begin with the “first church historian,” Eusebius, who wrote about the books that were regarded in this way. In his work, Ecclesiastical History (C. AD 320-330), he said that the church recognized twenty-two of the books we currently have in the NT and that five were in question.[2]

By AD 350, we know that twenty-six books of the NT were widely considered as Scripture, thanks to the writings of Cyril of Jerusalem. He excluded only Revelation, because of authorship questions. This was also later the case at the Synod of Laodicea (AD 363). In AD 367, a theologian named Athanasius established what we believe to be the first complete list of books that represented the NT as we have it. This marked the distinction between the twenty-seven books that were universally accepted within the church and the many that were not.[3] The excluded books were often popular within various Christian communities but did not make the cut because they weren’t overwhelmingly seen as authoritative. Afterwards, Gregory of Nazianzus (AD 390) recognized the same twenty-seven books, as did the African Canons (C. AD 393-419), Jerome (AD 394), Augustine (C. AD 395-400), and the Carthage Synod followed suit when it reconvened (AD 419).[4] This emphatically shows that, from the 4^th century onward, the books we now read in the NT were being viewed as Scripture.

The provides us with a general understanding of how both the Old and New Testaments came to exist in their current forms. Here, I acknowledge that we have only scratched the surface of what could be said. This issue can go as deep as anyone could want to go, and those interested in getting more specific have a variety of texts to consider.[5] Even after the early 5^th century, debates continued about what books should be accepted or rejected from the Bible, and this often depended on the era and the location of the Christian community in question. In fact, the differences between most Protestant Bibles and Catholic Bibles (and others) shows that some debate still exists. However, the similarities far outweigh the differences.[6]

For all intents and purposes, both Bibles would possess the key texts that were recognized in early Christianity; it’s just that the Catholic Bible is slightly more inclusive of certain texts that were in question. I am not Catholic, but I personally feel like the additional books of the Catholic Bible should be read, studied, and valued. At the least, they certainly do not change the key points of the biblical narrative or contradict the books contained within the Protestant Bible in any meaningful way.

It is important to note that those who debated which books should be included and excluded took a minimalist approach. That is, they were more concerned with rejecting unworthy texts than they were with adding texts; they were not looking to throw every possible book together into a canon. This means that they were highly selective and generally preferred to reject a questionable book rather than view it as sacred. Another crucial thing to understand is that the books within the Bible were not written, edited, or anything of the sort by the theologians mentioned, but were ratified. This means that their writings simply indicated that certain texts were essential. As such, they were recognized by the church as being inspired and useful for instruction.

This is critical and is probably the biggest source of confusion for people (especially skeptics). No individual or council changed the ancient writings, nor did they “invent” anything. These scholars simply described the books that were already being viewed (for centuries) as sacred and finally regarded them as a collection: as a “canon.”

To further illustrate how selective the church was, there were various criteria they appear to have used in evaluating a book for the canon, though not all were succinctly stated. Not only did the writing have to be very popular and largely accepted by the church for the last several centuries, but it also had to be authored by someone with recognized authority. There was certainly a precedent for this with the OT texts. It was very common for authors to pose as a prominent Jewish figure (like Solomon, for example) to give their writings credibility. In general, the OT texts that were accepted within the Jewish communities had to be reasonably linked to the ministries of their recognized figures, such as Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the like.

Concerning the NT, the text had to be written by either an eyewitness of Jesus or a companion of that witness. Put another way, it either needed to be traced back to a prominent church figure (like an apostle or a brother of Jesus) or at least to someone who was strongly associated with them (like Mark or Luke). This is true of all the NT texts, with very few exceptions.[7] It was simply not acceptable for just anyone to write a book and for it to be viewed as inspired. If an unknown author were to have a book that was widely considered as scripture, their text must have been remarkably strong in the orthodoxy (right teaching) category, and others. Even then, there was likely the assumption that someone with authority wrote it.

Another piece of criteria was that a book must be written within a reasonable time of the events it describes. All the NT texts were written in the same century of Christ’s ministry, and almost all existed within forty years of it. Many of the excluded books were written well after that time, sometimes even a century or so later. Obviously, that presents a major problem. These texts—and their authors—were clearly too far removed from the events described to be considered credible. Lastly, accepted texts had to be consistent with what was widely recognized as true within the Jewish and Christian communities.

If a prophetic writing contradicted the message of the prophet Isaiah, for instance, it would either be considered heretical or as possessing too many flaws to be authoritative. If a book depicted the life of Jesus in ways that weren’t consistent with the trusted sources of the day—like Matthew, John, or Paul—then it would be seen in much the same way. Even certain NT writings referred to other recent writings as “Scripture,” all the way back in the 1^st century.[8] This means that, very early on, certain books were being considered authoritative within the Christian community. As you can see, there were many safeguards in place and the books that were believed to be inspired and authoritative were anything but haphazardly thrown together. The process for selecting texts was extremely deliberate.

But why did this need to be done at all, and why was the process of canonization so heavily discussed in the 4^th century? For starters, we cannot overlook the fact that an established way of understanding the person of Jesus was necessary before any genuine set of books could be established. The church did not formally do this until the Ecumenical Councils of the 4^th century, most notably at the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325. It would have been nearly impossible to discuss all the texts that correctly described Jesus—though some, like the Gospels, were already clearly recognized as authoritative—before having an agreed understanding of the humanity and divinity of Jesus. One reason why the need to agree upon a canon became urgent at that time is that others were attempting to create their own. More than simply arguing for a multitude of texts, the push for entire lists of “accepted” books had become a major problem. Most notably, and well before the 4^th century, a man named Marcion (or, Marcion of Sinope) offered his own canon.

Marcion’s story is a rather complex one,[9] and it would be unfair to simply label him as a monster without delving far into the subject. However, most of the early church sources were extremely critical of Marcion, to put it mildly. What we can say is that he put together a NT canon that may have been the first ever, and which was assembled with some very misguided beliefs. His view that the Jewish and Christian writings described God differently, along with his misunderstanding about how Paul interpreted the Mosaic Law, caused Marcion to identify a very small number of texts as “Scripture” and to reject the rest.

As a result, he settled on ten selected versions of Paul’s letters and the Gospel of Luke as his personal canon (eleven texts in all). Obviously, this disregarded all the other NT texts we now have—which were also then widely accepted within the church—and the version of Luke he used was dissected to include only the parts he liked. This was especially problematic because Marcion had accumulated a significant following in and around Rome, which is where he had relocated at some point during the early 2^nd century.

While Marcion’s canon may have been the first, it was not the only one that would emerge. Some scholars believe that Marcion’s canon served as a catalyst for various other groups to form their own, and he undoubtedly played a similar role in urging the formation of the official NT canon.[10] So, in a sense, he was a very important figure in Christian history regardless of how misguided he was. Certainly, this all reveals that the push for heretical texts and false canons originated long before the 4^th century. For example, the “Pseudepigrapha”—or the collection of “falsely attributed” works—had been in process for hundreds of years. As I briefly mentioned before, these texts followed a distinct pattern where an author would claim to be someone else to steal or piggyback off their credibility. What appears to have occurred by the 4^th century is that false texts and canons had become so prominent that the more powerful members of the church decided it was time to clear things up, once and for all. At the least, this was one of the driving forces involved.

With Christianity being recognized as the official religion of the Roman Empire by then, this made even more sense at the time. The collection of books contained within the Protestant Bible (or the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles) went through a variety of filters, were carefully chosen, and had already been considered authoritative for hundreds of years before the issue of canonicity was largely settled. While many parts of this overall progression are unknown to us, Scripture was formed through a painstaking process that spanned many centuries. Those who say otherwise are either unaware of how this worked or are intentionally being dishonest. At the same time, anyone who suggests that the process of canonization was quick and simple are also in grave error.

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Looking for a new book to read? Check out my available titles, below.

System of the Beast: The Terrifying World Emerging Before Us

God Made the Aliens: Making Sense of Extraterrestrial Contact

Spiritual Things: Exploring our Connection to God, the Angels, and the Heavenly Realm

Missing Verses: 15 Beliefs the Bible Doesn’t Teach

The Death Myth: Uncovering what the Bible Really Says about the Afterlife

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Footnotes

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[1] See Lee Martin McDonald’s talk, “How was the Old Testament Canon Formed?” I highly recommend that you listen to this video and investigate his many writings on the formation of the biblical canon.

[2] The five in question were James, Jude, 2 Peter and 2-3 John. The question surrounded authorship, and that particular debate still exists today. See Michael Licona’s talk, “How the Canon of the Bible Was Formed,” for more on this.

[3] See the International Bible Society’s article, “How were the books of the Bible chosen,” for more information.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Of these many texts, I recommend Bruce’s The Canon of Scripture and McDonald’s The Formation of the Biblical Canon as great starting points.

[6] The Protestant and Catholic Bibles agree entirely on the twenty-seven NT books and the Catholic Bible adds only seven texts to the OT, along with small additions to Daniel and Esther.

[7] Only Hebrews would fall into this category but, as I have mentioned several times, the book has always been associated with Paul in one way or another. Plus, its content is rich and totally consistent with everything else we read in the NT. Beyond this, a small number of texts have been questioned in terms of their authorship, which means we cannot say with complete certainty that they fit all these criteria. However, both tradition and the consistency of their content validates their place in the Bible.

[8] For two examples, 2 Peter 3:16 refers to Paul’s writings as “Scripture” and it’s possible that 1 Timothy 5:18 refers to the Gospel of Luke in this way.

[9] For a quick summation of Marcion and his beliefs, I refer you to Andrew Henry’s video, “What Did Marcion Believe?”

[10] Ibid.

There are no shortage of mysteries within the Book of Revelation, particularly as things pertain to its numerous symbolic figures. I have written elsewhere about the “Beasts” of Revelation 13, as well as the enigmatic “Mark of the Beast.” Here, I would like to make some informed speculation about the identity of the “Great Harlot” of Revelation 17.

Can this figure be known, or can we at least find a likely candidate based on the textual clues?

I believe so, but it will take some unpacking.

________________

The Harlot of History

Whenever discussing most (though not all) aspects of biblical prophecy, it’s important to understand that the subject being evaluated must have had meaning to the original audience. In this case, that means that the Harlot figure had bearing on the lives of those hearing Revelation read aloud in their worshipping communities, near AD 100.

This critical point can lead us to uncovering who the Great Harlot may have been, in an historical sense.

One of the most ignored aspects of Revelation—and perhaps the main reason why the book is often so misunderstood—is that its author[1] drew heavily upon the Old Testament, especially the Major Prophets. In my article about Revelation 13, I discussed the fact that the “Mark of the Beast” can only truly be understood in light of the Shema; that is, the head and the right hand are almost certainly symbols pertaining to giving one’s will and actions over to Satan.

Just as believers are marked with the “Seal of God” (7:3), the unrepentant are marked with the “Mark of the Beast” (13:16).

With that said, I believe that the Great Harlot has a similar OT parallel, and it is found in Ezekiel 16. When this chapter is read alongside of Revelation 17, the similarities literally jump off the page.

On twelve separate occasions within Ezekiel 16 alone, God calls Jerusalem a harlot (zanah). This is sometimes translated instead as “prostitute,” as is the term used for harlot (porné) in Revelation 17. Clearly, it’s the same idea being expressed; Jerusalem—encompassing God’s people, here—had continuously betrayed her Husband by fornicating with many other lovers.

She had chosen to be unfaithful to God, so that she could passionately entertain the many false gods of the surrounding pagan world.

“But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his . . . At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by . . . You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!”[2]

This is just a few verses of the sexual carnage displayed by the people of Jerusalem, and the entire chapter of Ezekiel 16 reads in much the same way. In fact, both the Major and Minor Prophets consistently referred to the Jewish nation as an adulterous whore. (Their words, not mine!)

With that said, let’s now consider what is revealed in Revelation 17 about the Great Harlot. We know from the text that the Harlot John saw was “sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns” (17:3b.) This beast was previously depicted in Revelation 13 and, as I describe in this blog, it corresponds with the creature in Daniel 7:7-8. That said, this terrible beast is almost universally (and rightly, I think) recognized by biblical scholars as symbolizing the Roman Empire.

So, the Harlot—whoever she was—acted in coordination with the Roman Empire. She was even clothed in purple and scarlet and was adorned with luxurious items (17:4), thus showing that she shared in the vast wealth of the empire.  

We are also told the Harlot was “drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus” (17:6). This is extremely telling. This means, without question, that the Harlot joined with Caesar in martyring the saints. That is, she put Christ’s followers to death.

Now, who on earth could this mysterious figure be? She is steeped in riches, works in conjunction with the Roman Empire, and even persecutes God’s holy people.

Yet again, we arrive at the same conclusion: the Harlot is none other than Jerusalem.

In the first century, the Jewish authorities joined with the Roman Empire—prompted them, really—to murder Jesus, their King. And what did they say when Pilate tried to dissuade them?

“They cried out, ‘Away with him, away with him, crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar” (Jn. 19:15).

Further, Jesus made their allegiance to murdering God’s people plain during his ministry:

“Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” (Lk. 13:33).

Elsewhere, Jesus followed up with this theme:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing” (Mt. 23:37)!

This was even the exact point of Jesus’ Parable of the Tenants (Mt. 21:33-46), wherein the chief priests and Pharisees are prophesied as those who murder God’s servants and, ultimately, His Son.

To compound the matter, we also know that it is wholly appropriate to refer to Israel—Jerusalem, in this case—as a woman. In fact, both Israel and the church are referred to as “women.” Revelation 12 points to a good and virtuous woman who is the opposite of the Harlot in chapter 17. The good woman gives birth to the Messiah, while the evil woman effectively puts him to death.

In essence, this represents both the holy nature of Israel as God’s chosen nation and the unholy nature of the corrupt Jewish leadership. This is eerily comparable to the Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly contrast that exists within the Wisdom texts, especially Proverbs.

Another clue within the text is so difficult to detect that one can hardly be blamed for missing it. We are told in 17:6 that John not only “marveled” but “marveled with great admiration” at what he was seeing with the Great Harlot (17:6-7). In other words, this particular vison blew John’s mind! This is remarkable, since John had previously seen visions of beasts emerging from the land and sea (ch. 13), armies of locust men (9:7), and angels pouring bowls of wrath onto the world (ch. 16)!

No, something about this vision startled John more than the others. Could it be because he saw that it was Jerusalem—not any number of the wicked cities described within the OT—that was so thoroughly corrupt?

If this interpretation seems difficult to swallow, then let me assure you that I was not comfortable with it at first, either. I’m still not, for that matter. However, all roads seem to lead to the Harlot of Rome and I see little way around it.

In conclusion, can I—in good conscience—tell you that the Great Harlot is indeed a reference to Jerusalem and the corrupt Jewish leaders of the day? No; of course not.

What I can say is that the shoe fits, and that it fits rather comfortably.

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Teaser: The Harlot of the Present/Future?

With all that was previously said, one important question remains: If Jerusalem truly is the Harlot of Revelation 17, was she the final manifestation of it? Personally, I think not.

In fact—and in my way of thinking—a virtually identical system took its place within the church, not long after its formation.

That, however, will have to be addressed next time.  

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Footnotes:

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[1] The apostle John is historically considered to have authored Revelation. Though many contemporary scholars doubt this reality, the overall evidence is strong that John was at least connected to the text. There is certainly no other legitimate contender, either.

[2] Ezekiel 16:15, 25 and 32 (my emphasis).