Understanding Revelation Commentary 17

 Rev. 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Here's the beast rising up out of the sea. The sea referring to the sea of humanity. Rev. 17:15. Isaiah 17:12-13. The sea of humanity makes sense because the number of the beast is the number of a man, 666. Rev 13:18.

² And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

³ And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

The Bible Story Rev. 12:1-6

The bible story condensed into six verses. The woman, Israel, pained to be delivered. The birth of this child is the one referred to in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The head bruising is initiated with Christ’s death at the cross. Satan’s headship and authority was crushed! That headship will be miraculously restored. Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And again in Rev. 13:14-18 an image of the beast that had the wound by a sword and did live.

⁴ And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

⁵ And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. Three and one half years.

⁶ And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

⁷ And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

⁸ And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

⁹ If any man have an ear, let him hear.

¹⁰ He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

The patience and the faith of the saints not to follow the beast or take his mark.

The False Prophet

¹¹ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. This is the false prophet. Rev. 19:20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

¹² And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

¹³ And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

¹⁴ And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

¹⁵ And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Image of the Beast

This image of the beast has the number of a man, 666. Rev 13:18. The image of the beast is a creation of man. AI is the perfect match for the image of the beast. All of man’s knowledge and work turned over to Satan and darkness. Brought forth, restored headship, in a physical entity; the image of the beast, an AI man, with complete power over mankind!

¹⁶ And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

¹⁷ And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Understanding Revelation Commentary 16

 Rev. 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

² And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

³ And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

⁴ And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

⁵ And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

⁶ And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

The Whole Bible Story

This is the whole bible story condensed into six verses. The woman, Israel, pained to be delivered. The birth of this child is the one referred to in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The head bruising is initiated with Christ's death at the cross. Satan's headship and authority was crushed! That headship will be miraculously restored. Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And again in Rev. 13:14-18 an image of the beast that had the wound by a sword and did live.

This image of the beast has the number of a man, 666. Rev 13:18. The image of the beast is a creation of man. AI is the perfect match for the image of the beast. All of man's knowledge and work turned over to Satan and darkness. Brought forth, restored headship, in a physical entity; the beast, an AI man, with complete power over mankind!

War in Heaven

⁷ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

⁸ And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

⁹ And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

No longer having access to the heavenly realm, Satan's great wrath now executed upon the inhabiters of the earth. Rev. 13:5. He comes into full power here in the middle of the tribulation period. He will continue forty and two months. Three and a half years.

¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

God's Final Judgement and Work

¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Speaking once again of the tribulation saints.

¹² Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Luke 10:18 Jesus said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. His headship being crushed with Christ's work at the cross. And now the completion of the job. Miraculously revived only to be destroyed with Christ's coming at the end of the final week of Daniel. The second half of the tribulation period. Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

¹³ And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

¹⁴ And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. Three and one half years.

The woman, Israel, being supernaturally protected from the dragon and the beast, antichrist. That serpent of old. Genesis 3:14, 15.

¹⁵ And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

¹⁶ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Tribulation Saints.

Understanding Revelation Commentary 15

 Rev. 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

² But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

³ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

⁴ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Three and a half Years

We're in Jerusalem. The two witnesses have power for three and one half years. (A thousand two hundred and threescore days.) The temple of God, the alter and them that worship therein are active. The antichrist, the beast, will terminate this activity in the midst of the week. The middle of the tribulation period. Dan. 9:27. Antichrist will also kill the two witnesses. The outer court and the holy city are tread under foot during this same time. Forty and two months. (Three and a half years.)

⁵ And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

⁶ These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Testimony of the two Witnesses completed

⁷ And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

⁸ And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The great city, Jerusalem, spiritually dead until the Lord restores it to it's proper place.

⁹ And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

¹⁰ And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

¹¹ And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

¹² And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

¹³ And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The affrighted remnant could be the remnant Israel that will flee into the wilderness and receive protection for three and a half years. Those that will reject the beast and his mark. Rev. 12:6, 14.

The Third Woe

¹⁴ The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

¹⁵ And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Just as the beast comes into full power, the third woe and final judgement work of the Lord begins!

¹⁶ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

¹⁷ Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

¹⁸ And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

¹⁹ And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Understanding Revelation Commentary 14

 Rev. 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

² And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

³ And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

⁴ And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

⁵ And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

⁶ And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

⁷ But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The Seven Thunders

Verse 4, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. It wasn't time for these things yet. John had much more work to do first. This is stated in verse 11. But, verse 7, in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. It is clear that we are living in the end times. History and God's word have merged and made this truth crystal clear!

⁸ And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

⁹ And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

The Honey Book

God's word is sweet to the believer. When shared with the world, however, it opens the believer up to ridicule and attack. John 15:18-25 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

²¹ But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. ²³ He that hateth me hateth my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

¹⁰ And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

¹¹ And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Understanding Revelation Commentary 13

 The sounding of the sixth trumpet is completed. We know that in the days when the seventh trumpet begins to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Rev. 10:7. Rev. chapters 10-15 provide important timeline information. After which, the last of the bowl judgements will begin. The final three and a half years of the tribulation period.

Important timeline information is highlighted with three statements

1. The beast comes into full power for 42 months. Three and a half years. Rev. 13:5
2. The two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days. Three and a half years. Rev. 11:3
3. The woman, Israel, is protected by God in the wilderness for 1,260 days. Three and a half years. Rev 12:9.

We know that the beast comes to full power right in the middle of the tribulation period. How do we know? Because at the end of the tribulation period he, the beast, gathers the armies of the earth to do battle against the Lord who comes on the white horse. He, the beast, is in full power. rev 19:19. Also Daniel 9:27 says that in the middle of the week or just as the second half of the tribulation period begins he shall bring an end to the sacrifice and offering. This is the same time that he kills the 2 witnesses and establishes himself as God. 2 Thess. 2:3,4.

The two witnesses

He can't touch the two witnesses for three and a half years. The first 3 and a half years of the tribulation. He, the beast, hasn't come into his full power yet. They, the two witnesses, will have God's power and will prophesy for three and one half years. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouth and devours their enemies. Rev. 11:5. When they finish their testimony, the beast will kill them. This is when the beast comes into full power. The middle of the tribulation period. At the end of the testimony of the two witnesses.

This is the same time that Jesus instructs the woman, Israel, to flee into the mountains. Matt. 24:15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) ¹⁶ Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: The beast, the abomination of desolation, will declare that he is God when he stands in the holy place, the Jewish temple, which is the Daniel 9:27 middle of the week.

Israel will be supernaturally protected by the Lord for three and a half years, 1,260 days, until the end of the tribulation period.

Understanding Revelation Commentary 12

 Revelation 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

The first four trumpets are pretty much self explanatory but now comes something different. The fourth trumpet darkened one third of the day and one third of the night. Now the fifth trumpet which is the first woe. Smoke from the bottomless pit with more darkness.

² And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The Locusts

³ And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

⁴ And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree. But only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

⁵ And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

⁶ And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Shapes of the locusts

⁷ And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle. On their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

⁸ And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

⁹ And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

¹⁰ And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

Five months is about the life span of a locust.

¹¹ And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

This is a demonic plague from the bottomless pit. The locusts have a king. Their king is Abaddon which means destroyer. The angel of the bottomless pit who is under the control of the Lord. God is in control of all of these things!

¹² One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

The Second Woe

¹³ And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

¹⁴ Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

¹⁵ And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

¹⁶ And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Two hundred thousand thousand can be understood as two hundred million.

¹⁷ And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone. The heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

¹⁸ By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

¹⁹ For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

Repent and Trust in Jesus

There's no reason to imagine that these woes are anything more or less than what the text says they are. They could be this. They could be that. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we repent and trust in Jesus so that we can escape all these things. Rev. 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

²⁰ And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands; that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

²¹ Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Understanding Revelation Commentary 11

 Revelation 8:1When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³ And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, ⁴ and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,^[a] flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The prayers of the saints. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. This prayer is about to be realized.

The Seven Trumpets

⁶ Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

The first four trumpets are pretty much self explanatory. The fifth trumpet, however, is something quite different.

⁷ The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. ⁹ A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is Wormwood.^[b] A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

1/3 of light is Darkened

¹² The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

So, just for easy calculation. A third of a 12 hour day would be 4 hours. A third of a 12 hour night would be 4 hours. Darkness for 8 hours. No light. This could be compared to the darkness in a cave deep inside the earth. Turn off the lights and you can't even see your hand in front of you! Or possibly the intensity of the light of a day could be reduced and the light of a night reduced by a third because of cosmic disturbances, anomalies, or debris in the air, etc.

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

The seals, the trumpets, the bowls or vials. Three sets of judgements. There are also three woes starting with the 5th then the 6th trumpet. In the days when the seventh angel is about to sound, the bowls or vials will be revealed and complete the mystery of God that he declared to his servants the prophets. Rev. 10:7  but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets..