The "Tribulation"

“For then [at ‘the end of the age’] there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."  (Matthew 24:3, 21)

Since the beginning of Creation, when Adam and Eve were deceived into forfeiting their dominion over the earth to Satan (the devil), he has held sway over the people of this world, except for the ones chosen by the Lord to be redeemed from the devil’s power (Genesis 1:28; 3:22-24; 1 John 5:19; John 14:30; Psalm 107:2). As will be made clear as we proceed through this commentary, that time of “great tribulation” is included in the last three and one-half years, 42 months, or 1260 days of present world history.

However, Yeshua (“Jesus”) also prophesied that, at the “end of the age” (Matthew 24:3), there will be a seven-year period of time (cf. Daniel 9:27) – what many call the “tribulation” (not the “great tribulation”) – when Satan will be given the power to, first, conquer the whole world, including the parts of it presently controlled by the people of Yehovah (“the LORD”), then, at the midpoint of the seven years, establish his global kingdom, ruled by Satan’s spiritual incarnation the “prince who is to come,” the “one who makes desolate,” the “man of sin,” the “son of perdition,” the “lawless one,” the “beast,” or the false messiah ("Antichrist") (Daniel 9:26, 27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 8; 1 John 2:18; 4:3; Revelation 13:4-5).

The first half of the seven years, during which time Satan will be gaining complete control of the world, was called the “beginning of sorrows” by Yeshua (Matthew 24:8). Then, at the midpoint of the seven years, the false messiah will set up what both Daniel and Yeshua called “the abomination of desolation” in the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15). This abomination was foreshadowed when, in ca. 167 B.C., the evil Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes defiled the Temple by sacrificing a pig and setting up a statue of the Greek god Zeus in it. The ultimate abomination will occur when the false messiah “sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Then, “all hell” will break forth on Earth. This will be the time when the “great wrath” of the devil (Revelation 12:12) will be poured out on the earth through His spiritual incarnation the “beast” (Antichrist).

During that last half (42 months - Revelation 13:5) of the seven years, the false messiah will be given unlimited power over the people of the world, except for a remnant of Israel who will receive special provision and protection from the Lord during that time (Revelation 12:14). It will be a time of unprecedented persecution and martyrdom of true Christians and others who refuse to take the “mark” of the beast (Revelation 12:17; 13:5-7; 11-17). That last 42 months of the Final Seven Years will be the period of time that both Yeshua and the elder in Heaven speaking to John called the “great tribulation” which, if not “cut short,” will be so terrible “no [human] flesh will be saved” (cf. Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 7:14; 12:12). However, that time will be cut short by the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the armies of Heaven to destroy the forces of the world that oppose the Lord Yehovah, cast the beast and his false religious leader (the “false prophet”) into the lake of fire, cast the would-be ruler of this world (the devil) into and lock him away in the “bottomless pit,” and restore the earth to its original, wonderful, Edenic beauty (Isaiah 65:9-10, 16-25; Ezekiel 36:35; John 12:31; Revelation 19:11-20:4; 21:1-7).

Babylon the Great During the Final Seven Years

Ancient Babylon and modern, prophesied Babylon the Great are mentioned more times in the Bible than any other places except Jerusalem and Israel.

How does Babylon the Great (Revelation 17 and 18) fit into the end-times scenario of the Final Seven Years? As a result of his years of prayerful study of current events in the light of Bible prophecy, this watchman believes that the Lord has led him to the following understanding: The U.S.A. is, at the present time, incipient Babylon the Great. However, once America is weakened by the leftists, globalists and socialists, then taken over by a Communist/Islamist Cabal and their proxies (drug cartels, Antifa, BLM, and other satanic groups) (cf. Jeremiah 50:2-3, 9-10; 51:1-4; 27-29), and they control all of the nation’s resources, she will become with her “great city” (Revelation 18:10) (formerly New York City), the perfect antitype of ancient Babylon, Babylon the Great de facto, and will dominate the other nations of the world (even more than when the U.S.A. was the sole superpower of the world after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989) (cf. Revelation 17:15).

However, Scripture clearly prophesies that after the U.S.A. is taken over by the evil Cabal, all human life in Babylon the Great will be annihilated very quickly by "fire” (to end her domination of the nations of the world), so that the ten “kings” of the world (spiritual or transhuman entities?) can give their “kingdom” (singular) to the “beast” (Antichrist), which the Lord has instilled in their hearts to do, to fulfill that prophecy (Revelation 17:16-17). As R.A. Coombes, in his monumental, 613-page work America the Babylon, explained, all the translations of Revelation 17:16 from the original Greek are mistaken and misleading. The subject of the statement is “fire,” not “kings.” Yes, the kings will hate Babylon (just as most world leaders hate the U.S.A.), but it is the fire that will destroy her, not the kings. In other words, Babylon the Great will be destroyed by the Lord with fire (an exploding comet?), an appropriate judgment on that evil nation, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed (Jeremiah 49:18; 50:40), and just as the destruction of Nimrod’s empire by fire (an exploding comet) was an appropriate judgment (see the explanation in Appendix 1 – Who is Modern Babylon the Great?).  And, as the nations of the world look with horror at the destruction of Babylon – the sustainer of their economies (Revelation 18:3, 9-19) – the world stage will be set for the entrance of the "beast," the false messiah (Antichrist), offering himself as the solution to the chaos (cf. Revelation 13:3-5).

So, the annihilation of Babylon the Great, formerly the United States of America, must occur just prior to the midpoint of the Final Seven Years, at which time Antichrist will declare himself to be “God,” the messiah, the savior of the world, and the solver of all the world’s problems (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). And virtually (except some supernaturally protected by the Lord) the whole unsaved world will follow and worship him (Revelation 13:4, 8). And, at that time, he will establish his global “kingdom” and global religion, implemented by his religious leader, the second “beast,” the “false prophet,” which will synthesize all the religions of the world (Revelation 13:11-16; 19:20).

However, even after the destruction of all natural life in Babylon by fire, she will still be the spiritual command center of Satan—the habitation of his hordes of evil spirit beings (cf. Jeremiah 50:39; 51:37; Revelation 18:2). So, her final, total, physical destruction will be the event that prompts the celebration in Heaven just before the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and His return to Earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 18:21; 19:1- 16).

For more details and Scriptural support for the above explanation of the role and destiny of Babylon the Great during the Final Seven Years, read the commentary on Chapters 17 and 18.

A Narrative of the Final Seven Years

This writer has come to realize that many have trouble digesting detailed study, but prefer parables and narratives. And that is fine, because that is the way Yeshua taught. So, I pray that the following “story” will heighten your interest so that you will really want to get into the Word to see for yourself if these things are true. This narrative is based on a common-sense, face-value, literal interpretation of Scripture, which I believe is the way our Heavenly Father wants His Word to be understood. I, Watchman Bob, do not claim to be a prophet or that all the events are in exactly the correct sequence or that their timing is precisely accurate, and I will not be dogmatic about debatable details that are not yet clearly revealed. Although I have been studying current events in the light of Bible prophecy many years, I am simply a teacher who presents my understanding of what Scripture says is happening at the present time and will happen in the near future the best I can. So, the identification of future characters, dates and circumstances in the following scenario should be evaluated by Scripture references given to determine if they are reasonably possible. If any of those future characters, dates and events turn out to be inaccurate, they will be changed in revisions to this narrative as the Lord gives further insight.

On the other hand, the following narrative is not just a figment of the author’s imagination. It is based on over 20 years of study of current events in the light of Bible prophecy. And he does believe that the interpretations on which it is based are as solidly based on Scripture as any out there. The current events portrayed are actual. And please note especially that every future character, place, and event (although some are representative rather than actual) that is included in the following narrative does occur in Scripture and could happen very much as portrayed.

So again, the reader is encouraged to verify the feasibility of the following narrative by studying the Scriptures referenced and the verse-by-verse commentary on the Scriptures in the book of Revelation referenced.

The Final Seven Years
A Quasi-Fictional End-of-the-Age Scenario

The Kingdom of Heaven

Yeshua (“Jesus”) is, at the present time, establishing the Kingdom of Elohim (“God”) in Heaven (“I go to prepare a place for you . . .” – John 14:2), in the hearts of His regenerated People, His Disciples (Luke 17:21), and in its various spiritual manifestations on Earth (Matthew 12:28). But His People (His “Bride”) will not physically dwell there until He comes to change them into glorified, heavenly beings, gather them to Himself, and take them there (“that where I am, there you may be also” – John 14:3). Then, later, after the wedding ceremony and feast in Heaven (Revelation 19:7-9), He will return with His heavenly armies (glorified Saints and angels – Revelation 17:14; 19:8, 14; Matthew 16:27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7) to defeat his enemies on Earth and set up His millennial kingdom here (Revelation 19:11-20:4; Luke 13:29). Meanwhile, while the Bride (the “Church”) is in her new home in Heaven (specifically, New Jerusalem), what is happening on Earth? Well, all Heaven is breaking forth, that is what. The final execution of the Wrath of the Lord is being poured out on Earth, big time (Revelation 16:16-21). But, to get the whole picture, let us back up a few years.

The Setup—The First Three and One-Half Years

For years, the United States of America—the world’s only remaining “superpower” nation after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989—had been gaining more and more global hegemony through subverting one government after another and converting them into “client states” with puppet leaders. In 2009 her only serious rival for dominance of the world’s economy was the European Union. But then, in 2010, several of the EU’s member nations— Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain—having greatly overextended their credit and having accrued tremendous deficits that they could not service, got into serious financial trouble. Greece was on the verge of collapse; riots were breaking out. So, other EU member states bit the bullet and bailed her out, further weakening the stability of the whole Union. But then, by October 2011, Greece’s bailout had failed, causing massive protests and rioting, threatening bankruptcy of the nation and a calamitous domino effect in other European nations, leaving the U.S.A. as truly the world’s only political, economic, and military superpower.

However, long before that time, during the early 1960s, the moral and spiritual decline of America, which had previously been considered by most a “Christian” nation founded and run on strong Biblical values, had begun. In 1963, the popular, conservative president John F. Kennedy, who was against precipitating a war against the Communist Soviet Union because of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as he was advised to do by war hawks in his administration, was assassinated. Then, in 1965, the unpopular war in Vietnam that divided the nation began. In reaction, the anti-war, anti-establishment movement was started. Draft dodgers fled to Canada. Sexually promiscuous, drug-dazed Hippies impacted the spiritual and moral fabric of America. The “women’s liberation,” feminist movement began in earnest with the establishment of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966, powerfully impacting the nation’s perceptions of the roles of women in families and in society in general. In 1968, both conservative candidate for president, Robert F. Kennedy, and non-violent civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, were assassinated.

Then, during the 1970’s and the following decades, the downward moral and spiritual trend of the U.S.A. continued with the liberal movements that started during the 60s just being strengthened and even codified into law. In 1973, the Roe vs. Wade decision was made by the Supreme Court, legalizing abortion – one result of the demands of the feminists. “Social justice” became the moniker for demanding equal rights, not only for women and minority groups, but for homosexuals and practitioners of every kind of religion from Satanism to Islam.

And the downward spiral continued until the United States of America became almost totally decadent: tolerating, approving, and practicing every form of sexual perversion, idolatry, self-indulgence, human trafficking, mass murder of unborn humans, violence, riots, destruction of property, oppression of the weak and poor by the powerful and wealthy, draining resources of the nation and increasing crime by allowing millions of illegal immigrants to enter and supporting them, supporting “population control” by lethal injections and starvation, political corruption, fake news, sensual and even Satanic entertainment, and so forth.

By the 2020s, “Wokeism” had replaced Christianity as the new, dominant, national religion and had turned America upside-down – from the nationwide Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, to tearing down of historic monuments, to demanding multi-million-dollar reparation payments for blacks, to appointing transgenders as top government officials, to rampant reverse discrimination in every area of life, to the U.S. military imposing mandatory “diversity training” and transgender pronoun use on all personnel, causing recruitment to disastrously plummet. Objective truth was out the window with the new, relativistic, self-centered “My truth is not your truth” American mantra.

The nation became totally divided against itself (cf. Mark 3:24) – liberals versus conservatives, the Left versus the Right, ethnic group versus ethnic group, legal immigrants versus illegal immigrants, the haves versus the have-nots.

Political campaigns became totally unethical and immoral, dog-eat-dog affairs with rigged elections and candidates doing anything – lying, bringing false charges against their opponents and sabotaging their campaigns, misrepresenting themselves, bribery and buying votes – to win.

The leaders of the U.S.A., including the presidents, were corrupt. On the one hand, they were arrogant and boastful (cf. Proverbs 16:5, 18-19), promoting the ungodly values of material wealth (cf. Matthew 19:23-24), self-sufficiency rather than faith in Yeshua and dependence on Elohim (cf. Proverbs 3:5-6), and American Exceptionalism (alleged moral superiority to others). On the other hand, some wanted to destroy the traditional values and fabric of America through social and political activism, even violence, and make it just another third-world nation run by socialists, Communists, terrorists, and globalists (cf. 2 Timothy 2:4). And this diabolical, dialectical conflict was weakening the nation in every way – economically, militarily, politically, and especially spiritually – allowing it to slide into moral corruption, internal strife and division, and self-indulgence, weakening its will and ability to defend itself.

Finally, the downward anti-Christian trends continued until the leaders of the U.S.A. and its general population turned against the Lord’s people in the nation – the true followers of Yeshua the Messiah (“Christians” and Messianic Believers in Yeshua) and true Jews (Israelites) who believed in the God of their fathers, Yehovah, and in the coming Messiah, although they did not yet recognize who He was (cf. Romans 11:25). Also, although the administration of the president of the U.S. pretended to support Israel, it was really undermining the security of that nation through capitulating to its arch enemy, Iran, and attempting to get it to divide its already tiny land with the Palestinians. So, true to His Word (Genesis 27:29; Joel 3:2), the Lord turned America over to its enemies from the north (China and Russia), the Middle East (Iran and other Islamic terrorists), and their proxies (the drug cartels, Antifa, BLM, and others) to be invaded and destroyed as a free, sovereign nation. Every inhabitant of the nation was killed, except some who were kept alive to be used as slave labor. (cf. Jeremiah 50:2-3, 9-10; 51:1-4, 27-29)

For many years, both legal and illegal Muslim immigrants had been freely allowed into the U.S.A., and thousands of them had been clandestinely developing hundreds of jihad terrorist cells around the country. For example, in 2023, Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a Pakistani militant group, just one of many such groups in the U.S., operated 35 jihad terrorist training camps in 22 states. Also, the Chinese Communists had thoroughly infiltrated just about every significant American government, educational, and law enforcement institution and had many U.S. government leaders on their under-the-table payroll. The CHICOMS also had thousands of military troops on the native reserves of British Columbia and just across the southern border with Mexico. And the they were working with the drug cartels in Mexico, planning their invasion of the U.S. Finally, Iran, China, and Russia were conducting naval war drills together in the waters of the Caribbean and off the coast of Venezuela. All these groups had been planning their invasion of the U.S.A. for many years and were just waiting for the moment in time when the American administration was so weak and compromised, the nation was so divided against itself, and the will of the people was so weak because of economic, health, moral, and other problems that they couldn’t effectively defend themselves.

The attack was meticulously planned and coordinated because the aggressors knew that if the U.S. military, although greatly weakened from what it once was, was allowed to respond in a cohesive way they might not succeed. So, at a time determined by the destroy-America leaders, an attack signal was sent throughout their ranks. And the attack went exactly as planned (and exactly according to Bible prophecy – Jeremiah 51:1-4, 8, 14)! There was a massive terrorist attack on America from within and outside her borders. Simultaneously, all over the nation, thousands of bombs, including suitcase nuclear devices, were detonated – mainly in large population centers including Washington D.C. and New York City. And, because there was no plan to counter such a devastating and widespread attack from within the nation (the U.S. Defense establishment was almost totally set up to respond to attacks from outside the borders of the U.S.), the whole nation was thrown into total chaos. National Guard units could not be called up and activated instantly and police departments were not logistically prepared to counter the multi-faceted, massive attack. So, Americans, in their panic, were sitting ducks for the armed, trained and coordinated terrorists and military forces, and all who resisted were mowed down in the streets and in their homes. The terrorists also took over all National Guard and police units around the country and bombed and forced the surrender of military installations. Meanwhile, simultaneously, air, ground and missile attacks were being carried out on U.S. military installations, troops, and ships all over the world – especially in the Middle East. And also, having no directions from Washington, which was totally occupied with the attack at home, those installations, troops and ships could mount no coordinated response, were either destroyed or immobilized, and were taken over by the Muslim, Chinese, and Russian forces. In fact, the attacks at home and abroad were so effective that, within just a few hours, the government of the United States of America was in the hands of Communists and radical Islamists.

They then took control of all the U.S.A.’s domestic and foreign political, industrial, commercial and economic institutions and her military installations, quickly (re-) establishing that nation as the dominant “superpower” of the world. Also, in recognition of the many characteristics she uncannily had in common with ancient Babylon (cf. “Appendix 1 – Who is Modern Babylon?”), the former United States of America was re-named New Babylon. And with New Babylon now established as the main sustainer of the economies of virtually all of the world’s nations, and either by persuasion, political intrigue, violent force, or economic coercion – to even greater an extent than the U.S.A. had accomplished before her fall – all the nations of the world were made “client states” of New Babylon.

Then, a confederation of anti-Israel nations from Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa, with the USA out of the way, immediately turned their attention to Israel – to invade and annihilate that tiny nation (Ezekiel 38:2-6). Mobilizing rapidly, they set up support facilities all around Israel and came like a vast, menacing pack of wolves through the mountains of northern Israel. Surrounded by the anti-aircraft and anti-missile weaponry of her enemies and without the support of the U.S., there was virtually nothing the Israelis could do to retaliate.

But then, an amazing thing happened: All kinds of natural calamities began to occur in and around Israel, focused, incredibly, on the invading armies of her enemies. Comet fragments rained from the sky on them. The impact of a large fragment caused a tremendous earthquake which collapsed the cliffs of the mountains on those armies; torrential rains flooded their camps; ten-pound comet fragments destroyed their equipment and killed large numbers of personnel; and even volcanic eruptions caused by comet fragments penetrating the earth’s crust burned camps and covered them with lava. Then, in total panic and confusion, what was left of Israel’s enemy forces attacked and destroyed one another (Ezekiel 38:20-22)!

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the attacks on the U.S. and Israel, the economies of all nations had immediately collapsed and the whole world was in chaos. But there was a man, Kurtarici Mesih, the new head of the Turkish branch of PNB Paribas, one of the largest global banking organizations in the world, who had been rapidly garnering a reputation as being an incredibly persuasive, charismatic leader, and many said that he was a financial genius. In his first few months as head of PNB Paribas Turkey, Mesih had been able to develop powerful financial ties with some of the wealthiest investors from all points east and west of Turkey—from China to Paris (the location of the main bank and headquarters of PNB Paribas). The leaders of the EuroMed Partnership (a consortium of 44 European, North African, Middle Eastern, and Balkan nations formed in 1995 to promote mutual economic support and development) had started to tout Mesih as the potential leader of the EMP because Turkey was a key, centrally-located member with strong political and economic ties to both Europe and the Mediterranean Basin nations as well as being the leading nation, financially and militarily, of the trans-EuroMed area. Also, Turkey, together with Iran and Russia, had led the Ezekiel 38 nations in their attacks on Israel, and Mesih emerged as the primary leader of those who were already executing plans to re-establish the (former) U.S.A. (but now under Communist/Islamist control) as the anchor and stabilizer of the global economy. So, when, in an emergency meeting in Barcelona, the leaders of the EMP frantically stormed their brains for a solution to their dilemma (economic chaos), one name dominated their thoughts – Kurtarici Mesih. They called him and asked him to meet with them. Much to their relief, he agreed. And the next day, in Barcelona, Kurtarici Mesih, by consensus acclamation, was named President of the EuroMed Partnership.

Meanwhile, although most of its own people had survived the destruction of the armies of its enemies, the land of Israel was devastated. It was left without the wherewithal to sustain or to protect itself if its enemies should regroup and attack it again or if another enemy (e.g., Russia or China) should attack it. So, Israel’s leaders were very happy when the EuroMed Partnership (of which Israel was also a member), although many of its forces had been destroyed in "the War of Gog and Magog" (cf. Ezekiel 38:2), offered to come to her aid. Representing the EMP as its leader, Kurtarici Mesih signed a covenant with Israel, agreeing to protect the nation from further invasion or attack (cf. Isaiah 28:18; Daniel 9:27a). Mesih and the EMP also agreed to restore total sovereignty over its land to Israel, to help it clean up the mess left by the destruction of its enemies, and to allow it to re-establish all the religious practices of ancient Israel. And after Mesih’s agreement with the leaders of Israel was signed, making Israel an (apparent) safe harbor for Jews, millions of other Jews from around the world (the vast majority of the world’s Jews), with the assistance of the EMP, immediately migrated to the land of Israel. So, although the fall of the U.S.A. and the economies of all the other nations caused global desperation, chaos and violence, there was “peace” in Israel, allowing the Jews to start rebuilding their nation and their Temple in Jerusalem.

Nevertheless, wars, bloodshed, food shortages, unsanitary conditions, disease, and death continued all over the world, resulting in about a quarter of the world’s population dying during the next few years (Revelation 6:3-8). However, with his charismatic personality, dynamic persuasive powers, and amazing organizational skills, Mesih was being more and more recognized as the de facto leader of the world and the solver of the world’s problems. Conformity in government, commerce, and religion were mandated. All the world’s religions, except Judaism and true, Biblical Christianity, were being united in the worship of one, deistic god. Dissidents were persecuted, even martyred. (Strangely, the Israelis, who were allowed to practice their own religion, were the exception.) And some semblance of world order was maintained.

But then, approximately three years after the covenant with Israel had been signed, the greatest catastrophe in history, since the Great Flood, occurred. A large comet exploded in the atmosphere above North America totally annihilating all life in New Babylon and in much of the neighboring nations Canada and Mexico, in exactly the same way ancient Sodom and Gomorrah had been destroyed (cf. Isaiah 13:19, 20; Jeremiah 49:18; 50:40; Revelation 17:16; 18:8-9, 18-19). And again, the whole world was thrown into chaos as the nations looked on in horror as the smoke of New Babylon and it’s “great city,” New Babylon City (formerly New York City), that had sustained their economies, rose into the sky (Revelation 18:9-19). But Kurturaci Mesih rose to the occasion. He immediately mobilized the EMP’s worldwide military forces and economic institutions and, over the next six months, again restored order to a devastated world. And he expanded and established his headquarters in Istanbul as the headquarters of the New World Order. Having so quickly restored order to the world after the annihilation of all life in New Babylon, and now as leader of, by far, the most powerful global empire in world history, Mesih garnered the wonder of the whole world. Many were even suggesting that he was the true messiah—the god-man anticipated by all the world’s religions.

The Takeover and the Great Tribulation

And Mesih seized the moment. He stood in the Holy Place of the re-built Temple in Jerusalem and, filled with the spirit of His spiritual father Satan, declared himself to be the messiah – “God” incarnate (Daniel 7:25; 8:23-25; 11:36-37; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). And virtually all the people of the world pledged their allegiance to him and worshiped him (Revelation 13:3-8). Then Mesih immediately brought in his top aides, military commanders, and 100,000 elite military forces from Turkey and, with the full cooperation of the Israelis, who also accepted him as the long-anticipated messiah who would establish his throne in Jerusalem from where he would rule all the nations of the world (cf. Isaiah 9:6, 7), he took over the Knesset building and other Israeli government facilities as well as all of Israel’s military installations, making Jerusalem his new global headquarters (Daniel 11:45).

And the “princes” or “kings” of the world (actually, territorial angels – cf. Daniel 10:20), formed a ten-region global government and economic system under martial law (Revelation 17:12, 17). The man who had been the head of religion of the EMP now took center stage as Mesih’s Chief of Religion and World Order. He was also empowered by Satan, working all kinds of supernatural signs and wonders to deceive the world into worshiping Mesih. He even developed a lifelike holographic image of Mesih that could be made to appear all over the earth. And he set up a system in which every person, in order to participate in the global economy, had to take an oath of allegiance to worship the “Messiah Mesih” as “Lord of the World” and receive an identification chip under the skin of their hand or forehead. Immediate execution was the consequence of failure to take Mesih’s mark or to worship his image. (Revelation 13:15-16)

However, prior to the fall of the USA to the Muslims, 144,000 Jewish men, including 12,000 orthodox Jews (descendants of the tribe of Levi), had left the USA and migrated to Israel, being convinced that somehow the Lord’s command, “Come out of her, my people” (Jeremiah 51:45), applied to them. And when they saw Mesih standing in the Temple proclaiming himself to be “God,” the 144,000 remembered the words of Daniel and what he had spoken about the diabolical “prince who is to come,” the abominations and desolation the evil prince would cause (Daniel 9:26, 27), plus the prophecies about the coming time of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1). And they refused to take the mark or to worship Mesih. The Messianic Jews in Jerusalem and throughout Israel who remembered the words of Yeshua (Matthew 24:15-21) immediately fled to hiding places in the mountains of Judea and the wilderness area east of the Dead Sea, where they were led by the Lord to places of safe refuge and sustenance (cf. Isaiah 16:3-4; Revelation 12:6). However, thousands of Jews in Jerusalem and Israel did not flee and refused to take Messih’s mark and to worship him. But, rather than have them executed, Mesih stripped all Jews who refused to take his mark of ownership of their property, gave them bare, subsistence provisions, and subjected them to the harshest of slave labor conditions. Many of them died daily under those conditions, just as happened to the Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 1:7-14). 

But then, as if to add more aggravation to Mesih because of the escape of the Messianic Jews, an angel was seen streaking through the sky proclaiming, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7). And another angel followed, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Revelation 14:8). 31 Then, a third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends ‘forever and ever’; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11)

Finally, something else was happening that was a continual annoyance and distraction to Mesih. There were two men with appearances like ancient prophets, dressed in sackcloth (the Jews said they manifested the Spirit of Moses and Elijah), who appeared and were warning everyone in Jerusalem and the surrounding area not to accept Mesih as “Lord of the World,” and were proclaiming that they needed to repent and accept Yeshua, whom they crucified, as their true Messiah. Mesih sent some of his commandos to kill them, but the two “witnesses” (Revelation 11:3) seemed to have supernatural powers that created all kinds of disasters and havoc, and they were not able to succeed.

Mesih, being enraged by all these events, doubled down on his command to worship him and made a terrible proclamation that no one, Jew or Gentile, who did not worship him and his image (just as in the days of Nebuchadnezzar - Daniel 3:1-7) would be allowed to take the mark and participate in the global economy. It was also just as in Hitler’s Third Reich when all Jews were required to wear special identification badges. Those who resisted were executed. The Israeli Jews were then given a bare subsistence allotment of food, clothing and shelter and were subjected to excruciatingly hard labor in maintenance, support and production work in the land and government facilities of Israel. The elderly Jews and others in failing health or who were disabled, unable to serve some useful purpose in Israel, were executed. Mesih also ordered his followers worldwide to report any Gentiles they spotted who had not taken the mark and bowed to his image, and that they be killed on the spot (Revelation 12:17; 13:15-17). This was a time of “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14) and carnage for the “Saints” – Believers in the true Messiah Yeshua (“Christians”) throughout the world (Revelation 13:7). During the next 42 months (Revelation 13:5), almost all of them were killed. And the millions of Jews in Jerusalem and Israel who had been subjected to slavery by Mesih were also under great tribulation and hardship, thousands of them dying daily from the terrible conditions to which they were subjected (just as in the persecution of the Israelites by Pharaoh in Egypt - Exodus 1:8-14).

As he tightened his grip on the global control that his father Satan had given him (Revelation 13:4, 7), Mesih was totally convinced that he was indeed Lord of the World. Because of advanced surveillance technology, his “eyes” all over the world, and supernatural reconnaissance, it seemed obvious to him that his enemies, those despicable Jews and Disciples of Yeshua, would soon be eradicated.

The Judgments of the Lord Begin to be Executed

But then, about a year into the “Great Tribulation,” tremendous, unprecedented disasters began to destroy the waters, vegetation and living creatures of the earth (Revelation 8:7-13). After that, intensified plagues were released on the earth which tormented and killed about a third of the remaining humans on the earth (Revelation 9:1-19). When these catastrophes began, Mesih was trying to gather his wits and his military leaders to deal with the situation when the 144,000 who had fled into the wilderness a year earlier were seen marching into Jerusalem from the direction of Petra! They all had a peculiar seal on their foreheads. And they were being led by the true Messiah—Yeshua! They marched right up to the top of Mount Zion, the highest peak in Jerusalem, and they were standing there with Yeshua, singing a serenely beautiful song that apparently only they could understand (Revelation 14:1-3). Mesih was told about the 144,000, but just as he was attempting to marshal his forces against them, terrifying, surreal noises, like those who had been murdered crying out for vengeance (Revelation 6:10), were heard; deafening claps of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning came out of the darkened sky! Then, another great earthquake shook the whole earth, causing many buildings to tumble (Revelation 8:5). Mesih forgot about the 144,000 as reports of great damage poured in from all over the world. He blamed the disasters on the two witnesses who were still walking the streets of Jerusalem boldly proclaiming gloom and doom on those who took the mark of the false messiah and destroying, with amazing personal powers and control of the forces of nature, all those who opposed them (Revelation 11:3-6).

For the next two and one-half years, the same cycle of events continued, but with increasing intensity. Mesih continued to seek out and kill any he could find who had not taken his mark or who failed to worship his image, and to attempt to kill “Moses” and “Elijah.” But, as time went on, he was more and more preoccupied with disaster management. And the two witnesses continued to prophesy while Yehovah sent a series of plagues of increasing intensity on the world in the following order: giant, burning “hailstones” (comet fragments) exploded in the atmosphere causing a third of the trees and all green grass to be burned (cf. Revelation 8:7); a great, burning “mountain” (a large cometary fragment) was “thrown” into the sea causing a third of the ships to be destroyed and a third of the world’s salt water to turn blood red from the reactions of the comet’s toxic chemical radicals with the sea water, which in turn caused a third of all living creatures in the sea to die (cf. Revelation 8:8-9); fragments from a large, disintegrated, toxic comet contaminated a band of rivers and lakes around the earth’s northern hemisphere, including the Great Lakes of North America and Lake Baikal in Siberian Russian – sources of over one-third of the earth’s fresh water – causing may humans to die (cf. Revelation 8:10- 11); then, the light and heat from the sun, moon and stars were affected by all the cometary explosions so that one-third less light reached the earth and temperatures plummeted around the globe an average of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (cf. Revelation 8:12). However, as terrible as the first four plagues of the judgments of Yehovah were, the next two “woes” were much more dreadful. First, another giant “star” (comet) fell from “heaven” (outer space—the Oort Cloud of billions of comets that surround the earth’s solar system), causing a “bottomless” crater (one that penetrates the earth’s crust) and releasing a huge plume of deadly bacteria-filled smoke that darkened the sky. (When magnified, these bacteria exactly resembled bizarre-looking locusts with horse-like heads and tails like those of scorpions.) This plague, with these bacteria which caused horrible, unbearable sores and skin diseases, lasted an agonizing five months. (cf. Revelation 9:1-10). Next, four large comet fragments impacted the Euphrates River, drying it up, while simultaneously spraying millions of small comet fragments high into the atmosphere from where they were scattered all over the earth, killing all people (about one-third of the remaining world’s human population) with whom the intense heat of the burning sulfur in the fragments came in contact (cf. Revelation 9:14-19).

From the time the Judgments of Yehovah began to be executed until the end of the seven years, all of Earth’s inhabitants (except for about one-third of the Jews in Israel [cf. Zechariah 13:8] and several million Gentiles who had helped the Jews and who had not taken the mark of the beast during the Great Tribulation of the previous 42 months) suffered tremendously from the first six sets of plagues of the judgments of Yehovah. And more than six billion or three-fourths of Earth’s inhabitants had died violent, painful deaths. During these catastrophes, the people who dwelt on Earth would cry out in terror for mercy, but as soon as the destruction stopped, they would refuse to repent and would blaspheme Yehovah (Revelation 9:20-21). At the end of the seven years, Mesih’s global kingdom was greatly decimated and devastated and, for all practical purposes, was at an end.

However, the Lord had yet another exercise in humiliation in store for Mesih. The two witnesses had openly walked the streets of Jerusalem every day since Mesih had stood in the Most Holy Place of the Temple and declared himself to be “God.” They constantly spoke out against him, proclaiming that he was the false messiah, telling people not to take his mark or to worship his image, but to worship the true Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth. And they performed all kinds of signs and wonders, exactly as had Moses and Elijah of ancient Israel, and destroyed all who attempted to attack them. But then, 1260 days or three and one-half years (Revelation 11:3) after Mesih had stood in the Most Holy Place of the Temple and declared himself to be “Lord of the World,” it seemed that the two witnesses had lost their supernatural powers! Fire no longer came from their mouths to consume those who got in their way. They were no longer calling forth the plagues that tormented their enemies. A glimmer of hope that the tide of death and destruction caused by his two nemeses was about to turn rose in Mesih’s evil heart. And he, at the head of all that was left of the armies of the kings of the earth who had come against Jerusalem, personally shot the two witnesses dead. But then, to the total amazement and consternation of everyone and the dismay of Mesih, three and one-half days after they had been killed, as if to announce to Mesih that his three and one-half-year reign of terror was over, Moses and Elijah revived and ascended into Heaven! Immediately, there was an earthquake in Jerusalem, a tenth of the city collapsed, and 7,000 of the enemies of the Jews were killed. Mesih and his followers were terrified, but the Jews in Jerusalem recognized the hand of the Lord and glorified Him. (Revelation 11:3-13)

The Wrath of Elohim Begins to be Executed

And then, there was the sound of a great shofar (Jewish trumpet) blast. And that seventh and final trumpet sounding (each of the previous six sets of judgment plagues had also been announced by the sounding of a great trumpet blast) announced the third “woe”—the final set of plagues, designated in Scripture plagues of the "Wrath of Elohim" (Revelation 15:1). And because the reign of the false messiah on Earth had virtually ended, a loud chorus of voices was heard shouting from Heaven, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His [Messiah], and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15)  And immediately, the awesome and terrible plagues of what the prophets had referred to as the “Day of Yehovah” [“the LORD”] (cf. Joel 2:1, 31; Zephaniah 1:14; et al.) began to be poured out (Revelation 16:1-2).

The Rapture

But simultaneous with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, out of the midst of the chaos and darkness, there was a brilliant flash of light, like lightning flashing from horizon to horizon, and the glorified Messiah, Yeshua, appeared in totally white, luminous clouds, descending out of Heaven)! And gleaming white angelic beings appeared and flew to every part of the sky all around the earth; and redeemed and glorified Saints from all over the earth, under the earth, and even from within the seas flew up to meet them, from where they were instantly taken to meet the Messiah in the air. Then, the Messiah, the angels, and the “raptured” ones all vanished into Heaven (Mark 13:25-27; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The Bowls of Wrath Continue to be Poured Out

The "Final Plagues of the Wrath of Elohim” continued to be poured out on Earth for the next 30 days (cf. Daniel 12:11). A series of catastrophes demolished the whole planet and most of its remaining inhabitants, although, amazingly, those who had not pledged their allegiance to Mesih and taken his identification “mark” were not affected. First, comet fragments exploding in the atmosphere released toxic substances that caused great, foul-smelling, unbearably painful, pus-oozing sores to break out on humans all over the earth (Revelation 16:2). Next, those same toxic substances in the atmosphere permeated the waters of the seas, killing all living creatures in them (Revelation 16:3). Third, the fresh waters of the earth were contaminated, making them deadly to drink (Revelation 16:4-6). Fourth, by this point in time, so much of the ozone layer protecting the earth from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation had been destroyed that exposed skin of people all over the earth, except those specially protected by the Lord, was horribly burned (Revelation 16:8); but, at the same time, the atmosphere was so polluted by the fallout from cometary explosions that global temperatures continued to plunge, causing millions to die of hypothermia (Revelation 16:10).


The Final Showdown Between the Armies of the False and True Messiahs  

Although the remaining surviving inhabitants of the earth (except those miraculously protected by the Lord) were in tremendous pain, they still refused to repent and continued to blaspheme the name of Yehovah (Revelation 16:11). And whatever remained of the armies of the “kings” of the earth (demonic, supernaturally-empowered rulers under Mesih) converged on Jerusalem for a final battle against the true Messiah). And when their armies entered Jerusalem, they took over the whole city including the areas still occupied by Jews, plundered their houses, ravished the women, and took captive half of the Jewish population of the city (Joel 3:2, 11-16; Zechariah 14:1-2; Revelation 16:14, 16; 17:12-14).

Then, when those who had conquered Jerusalem were least expecting it, the Messiah Yeshua—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords—was seen streaking through the heavens from the south, from the direction of Mount Jabal Maqla ("Mount Sinai"), riding a great and powerful, gleaming white horse and wearing a crimson garment, followed by a great host of angels and glorified saints wearing pure white, linen garments and also riding white horses. The Lord Yeshua then stood at the peak of the Mount of Olives, which split from the west to the east forming a valley that ran all the way to the north end of the Dead Sea.  The Jews in Jerusalem fled through the valley to the east where the armies that pursued them were swallowed up and destroyed, just as the Egyptians who pursued the Israelites through the Red Sea were destroyed (Exodus 14:23-28; Zechariah 14:4-5; Revelation 19:11-14). 

Then, a white light like a great laser sword came from the mouth of the Messiah, slaying the armies of the kings of the earth who had come against Jerusalem.  The Jews who had fled from Jerusalem and those who were in the area of Judea around Jerusalem also joined in the battle.  And every soldier of the armies who came against Jerusalem were killed.  All of the evil occupiers of the city were then killed. The Messiah then took the beast and his religious leader (the “false prophet”) and cast them alive into the Dead Sea which had filled with blazing bitumen from the great rift in the earth that had swallowed Mesih’s army. (Zechariah 14:3, 12-15; Revelation 16:13-14; 19:11-21).

The Final Destruction of the Two, Corrupt "Great Cities," the Surface Features and Other Cities of the Earth, and the Remaining Evil Inhabitants of Earth  

Then, when the seventh bowl of Elohim's wrath was poured out, a series of events occurred that finished destroying the surface features of Planet Earth, the human-built constructions on it, and its remaining evil inhabitants.  A great earthquake shook the earth so violently that all the world’s islands disappeared and its mountains and cities, including the "great city," corrupt Jerusalem where "our Lord was crucified" and was now spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, collapsed.  Next, a giant comet fell on the other "great city," now lifeless, barren New Babylon (the former USA), which was now inhabited only by evil spirit beings, sinking that land and much of North America beneath the waves of the sea. Finally, hundreds of millions of 100-pound, flaming “hailstones” (comet fragments) rained down on the earth, killing virtually all of the planet’s remaining inhabitants (except those supernaturally protected by the Lord). (cf. Revelation 16:17-21; 18:2; 21).

The Beginning of the Millennial Kingdom of the Messiah

Of course, that is not the end of the story, which, for those who understand and believe it and who believe in the One who authored it all, is thrilling indeed. Revelation goes on to describe the binding of Satan for 1,000 years; the millennial Kingdom of Yehovah; the new heavens, new earth, and New Jerusalem: who will be there, who will not, and what will happen there; the final war of Gog and Magog; the Final Judgment; and a peek at eternity in the glorious presence of the Lord Yehovah. But hopefully, this has given you a taste of what the Revelation is all about. And, we pray, this narrative has whetted your appetite to get into the Scripture for yourself to get all the details and to find out for yourself what Yehovah's plan is for "the end of the age," how you can avoid being sucked into the doomed, global “new world order” of the false messiah, and how you can be sure that you are a citizen of the unimaginably wonderful, eternal Paradise of Yehovah. And, to help you do that, Yehovah has given us the following detailed, crystal-clear commentary on the book of Revelation.

Continue to the Revelation Understood! verse-by-verse commentary.

Meanwhile, if you want to better understand the sequence of events of the book of Revelation, click HERE or on the small chart below to view "The Final Seven Years and Beyond Timeline" (a PDF file that can be enlarged).

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