Moral Fullness

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“A man cannot be a little virtuous, a little pure, a little true, a little honest.” This comes from an unsigned article written in 1896.  By thinking on each of these we can see that by definition we need to have all these qualities all the time to be considered virtuous, pure, true and honest.

To be dishonest only on a part-time basis will earn us a reputation as being dishonest, not as being a little honest.  In fact, to be called a little honest would surely be seen as making a statement to the contrary.

When we live God’s way, we are not to strive in partial measures, but rather, as mentioned in Ephesians 3:19, we are to “be filled with all the fullness of God.”  Can we totally and completely comprehend this?  It is not a fractional aspect of the Way of God, but it is the replete and exhaustive works that we are to live up to… each to our own capacity.

As usual, we are to follow the example of Christ Who did live up to the prescribed potential (compare Colossians 2:9).  We are to be heading in the same direction to the best of our ability.  So how do we attain this moral fullness? Well… that would fill a book… the size of the Bible.

Two Prophets

On October 13, 2007, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Two Prophets.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Michael Link and Noelle Jacobs are happy to announce their engagement. They are planning to get married sometime next year.

A new StandingWatch program (#138) has been posted on Google Video and on our Website. The program is titled: “Bible Study: The Mystery of Revelation–Solved!” A summary of the program is set forth below:

“The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Woman Riding the Beast. Antichrist. The Mark of the Beast. 666. The Great Tribulation. The Day of the Lord. The Heavenly Signs. What do all these expressions mean? Can you know?”

Several of Norbert Link’s recent video-recorded sermons and bible studies were posted on Google Video.

A new video-ad for our booklet, “Human Suffering… Why and How Much Longer” was placed on Google Video.

Would you please explain Revelation 17:9? Who or what are the seven heads of the scarlet-colored beast, on which the fallen woman sits, and who is that woman?

There can be little doubt what Revelation 17:9 describes. The previous verses in the same chapter talk about a fallen woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, with seven heads and ten horns. As we explain in our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy,” the scarlet-colored beast on which the woman sits depicts the last seven revivals of the ancient Roman Empire.

In Biblical terminology, a religious entity is many times depicted as a woman. The true Church of God is identified as a woman (Revelation 12:6, 13-17); a virgin (2 Corinthians 11:2); and the wife of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:7). Likewise, Christ’s true followers are identified as “virgins” (Matthew 25:1; Revelation 14:4).

However, the woman who sits on the scarlet-colored beast is a FALLEN rich woman who has committed “fornication” with the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 17:2; compare also verse 4, and Revelation 18:3, 9). She is identified as “the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication” (Revelation 19:2). In Biblical terminology, she is a fallen church, pretending to be the true Church of God, but persecuting Christ’s true disciples.

The woman is called, in verse 5, “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.” This fallen church is called the “Mother Church,” which has “daughter churches.” We are told in verse 6 that the woman is drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

Verse 18 explains: “And the woman whom you saw is that GREAT CITY which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Again, in Revelation 18:10, 16, 18, 19, 21, Babylon is identified as a prosperous and wealthy “great city” and a “mighty city” (compare, too, Revelation 14:8). Revelation 18:23 adds that by “your sorcery all the nations were deceived,” and Revelation 19:2 speaks of the judgment of the woman “who corrupted the earth with her fornication.”

With this background, let us read Revelation 17:9, which says: “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.”

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for “mountain,” “oros,” means “mountain” or “hill” (see Strong’s No. 3733).

Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible agrees, defining the Greek word used in Revelation 17:9 as “mountain, mount, hill.”

This same word is used in Matthew 5:14, where Christ says: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a HILL cannot be hidden.” It is also translated as “hill” in Luke 4:29.

The New English Bible translates Revelation 17:9, as follows: “The seven heads are seven HILLS…” So do the Revised English Bible; the New International Version; the New American Bible; the Moffat Translation of the Bible; the Jewish New Testament, by David Stern; and a German Bible translation, “Die Gute Nachricht.”

The New Jerusalem Bible states: “The seven heads are THE seven hills…”

The Living Bible gives the following interpretation of the verse: “And now think hard: his seven heads represent a certain city built on seven hills where the woman has her residence.”

Verse 10 explains that the seven mountains or hills symbolize seven kings–seven military and political rulers. They describe the seven last resurrections of the ancient Roman Empire–with the last king or revival of the Roman Empire still to appear in the near future (compare verse 10).

But remember that the woman is also identified as a CITY which sits on seven mountains or hills.

Some Catholic and Protestant commentaries grasp for an explanation of this passage, which is different from the most obvious one (discussed below), because they realize that the passage is speaking about them. If they were to give the intended meaning of the passage, they would indict themselves as deserving of Godly judgment. Others accept the obvious explanation (discussed below), but claim that it has only historical relevance, without any meaning for us today or our immediate future. However, Revelation 17 is a prophecy, culminating, in Revelation 19, in the return of Christ–something which did not yet happen.

So, what, then is the OBVIOUS explanation of Revelation 17:9? Which RELIGIOUS city is built on seven mountains or hills?

Let us quote several commentaries which are honest enough to represent the obvious intended meaning of Revelation 17:9 without apology or an attempt to hide the truth.

Some few commentaries claim that the city described is Jerusalem. But this explanation makes no sense, neither historically nor prophetically. As Stan Lindsay accurately explains in “The Human Drama,” on page 91:

“The most problematic passage in identifying Babylon as Jerusalem is Revelation 17:9, which says that the seven heads of the beast are seven mountains upon which the woman sits. This has been taken almost universally as a reference to Rome’s origin on seven hills. While topographically Jerusalem might be divided into seven hills, utilizing important ‘mounts’ that are inside and outside of the city walls, it would sound contrived. The seven hills almost certainly signify Rome.”

As mentioned by Lindsay, this is the overwhelming consensus of most Biblical commentaries, and for valid and correct reasons.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible explains:

“As the woman is a city… these seven mountains, on which she sits, must be so many mountains on which the city is built; and what city can this be but Rome, which is so famous for being built on seven hills? This is taken notice of by Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Claudian, Starius, Martial, and others; and indeed there is scarce a poet that speaks of Rome but observes it: hence it has been sometimes called, by writers, the seven hilled city, and sometimes Septiceps, the seven headed city, which comes near to the language here: the names of the seven mountains were these, Capitolinus, Palatinus, Aventinus, Esquilinus, Coelius, Viminalis, and Quirinalis; the four first of these were taken in by Romulus, the first founder of it, and the three last by Servius Tullius, when he enlarged it; and upon the addition of the seventh mountain there was a feast kept, called Septimontium; and which was kept in seven places in the city; and was annually observed; and in this situation it was in John’s time; for Pliny, who was contemporary with him, expressly says, that in his time it took in seven mountains; and that this refers to a city in John’s time, then reigning over the kings of the earth, is certain…

“Now there was no imperial city, so built in his time, but Rome: for though Constantinople is built on seven hills, yet this was not in being in John’s time, but was built by Constantine many years after, in imitation of Rome; and though the situation is much altered now, being in Campus Martius, it being greatly reduced, and in a less compass, yet this hinders not but that it is the same city here designed: and this confirms that the beast before spoken of, on whom the woman sat, is the Roman empire, since she is here said to sit on the seven mountains, on which Rome, the metropolis of that empire, was built; and this shows the pope of Rome to be antichrist [however, this designation is Biblically incorrect, see our Q&A in Update #285, “Who Is the Antichrist Prophesied to Come?”], the great whore, Babylon, the mother of harlots, since no other has his seat at Rome but he.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible states: “Seven mountains – the seven hills on which Rome stands…”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible agrees: “The seven heads are seven mountains – Referring, undoubtedly, to Rome–the seven-hilled city–Septicollis Roma.”

He adds, in his comments to Revelation 12:3: “Rome was built, as is well known, on seven hills… and was called the seven-hilled city (Septicollis)… Tertullian: ‘I appeal to the citizens of Rome, the populace that dwell on the seven hills’ (Apol. 35). And again, Jerome to Marcella, when urging her to quit Rome for Bethlehem: ‘Read what is said in the Apocalypse of the seven hills.’…”

Halley’s Bible Handbook points out:

“This description of Babylon the Great Harlot, Seated on the Seven-Headed Ten-Horned Beast, while it may have ultimate reference to a situation yet to appear, Exactly fits Papal Rome. Nothing else in World History does fit.”

Unger’s Bible Handbook states:

“The revived Roman Empire with its end-time emperor (the beast) appears as the agent of the harlot’s destruction… The revival of the Roman power under the beast will occasion great wonder and deception… The woman (ecclesiastical Babylon) has her headquarters in the beast’s capitol… which is the seven-hilled city of Rome… He rules over a ten-kingdom federation… and makes war against the Lamb… The harlot who has dominated and exploited the peoples of the earth… and who has ridden into last-day power on the beast, shall find the beast turning against her at the end to utterly destroy her… Destruction is her judgment… because of her evil desire to dominate earthly rulers for her own selfish and deceptive interests.”

Dave Hunt, “A Woman Rides the Beast,” quotes the “Catholic Encyclopedia” on page 67, as follows: “‘It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of the Vatican State proper is now confined.”’

The Ryrie Study Bible adds: “the name [Babylon] here seems to be a symbolic reference to Rome… In chapter 17 Babylon represents the false religious system that will center in Rome during the tribulation period. In chapter 18 it represents more the political and commercial aspect of the revived Roman Empire… Thus the term stands both for a city and for a system (religious and commercial) related to the city (much like ‘Wall Street,’ which is both a place and a system).”

The Nelson Study Bible states: “The seven heads of the beast… symbolize both seven mountains and seven kings. Since the word mountains also means ‘hills’… most interpreters understand this as referring to the seven hills along the Tiber River, a well-known designation of the city of Rome. However, seven mountains may also refer to successive world empires…”

The New Scoffield Reference edition points out: “There are two forms which Babylon is to have in the end-time: political Babylon… and ecclesiastical Babylon… Political Babylon is the beast’s confederated empire, the last form of Gentile world dominion. Ecclesiastical Babylon is all apostate Christendom, in which the Papacy will undoubtedly be prominent; it may very well be that this union will embrace ALL RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD.”

Lehmann Strauss writes in “The Book of the Revelation,” pages 295-301: “The Babylon of the Revelation is an apostate religious system clearly identifiable with all of Christendom, with papal Rome taking the lead in its formation… the world might applaud such a union, but we may be certain God is not in it… We are not surprised, then, when we see men and women of various religious faiths making pilgrimages to Rome to see a man who has been exalted as ‘the holy father,’ ‘the voice of God,’ and then bowing down to him as though he were a god.

“The Roman Catholic Church is playing her most strategic role in world affairs. Never before has she wooed and won so many devotees of other religions… Rome is known as the seven-hilled city… Here then is a prophecy referring to papal Rome, not history referring to pagan Rome… The wealth of the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations combined adds up to many billions of dollars… Students of ancient coins remind us that the coin of Vespasian represents Rome seated on seven hills. The Roman Catholic Church itself, in the Confraternity Edition of the New Testament (new edition, New York, 1963, page 337), claims that Rome is Babylon.”

In conclusion, any honest evaluation of Revelation 17:9, in its context, must admit to the fact that John is describing, in prophetic terms, an end-time religious system, which is centered in the seven-hilled city of papal Rome, influencing and dominating the peoples of this world.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The Mystery of the Atonement Rituals

On Saturday, September 22, 2007, the Day of Atonement, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Mystery of the Atonement Rituals.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetsevices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

NOTE:

This is the LAST weekly Update prior to the Feast of Tabernacles. We will resume publication on or about October 11, 2007.

We are wishing all of our readers a spiritually rewarding and blessed Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles 2007.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Our Festival Brochure for the Feast of Tabernacles 2007 in Oregon has been completed and will be distributed to Feast attendees upon their arrival at the Feast site. It has also been posted on the Web.

A new StandingWatch program (#137) has been posted on Google Video and on our Website. It is titled, “Are Ghosts for Real?” In the program, Norbert Link addresses the question whether apparitions and ghost sightings are proof for the existence of ghosts of departed ones, or whether other explanations are possible.

Our Internet ad campaign for our booklet, “Mysteries of the Bible,” which we are running in Canada, has produced so far 28 requests from Nigeria, 1 request from Malaysia, 5 requests from Ghana, and 59 requests from Canada.

I understand that you teach that Christians, serving on a jury, can only convict an accused if at least two eye witnesses testify against him. But doesn't modern science, such as evidence based on DNA or fingerprints, render that ancient Biblical command obsolete, which was given at a time when people had no concepts of modern scientific advancements?

First of all, our stance against serving on a jury is based on many Biblical passages, not just on the requirement of two eye witnesses. Even if two honest eye witnesses were available to testify against an accused, a true Christian should still not participate in the jury system of this world. For a further in-depth discussion of this vital question, please read our Q&A’s in Updates #289 and #66.

In Update #66, we state, indeed, the following, after having discussed numerous additional principles prohibiting true Christians to serve on a jury:

“In following the biblical injunctions, one could not convict a person, in any event, unless the accusation is supported by the testimony of at least two witnesses (John 8:16; Deuteronomy 17:6-7). Since the witnesses would have to ‘cast the first stones,’ circumstantial evidence would not be sufficient, under God’s law, for the requirement of two witnesses.
“Since we may be required, as a juror, to apply man’s laws in conflict with the law of God, we could not take the oath as a juror, as we would, in principle, agree to obeying man rather than God (Acts 5:29; Acts 4:19).”

Far from being obsolete in this advanced scientific age, the Godly requirement of two eye witnesses is still very much applicable–as distinguished from witnesses giving “hearsay” testimony or just convicting someone based on circumstantial evidence. Let us note the exact Biblical instructions:

Deuteronomy 17:6-7 reads:

“Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall NOT be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be THE FIRST AGAINST HIM to put him to death; and afterward the hand of the people. So shall you put away the evil from among you.”

Numbers 35:30 confirms that one witness was not enough to convict a person. The requirement of two or three witnesses was not limited to capital criminal cases. Deuteronomy 19:15 says: “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning ANY sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”

This Old Testament law, which is based on a sound Godly principle, has been reconfirmed in many New Testament passages, including Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; and Hebrews 10:28.

The accusing witnesses had to cast the first stones on the convicted offender. This was for the purpose of protecting the innocent–so that a witness had to be very careful in his testimony, lest an innocent person be convicted. In addition, if the innocence of a person accused by false witnesses should come to light, the accusing witnesses had to be stoned themselves (Deuteronomy 19:16-21).

None of these safeguard provisions are in any way applicable to “scientific evidence.” We need to understand that the idea that a jury may reach a conviction based on “scientific evidence,” is a misconception. Rather, a jury may decide to convict someone based on the testimony of so-called scientific experts who explain to the judge and the jury how they evaluate and interpret the “scientific evidence.” But more often than not, the testimony of several scientific experts does not harmonize. Depending on whether the scientific experts have been provided and paid by the prosecution or the defense, their testimony may differ greatly.

In a much popularized case in San Diego, California, scientific experts for the prosecution and the defense were asked to testify about the time when the murder of a young child had taken place. Their testimony, based on scientific evidence, differed greatly. The expert paid for by the prosecution prevailed with his opinion–but who is to say that his opinion was correct, and that the evaluation of the defense’s scientific expert was incorrect? And what legal mechanism exists to hold the scientific expert liable and accountable in the unlikely event that it should ever be clearly established that his testimony was incorrect? Basically, none whatsoever.

For many years, fingerprints were considered the “non-plus-ultra” scientific evidence. But then it happened that an innocent attorney was accused of a crime, due to fingerprints allegedly identifying him as the perpetrator, until it was proven beyond any doubt that he could not have been involved. But the wrong evaluation of the evidence, based on the “scientific evidence” of “his” incriminating fingerprints, was never clarified or detracted.

Also, for many years, evidence is being derived at from the evaluation of guns and bullets, to ascertain, whether a particular bullet was fired from a particular gun. Again, this is being looked upon by many as iron-clad scientific evidence — but recently, serious doubts have been raised in the judicial and legal community about the fool-proof “accuracy” of such evidence.

Today, many think that DNA-evidence has replaced the need for eye witnesses! But has it? Who is to say? And who is to be held accountable for false scientific testimony of “scientific experts”? Several years ago, a prominent and well-known person was acquitted in a criminal case because the DNA evidence was allegedly not sufficient. Later, he was found liable in a civil wrongful death action, based on the same evidence, but based on different legal standards.

God knew, in His wisdom, why He required the testimony of two EYE WITNESSES to guarantee righteous judgments. We must also not forget that at the time of Old Testament Israel, the nation was a theocracy. It was ruled directly by God, and God saw to it that no injustice would be carried out. He even instituted certain procedures, involving accusations of adultery, that required His direct intervention to make manifest the innocence or guilt of a person (Numbers 5:11-31).

But when there was insufficient evidence, the accused had to be acquitted. When there were no witnesses, a person could not even be accused and brought before a judge. Today, it seems that many times, even if there is much doubt, the accused is still convicted and condemned–and if it is a case involving a celebrity, he is, quite often, “tried” and “convicted” and “condemned” in the court of public opinion, before he has ever seen an “impartial” jury.

This is not God’s world, which, far too often, condemns the innocent and acquits the guilty. We are ambassadors of a better world to come, when true justice, fairness and equity will prevail for all.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Israel Today

On September 15, 2007, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Israel Today.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new member letter for September was sent out this week and has been posted on the Web. In the letter, Rene Messier discusses the meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days, and encourages all of us to look forward to these days with zeal, anticipation and enthusiasm.

A new StandingWatch program (#136) has been posted on Google Video and on our Website (standingwatch.org). It is titled, “The Most Powerful Woman.” In the program, Norbert Link points out that Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, tops Forbes’ magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most powerful women, while First Lady Laura Bush only reaches place 60. At the same time, we learn that Mrs. Merkel is trying to isolate the United States of America on the issue of carbon dioxide emissions, while Great Britain is perceived by European leaders as an “embarrassment.” What does all of this mean? View this now on Google Video.

We will be soon posting our StandingWatch programs on additional Internet providers. More information will be forthcoming.

We have ended our Internet ad campaign in the USA for our booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible,” which produced about 170 requests in the USA, and we have started on Thursday a new Internet advertisement campaign in the USA for our booklet, “Human Suffering…Why and How Much Longer?” The ad features the booklet and includes an order form and a brief video presentation introducing the booklet. We will soon begin the same campaign in Canada and the UK; presently, we are still running successful Internet ads for “The Mysteries of the Bible” in Canada and “America and Britain in Prophecy” in the UK.

How long will the Great Tribulation last? Some claim, it will last for seven years, while others say that it will last for 3 1/2 years. What is correct?

Christ said in Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Notice the time frame–the Great Tribulation will begin at the time when the “abomination of desolation” will be observed standing in the holy place (verse 15). At that time, the “man of sin”–a false religious leader–will be sitting in the temple of God in Jerusalem, claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4). This will coincide when Jerusalem’s desolation has drawn near, as it will be attacked and made desolate by Gentile armies (compare Luke 21:20-24).

In Daniel 12:1, we find an additional reference to the Great Tribulation: “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time, And at that time your people shall be delivered.”

Here, the Great Tribulation is equated with a Time of Trouble. Both expressions refer to the same period, as they both describe an unparalleled time of trouble for man.

When the Great Tribulation ends, Christ will return. In fact, He will return to shorten the time in order to prevent all human beings from being destroyed (compare Matthew 24:22). For an in-depth discussion of the fact that God might even SHORTEN the time of the Great Tribulation, see our Q&A in Update 139.

Some claim that the Great Tribulation will last for seven years. However, there is absolutely no Biblical evidence for that teaching. The Bible dogmatically postulates throughout that the Great Tribulation will not last longer than approximately 3 1/2 years.

Some misunderstand a prophecy in Daniel 9:27, erroneously stating that the “beast”–a future military leader–will make a covenant with the Jews seven years prior to the return of Christ, and that that covenant will be broken after 3 1/2 years. However, Daniel 9:27 does not describe such a covenant or treaty at all–rather, it is addressing the New Covenant which Jesus Christ brought into existence. For a thorough discussion of Daniel 9:27, see our Q&A in Update 175. In any event, Daniel 9:27 cannot be used to teach that the Great Tribulation will last for 7 years.

Let us take note of some of the Biblical references to the time span of the Great Tribulation (which is also identified as Satan’s wrath on the children of Israel and Judah, and the Church of God, compare Revelation 12:13).

We read in Daniel 7:25: “He [an endtime religious leader, the “man of sin,” also called the “false prophet” in Scripture] shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME.”

During the Great Tribulation, a religious power under the lead of the “false prophet,” in collaboration with a military power under the lead of the “beast,” will persecute the saints. They will do so for “a time and times and half a time.” The commentary of “Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge” (TSK) explains that this phrase means “three years and a half, or reckoning thirty days to a month, 1,260 days.”

The Nelson Study Bible agrees, stating (in their annotation to Revelation 11:3) that “a time and times and half a time” is “a period of three and a half years made up of 42 thirty-day lunar months.”

The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown (JFB) states that the period of “one year, two years, and half a year” equals “1260 days” or “forty-two months,” adding that the phrase is to be understood quite literally as three and a half years” of “persecution.”

In Daniel 12, we find another reference to the duration of the Great Tribulation. Daniel asked an angel how long it would take until “all these things” would be fulfilled (verse 6), about which the angel had told him–including the persecution of the saints, their deliverance from persecution, and the resurrection of the righteous to eternal life (verses 2-3). The angel answered, in verse 7: “… that it shall be for A TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, [then] all these things shall be fulfilled.” Again, we see that the persecution of God’s people during the Great Tribulation is described as beginning 3 1/2 years prior to Christ’s return and the resurrection of the righteous dead.

In Revelation 11:2, we are told that the Gentiles will “tread the holy city [Jerusalem] underfoot for FORTY-TWO MONTHS,” and verse 3 explains that God’s two witnesses will “prophesy ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS.” All these phrases refer to a time span of 3 1/2 years.

Vincent’s Word Studies (VWS) explains that the term “forty and two months” describes a “period which appears in [several] forms in Revelation: “forty-two months… twelve hundred and sixty days… a time, times and half a time, or three years and a half.”

The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown (JFB) elaborates, in their notation to Revelation 11:2, that the phrase, “forty and two months” describes “The same period as Daniel’s ‘time, times, and half’… The three and a half… was the duration of Antiochus’ treading down of the temple and persecution of faithful Israelites… Also, three and a half years was the period of the heaven being shut up, and of consequent famine, in Elias’ time. Thus, three and a half represented to the Church the idea of toil, pilgrimage, and persecution.”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible (Gill) adds the following thought in his notation to Revelation 11:3:

“… it is observable, that the date of the beast’s reign and tyranny is expressed by months, and the date of the church’s being in the wilderness, and the prophesying of the witnesses, is signified by days; and the reason which some give is not despicable, as that the beast and his followers are the children of darkness and of the night, over which the moon presides, from whence months are numbered; and the church and the witnesses are children of the day, over which the sun rules.”

A further reference to Satan’s attempt to persecute the saints during the Great Tribulation can be found in Revelation 12. Some members of God’s true Church will be protected from Satan’s attacks in a place of safety here on earth (compare Revelation 3:10). Others, however, will have to endure Satan’s persecution–and Satan will use his “instruments”–the beast and the false prophet–to bring about such persecution. We will see, again, that the relevant time span described here is 3 1/2 years. The passage in Revelation 12:13-17 reads:

“Now when the dragon [Satan the devil, Revelation 12:9] saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly [this describes supernatural protection and involvement, compare Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11-12; Isaiah 63:9] into the wilderness to her place [this is not describing the unbiblical concept of a secret rapture of God’s people to heaven, as God’s heaven is certainly not a “wilderness”], where she is nourished FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME, from the presence of the serpent.

“So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood [an army, compare Jeremiah 46:7] after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth [compare Numbers 16:31-33]. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep [in the sense of, who know of, are familiar with, but don’t necessarily DO diligently and with zeal] the commandments of God and have [that is, who know about] the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

All Biblical references to the duration of the Great Tribulation speak of 3 1/2 years. The concept that the Great Tribulation would last for seven years is not Biblical. In fact, there is not one single Biblical passage suggesting that the Great Tribulation would last longer than 3 1/2 years–as mentioned, it is even possible that the time of the Great Tribulation will be cut short.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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