'Within the two
chapters - the 17th and the 18th -certain time references are given.
The ten horns
"receive power as kings one hour with the beast." (17:12)
While the harlot's plagues "come in one
day" (18:8),
in "one hour is [her] judgment come"
(v. 10).
"In one hour" her "great riches
is come to nought" (v. 17).
"In one hour is she made desolate"
(v. 19).
A close comparison
of the wording would indicate that the same time allocated to the reign of the
ten horns, is the same amount of time that these horns use to turn on the
harlot and make her "desolate." (Compare 17:12, 17 with 18:19)
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten
kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one
hour with the beast.
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried,
weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made
rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour
is she made desolate.
While a prophetic
day equals one year (Eze. 4:6), the hour, if reckoned as a 24th part of the
prophetic day, would be 15
literal days. However, hora, the Greek word for hour, can mean a short period of time,
rather than a literal 24 hours. Whatever reckoning of time is used,
there is one thing certain -
"the final movements will be rapid ones." (From a study by William Grotheer)
*******
The final movements
will be rapid ones.
I did this as part
of a study last night, a study I'm continuing today by the grace of God. I have
to relate something that happened to me today in the grocery store. I was wearing my "Got Jesus?"
tee-shirt and a lot of times when I wear this people will react to it with
various comments, so far all positive ones, thank God. Today a man in the story
walked past the checkout I was at and turned and looked at me and said,
"He's coming soon you know." I
smiled and told him that yes, I know. And he said, "Really, really
soon." And I agreed again. Then He said (all the while walking down the
check out to leave) Within 365 days." And I told him I hoped so! It was a weirdly wonderful encounter that I
haven't been able to shake. I asked
JoAnna (my daughter) who was with me, "What if he was an angel in disguise
giving us a warning, an encouragement?"
We really don't know do we? We
can't know. I do know I haven't been able to get the encounter out of my
thoughts, it was really intense.
Jesus is coming
soon! This is a fact! And you can shake your head all you want, you can point
your finger and laugh at me and call me a fool. You can say that people have
thought this since right after Jesus went to heaven and I'd say you're right
they have, why should I be any different? Every single person that has had the
hope of Jesus' second coming must believe He will come soon, we are living for
HIM. We are living for His return to take us home with Him. We are truly ONLY
pilgrims here on earth with our real home in heaven. The Bible is full of cryptic prophecies that
would encourage God's people throughout their time here on earth. One prophecy
after another unfolding. One of the most
recent major prophecies fulfilled occurred in 1980 when the 'times of the
gentiles was fulfilled'. We know the
prophecy tells us that the generation of that fulfillment would not PASS before
Christ came.
Luk 21:24 … and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in
the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with
perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for
looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of
heaven shall be shaken.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass,
then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Luk 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the
fig tree, and all the trees;
Luk 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of
your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Luk 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come
to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall
not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Because this
prophecy was fulfilled in 1980 we know that generation will NOT pass- until
Christ returns!
It's been 35 years
since 1980, surely it won't be long now.
The final events
WILL be rapid ones beyond a doubt.
15 days, a short
period of time, as the end draws ever closer and events transpire one after the
other, as we LIVE through the final prophecies may God keep our hearts and
minds open to only His truth! May we be
ready for HIM when He returns! He IS returning! And He IS returning SOON, we
must all comprehend this urgency, we must all seek to live for HIM as He wills,
not as we will.
Truly we must ask
ourselves how we should live BELIEVING our Savior is returning soon. I believe
our answers will reveal to us where we need to pray more and more for Christ to
work IN US HIS WILL through the Holy Spirit!
Please, Father! WE
pray Come LORD JESUS, COME!
In His name always!
Amen!