THE PAPACY'S 1260 -YEAR RULE ENDS

1: & THERE WAS GIVEN ME A REED LIKE UNTO A ROD: & THE ANGEL STOOD, SAYING, RISE, & MEASURE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, & THE ALTAR, & THEM THAT WORSHIP THEREIN

2: BUT THE COURT WHICH IS WITHOUT THE TEMPLE LEAVE OUT, & MEASURE IT NOT; FOR IT IS GIVEN UNTO THE GENTILES: THE HOLY CITY SHALL THEY TREAD UNDER FOOT FORTY & TWO MONTHS.  

• Forty-two months [42 times 30] 1260 years - portrayed in chapters by different expressions     

• Verse 3, which follows, [as in chapters 12:3 & 14 & 13:5] denotes the administration of the bearer, each adding more data as to whom the 1260 years is leveled towards       

• The papacy's reign, without controls, begins from 538 to 1798 [Although this time could be construed from Constantine's influence of marriage of state & church to the established Reformation325 to 1585 - the former is full domination until Bible Societies & the modern printing presses terminated her monopoly - France's war on Heaven].       

• He is given a simple rod, not a golden rod. This assessment is adding up what the Christian church has become & an examination of her chronicle

• 'Gentile,' the only time Revelation uses such a word. John is to measure the Jewish court, those of Christ's, but not to evaluate that of the Gentile's. The Gentiles are obviously non-Christian/Jewish, Hindus, Buddhists, & others who are not derived from the Jewish roots. The definition of a Jew has already been defined

 

3: & I WILL GIVE POWER UNTO MY TWO WITNESSES, & THEY SHALL PROPHESY A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED & THREESCORE DAYS, CLOTHED IN SACKCLOTH

• THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED & THREESCORE DAYS - another form of 1260 years - days equaling years.       

• Thus the Papacy, the Reformation & other sects derived from Christianity shall blasphemy, speak to the people as though they are speaking for God, wearing sackcloth [a material often worn in mourning].

 

4: THESE ARE THE TWO OLIVE TREES, & THE TWO CANDLESTICKS STANDING BEFORE THE GOD OF THE EARTH. 5: & IF ANY MAN WILL HURT THEM, FIRE PROCEEDETH OUT OF THEIR MOUTH, & DEVOURETH THEIR ENEMIES: & IF ANY MAN WILL HURT THEM, HE MUST IN THIS MANNER BE KILLED        

• The two churches [already defined as candlesticks] obviously mark the mother church & the Reformation.       

• Verse five uses 'THEIR MOUTH, not mouths, for the Word, as they come from the same source - indicating these 2 are still one

• If anyone tries to hurt her - defy her, they shall be killed, as has always been the case       

• The olive trees grow freely almost everywhere on the shores of the Mediterranean, especially in Palestine - just as the churches grow freely, until they meet their only enemy, the locust from the desert

• Zacharias 4:11 shows the olive trees as the Word of God. Malachi 4:1, Revelation 20:15, & particularly 22:18 & 19 give the same caution to those who injure the Word in any style

 

6: THESE HAVE POWER TO SHUT HEAVEN, THAT IT RAIN NOT IN THE DAYS OF THEIR PROPHECY: & HAVE POWER OVER WATERS TO TURN THEM TO BLOOD, & TO SMITE THE EARTH WITH ALL PLAGUES, AS OFTEN AS THEY WILL.

• These two have the power to shut out heaven - shut out God's Word from raining on the people for 1260 years

• after 1798 Christianity, in a way, changes - 4 classes/types of Christianity will exist - the unforgiving Catholic; the Reformation following her ways; the newer Christly movements of today with want of nothing but aiding those in need; & those who are like the 3rd group, but not of a church institution

 

7: & WHEN THEY SHALL HAVE FINISHED THEIR TESTIMONY, THE BEAST THAT ASCENDETH OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT SHALL MAKE WAR AGAINST THEM,

& SHALL OVERCOME THEM, & KILL THEM

8: & THEIR DEAD BODIES SHALL LIE IN THE STREET OF THE GREAT CITY, WHICH SPIRITUALLY IS CALLED SODOM & EGYPT, WHERE ALSO OUR LORD WAS CRUCIFIED        

• Sodom & Egypt, not Sodom & Gomorrah

• Sodom, which is also part of the Arabian confines, refused to obey God's Law; Egypt declined the Lord's demands. Exodus - 5:2 & THE PHARAOH SAID, WHO IS THE LORD THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE TO LET ISRAEL GO. I KNOW NOT THE LORD, NEITHER SHALL I LET ISRAEL GO

• Those from the desert SHALL OVERCOME THEM, & KILL THEM Scary, in other words the alliance & power of Christianity & Judaism interferences will soon not be tolerated by the eventual United Arab Nation; invaders will win against a United Arab Nation on Islam soil

• Rev 12 adds illustration of who is being introduced as the beast here - not the dragon who portrays the devil. This beast, which ascended out of the bottomless pit, took on another form, in France, 1798, when France openly denied God & Scripture. In 1793, during her chaotic anarchy revolution, France passed a decree forbidding Bible reading. All Bibles were taken, with or without force, & publicly burned. The weekday of rest, baptism, & communion was abolished        

• At the St. Bartholomew Massacre, 70,000 objectors to the papacy fell victim to open Christian murder

• Christ was being crucified a second time - & somewhat in the Palestine region again

 

9: & THEY OF THE PEOPLE & KINDREDS & TONGUES & NATIONS SHALL SEE THEIR DEAD BODIES THREE DAYS & AN HALF, & SHALL NOT SUFFER THEIR DEAD BODIES TO BE PUT IN GRAVES        

• The nations throughout the globe were enraged over the three & a half year of spurning God - thus generating Bible societies to deter any such reoccurrence.

 

10: & THEY THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH SHALL REJOICE OVER THEM, & MAKE MERRY, & SHALL SEND GIFTS ONE TO ANOTHER; BECAUSE THESE TWO PROPHETS TORMENTED THEM THAT DWELT ON THE EARTH        

• The modern printing press was creating Bibles almost as quickly as was the demand, gifts from home to household

 

11: & AFTER THREE DAYS & AN HALF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE FROM GOD ENTERED INTO THEM, & THEY STOOD UPON THEIR FEET; & GREAT FEAR FELL UPON THEM WHICH SAW THEM. 12: & THEY HEARD A GREAT VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING UNTO THEM, COME UP HITHER. & THEY ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN IN A CLOUD; & THEIR ENEMIES BEHELD THEM. 13: & THE SAME HOUR WAS THERE A GREAT EARTHQUAKE, & THE TENTH PART OF THE CITY FELL, & IN THE EARTHQUAKE WERE SLAIN OF MEN SEVEN THOUSAND: & THE REMNANT WERE AFFRIGHTED, & GAVE GLORY TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN        

• This tenth part of the great city to fall is one of the ten horns of the beast [city] France, which did collapse after her nine-year revolution, 1789-98       

• Seven thousand titles were destroyed. George Storrs gives an incredible account of the revolution & the loss of titles

 

14: THE SECOND WOE IS PAST; &, BEHOLD, THE THIRD WOE COMETH QUICKLY. 15: & THE SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED    

• John, the seventh angel, speaks out & generates the first plague of chapter 16.

 

19: & THE TEMPLE OF GOD WAS OPENED IN HEAVEN, & THERE WAS SEEN IN HIS TEMPLE THE ARK OF HIS TESTAMENT; & THERE WERE LIGHTNINGS, & VOICES, & THUNDERINGS, & AN EARTHQUAKE, & GREAT HAIL        

• The cataclysm is not yet come therefore the prophecy is not yet over       

• Hail is a destructive force from the heavens, & earthquakes are the destructive forces of the earth        

• The voice of the Lord is shown, THUNDERINGS & LIGHTENINGS