EVERYTHING OCCURING ON EARTH ONLY FULFILLES GOD’S WORD
The insight of a certain prominent rabbi: "ISIS has an unexpected place in the divine plan – its role is actually to protect Israel from its enemies. ..." reminded me of the passage from Revelation17. ...
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. …
‘The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. …
Then the angel said to me, ‘The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.’
REVELATION 17.
I have come across some interesting, and unique insight into the current happenings around the world by a prominent Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi:
Despite their nefarious goals, however … the Arab world, even avowed enemies ISIS and Iran, will fail to harm Israel. In fact, ISIS has an unexpected place in the divine plan – its role is actually to protect Israel from its enemies. “ISIS will not be wiped out. God does not want it wiped out,” … “ISIS creates complications all over the world in certain countries so that they will leave Israel alone. ISIS and the Muslims hate Christians more than they hate Jews.” Indeed, despite the combined effort of all the world’s superpowers, including US forces and the Russian military, ISIS has yet to be defeated. Since its founding in 2014, ISIS has committed dozens of terror attacks in Europe and Turkey and killed hundreds of civilians, apart from its genocidal plan to wipe out all non-Muslims within its territories. As for Iran, Israel has little to fear — but America does (Line added,
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/84665/eerily-accurate-mystic-rabbi-predicts-cities-swallowed-up-plane-and-boat-crashes-but-israel-protected/#wXXbyj8TgcLX4yyd.99).
In the passage from Revelation chapter 17 quoted above, a prostitute who has universal influence emerges by sitting upon the beast. She dominates the beast and is wealthy, dressed in purple (the predominant colour of Roman imperialism), scarlet, glittering with gold and jewels. Her outward attraction made the kings and inhabitants of the earth intoxicated. She had a cup full of abominable filth in her hand, and on her forehead was a name written a mystery:
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES, AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH,
which was sharply contrasted with the mystery of Christ and His true church, as written in Eph.3:1-9. Hers was the mystery of godlessness, iniquity and of spiritual fornication or idolatry, as embodied in the term ‘Babylon’.
In the Bible, the imagery of beasts is uniformly used to signify forces of evil, world empires, and the devilish influence behind evil empires. The seven headed monster such as Rahab, Leviathan and the dragon represented satanic, idolatrous systems that often found expression in the political, economic and religious entities. In Revelation the devil is described as being red and having seven heads and ten horns.
Likewise, the beast on which the great prostitute sits, is described as scarlet and with seven heads and ten horns. This comparison shows the identification between ungodly world empires and the satanic forces behind kings. Ultimately the devil himself is to be incarnated in the ultimate antichrist.
The kings of the world and their subjects give their power to the eighth king and the seventh head, i.e., the antichrist, so as to dominate over all ecclesiastical, political, economic, and legal authorities and their kingdoms, and until they firmly establish these powers and authority, they will take advantage of the influence of the great prostitute over the world. But eventually they destroy the prostitute. They will renounce fellowship with her, come out from her apostate church and her idolatrous worship, only to give rise to something worse, worship of satan, in which the antichrist (devil incarnate) will be worshipped in place of God. During that time, true believers in Christ would be led to increased persecution, and be exhorted to be faithful witnesses unto death, being reminded of Christ’s Word of victory:
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.
The rabbi’s insight reminded me of the passage explored above. As we observe Christ’s analysis and warnings to the first-century churches, and His prophecies in Revelation we can apply them to issues we are confronting today. As for the reign of the prostitute, God has fixed a time allowing her to pursue her own way. However, her destruction will come.
For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled
- the reign of antichrist, and afflictions of His people and church including martyrdom for many for three and a half years in the end of times, are all a fulfilment of God’s secret will, however evil. Knowing the fact that decrees in heaven always precede earthly events and what is to take place on earth gives us confidence that everything is under divine control.