The popular and nearly universally accepted interpretation of prophecy in our present times has a few stones laid in the foundation that make the whole structure unsound; and therefore, false.
Those stones are not those the builder rejected, but rather stones that please man's idea of what is important; while at the same time it causes both dread and distraction that can not be attributed to any truth that originates in the Mind of Christ.
There are three ideas/statements in the book of Revelation, which, if examined in the light of the scripture apart from the predominant tendency to believe what so-called trained theology and other various and sundry
'experts' have been saying for centuries
(most of which has the world on the edge of their seat waiting for Satan to appear, as a man, to rise, bigger than life and impossible to miss), reveal truth quite unlike that which we are told of by men:
the SPIRIT of prophesy is
the testimony of JESUS CHRIST
And I fell at his feet to worship him.
And he said unto me, See you do it not: I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God:
for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
~ Revelation 19:10
The evidence given, the report, the witness of Jesus is the breath, the vital principle of the speaker inspired by God.
which means:
Prophecy that is centered upon 'antichrist' and Satan (and the earthly workings of all minions thereof) is not of the True Prophetic gift. God does not employ His servants to testify of Satan, even as opponent of Christ. To do battle with the Sword of His mouth is to tell the Truth, according to God, proven by scripture, because the Truth will stand for evermore and Satan's throne is not truly of his own will, but only as God allows it, for the time determined and the divine purpose of the Master Plan.
The prophets do repeatedly warn us, but the main theme of their warning is the dangerous consequences for the created vessel that strives against the Potter, and these come to us from the Potter: God, not Satan. Satan can hurt us only if we let him, either knowingly or in ignorance. He cannot come into our house unless we invite him to enter, and we are a far greater danger to our selves by way of the short sight inherent to human pride (ego) and our natural unwillingness to submit to Perfect Rule (rebellion). Our only defense has been given through the Truth that was sent to Light our Way in our Savior and LORD. It is for us to keep our eye single upon the Light given.
For all the worldly persuasion that Satan has power over men, the truth is that he is nothing more than an instrument put to use by God in the trial and refining of His Saints, the power he has been given is not to kill (to touch our souls), but only to accuse and tempt our flesh.
And He that reigns in Perfect Rule is He which can hurt and heal whomsoever He please, whenever He pleases, for His own divine and perfect end-design for positive outcome regarding all souls, as He told Moses so long ago: (I) will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. (In Exodus chapter 33)
The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
Fear them not therefore:
for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;
and hid, that shall not be known.
What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light:
and what you hear in the ear, preach upon the housetops.
And fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
~ Matthew 10:24-28
our observance MUST be of
a SINGLE-minded nature
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,
that are ready to die:
for I have not found your works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how you have received and heard,
and hold fast, and repent.
If therefore you shall not watch,
I will come on you as a thief,
and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you.
~ Revelation 3:2-3
How can we watch with one eye for the return of our LORD, while using the other eye to watch constantly for Satan?
The soul cannot serve both by observation; there truly is no possible success for such.
We must overcome duality, not be held in perpetual confusion by it. Upon the cross Christ overcame the inherent flaws of duality, which began in the Garden of Eden, in order to give each individual soul the power needed for individual salvation over the dual nature all men are born into. We have neither need nor excuse to be living in anxiety and apprehension, if truly we have faith in our Savior.
The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore your eye be single,
your whole body shall be full of light.
But if your eye be evil,
your whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in you be darkness,
how great is that darkness!
No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
~ Matthew 6:22-24
To what purpose is our preoccupation with 'the antichrist?' Why should we even have anything more than the necessary small portion of regard, which is needed for awareness only, in the direction of the prince of liars and thieves? We have been told by our Savior, by the power given Him as reward for being the 'Overcomer', through the sure Word spoken by He who is 'Faithful and True': that Satan has been conquered, judged, and placed in subjection to the King of Kings.
Truly, if God be for us, who can be against us? There is none who has the power to suppress and hold evil sway over the 'Children of the Day'.
One of the main false ideas from the misinterpretation of Revelation is that we yet wait for Satan's 'de facto' arrival. This is not the case, Satan lost his place in Heaven when Christ was pierced, and we are told this in straightforward words spoken by Christ, Himself:
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world gives, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
You have heard how I said unto you,
I go away, and come again unto you.
If you loved me, you would rejoice,
because I said, I go unto the Father:
for my Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you before it come to pass,
that, when it is come to pass,
you might believe.
Hereafter I will not talk much with you:
for the prince of this world comes,
and has nothing in me.
~ John 14:27-30
Now is the judgment of this world:
now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
~ John 12:31
Christ says
'now', not
'later on.'
The word translated as
'now' from the Greek, according to Strong's Concordance, is
G3568 - noon (nun): A primary particle of present time; 'now' (as adverb of date, a
transition or emphasis); also as noun or adjective present or immediate: henceforth, hereafter, of late, soon,
present, this (time).
I see no other way to understand those words, and the common idea of the passage that follows as being something yet to come, something we should be on the lookout according to man's estimation of what the last days will hold, is not supported anywhere in scripture, and is actually plainly revealed to us to be the conditions which arose immediately after the visitation of the LORD was accomplished, and persists even to this very moment in time.
And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels,
And prevailed not;
neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,
which deceives the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out with him.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven,
Now is come salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Christ:
for the accuser of our brethren is cast down,
which accused them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Therefore rejoice,
you heavens, and you that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath,
because he knows that he has but a short time.
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth,
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
~ Revelation 12:7-13
But instead of trusting the sure words of the Greatest Prophet, He that is 'faithful and true', we trust the words of self-proclaimed prophets whose so-called testimony is centered not on the Savior and His feat of salvation already accomplished, but rather on the devised out-workings of a spirit that has no legitimate power over anyone who seeks after God and His righteousness and truth.
The religious men of the world are increasingly warning us daily about the dangers of following 'false prophets'; yet, whether they realize it or not, it is they, themselves who are to be avoided and disregarded, for their testimony is neither true
(centered on the 'spirit of prophesy') nor inspired (God-breathed), thus satisfying the requirements provided for the purpose of aiding our recognition of false prophets who esteem 'cunningly devised fables'...
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables.
~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,
when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
~ 2 Peter 1:16
the bible is about JESUS CHRIST:
the CREATOR and REDEEMER,
start to finish
I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the ending,
said the Lord,
which is, and which was, and which is to come,
the Almighty.
~ Revelation 1:8
This is one that ought to be self-evident in the scriptures as a whole: 'It's all about' Jesus Christ, not Satan, not the antichrist, and not man and his temporary delusion of kingship and falsely perceived ability to judge (discern) what is true and what is not, on his own without the help of the Holy Spirit, as Peter tells us outright:
Knowing this first:
that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
~ 2 Peter 1:20-21
it started with CHRIST:
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made.
~ John 1:1-4
it ended with CHRIST, here on earth:
I have glorified you on the earth:
I have finished the work which you gave me to do.
~ John 17:4
And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world,
and I come to you.
Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me,
that they may be one, as we are.
~ John 17:11
as it is in HEAVEN, also:
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
~ 1 Peter 3:22
This truth is not perceived, in its totality, by man at this time; nevertheless it is fact already, not something we still must hope toward:
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.
For in that he put all in subjection under him,
he left nothing that is not put under him.
But now we see not yet all things put under him.
~ Hebrews 2:8
this is something that is understood
only through FAITH.
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.
For there is no power but of God:
the powers that be are ordained of God.
~ Romans 13:1
