First published: March 7, 2022
A thousand years ago, it would be nearly impossible to have much insight into the prophecies of Revelation. Even a 100 years ago, trying to understand the Book of Revelation would be like looking into a heavy fog. However, now we are standing right in the midst of the prophecies of Revelation, and our ability to see their meaning grows as we move further and further into the End of Days.
So, the question is, where do we now stand, as seen from the timeline found within the Book of Revelation? Like many pieces of literature, time does not necessarily follow a linear path in the Book of Revelation. Time can jump forwards and backwards and take a windy path. Also, there are still parts of Revelation, whose meaning and relevance is still a mystery – at least to me – so we will need to just conveniently skip around those bits!
Which prophecies have already been fulfilled (and are still ongoing)?
The End of Days begin with the opening of the First Seal (there are seven seals in total), as foretold in Revelation 6:2:
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
The general consensus is that the opening of the first seal unleashes those working to bring about the rise of the Beast, also referred to as the Anti-Christ. The actual point in time this occurred is quite impossible to know with any degree of confidence, however, one point of reference could serve quite well.
In Matthew 24:32-34, Jesus Christ tells us:
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Biblical scholars generally believe that the interpretation for this passage is that the blooming of the fig tree represents the rebirth of the nation of Israel. During the Great Jewish Revolt in 70 A.D., the armies of the Roman Empire defeated the Jewish rebels and in doing so, the Romans also destroyed the Jewish Temple, and destroyed the Kingdom of Judah, scattering the Jewish people. It was not until May 14, 1948, that the Jewish nation was reborn, as the modern nation-state of Israel. Jesus tells us that the founding of Israel starts the clock for His return, as that generation will not pass before Jesus returns to this world. Given this, we argue that there is roughly a 100-year window within which Christ will return, and all the prophecies of Revelation will be fulfilled.
I think assuming the First Seal was opened in 1948 is a good working assumption.
The opening of the Second Seal is described in Revelation 6:3-4:
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
The events that flow from the rider on the red horse are fairly generic, and so it makes it difficult to make anything but very general comments. However, as far as America is concerned, in the past year, the homicide rates in cities across the nation are extremely high, with many cities recording the highest rates of homicides in their histories. I would suspect that this is also true for many parts of Latin America and Europe.
In Matthew 24:8, Jesus makes an allusion to signs of His coming as birth pains. At first, the signs may be faint and infrequently seen, however, as His return draws nearer, the signs will become more intense and frequent. In regard to the effects of the riders of the Apocalypse, as we draw closer to Christ’s return, the intensity and the magnitude of their presence increases – possibly at an exponential rate. The violence exploding in America and other nations could very well be the rider on the red horse coming into the fullness of his power.
The same argument can be made for the third horseman, as foretold in Revelation 6:5-6:
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
At first glimpse, one would think that the opening of the Third Seal refers to food shortages and hunger, which is possible. However, I think a more accurate read is that it refers more generally to the cost of living. Given the latter interpretation, we can expect that the inflation that is now gripping the world will continue to intensify. Not only will commodity prices continue to rise (which includes food grains), but the overall cost of living could very well increase at an increasing rate. Certainly, the war that is breaking out in Ukraine is not helping, and that conflict could very expand into other parts of Europe and beyond. Wars are always inflationary.
The opening of the Fourth Seal can be seen quite explicitly, as foretold in Revelation 6:7-8:
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
This site has posed the question, “Does Death and Hade live in America?”, as it was through American warmongering that the dominion of Death and Hades was forged. America directly and indirectly waged war on Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Hundreds of thousands have died, and millions have suffered due to those conflicts – some still ongoing. Sparks from those flames exacerbated conflicts in Africa, causing more death and suffering. A quarter of the world has suffered societal chaos stemming from the acts of America militarism (this site has also argued that the war in Ukraine was instigated through US provocative actions). Furthermore, this chaos has also been a large factor in the martyrdom of Believers, as foretold in Revelation 6:8-11:
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The opening of the Fifth Seal is seen through the persecution and murder of Believers in the dominion of Death and Hades. The murder of Believers is also ongoing in other regions of the world – not only in Muslim nations, but also in places like India and China.
What prophecies are next on the timeline of Revelation?
We now await the opening of the Sixth Seal. This is one event that will be so catastrophic, that it will serve as a wakeup call to the world. Before going into more detail into our insights regarding the Sixth Seal, I would like to digress a bit.
The opening of the first five seals, as foretold in Revelation, represent prophecies which have been fulfilled, and the effects are still ongoing. There are also prophecies which are yet to be considered fulfilled, but still, we can already see their approach. The most visible are some of the prophecies relating to the opening of the Seventh Seal. Revelation tells us that after the opening of the Seventh Seal, seven angels will blow seven trumpets, in relatively quick succession.
The first trumpet will bring a whirlwind of heat and fire to the world. Revelation 8:7 says,
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
This site has argued that global warming will, directly and indirectly, bring about a number of prophecies found in Revelation. We have sited scientific research that argues that a catastrophic release of methane from the Arctic will cause global warming to accelerate in a parabolic manner. The sudden spike in average global temperatures will cause 1/3 of the world’s forests to burn, as foretold in the above prophecy.
Not only that, but in quick succession the surge in temperatures will also trigger the second and third trumpets, as foretold in Revelation 8:11:
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Not only will atmospheric temperatures surge, but also the water temperature of the oceans and freshwater bodies will similarly increase to levels that will cause a global eruption of harmful algae blooms (aka HABs). The high ocean temperature will cause red tides globally (though we have speculated that man may inadvertently have a hand in it), and the heat will cause green-blue algae to bloom in freshwater bodies, poisoning the water across the globe. However, as these events will not take place until the Seventh Seal is opened, Believers will not need to suffer through these global catastrophes (we will soon explain why).
Things start to get a bit complicated
The next seal to open is the Sixth Seal, as we mentioned earlier. I believe that it is here, where the book of Revelation begins to jump around, in terms of time. Specifically, I believe that the opening of the Sixth Seal is tied to events described in chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation.
The opening of the Sixth Seal will unleash a catastrophic event upon the world, as described in Revelation 6:12-17:
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
This site has been speculating that an eruption of a super-volcano would bring about all the manifestations that are described in the above prophecy. Given that America is the location of three dormant super-volcanos, with the Yellowstone caldera being the most famous, it seemed that it was most likely that America would be the epicenter of this catastrophic event.
Towards the end of Revelation, we are told of another catastrophic event that will occur, where the Whore of Babylon, and Babylon itself, are destroyed. This site has been arguing that those Jews who are working to bring about the rise of the Jewish secular moshiach (aka messiah) are the embodiment of the Whore of Babylon, and that the Whore is the power behind the illegitimate Biden administration. In conjunction with this, we have also been arguing the America is the embodiment of Babylon (please refer to previous Topics and Comments).
What ties these two seemingly distinct events are references to the rapture and the Marriage of the Lamb. After the destruction of the Whore, Revelation 19:1-7 tells us that:
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
The passage says that “a great voice of much people in heaven” is heard, implying that the rapture has occurred, and that Believers have been called to heaven. The passage also says “he hath judged the great whore”, which refers to the destruction of the Whore of Babylon, as described in Revelation 18. Then, the culmination of many things finally happens – the Marriage of the Lamb will take place. In sum, once the Whore of Babylon is destroyed, God will call up His Believers to heaven in the rapture, in order for Believers to be wed to Christ in the Marriage of the Lamb.
Now, skipping back to the opening of the Sixth Seal, we can see similar (though more indirect) references to the rapture and the Marriage of the Lamb. Revelation 7:9 tells us:
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Here, we are plainly told that Believers will have been called to heaven, from all over the world, to stand before God and the Lamb (i.e., Jesus Christ) – which is exactly what we see in Revelation 19:1.
This point is further emphasized in Revelation 7:14:
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Though we find no direct reference to the Marriage of the Lamb in the 9th chapter of Revelation, there are numerous references to the “Lamb”. Also, I believe we are told what will happen those Believers who do participate in the Marriage. Revelation 7:15-17 says:
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
If we are correct in making the connection between these events after the opening of the Sixth Seal (and prior to the opening of the Seventh Seal) and those events that relate to the destruction of the Whore of Babylon and Babylon itself, then we can make very important references to what is now ongoing in the world around us, at this very moment of time.
This is going to sound a bit extreme…. (But you should be used to it by now!)
Going back to the original question, where are we now, amidst the prophecies of Revelation?
The short answer is: we are waiting for the opening of the Sixth Seal.
But obviously, we did not set up this very long argument to settle for the short answer!
We can be even more precise in answering this question, by looking further into the relationship between the Whore of Babylon and the Beast (aka Anti-Christ). Revelation gives us a glimpse into their love-hate relationship (well, a bit of an exaggeration).
Actually, let’s take a step back and ask the question, Who or what is the Whore of Babylon? Chapter 17 of Revelation goes into a detailed (though obviously cryptic) description of the Whore.
Revelation 17:1-5 says,
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Though the Whore is not central to the main events of the End of Days, a great deal of Revelation is devoted to telling her “backstory”. There is a general consensus among Biblical scholars that the Whore of Babylon will be manifested by a religion or religious group that will help the Beast in his rise to power. Many Protestant scholars have argued that the Catholic Church is the manifestation of the Whore, but though the Catholic Church has many faults, I would argue that they are not explicitly working to bring about the rise of the Beast. This site has been arguing that the Whore of Babylon is represented by those Jews who are actively working to bring about the rise of the Jewish secular moshiach (please refer to previous writing for detailed arguments). Relatively more recently, we have expanded this argument, speculating the Whore is the power behind the illegitimate Biden Presidency.
In Revelation 17:3 (noted above), the Whore is seen sitting “upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horn”. This beast is the same as the Beast, aka the Anti-Christ. By sitting on top of the Beast, we see that the Whore is in a dominant position over the Beast, and sees the Beast as its servant (literally, a beast of burden).
Then the question is, within this context, who is the Beast? Who or what is the manifestation of the Beast? This site (and others) have argued that the Beast is the power behind the European Union (again, please refer to previous writing for detailed arguments). From this we see that the illegitimate Biden Presidency (the Whore) is sitting on top of the Beast (the European Union), in a dominant and controlling position.
I believe that this is where we are now, within this backstory. However, the relationship between the Beast and the Whore changes. Revelation 17:16 says,
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
The ten horns of the Beast are commonly interpreted to be the 10 nations that will merge to form the super-state over which the Beast will come to power over. We see that these 10 European nations will come to hate the Whore – i.e., the illegitimate Biden Presidency. I believe that this is the next step in the backstory of the Whore.
War in Europe
Right now we can see that the illegitimate Biden administration has been successful in provoking Russia into invading Ukraine. Despite the reservations shown by Germany and France, the US continues to move NATO closer and closer to war with Russia over Ukraine. We will have to see what will eventually develop, but I believe that America will succeed in bringing NATO into the war, and have the Russia-Ukraine conflict spread to other parts of Europe. Should this happen, then the death and destruction the Whore causes to the nations of Europe (the 10 horns of the Beast), will be the catalyst for the hatred that is foretold in Revelation. Once, this happens, I believe we will be one step closer to the destruction of the Whore and the opening of the Sixth Seal. Should the catastrophic destruction to America (aka Babylon) be related to the war growing in Europe, then we may be proven wrong in our argument that the opening of the Sixth Seal will be by means of a natural phenomenon (e.g. super-volcano eruption).
So where are we?
So to make a very long answer very short – within the context of the prophecies of Revelation, we are currently waiting for the Sixth Seal to be opened, and we are waiting for the 10 horns of the Beast to develop their hatred for the Whore.
If our arguments regarding the Whore of Babylon and the Beast are correct, then we can expect the Russia-Ukraine conflict expand into other parts of Europe. America will have succeeded in bringing the same death and societal chaos they caused in Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan to not only Ukraine but also to Europe – and the 10 horns of the Beast will have real cause to hate the Whore.
In closing, it is important for Believers to take heart in that fact that the rapture and the Marriage of the Lamb grows ever closer — but first we need to endure through the opening of the Sixth Seal and the destruction of the Whore and of Babylon itself. There will be tears and suffering, but those Believers who endure in their faith will be rewarded by God. Try to make some preparations, so that you may better endure that which is coming.