The Babylonian Religion

Transcript

GR 429
1/10/1982
The Babylonian Religion
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


As I mentioned this morning, I want to continue this evening with you a consideration of what the Bible says about Babylon the Great, mother of harlots, mother of abomination in Revelation 17. I mentioned to you this morning the book, THE TWO BABYLONS by Alexander Hislop. How many of you are familiar with this book—perhaps have read it or have it? OK. Quite a number of you. If you don’t, I encourage you to get a hold of a copy. We have some in our book library. I encourage you maybe to secure a copy there and maybe I ought to say something about that. Our book library is running some extensive losses and we looked at our budget this year and thought that five hundred to buy new books; but we found out that wouldn’t cover the losses for a year out of our book library. So we'd like to be a little more careful in that area. I know how it is. I have a number of books. You get a book from someone and put it on your shelf and forget from whence it came and to where it should return. So you might check that. All of that to say, get a copy of THE TWO BABYLONS, if you take it out of our book library, take it back there. If you don't, buy your own and you'll find it's a good price. Loizeaux publishes it and Loizeaux only publishes good stuff. No modern day junk. They don't seem to be controlled quite as much by the dollar. It's still a reasonably priced book. Mine was four and a quarter. It may be a dollar more than that now, I don't know but their books are usually of good quality and reasonably priced.

All right—Babylon the mother of harlots, the abomination of the earth. We noted this morning that the heart of the Babylonian worship system with the worship of the mother and the child. Now again, we aren't trying to degrade Mary, We appreciate that she was a special person, a special woman, a woman worthy of honor. That's clearly indicated in the opening chapters of the Gospels. Worthy of our respect. We recognize that she was special. God did select her of all the women in the world. Of all the possibilities, she was selected to bear the Messiah. Certainly a great honor, but never accorded worship—never dealt with as other than a human being. Honored and exalted of God but a human sinner as even we are.

The worship of the mother and child is of pagan origin, exalting Mary in a position such as Queen of Heaven. We noted in connection with this some of the practices such as purgatory, the sacraments, holy water, virgins, Lent (maybe say a little more about the matter of Lent in our consideration this evening). This matter of sacrificing something—I don't know what your religious background is, but when I was young I remember being told that it would be a good thing for Lent to give up something. Something I really liked like hot chocolate. Something that you enjoy, you ought to give up. My parents suggested that out of a real concern to be religious and do the right thing. Neither of them were believers at that occasion, but the practice of this matter of Lent. Leading up to Easter, "Ishtar”, in honor of again the mother of the child.

In connection with Easter, \
The sign of the cross. That’s still practiced today such thing put on all over and I realize there’s been a blending. Many good Christians wear a cross and so on. But the whole matter of exalting a cross is not of Christian origin. The mark of the cross like our small letter "t” was marked on the foreheads of those who were baptized in the Babylonian mystery religion. So there was a sign of a cross which was a ”t” for Tammuz, the same as our small letter ”t” marked on the foreheads of those who were baptized into the mystery religions of Babylon.

The virgins in pagan Rome. The virgins who were consecrated to this sacred service wore it suspended around their neck in necklaces and if you get THE TWO BABYLONS, you'll see the ancient depiction from way back centuries and centuries before Christ. The priest wearing a big scarf with the "t" marked off on it, on their various cuttings and sacred objects and so on. So this particular practice did not originate with Christianity. But I realize we as believers will mark off a cross as we have one hanging here. At any rate, enough of that, since we don't want to be convicted as guilty, we'll try to keep it removed.

We're familiar with Baal. The worship of Baal in the Old Testament so condemned throughout Israel’s history. Baal is simply the Canaanite parallel to what we have been talking about. Baal being identical with Tammuz, For the Canaanites, they called Tammuz, Baal and worshipped him. If you’re familiar with the Old Testament, you're familiar with some of the problems that Israel had with the worship of Baal.

Now, look at the new pattern here. When Babylon was destroyed, the High Priest of the Babylonian mystery religions fled to Purgamous. From there they immigrated to Italy the Etruscan Plain was where they set up their headquarters and it became the center of what was known then as the Etruscan mystery. So Rome became the headquarters of Babylonianism. It was moved from Babylon and its destruction to Purgamous and from Purgamous to Rome. Thus Rome became the center of the propagation of the Babylonian system.

The Chief Priests in the Babylonian system would wear a hat—they didn't call it a hat, but we call it a hat today—and it was shaped like the head of a fish. It was in honor of Dagon the fish god, the lord of life. Baal for the Canaanites was the lord of life. All going back to Tammuz, the lord of life. So you see the pattern is continued, we just changed the names but the practice is the same. So the High Priest within the Babylonian system wore this hat-like affair shaped in the head of a fish. The Babylonia Religion 1-10-82 Page Four

In Rome, while established in Rome, the Chief Priest of the Babylonian system took the title, which you’re familiar with, Pontifex Maximus, which means the sovereign pontiff. It was printed across this hat. Julius Caesar and all Romans of quality birth and quality education were initiates into the mystery religion, Julius Caesar, when he became head of state, was also elected Pontifex Maximus. The title was held from Julius Caesar on down by all the Roman rulers. They incorporated within themselves the title of the sovereign pontiff and the priestly incorporation as well, Down to Constantine, and so you have the Roman ruler being both head of the church, high priest of the heathen, there is a blending going on you see that takes place.

Now, as you come down from Constantine, what happens is the title, Pontifex Maximus becomes the title bestowed upon the bishops at Rome and continues down to today. The title worn by the Pope. He wears it on his derby, Pontifex Maximus. You can call it a derby, hat, miter. He’s the supreme pontiff, but that doesn't go back to Biblical times, that doesn’t go back to Peter. The fish has nothing to do with Peter, the fisherman. However, what we do is take pagan activities and pagan symbols and incorporate them into Christianity and give them a Christian significance. So the Pope bears this title. He wears the fisherman's ring. You don’t have to be very familiar with Roman Catholicism to be aware of that. It has nothing to do in its origin with Peter, it has to do with the worship of Dagon the fish god. That’s where its origin comes from. I think that he is in line not of the apostles of the New Testament, but rather in the line of the supreme pontiff of the Babylonian mystery religions and is the propagator of the harlotries of Revelation 17. I’m not saying he understands that, but the doctrine, the practices and so on that are encouraged. Such as, baptismal regeneration. Where do you get the idea of baptismal regeneration?

I was interested as I read about this and refreshed my mind again that this goes back antedating Christianity by centuries. Within the Babylonian system at Babylon they believed that the new birth was conferred by baptism. This concept of New Birth is not new with the New Testament. It’s found in Hindu religions and so on. They talk about twice-born men without any concept of Christianity’s new birth—rebirth, being born again. For the Babylonians, it was the new birth by baptism. In the Babylonian mysteries, before any instruction could be received—before you could receive any teaching regarding the mystery religion—first of all, you had to be initiated by baptism symbolizing your complete, blind, total obedience to the requirements of this religious system. Those who were baptized were promised "regeneration and the pardon of all their purgeries. I was interested that this doctrine of baptismal regeneration was found among the Mexicans when Cortez landed on their shores. He found them practicing baptismal regeneration. Let me read you just a comment on this matter since it is a part of the Roman system. One of the forms I had to fill out when Gregory was admitted to the hospital was "Has he been baptized?" That's a crucial matter for them. You’re wondering what I said. Of course he's been baptized, but not as thou thinkest.

The ceremony of Mexican baptism which was beheld with astonishment by Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries is strikingly described in Prescott’s CONQUEST OF MEXICO. Here's what they found when they arrived at Mexico. "When everything necessary for the baptism had been made ready, all the relations of the child were assembled and the midwife who was the person who performed the rite of baptism was summoned. At early dawn they met together in the courtyard of the house. When the sun had risen, the midwife, taking the child in her arms, called for a little earthen vessel of water while those about her placed the ornaments which had been prepared for baptism in the midst of the court. To perform the rite of baptism, she placed herself with her face to the west and immediately began to go through certain ceremonies. After this she sprinkled water on the head of the infant saying. 'Oh my child. Take and receive the water of the lord of the world which is our life which is given for the increasing and renewing of our body. It is to wash and to purify. I pray that these heavenly drops may enter into your body and dwell there. That they may destroy and remove from you all the evil and sin which was given you before the beginning of the world since all of it are under its power.'" Then it goes on with the further description of the ceremony. You see it going on before they even had a chance to get even Roman Catholic missionaries there—it was being practiced—the subject of baptismal regeneration. I take it it is not a matter of misunderstanding Scripture. It's a matter of amalgamating into a religious system a totally pagan practice. All right. Let me go back now. I mentioned Easter and I mentioned this morning that's not a Christian name. Easter is Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the Queen of Heaven, whose name is found on the Assyrian monuments as Ishtar. It talks about the feast of Ishtar. Early church history had a time of remembering the death and resurrection of Christ-—celebrated about the time of Passover. March 23rd was the date that they used around the end of the second century. It was not called Easter and it was not preceded by Lent. The forty days abstinence of Lent was taken from the Babylonian worship system. An example: This period of forty days of Lent in the spring of the year is still observed by the pagan devil worshippers in Cortezand. The pagan Mexicans held it in honor of the sun. It was held in Egypt in honor of Osiris. Among the pagans Lent seemed to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz which was celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing. What happens is when you are going to Christianize large numbers of pagans you try to bring together the practices as much as possible. Interesting comment by Cassianus, the monk of Marseilles, writing in the fifth century. He wants to draw a contrast with the primitive church and the church of his day. He says, "It ought to be known that the observance of the forty days of Lent had no existence so long as the perfection of that primitive church remained inviolate." This is an unheard of practice in the church until it got amalgamated with pagan practices. A little bit of how this happened, I don’t know that I'll go into the details of that. It was in 519 at the council of Arealia that Lent was formally decreed to be observed before Easter and the calendar was thus adjusted accordingly. There was such a reaction to this that it took till the next century before the church really got into the practice of observing Lent. There was violence, bloodshed and so on in the resistance to that practice. Isn't it amazing? We don’t think anything of it today. But there were those who were martyred because they refused to observe such a pagan observance as Lent. And now many who profess to
But be Christians observe it thinking that it's a manner of honoring the Lord. Many of those who worshipped the Lord were martyred by refusing to do such a pagan practice. That would drive us back again to consider what is the Scriptural foundation in support for what we do? Otherwise you can be drawn into all kinds of pagan activities. Some of the things that go along with this whole time—I don’t know whether I ought to say these things—the hot cross buns on Good Friday. Hislop finds them going back to more of a pagan derivation and the practice of the cakes that were baked and the marking of the "t" on those and so on. I'll probably squiggle the "t" and still eat a hot cross bun, they taste good; but they have no place in religious observances, we ought not to with their background. The dyed Easter eggs on Easter Sunday. Let me read you a little bit about the Easter eggs. I know that now since it’s 20 below zero you're interested in hearing about Easter eggs, "The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians and thus it’s tale is told by Hyginus, the Egyptian, the learned keeper of the Palatine library at Rome, in the time of Augustus, who was skilled in all the wisdom of his native country: (a quote from him) ’An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank, where the doves having settled upon it, and hatched it out came Venus, who was afterwards called the Syrian Goddess' —that is, Astarte. Hence the egg became one the symbols of Astarte or Easter; and accordingly, in Cyprus, one of the chosen seats of the worship of Venus, or Astarte, the egg of wondrous size was represented on a grand scale." He presents a depiction of that particular setting. So again here we have a practice. We dye Easter eggs and don’t think anything of it. Have you ever thought of that. Where in the Bible does Easter eggs have anything to do with the resurrection of Christ. I don’t know. I’m not saying that you dye Easter eggs, therefore thou art pagan. I'm just saying we ought to be careful we see how these little things become absorbed and it depends on where you are how much significance. But even the little things get absorbed into our lives. We practice them and we never question where does it come from? Now we look at some within a system like Roman Catholicism and we say, "My, they ought to examine these things." You stop and think of the little things that we accept and I've never examined. You know, why do you do that? What do you mean why do you do that? Why do you set up that evergreen tree in your living room and put all these silly balls on it? You know, you did it at home. Oh, 0K. But we need to be wondering why. What does that have to do with Christmas. What does that have to do with the birth of Christ? These kind of things. They just get ingrained in us and we do it. It wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas tree. Oh, sometimes we think, would it be or wouldn't it be? Well of course it would be. But I sure wouldn't want to be without my tree. Some of you can be relieved, your tree is gone, mine is under the steps in the basement, All right. It gets resurrected every year. O.K. On Christmas, since I'm talking about Christmas. Within the Christian church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of until the third century. And not until the fourth century was it observed on a significant level. Now I realize that doesn't make it right or wrong but we ought to see there has a change occurred. Observance of this particular festival was not held in the early church. How do we get to December 25th then as Christmas Day? Long before the Christian era, a festival was celebrated among the heathen at that precise time of the year in honor of the birth of the son of the Babylonian Queen of Heaven at the winter solstice. That becomes the focal point when his birth is celebrated. In order to conciliate the heathen and gain nominal adherents to Christianity, the same festival was adopted giving it only the name of Christ, Tertullian-- many of you are familiar with the name of Tertullian—one of the early church fathers comments on this matter. We read here, "This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early developed: and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition." Tertullian says, "By us who are strangers to Sabbaths, the new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, etc. are now frequented gifts are carried to and fro, new year’s day presents are made with din, and sports and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians."

At this time of year in Egypt, the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven was born at this very time, "about the time of the winter solstice." The very name by which Christmas is popularly known among ourselves— Yule-day—shows its pagan and Babylonian origin. Yule is the Babylonian name for an infant—for a little child and the 25th of December was called by our Pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors, Yule-day or the Child’s day. The night that preceded it, "Mother-night", long before they came in contact with Christianity. I’m not saying there's anything wrong with observing the birth of Christ. We see early we have one of those stalwarts of Biblical Christianity Tertullian lamenting the fact that even in his day Christians are becoming absorbed in the giving of presents and the celebrating of a festival which is Pagan in character and the Pagans are careful not to become Christians but the Christians aren't careful about adopting the practice of the Pagans. You see it goes on long enough, it becomes acceptable and we do it. We find no Biblical practice for it, yet it goes on. O.K. And he gives all kinds of examples of where in other places and in other lands and religious activity have no direct connection with Christianity. This day is celebrated as the "Birth of the Moon," Birth of the Lord, and so on. But they have no connection with Christianity. Their connection goes back to the Babylonian system, and we pick it up and practice it. There's nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Christ. No, nothing wrong. But you see how we pick up one thing to another. We celebrate it with the setting up of an evergreen tree. Now, there's nothing wrong with evergreen trees. We celebrate it with great festivals and the giving of gifts. Well, maybe nothing wrong with that but you see we continue to add one thing to another till by all intents and purposes, it becomes a Pagan activity.

How much of the Pagan-Babylonian system are we free to absorb and almalga- mate into our Christianity? Becomes the question. I don't want to become a nit-picker over battling over whether you have a Christmas tree or not have a Christmas tree. But we as believers ought to be careful.

The rosary. It's interesting maybe Gregory had to go into the Catholic Hospital so I’d be more alert on these things. The rosary. It is of the greatest antiquity and almost universally found among Pagan nations. The rosary was in common use among the ancient Mexicans, the/Brumena of Hindustan, the Hindu Brahmins sacred books. In Thibet it has been used as far back as they can trace it— trace their keeping of records. The Buddhists practice it. The Roman Catholics practice it. Carried over from the Babylonian system—the rosary. It has nothing to do with anything Christian at all. And it goes on and on and on, these activities—they have nothing Christian about them. Now, I tell you this for a couple of reasons. One, that we as believers be careful that our beliefs our practices are rooted and founded in the Scriptures. Secondly, there is a softening going on among believers in their attitude toward those who practice these things. You see it among the Charismatic movement today that tends to draw together Catholic and Protestant alike and to bypass major theological differences. I have a real question about that in light of the description in Revelation 17 that we are dealing with that which is harlotry before God.

What do you mean let's pass it over? How can we do that? It's an impossibility. Now, what happens is, it's done under the guise of love. And you seem like the odd-man-out, the divisive-bickering-battling-unloving Christian when you stand against it. But we must stand where God stands. It must remind myself that when I say this to people—I mentioned the hospital here—I've been very gracious. The priests, the nuns, stop in to see Gregory very gracious. I have to remind myself of how God sees this system and it's true among unbelieving Protestants as well. How does God see it? Oh, not these lovely people doing a good work—He sees it as harlotry. Leading people away from Me. and it must be viewed from that standpoint.

I just want to take a few minutes to look at the climax of this system in Revelation 17, the transition for all of this occurs in the middle of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is divided into two segments. Three and a half years each, with the middle being a transition point. Several significant things happen in the middle of the Tribulation that bring about marked changes. In Revelation 17:16, we read this this morning, "And the Ten horns which you saw, and the beast" are these ten nations—the ten kings of these ten nations—joined together with the Anti-Christ, he is dominating this confederacy, the beast. They will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. Make her desolate and naked. Remember she is described in verse 4 as tremendously wealthy. What is going to happen now is that this political alliance is going to turn on the church. Appropriate its vast wealth and power for itself. Why does this happen? It’s all satanic. The Babylonian system is satanic, but Satan is ready to replace it now with his greatest counterfeit of all. The counterfeit messiah if you would, the counter world ruler. That one who intends to usurp the place of Christ Himself as ruler of the nations of the earth. So the earthly nations turn against the harlot and destroy her. So the Roman Catholic Church and her allies will grow, prosper, flourish, until the middle of the seven years Tribulation. Let me say here, I do not believe the Pope is the Anti-Christ. I believe Hislop closes his book by presenting that. Hislop's book was written over a hundred years ago. In those days it was popular to identify the Pope as the Anti-Christ. I do not believe the Pope is the Anti-Christ. I believe he'll be the head of probably this apostate church. They turn, appropriate the wealth of the church and destroy the apostate system. And what is going to happen now, the only worship that is allowed in the world is the worship of the Anti-Christ. Back in Revelation 13, verse 12. (Pause) The second beast of the earth, I told you about a few weeks ago, whose purpose is to direct worship of the world to the anti-Christ. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose fatal wound was healed. So it becomes a matter of worshipping this man and his empire. And this false prophet, the second beast in Revelation 13, will carry on his ministry prominently in the second three and a half years of the Tribulation. His purpose is to direct the worship of the world to the Anti-Christ—to his empire. And the
Anti-Christ is the head of that empire.

Back to Second Thessalonians chapter 2—Second Thessalonians, chapter 2. We looked at this chapter in our study of the Anti-Christ. Verse 4— he is described as the one who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God displaying himself as being God. You see he exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship. That's why the apostate church is now destroyed. Because I do not recognize any system of worship—any religious activity except that which focuses on me and worships me as god. I do not need your system—do not need your practices. It's very simple, I now sit as god and you worship me. You see here that he takes his seat in the temple of god displaying himself as being god in verse 4. This may be connected with the activity of the false prophet in doing miracles in Revelation 13, calling down fire from heaven, constructing an image and then giving spirit or life to that image. All connected now with the worship of this individual.

Back to Matthew 24. Verse 15. "Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short." See what happened? In verse 15, "when you see the abomination of desolation—standing in the holy place." What does Second Thessalonians 2 say? He takes his seat in the temple of god showing himself to be god. What does Revelation 13 say? That an image is constructed in honor of the Anti-Christ and the false prophet calls it to life. Daniel spoke of this and that’s what Christ refers to in Daniel 9, we read this when we studied the 70 weeks of Daniel, it comes on the wings of abomination which makes desolate. Evidently this marks the turning point for the Jews. For the first three and a half years, this false messiah has been dealing with them kindly, encouraging them. In the middle of the three and a half years, there’s going to be a change for the Jews. The indication of this in the very temple of Jerusalem he wall set up an image of himself and declare that he must be worshipped. And when the Jew's see that happen, they'd better go and hide. Don't take time to go back to get your clothes because the persecution is going to be underway immediately. And don’t even go back to pack your clothes, too bad for those who have small babies in those days because they just compound flight. How are you going to flee to the rugged regions of the trans-Jordan area when you have a baby that’s only a couple of months old? Don't want it to be in winter when travel would be hard^—on the Sabbath when travel would be more noticeable and your flight would be more observed. So it's going to be a marked time for the Jews and at that time the church is destroyed, the Anti-Christ sets himself up as god, and the Great Tribulation, the last three and a half years marked off as the Great Tribulation. That's when he begins his systematic program of annihilation of the Jews and of all who will not worship him. That's when is instituted the need to receive his mark in identifying you as one who is a worshipper of the only true god, Anti-Christ. The one who is the lord of all the earth. Satan's master counterfeit who he attempts now to present as god in the flesh. That one who claims to be himself, god incarnate. And attempts to display that even as Christ did on earth by the performing of mighty miracles and works of power. The result will be much of the world will go after him in worship, adoration, and multitudes will be martyred. So the false religious system which we see in operation today, particularly the western world but the tentacles go out throughout the world centering in the Roman Catholic church is destined to prosper and not to fawn. It may go through periods of ebb and flow. I was reading an article in a news magazine in the last week or two about the main-line denominations making a trust to gain a hold again. I think that Roman Catholicism will and in its ultimate form, Roman Catholics and Protestants will be wed together in an alliance promoting the Babylonian religious system which is what they practice today anyway. And it will flourish, prosper, in prominence, in powder, and so on until the middle of the Tribulation period when Satan himself will have it destroyed. One of the characteristics of Satan is destruction as always his goal. And he sets up an Anti-Christ who will rule for three and a half years claiming to be god over the earth. Displaying himself as god with mighty works of power. His rule will be brought to an end by the intervention of Jesus Christ,

In verse 21 of Matthew 24, he said that that is going to be the time of the greatest tribulation the world has ever seen. All through history there have been bad times. There are times in the world today that are difficult and people sometimes say, "see there’s tribulation going on in one way or another everywhere.” Jesus is talking about a tribulation of unparalleled scope. So bad, verse 22, he says that unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved. If Jesus Christ did not intervene at the end of seven years, and allowed it to take its course, all mankind would be destroyed. You see Satan's purposes always move toward destruction, Even though they start out being attractive, they always move a person toward ruin, That’s what sin always does, A person starts out in drugs, it's pleasing. Ends up in ruin. In drink, ends up in ruin. In sex, ends up in ruin. The pattern is the same and so it will be here.

So, for us as believers, we anticipate the coming of Christ. I do not expect that you and I as believers will hold back the flow of the apostate church. It is destine to prosper. What God has called us to HHHis present the Word to the world, so that God might draw the elect to Himself. At the appropriate time, He will remove us from the world so that Satan’s system might flourish as it never has before. But it is destine to absolute total ruin within three and a half years. Then three and a half years later, Satan’s counterfeit god will be destroyed by the return of the God-man Jesus Christ. And His kingdom will be set up over all the earth. We are going to look in our next study together at some of the events transpiring particularly out of Revelation chapter 6—the four horsemen of the apocalypse. These matters going on during the first three and a half years in particular. Then we want to look at the matters relating to these events in the middle of the Tribulation particularly the war with Russia, the nations, the alignment of the nations— which nations fall where in Biblical prophecy. Then to the last three and a half years and the return of Jesus Christ.

Let's pray together,...