Rachel, you seem to have an interested in end time prophecy as well. I”ll pass along to you what I have learned over the last thirty years.
First It's important to realize that all that God has created continues to operate under His natural laws He ordained at the time of creation. Example: our solar system, operates under the natural laws He designed into their orbit. These laws are constant and do not change, which makes them laws, as laws have no exceptions. Our solar system is so precise in their orbits that we can calculated time months and years in advance.
Consider one more example: Sir Isaac Newton researched the effects of gravity through different experiments. After observing that objects always fall at the same rate of speed, Sir Newton developed a mathematical formula expressing his discovery. Sir Isaac Newton did not make up the rule that governs gravity. Sir Isaac Newton merely discovered what God had made and he expressed the behavior of gravity in a manner that allowed others to calculate and understand the effects of gravity.
The importance of understanding God's natural laws is that they put everybody on the same page/level the playing field, by doing away with personal bias, one might hold on that subject. Can you imagine the confusion that would exist in this world if mankind did not agree on the laws that govern math?
Since God is the author of apocalyptic prophecy, we must realize they too operate by His natural laws. It is only when we understand the four natural laws He built into apocalyptic prophecy can we understand their intended meaning. Following are the four natural laws:
Rule One: Each apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning point and an ending point in time and the events within each prophecy occur in the order they are given.
Rule Two: A prophecy or prophetic element within a prophecy is not fulfilled until all of the specifications are met. This includes the order of the events given within the prophecy. (Fulfillment)
Rule Three: Apocalyptic language can be literal, symbolic, or analogous. To reach the intended meaning of a passage, the student must consider (a) the context, (b) the use of parallel language in the Bible, and (c) a relevant text that defines the symbol if an element is thought to be symbolic. (Language)
Rule Four: The presence or absence of the Jubilee Calendar determines how God measures time. If a prophetic time period occurs during the operation of the Jubilee Calendar (1437 B.C. - 1994), time is translated as a day for a year; otherwise, translation is not permitted.
Interpretations, that are not based on Gods laws are just private interpretations. There are as many private interpretations as there are individuals who interpret apocalyptic prophecy having no knowledge of God’s laws of interpretation.
Based on these valid laws, I will explain why I do not agree with your following statement:
“I believe the 10 horns are the 10 kings of Daniel 7:24 “
Rule one is so crucial in determining the identity of the first beast of (Rev. 13) because the chronological order of the rise of this beast will give us a sense of timing. The beginning and ending of each of the twelve prophecies found in Revelation are not determined by chapter delineation.
The person responsible for dividing the Bible into chapters and verses is Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury. The ancient, original manuscripts in Hebrew (and Greek for the New Testament) did not contain such edits. Langton put the modern chapter divisions into place in around A.D. 1227.” He was not inspired.
Langton’s decision to start and end chapters were affected by his personal understanding of prophecy. I’m sure if either of us were to take on that responsibility, our chapter divisions would be different than Langton’s, based on our
understanding of prophecy.
Based on rule one (Rev. 13) prophecy actually starts in (Rev. 12:7 and continues thr. 14:5) I will take you through this prophecy by each chronological event so you can see how it progress through time. You need to realize that once an event is fulfilled it also becomes stamped in time. Just like the day you were born, the day you graduated from high school, or the day you were married. At that time all events become a matter of fact, based on documented history.
This prophecy consists of five events that occur in chronological order.
- The devil is cast out of Heaven (verses 7-12) AD 30
- The devil persecutes the woman for 1,260 years (verses 13-16) AD 538-1798. This is the same time period mentioned in (Dan. 7:25).
- The devil wages war on the remnant of the woman (verses 12:17-13:10) Future
- The devil physically appears, sets up his theocracy and implements the mark of the beast (verses 13:11-18) Future
- The 144,000 celebrate in a victory ceremony in Heaven (verses 14:1-14:5) Future
Note that these five chronological events are moving forward in time, until we reach vs. 14:6, there the chronology is broken by an event that goes back in time to when the first angels message is given to the inhabitants of earth, early into the tribulation. Therefore, verse 14:6 starts a new prophecy.
We now see within this prophecy according to chronology that the first beast of (Rev. 13) comes on the scene sometime after 1798, yet, still future from today. Therefore, the ten kings of (Dan. 7:24) are not the same ten horns. There is more supporting evidence of this if you correctly understand that prophecy. Please consider the following which I have copied from Jesus Final Victory, pgs. 51 and 52, by L. Wilson.
Dan. 7:24
and the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
{24} The angel continued, “The ten horns on the monster beast represent ten ethnic kings who will rise up from within the Roman Empire. These kings will hate the ruling government at Rome. Over time, these kings will break the Roman Empire apart, piece by piece, and they will terminate Rome’s authority by A.D. 476. These tribal nations will be called: Goths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Burgundians, Franks, Lombards, Alameni, Suevi, Anglo-Saxons, and Heruli. After Rome’s power is broken into fragments, a different type of king, represented by the little horn, will rise. Unlike the tribal kings represented by the ten horns, this horn will be a religious king whose throne will endure for more than twelve centuries.
“Shortly after the sixth century A.D. begins, Emperor Justinian will endeavor to reunify the old Roman Empire by creating the Holy Roman Empire. To purify and unify the empire, Justinian will give special authority to the pope in A.D. 533. This authority will give the pope (and his appointed prelates) power to determine who is an orthodox Christian and who is a heretic, but three of the original ten kings will hate the church because of religious differences. The Heruli, Ostrogoths, and Vandals will show no respect for Justinian or church authorities in Rome. These tribal nations will be uprooted by A.D. 538 and the pope will begin to exercise civil authority in A.D. 538. This process explains how the eighth horn will dominate the other seven for 1,260 years. (See Addition- al Note at the end of this chapter.)
Dan. 7:25
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:
{25} “The eighth horn rising out of the fourth beast represents the Roman Catholic Church. Its leaders will falsely think that they can usurp God’s sovereign authority. The church will insult the Most High God by creating and imposing false doctrines on its subjects. The special authority Justinian granted to the church will establish a church/state precedent which the church will use to persecute those who refuse to obey its doctrines. Wielding absolute authority over Christians in Europe, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church will think that it has the authority to change the day of worship which the Most High God has plainly declared to be the seventh day of the week.13 The Catholic Church will also decide to eliminate the second commandment from the Ten Commandments. By dividing the tenth commandment into two parts, the Catholic Catechism will give the
illusion that it contains ten commandments.14 The Ancient of Days will permit the Roman Catholic Church to persecute His saints for a time, times, and half a time – 1,260 years (according to Rule Four15 ). Be assured that God will look after His saints while they are in the wilderness. He has prepared a place for them.
You are correct however, in stating the ten Kings of (Rev.17:12-14) are the same kings as the ten kings of the first beast of (Rev. 13).
Rev. 17:12-13 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
{12} “The ten horns on the composite beast represent ten kings (the ten toes in Daniel 2) which Lucifer will appoint as agents of his government. Presuming sovereign authority, the devil will dissolve the governments of the world and direct these ten kings to oversee his one world church state. {13} These ten kings will have one purpose. They will do everything the devil wishes.
Rev. 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
{14} “When Jesus appears in clouds of glory, these ten kings will unite with the devil in a violent attack on the Lamb, but the Lamb will destroy them because the Creator is Lord of lords and King of kings. When Jesus returns, the wicked will see Jesus and they will also see His 144,000 prophets who were taken to Heaven at the seventh trumpet.”40
In my next post I will identify the seven heads.