A basic analysis of world history from Egypt to the United Nations proves, that the biblical prophecies of Daniel, as well as the Apocalypse of John, have been fulfilled in our century and the «accomplished Antichrist» is emerged openly in order that the
«Era of Nations» will come to an end. We therefore find ourselves already for some time now in a whirlpool of a doomed world. In addition, a through study shows the reliability of Genesis, and that biblical statements show the real structure of our universe.
I N T R O D U C T I O N Heaven and earth will pass away; but my words will never pass away. But of that day and that hour no one has knowledge, neither the angles in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. But just as it was in Noah’s days, so the future of the son of man will be - they ate and drank, married and were given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the Ark; and they paid no heed, until the great flood came and took them all away -,
thus shall be the future of the Son of Man. (Matth. 24; 35-39)
The apocalyptic character of the
Gospel was first recognized at the turn to the 20th century, whereby the
meaning of these apocalyptic events was
not recognized due to the bourgeois feeling of safety. Therefore it has taken the uncanny disasters
of our time, messengers of doom, to open our eyes to the synchronicity with the
apocalyptic message of this gospel. This doom happens to the modern world
and poses a specific problem to preaching. We must not avoid this
problem; for the doom should be the door to the apocalyptic messages of the
Bible and its synchronicity with our times,... Theologians and Christians are not among the people who have foreseen
the terrible cataclysm which we are in the midst of .... Even the dying out of
church life should be reason enough for them to look circumstances in the
eye. The reason lies, for one thing, in
the unclear and schizophrenic relationship of Protestantism to the modern world,
but above all to the still continuing tendency of the clergy to bury their heads
in the sand. There by even use the
Bible to justify themselves.… The world
which is perishing before our eyes is the world of European civilization, with
the victory of the papacy over the imperial rule, the summit of church
development had been reached, and it now begun to decline. Rigidity and disintegration began alredy here.
The Reformation could not
reverse this tendency, therefore the unity of the church was broken. The influence of natural science led on the
one hand to escapism in a purely introverted atmosphere, and on the other
hand to unheard of soulless energies. which shot forth creating a blinding
imaginary world of big cities and industries, subjecting everything to the
power of big capitalism. This modern world
is being destroyed in a process which at first glance looks like
self-destruction and can be understood as such. The deeper reason for this catastrophe of modern civilization
lies in the twisted manner in which it received its inner character. The reason however about this disaster of the modern world lies in the apostasy, by which it received its internal wordly character. It was not formed or regulated by the
Christian Religion. This European
civilization spread its powerful and at the same time destructive influence
over the whole earth. ( Lic. Georg North, theologische Literaturzeitschrift (theolog.Paper)
Nr. 1/48 ).
The history of the interpretation of the book of Daniel
is more exciting than that of any other book of the Bible, except
Revelation. At the same time the
interpretation poses unusual problems,
than Daniel Prophecies belong to the most difficult books of the Bible, and the literature about it is immense, and the scholars give the most varied and contradictory explanations.
We find the first
definite signs of the use and interpretation of Daniel in the Qumran community,
which existed from about 150BC to 68AD near the Northwest shore of the Dead
Sea. Altogether seven fragments were
found here and in the neighboring caves. One of them even goes back to the 2nd century BC.
According to the Gospel, Jesus himself studied and enlarged upon the prophecies. Paul, in the letters to the Corinthians and Thessalonians and the letter of Jundas, also make use of the book of Daniel. The emphasis in the new Testament is clearly on the prophecies, which would be completely fulfilled only in the future. Also the Son of Man of Dan. 7 is clearly identified with Jesus. .... The author of the book is Daniel himself.
Because the book is so old, it could be shown to Alexander the Great in 332 BC, who was on his way through Palestine, conquering. He is said to have recognized himself as the "King of Greece" according to Daniel 8; 27.(Gerhard Maier,-Der Prophet Daniel, Wuppertal Resource Bible, Brockhaus Publishers, Wuppertal pp. 22ff).
„The Revelation of John is the most maltreated book of the Bible, miss used by the dreamers, scorned by the intellectual. But this should make us stop and think, for apparently this book shares in a special way the fate of the message of the crucified Christ, who was a nuisance to the Jews and nonsense to the Greeks. (Wort und Tat/word and deed, Kassel).
Conclusion: The reason why all previous historical Daniel interpretations were only patchwork and missed the point right from the beginning, is above all due to the fact, that according to God's orders the biblical prophecy was «closed and sealed until the final time», and therefore could not be understood properly before then:
«But thou, Daniel, keep theese words secret and seal the book until the end of days; thenceforth will many study it, and thus knowledge will increase. (Dan.12; 4).
Many will be sorted out, purified and transformed, but the Godless will act godlessly; and no Godless will understand it, but the reasonable will understand.» (Dan. 12; 10)
After
WW II, under the continuous pressure of world wide crises and
dangerously escalating conflicts, we had to come to terms with the acute danger
of a nuclear world catastrophe, as was the case in the Korean War (1950-53),
when Gen. Mc Arthur demanded the atomic bombing of the Chinese supply routes;
in the Suez Crisis (1956), when the political military middle East conflicts
threatened to escalate into the third world war; in the Cuba Crisis (1962),
when at its climax a military confrontation between the USA and the USSR
involving an atomic holocaust seemed inevitable; and last but not least during
the Gulf War (1991) just to bring to mind some of the dramatic events in which
the world held its breath for fear of a nuclear conflagration.
Still,
the question about the end of the world has not arisen for the first time in the crisis shaken 20th
Century with its dreadful World Wars and global catastrophes. Biblical prophets were concerned with this
question from earliest times and even then, in long term forecasts, pointed warningly to the coming and now
apparently increasingly clearer, end of the world, the apostle Peter writes.
«But THE DAY OF THE LORD will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are there in shall be burned up. (2.Peter 3:10).
John, who in the book of Revelation saw the “Day of the lord” that Peter was talking about in a vision, reports:
«I was in the spirit on the lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying: .... what thou seest , write in a book». (Rev.1:10-11)
«And I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it, and earth and heaven fled before his presence and found no refuge...» (Rev.20; 11)
Apparently, if we want to follow the Biblical prophecy, we must reckon with a complete destruction of heaven and earth at the end of the world, in other words, with a cosmic catastrophe of unimaginable dimensions. However this catastrophe will not be triggered by a third world war, as generally feared, but apparently from something outside, in other words, it will break over us from the cosmos itself.
One possibility is that our Sun could puff up and become a Red Giant, burning the earth and everything on it; but also comets and missiles from outer space could also set this catastrophe going.
The physicist and astronomer Hermann Michael Hahn writes:
“This can happen any time. An asteroid, Kilometres in circumference, strikes the earth. The energy set free is so enormous that an atom bomb seems like a firecracker by comparison. Almost all life is destroyed by it. For a few seconds the sky is filled with a blinding glow, brighter than a thousand suns. The earth trembles and a terrible rumbling penetrates the air. A violent red hot pressure wave sweeps over the countryside breaking trees like match sticks and setting all plants in a vast circumference on fire. But this is only the beginning of the apocalypse.”(bild der wissenschaft / picture of science, April 1993).With this dreadful scene in mind, the question arises whether John might not have foreseen a giant catastrophe like this in the following record of Revelation:
During the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath, it follow flashes of lightnings, voices and thunderclaps; and it happened a powerful earthquake, how never before has been an earthquake like that, since there are living humans on earth.
And a powerful hailstorm with hundred pounds pieces fell down from the sky upon the men, but the men cursed God nevertheless about the plague of hail; because the plague was so terrible.
(Rev. 16; 17-21)What devastating effects we must reckon with after the pouring out of the “seventh bowl of wrath” with which God finishes, and how people would act in the face of the unavoidable catastrophe, consuming themselves with fear, is described very realistically by the internationally famous physicist Paul Davis in his book “The last three minutes,” (1994 by Basic Books, New York):
«High in the sky, a huge shaft of light is etched into the fabric of the heavens. What begun as a slender pencil of softly radiating nebulosity has swollen day by day to form a maelstrom of gas boiling into the vacuum of space. At the apex of a vapor trail lies a dark, misshapen, menacing lump. The diminutive head of the comet belies its enormous destructive power. It is closing on planet Earth at a staggering 40,000 miles per hour, 10 miles every second - a trillion tons of ice and rock, destined to strike at seventy times the speed of sound. Mankind can only watch and wait. The scientists, who have long since abandoned their telescopes in the face of the inevitable, quietly shut down the computers. The endless simulations of disaster are still too uncertain, and their conclusions are too alarming to release to the public anyway. Some scientists have prepared elaborate survival strategies, using their technical knowledge to gain advantage over their fellow citizens. Others plan to observe the cataclysm as carefully as possible, maintaining their role as true scientists to the very end, transmitting data to time capsules buried deep in the Earth. For posterity....
The moment of impact approaches. All over the world, millions of people nervously check their watches. The last three minutes.
Directly above ground zero, the sky splits open. A thousand cubic miles of air are blasted aside. A finger of searing flame wider than a city arcs groundward and fifteen seconds later lances the Earth. The planet shudders with the force of ten thousand earthquakes. A shock wave of displaced air sweeps over the surface of the globe, flattening all structures, pulverizing everything in its path. The flat terrain around the impact site rises in a ring of liquid mountains several miles high, exposing the bowels of the Earth in a crater a hundred miles across. The wall of molten rock ripples outward, tossing the landscape about like a blanket flicked in slow motion...
Within the crater itself, trillions of tons of rock are vaporized. Much more is splashed aloft, some of it flung out into space. Still more is pitched across half a continent to rain down hundreds or even thousands of miles away, wreaking massive destruction on all beneath. Some of the molten ejecta falls into the ocean, raising huge tsunamis that add to the spreading turmoil. A vast column of dusty debris fans out into the atmosphere, blotting out the sun across the whole planet. Now the sunlight is replaced by the sinister, flickering glare of a billion meteors, roasting the ground below with their searing heat, as displaced material plunges back from space into the atmosphere.»
(This description is based on the prediction of the Swift-Tuttle Comet, which is supposed to collide with the earth on August 21, 2126. Of course it applies not only to the Swift-Tuttle comet, but to any asteroid of comparable size, which can hit the earth any time.)
How realistically we must meanwhile appraise the end of the world events described in the Apocalypse, how dead serious the threat from outer space has become, and how close we have already been to these final events is shown very impressively by the following announcements which went through the media:
The great impact in Siberia : On June 30.1908 at seven in the morning, a mighty explosion rocked the forests a long the Stony-Tunguska,a tributary of the Jenissei in Middle Siberia. The degree of damage was not discovered until many years later: in an area as large as the Saarland all trees were burnt or had fallen. Today it is a known fact that a meteorite almost 100 metres in diameter had burst near the earth, releasing the energy of several atom bombs.
28.02.97
(magazine, Edition 10;In 1937 the asteroid Hermes, close to the earth, missed it by less than seven hours.
On March, 23.1989, an asteroid of one kilometer in diameter missed the earth by six hours, that is 640,000 KM in outer space.
On Jan.,17.1991 the asteroid 1991BA (diameter: nine meters) skimmed past us at a height of only 170,000 KM less than half the distance from the earth to the moon. (PM magazine, Aug,1998).
The world just missed being finished on May 19. 1996, on this sunday an asteroid, 500 meters thick, shot past the earth at 450,629 KM, distance only 66,629 KM further than the moon from the earth. Never before had astronomers observed such a large object so close to the earth. According to their reconing it was a close call. Had this piece of material with the number 1996 JA1, which was travelling towards the earth at the speed of 100,000 KM an hour, rushed into our planet, there would have been an explosion of unimaginable dimensions. The US - astronomer Eugene Shoemaker said: ‘the collision would have been as powerful as if all the American and Russian atomic weapons had been collected in one place and ignited all together.’.... If this asteroid had crossed the orbit of the earth only four hours earlier, our earth would indeed have been finished.(magazine, Edition, 28.06.1996).
In addition to this, according to Russian scientist, «The Asteroid Toutatis», which could erase all of humanity at one blow rushed past the earth «very closely» on 96.11.30., the distance was only 5, 3 million KM, which according to astronomical measurements, is not much, says the institute for theoretical astronomy. By comparison, the distance between the earth and the sun is 150 million KMs.
Toutatis passes the earth every four years. In 1992 it raced past the earth at 3,5 million KM distance. (ARD / ZDF, German TV 1996.12.01.).
In September 2004 the 6 KM in diameter asteroid Toutatis is due to pass the earth according to astronomers at a distance of only 1,6 million KMS. But it could become a precarious situation, namely if the chunk gets diverted only a little by the gravity of other planets on its way to the earth, for example by Jupiter, the astronomers cannot calculate this at present. (magazine, No. 10 / 1997.02.28.).
And only a few days ago, the British scientist Mark Baily and the Russian Vacheslaw Emel - Yanenko, discovered around 50 “dead comets”, about 9,5 KM in diameter, headed towards the earth. (“Dead Comets” are lacking the gases that reflect the sunlight when they get near enough.).
Whereas until a few years ago it was widely accepted , that “doomsday chunks” were very rare and could hit the earth only every couple of dozen million years, scientist know at least by now, that at least 100,000 such giant pieces are speeding through outer space on collision course with us.
To be sure, no one can predict with certainty, when one of those 100,000 giant chunks of matter which are speeding through the universe on collision course with us will seal the fate of the earth. That is why it is so difficult to predict an exact time for the end of the world. Even Jesus couldn’t give his disciple an exact date. He explained «Heaven and earth will pass away ....» but no one, even the angels in heaven, knows the day and the hour, but only my father (Mt.24:35).
He did however give them a definite hint to their question about «the signs of his reappearance and the end of the world», emphasizing that first the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, would be preached in the whole world as a witness to all peoples. And only after this has happen, then will come the end of the world. (Mt. 24:14).
This doomsday prediction which next to the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are the most important biblical prophecies and revealing and shows us clearly the way history has gone, not only opens to us the up to now quite problematic «end-of -time» prophecy of Daniel, hidden and sealed-Dan 12:4 but also shows us that the end of the world is certainly not left to blind fate but is connected to certain definite historical events.
However, wars, famines, earthquakes, epidemics, inflations and persecutions, as we can see from Jesus words, do not mean the end of the world; all this, he says, must happen before, «but the end has not come yet». But when the time of the nations has been fulfilled (Dan.7), the dissemination of Christianity has gone past its climax, the world mission has fulfilled its Biblical order “Go and teach all peoples,” and the “dying out of church life” (G.Noth) has reached dramatic dimensions, then the time has come, that this world comes to its end.
The world wide spreading of Christianity began with the missionary travels of the apostle Paul, who brought it to Asia Minor, Greece and Rome:
By the end of the 2. Century, it had spread chiefly in the eastern, half of the Roman Empire, but also in the west, in Rome, some cities in Italy and Gaul. And around the year 300 it reached from Spain to Persia and India.
It also exercised a certain influence spiritually and politically, Constantine the Great recognized the political weight of the Christian church and tried to use it to mend the threatened unity of the Roman Empire in the Edict of tolerance, Milan, 313.
Through the intervention of the power of the state, Christianity began to spread even faster. It took more and more brutal action against heathen cults. By force and in bloody battles the state helped Christianity to victory and in the year 380 declared it the official religion.
The missionizing of the non-European peoples, after a few attempts in China and Mongolia by MA.s, began with the age of discovery. At first it was carried out by the Catholic church with the colonial Governments of Spain and Portugal as allies and rigidly organized through the funding of the Propaganda Congregation in (1622). This made the missions quite successful in Asia, Africa, and South America, but the success was for the most part superficial and temporary.
Beginning in the 19th century a new wave of missionizing began, which continued until it was substantially interrupted by WW II.
The Protestant originated in England in the 17th century and was strongly re-activated by the evangelical movement Pictism, A.H.Francke, Brudergemeinde ( Congregation of Brothers ), which resulted in the organisation of a protestant world mission in the 19th century. The leadership changed over to the United States, which still bears most of the mission work.
Also here, both World Wars brought such a shock that today, especially after what has happened in China, it must be said, this is the end of a 150 years epoch of the protestant mission, (The new Brockhaus encyclopedia 3rd edition)
Until the end of the 19th century, it was a matter of course for Christians to participate in church life. Whoever did not go to mass, not only committed a grave sin but was looked upon as an outsider.
On the other hand, in our century, in which theology and metaphysics have been replaced by knowledge gathered through the experimental scientific method and atheistic ideologies are on the increase, the Christian churches are complaining about a continually decreasing decline in faith, and more and more people fleeing the churches. On ordinary Sundays, according to Bishop Eduard Lohse - only 2.5 to 6% of protestant Christians go to Sunday worship. That means, that in Martin Luther’s country, more than 90% of the “church tax payers” aren’t really interested in the church. As so called nominal Christians, they take only Baptism, wedding and burial. Otherwise they ignore God.
Christian theologians are becoming more and more conscious of the crisis caused by the triumph of modern times. One of them, the German Jesuit Karl Rahner, described the new Christianity, freed from great cultural responsibility, as the church of the diaspora. He follows a thought which has been developed by his Protestant colleagues. Rahner thinks, that the idea of a Christian world is finished for good. Convinced Christians have become a minority even in the West, and in a short time they will have become only a reminder. But, he added, this should be no reason for Christians to be shocked. For the one who believes, this is something he has to accept. “( Religion ohne Zukunft = Religion without a future? - Toynbee / Cogley, P, 148 ).
Apparently, according to the history of world missions, the Biblical imperative: «Go into the world and teach all peoples» (Mt,28:19) has been fulfilled in the 20th century; for the patient efforts of the established churches, to renew their missions after both World Wars, finally were thwarted by the completely changed conditions of the 20th century, in which not only the Christian religion but also the meaning of religion as such has become questionable for the forming of society.
Nonetheless, the antichrist and the many false prophets, whose effectiveness for the end of time Christ predicted, will continue to be successful with their pseudo-Christian religion and atheistic heresies, and the world listens to them.
Not only the unavoidable disintegration of the world mission and the quick dying out of church life are signs of a soon to come end of the world, but also the global ecological catastrophes which have wreaked havoc in the 20th Century, breaking in over “spiritual sodom and Egypt” (Rev.11:8) like an evil omen. John writes:
- Rev.7; 2-3«And I saw an another angel coming up from the east (sunrise) having the seal of the living God. And he called out with a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to harm the land and the sea: Do not harm the Land or the Sea or the Trees, until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God»
Even a few years ago it was hardly possible to interpret the words of John correctly, because no one really knew whether they should be understood, literally or figuratively, or what was meant by «damaging the earth, the sea and the trees.»
Today however these words are no secret any more, for ominous reports about «forest death, = Waldsterben», «poisoning of the earth» by industry, agriculture, and «contamination of the seas» by the chemical overload rivers tumble over one another. There has been hardly any other area of politics in the past few years which has gained so much importance as protection of the environment.
The expectations for the future are not optimistic: for 66% of those questioned, the situation of the environment gets worse and worse, for 12% humanity is nearing its end, 15% feel, on the contrary, that life will adjust itself, and 7% believe all this is not so bad. So most of those who answered the questions do take it seriously. ( FS Report from 12.07.88 ).
The imminent climate catastrophe, on the other hand, through over warming of the earth is just gradually becoming clear to the population. According to the commission of inquiry “Precautions for protecting the earth’s atmosphere” a rise in temperature from between 1.5 to 4.5 degree Celsius can be expected if carbon dioxide continues to develop unchecked; if other gases in small amounts are involved they consider an average rise in temperature from between three to nine degree Celsius possible. Disastrous effects on humanity must be feared from the warming up of the Earth’s atmosphere and the reduction of the protective ozone layer at the same time. “The measures taken up to now, are in no way Sufficient to stop this dramatic development. ( FS - Globus from 13.11.88 ).
According to items in the media, the years 1998 and 1999 set records for natural catastrophes, which happened in unusual numbers. In 1998 the worldwide death toll from earthquakes, floods and hurricanes was more than 50,000.
In 1997 “only" 13,000 died in this way. The damages, so a large insurance agency in Munich, came to 150,000 million marks. The insurances counted altogether over 700 catastrophes. ( SATI text from 30.12.98 ). In addition the years 1998 and 1999 were the warmest in 600 years.
Nature-disasters. Further, the Director of the UNO Environment -Organisation UNEP, Klaus Toepfer, expect a steep rise of environment-disasters made by man. (SAT. 1)
22 years ago U thant, at that time secretary general of the UN, said:
«I don’t want to dramatize the situation, but according to the information I have before me, the members of the UN have approximately a decade at their disposal to forget all their quarrels and begin a worldwide co-operation. If this kind of partnership does not take place within the next ten years, I am afraid the problems will have reached a point which will make their solutions beyond human capabilities».
The ten years are long since over and the situation has only gotten worse. «The time is running out,» so the club of Rome in the year 1991. «We are living in the beginning of the first global revolution, on a small planet that we are apparently wildly intent on destroying.» ( Stern, magazine 2/92 ).
|
A
“Newsweek” poll found out that 40% of Americans believe in an end of the world
as described in Biblical Apocalypse. 45% of the Christians say that a war between Jesus and the “Antichrist”
will be the cause of the end of the world. About 50% are convinced that the
“antichrist” is already here. The majority of the Protestants is convinced, that the recent disasters and diseases like AIDS or Ebola-Virus are signs for an imminent end. (SAT1 Info-Teletext from 1999-10-26) |
The Prophet Daniel and the Revelation of John.
A through summary of the course of world history from Egypt to our crisis-shaken century, with clear references to an imminent catastrophe end of the world, is found in the prophecies of Daniel and as well as in the Apocalypse of John.
«I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw like unto a leopard, and its feet were as the feet of a bear, and its mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority.” ( Rev. 13; 1-2 ).
In the past nineteen hundred years this seven-headed monster, which according to the Apocalypse rose out of the sea of peoples at the end of time, many times has inspired the fantasy of man and led to the wildest speculations. But because the time was not yet ripe, no one could fathom the mystery.
Today however, in the «Time of the end», in which the Biblical prophecy is no longer «locked and sealed» ( Dan. 12:4 ) and the «era of nations» is fulfilled, it may not be all too difficult to penetrate the veil of the secret.
The first thing one notice is that the seven-headed beast is a combination of four large animals which play a historical role in Daniel’s night vision and represent four world empires, which in the same way arise out of the sea of peoples. The prophet reports:
«I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
The first was like a lion and had eagle’s wings; I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand upon its two feet as a man, and a human heart was given to it.
And behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, it was raised up on one of its side, and had in its muzzle three large, long teeth. And one spoke to it: Rise up and devour much flesh!
4 a)After this lo, I beheld another beast, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings like those of a bird, the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
After this I saw in the night vision, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured around itself and crushed, and trampled the residue with its feet; and it was quite differently from all the former beasts; and it had ten horns…And (an angel) talked to me, and gave me the interpretation of these things: These four great beasts are four Kingdoms, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever». (Dan.7)
4 a) Here we intentionally chose the absolutely meaningful interpretation of Martin Luther (BIBLIA GERMANIA 1545,C VII) instead of the less meaningful one that has recently frequently been used according to which the three big, long teeth in the mouth of the bear are supposed to be «ribs».
Comparing
revelation with the prophecy of Daniel, we see that the «seven-headed beast»
has:
The «ten horns» of the fourth beast (Dan.7;
7),The form of a «leopard» (Dan.7;
6),The «bears feet» of the second beast (Dan.7;
5),The «lion's mouth» of the first beast (Dan.7;
4).
Likewise the number of heads corresponds to the four heads of the «four great beasts» in Daniel night vision: the leopard has four heads and the other beasts each have one - altogether «seven heads.»
Apart from this, it is interesting that the «four great beasts» in Daniel night vision are named in revelation in the reverse order, which is certainly no coincidence and doubtless points to the historical order of the seven-headed beast. Therefore it seems logical to begin with the Daniel prophecy.
These «four large beasts», which Daniel saw arising one after the other out of the «sea of peoples» signify, according to the angel, «four Kingdoms, which will appear on earth.»
Following the dream vision of Nebuchadnezzar, the assumption up to now has been that in Daniel’s vision the four consecutive world empires would begin with Babylon, an interpretation which in no wise does justice to the historical facts.
This vision, told in the second chapter of Daniel, showed Nebuchadnezzar in a dream the statue of a man, the parts of which were made of gold, silver, copper, iron and clay.
A stone, without being touched by a human hand, broke off from a mountain, hit the statue on its clay and iron feet and shattered it. All parts of it, the clay, iron, copper, silver, and gold fell to dust and were scattered in the wind like chaff on the threshing floor in summer, so that no trace of it remained. But the rock which had destroyed the mighty statue became a big mountain which filled the whole earth.
According to Daniel’s interpretation, this «enormous statue of a man» was an image of the world history of Babylon until the coming of the Kingdom of God; represented by «the golden head» and the «Kingdom of God» by the rock that destroyed it and became an enormous mountain.
Whereas Nebuchadnezzar had his dream at the beginning of his rule, the vision of Daniel takes place during the reign of Belshazzar, the last King of the Babylon dynasty. Therefore it would be a complete mistake to want to assume that Daniel had dreamed about the future of Babylon «at the end» of Babylonian times.
Therefore the «four great beasts which will appear on earth» can only refer to empires which followed Babylon.
Dr. Gerhard Maier in his book “The Prophet Daniel” is, incidentally, of the same opinion:
«Who is this first beast? Most scholars say: Babylon … In favour of this interpretation is the observation that Nebuchadnezzar or the Babylonians are often compared in the Bible to a lion or an eagle. But another observation is against this, namely that the lion could just as well be an image for Assyria, Egypt or the Medopersians. In addition, Daniel would hardly have received a prophecy about the beginning of the Babylonian empire nine years before its end, that is, in the year 548 B.C. Thus it is an entirely different situation than in chapter 2, which can be dated about 603 / 602 B.C, which is at the beginning of the glorious time of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. For that reason it is better to interpret the first beast of Dan.7 for Medopersia. It doesn’t matter that the latter is represented in chapter 8 by the image of a ram, for the Greek empire also is represented in chapter 8 by a different image than in chapter 7». (1982, Brockhaus publishers, wuppertal ).
The history of Babylon:
The Babylonians under Nabopolassar expelled the Assyrians from Babylon and conquered together with the Medes in 614 B.C. Assur. In July / August 612 B.C as predicted by Nahum and Zefania, Niniveh fell to their power. Assyria ceased to exist and its area fell to the Babylonians.Through clever diplomacy it was possible for Nabopolassar’s son and heir to the throne Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 B.C), to keep the increasingly powerful Medes away during his 42 years regency.
When Nabonid was King of Babel (555 - 539 B.C., he entrusted, according to the chronicles, the army and the Government to his son Belsazar, apparently a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar II. (Dan.5). And while Nabonid undertook a campaign to inner Arabia, where he stayed for ten years, Belsazer took over the duties of Government in Babylon.2
Some years later, the Bible reports, «Belshazzar, King of the chaldeans, was killed. And Darius of Mede took over the empire at his age of 62.» (Dan.5 and 6).
Belsazer received the announcement of the downfall of Babylon during a banquet by a writing on the wall. It said: «Mene, mene tekel upharsim». Daniel interpreted it as follows:
«Mene = God has numbered the days of thy reign and prepared an end to it;
Tekel = You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
Peres = Thy Kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.»
After the conquering of Assyria the «winged Medean lion» reigned over an enormous Kingdom. But the Medes could not maintain their supremacy for long. In far-off Ansam the sub-King of the country of persis (= province of fars), Kyros from the house of the Achaemenids, revolted against the Medean reign. He «tore off the wings of the Medean lion», threw off their sovereignty in 550 B.C., and pushed victorius into the Northwest. After he had also conquered Babylon he founded the double Kingdom of the medes and Persians, borne by both peoples, so that the biblical terminology speaks of the Medeo-Persian lion from now on «Standing on two feet like a man».
After this MEDES and PERSIANS are merged with one another and share the same destiny.
In the book of the Daniel (8;3) the events leading to this great Medeo-Persian double monarchy are described like this:
«I raised my eyes and looked, and lo, a ram stood in front of the river with two long horns, and the longer one had grown later.» (Dan.8; 3).
The angel says that «the ram with its horns of different lengths represents the Kings of Medea and Persia». The shorter horn represents the Medean Kings, who at first rule alone. After their power was broken and the Persians had acquired the chief power in the Kingdom the raw grew the second, longer horn in order from then the ram stand for both, the Medean and the Persian Kings. (Dan.8:20)
«And he was given a human heart.»
«The Persian high Kings, who lived in oriental pomp in their residences and enjoyed an honour almost equal to worship, were benign rulers. They allowed the conquered peoples to keep their religion, language, and customs, moreover they allowed them their own local rule and demanded tribute and troops in case of war only according to their capacity.» 5
The Jews, for example, after Cyros had read the prophecies of Isaiah in the book of prophecies, written 200 years earlier, (Isaiah 44:28, 45: 1-8) were allowed, after 70 years of Babylonian capacity, (Jer. 25: 11-12) to return to their home and rebuild their temple. (2. chronicles, 36:22-23). The Jewish historian flavius Josephus born 37 A.D) reports:
«Thus speaks King Cyrus: Since the Almighty God has made me ruler over all the earth, I believe he is the one that the people of the Israelite worship, through their prophets he foresaw my name and announced that I would rebuild his temple in Jerusalem in the country of Judea....»
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This is probably the main reason why the Medeo-Persian lion
The Greek bear in its anger rose up on one side, doubtless with its face to the East, where the Persian attacks were coming from, and kept them from entering Europe.
«In the further development of the War Persia was forced into the defence and had to give up the coast of Asia Minor. Quarrels over the throne moreover encouraged uprisings in the Western parts of the empire, which could be kept down only with difficulty. Ancient Persia received the fatal blow when Alexander, in 334 B.C., crossed over the Hellespont. The Persian empire was subdued within seven years; the last high King Darius III, was murdered by one of his satraps». 8
«In the year 323 B.C., Alexander died, after a short but unimaginably successful life. His generals divided up the enormous empire, and around 275 B.C., three great Diadochen states had arisen, all under Hellenistic leadership.» 9
Alexander who had “devoured” Persia in seven years, is represented by the «bear». The «teeth» in its mouth signify the Greek army, with whose help he could gobble up the Persian chunk, i.e., «who has eaten much flesh.»
The «three large long teeth» in the muzzle of the bear likely point to Alexander's generals, who divided up his enormous empire after his death:
«After Alexander’s death the empire fell apart. His generals, called the Diadochen, fought for decades over the succession. Finally in the areas of Alexander’s empire mainly three large stated emerged, the Seleukid Kingdom in Syria, the Ptolemy Kingdom in Egypt and the Antigony Kingdom of Antigonos in Makkedonia and Greece.» 10.
With its «four wings» the leopard had extended its sphere of influence enormously in all four directions and Rome had become a world power, unchallenged.
Whereas the Byzantine empire existed until 1453, west Rome was conqured by the Germans (=Teutons,) in the year 476. Soon they established independent Kingdoms on Roman territory. Most of these soon broke up again or were destroyed by the Byzantine emperors. Others remained until the present day, like the Kingdom of the Angles and Saxons in England.
The Roman province of Gaul was also overrun by the Teutonic tribes. In 450 only the centre of the province, the country surrounding the seine with the capital of Paris, remained as an autonomous out post of the west Roman empire.
The eastern and the western parts of the Roman Empire,
divided and autonomous, with two Roman emperors rivalling one another, are succinctly symbolized in the prophecy of Daniel by two of the four heads of the leopard.On the territory of the former west Roman Empire, destroyed in 476, arose in 962 the holy Roman empire of the German nation. Represented by the third head of the leopard: the Teutonic tribe of the Franks, who originally occupied the area of the lower Rhine, gradually pushed southwest into the Roman province of Gaul. The greatest King of the Franks was Karl der Grosse = Charles the Great, or as he is usually named even in English, “Charlemagne.” He united under his sceptre a large part of the former west Roman empire. Therefore he took the title of Roman emperor on Christmas, 800, bringing the emperorship into the hands of the Franks.
«The first German King who wore the crown of the Roman empire was Otto 1st, whom history named the Great.
His Government was the first in the line of German Kings who inherited the emperorship of Charlemagne and were leading for many centuries in the medieval occident.»11
«Otto I, was crowned emperor on 962-02-02 in Rome....in 971 he managed to get the recognition of Byzantium.» 12
By the crowning of Otto I, as emperor and the recognition of his empire by Byzantium, the Roman emperorship, after it had declined, became connected with German royalty. And in rivalry to east Roman Byzantium, the west Roman empire was followed by the holy Roman empire, which in the 15th century received the additional title "German Nation".
Holy Roman empire of the German nation
(Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Germanicae) is the official name of the German empire since Otto 1. was crowned emperor in February 962.Ever since the conferring of the title of Roman emperor on Carl the Great on Dec.25th 800, the idea of the continuity of the west Roman empire destroyed in 476, prevailed. The title holy Roman empire of the German nation under Otto 1st expressed the idea of the unbroken continuity of the Roman empire through the unification of the Roman emperorship and the German Kingship. 13
Holy Roman Empire
the official name for the area of authority of the occidental Roman emperor and the territories under him from medieval times until 1806. It arose in the wake of the antique Roman empire and in rivalry to the eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire, and was an attempt to renew the west Roman empire, like under Carl the Great. 14In the year 1806, when Napoleon founded the Rhine alliance, made up of German cities on the Rhine, thereby breaking the holy Roman empire, Franz II, lay down the emperor’s crown with the words: “We Franz II., regard the bond which until now has bound us to the state of the German empire as solved, and we regard the highest office of the empire from now on by the alliance of the Rhine cities as extinct". 15
By relinquishing the crown of the holy Roman empire and with his pronouncement that it was from then on extinct, Franz II, acted against state law but he thwarted Napoleon’s attempt to get the crown of the Roman empire. 16
It was “erected a new” on Jan 18th 1871, by taking up and renewing the majesty of the German emperor, which has remained dormant for more than 60 years, and is represented by the fourth and last head of the panther.
The War of liberation from Napoleon, started in Prussia, was finally joined by Austria and the troops of the remainder of the Rhine alliance.
At the Vienna congress, Europe and Germany were re-organized. The empire was not renewed, which many patriots had dreamed of, but instead the powerless German alliance was created which was just a loose grouping of all the 38 German states. Only when Bismarck became president of Prussia in 1862 did he have enough power almost single handedly and in part against the will of the Germans to complete the work of unification.
France, who resisted unity, was defeated in 1870 - 71. The common victory of all the German peoples had awakened the feeling of belonging together, and the princes, especially King Ludwig II. of Bavaria, petitioned King Wilhelm of Prussia to accept the title of German emperor. The King complied with this desire, and so on Jan. 18th 1871, the German empire, which had sunk into oblivion in 1806, was renewed.
Here follows an excerpt from the emperor’s Proclamation of Jan.17th 1871, which was read out in the Prussian parliament:
«To the German people: We, Wilhelm, by God’s grace King of Prussia, having been petitioned unanimously by the German princes and free cities to take up and renew the majesty of the German emperor, which has lain dormant for more than 60 years, and considering that such provision is contained in the constitution of the German alliance do hereby give notice that we have seen it as a duty to our common fatherland to follow this petition of the German princes and free cities and accept the German emperorship. …Bismarck». 17
Hubertus Prince of Loewenstein, explains additionally in his book "German History":
The proclamation of Jan.18th 1871, speaks of a unanimous petition to take up and renew the German Real and the restoration of the more than 60 years resting imperial status. In this manner not only the rightful succession to the holy Roman empire was made an issue, but also the continuity of the Empire itself was emphasized.» 17a
When the newly strengthened German Empire, which under Bismarck’s leadership had become the strongest continental nation, began to follow imperialistic policies and in the division of the world intended to take its share (colonies in Africa and in the south seas), and aspired for leadership not only in Europe but in the world at large, it incurred the enmity of England. The German armada, which in only a few years had become the second strongest trading and war-fleet in the world, worried England.
When Emperor, Wilhelm II. Refused England’s offer to freeze the strength of their fleets, in fact at 16 to 10, England turned against Germany and allied itself with France and Russia.
The first World War, which broke out soon afterwards, not only brought the allied middle powers a big defeat and the end of the «Second German Empire,» but also put a final end to «Roman - German History.»
«After this I beheld in this night vision, lo, the fourth beast, which was dreadful and terrible and very strong and had great iron teeth, ate and crushed everything all about, and what was left it trod with its feet. Also it was much different from the others and had ten horns.»
After the downfall of the «second German empire», England at first took up the role of world leadership, after the second World War ceding it to the USA.
belonged to the Roman empire until 410 A.D., it was conquered by the Angles and Saxons in the 5th and 6th century. In the 9th century it became a unified Kingdom under the King of Wessex. By virtue of its geographic position it rose in the course of the centuries to a powerful sea and colonial power.England
Finally, in the Wars against the French revolution and Napoleon, Britain succeeded, along with its continental allies, in winning such a decisive victory against France that it rose to become the sole world, sea and colonial power.
Englands climax of political power was reached after WW I with the victory over the central powers.
The United States of America
, which had consisted since 1783 by the treaty of Versailles of 13 Angloamerican colonies, and had become a world power through its economic prime after the civil War (1861 - 65), kept neutral during the first part of WW I, although President Wilson and the greater part of American people sympathized with their former motherland. In 1917 it finally entered the War on the side of England and thereby aided the allies to victory. Although the victory had brought it the place of a world power next to England, isolationism increased under the following successors However, the USA could not completely ignore world politics, and so it participated in international conferences and treaties on disarmament and economic question.The intervention of the United States in WW I put the world and sea power England at a disadvantage. The sea disarmament conference in Washington, 1921-22, decided a parity between the American and the English Battlefleet, which began to put England behind the USA.
In WW II, which was triggered off by Hitler’s lust for power, the military and political initiative was taken over more and more by the USA and the USSR, and at the end of the War England as a world power was in third place.
The economic decline forced England to borrow money from the USA; the bonds holding the British colonies together were loosened: Ireland left the British empire in 1948, India became independent, Canada, Australia and New Zealand oriented themselves move towards the USA. Even in countries of British influence like Greece and Turkey the USA replaced England.
«The fourth beast was also much different than the previous beasts and had ten horns.The ten horns means ten Kings, who will come out from this realm.»
«In the 19th century, peace societies as well as representatives of liberalism recognized the necessity of a supranational organization or a world state to prevent military conflicts. But not until president Thomas W. Wilson, at the end of WW I, call for a league of free nations, did this idea have concrete success: a general gathering of nations should be formed through special agreements, building a mutual security for the political independence and territorial integrity of the small as well as the large nations. This was the last article of his 14 points program».
«Due to the intensive efforts of the American president, the other powers agreed to this plan at the Paris peace conference. On April 28th 1919 the charter of league of nations was ratified. Its goal was to keep peace and security and to promote mutual cooperation among peoples. Its seat was in Geneva, where it met four times a year». 18
«The original members were 32 allied wartime enemys of the central Powers, as well as 13 neutral states; their number decreased by three: the USA, Ecuador and Hedshas ratified the Paris suburb-treaties and therefore not the charter of the league of nations. Between 1920-1937, 21 more states joined the league of nations.. .. until 1942, 20 states had left it, including the USSR, which was the only state to be excluded. (1940 in connection with the Finnish - Soviet Winter War)». 19
«Its goal, to secure peace, the leage of nations was able to fulfil in some minor cases, but it was unsuccessful in opting for a general disarmament».
«In 1933 Germany left the league of nations; Italy followed in 1937. The outbreak of WW II completely paralysed the work of the organization. It met for the last time on Dec. 11, 1939 … The UN inherited the league of nations in 1945».
«The charta of which, based on experience with the league of nations, was worked out in Dumbarton Oaks, USA, at the end of 1944». 20
«In the summer of 1945, even before the War against Japan was over, the «organization of united nations» (UNO) was initiated in San Francisco. Because of being born in the USA and meeting there, it enjoyed more prestige than the old league of nations. In addition to that it had a strong controlling instance, the security council, which was conceived as kind of controlled government, something absolutely new in political history.» (P.M. Magazine, 4/96)
Against this historical background
there can be no question but that the «ten Kings» mean the peoples or nations which at first under England’s leadership came together after WW I as the «League of Nations», and later after WW II, under the leadership of the USA formed the «United Nations».
An impressive enlargement on and confirmation of all this is given by Daniel’s interpretation of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The book of Daniel says that one night as the King lay on his bed thinking about the future of his Kingdom, he had a dream so full of meaning, that it worried him very much and he couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night.
The next morning he called all the sages clairvoyants and magicians of the land together and demanded that they tell him both, what he dreamed and what it meant. But as he refused to divulge the content of the dream himself, they found it impossible to fulfil his demand.
Disappointed and angry over his advisors, he decreed that all the sages, clairvoyants and magicians in the country should be killed.
The prophet Daniel, who was a highly-born Jewish captive in the service of the King and therefore was also subject to this death penalty, had himself led before the King and explained to him:
«The secret, which the King asks, can not tell the wise men, the scholars, the astrologers and the soothsayers. But there is a God in heaven, who revealeth secrets and and maketh known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what shall happen in the future times.
With your dream and your visions, when you slept, it happened the following in such a way: You King, thought on your bed, what would happen that once; and Him, who reveals secrets, revealed to you, what will happen.
But this secret was revealed to me, not as if my wisdom would be larger than the wisdom of all who live there, but so that to the King the interpretation was revealed and that you mightest know the thoughts of your heart:
You King, had a dream, and see, a large, high and lightshining statue stood in front of you, that were terribly to be regarded.
The head of the statue was made of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and its lumbar were of copper, its thigs were of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
You sawes that, until a stone came down, without any help of human hands; The stone hit the statue at its feet, which were of iron and clay, and crushed them… .But the stone, which smashed the statue, became a large mountain, so that it filled the whole world. That is the dream.
And now we want to tell the interpretation before the King:
You, King, are a King of all Kings, to who the God of the heaven gave Kingdom, power, strength and glory…You are the golden head.
And after you, an another Kingdom shall arise, inferior than yours, thereafter the third Kingdom which is of copper and shall prevail over all countrys.
And the fourth Kingdom shall be strong like iron; because like iron, everything crushes and smashes, how iron everything breaks, then it also everything shall crush and shall break.
That you sawest the feet and toes partly of clay and partly of iron, it means: that shall be a divided Kingdom; but something of the iron hardness shall remain in it, as you saw iron blended with clay.
And that the toes at its feet are partly of iron and partly of clay, it means: partially it shall be a strong and partially a weak realm.
And that you saw iron blended with clay, it means: They themselves will mix and form an alliance with all another by entering the alliance, but they will nevertheless not hold together, exactly the same as also iron can not mingle with clay.But in the days of these Kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom, that will never be destroyed; and his Kingdom will never devolve upon an another nation. It will crush and destroy all these Kingdoms; but itself will remain eternal…» -Dan.2 .
Likewise is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as in Daniel’s night vision, several consecutive world empires are represented, only here they are not symbolised by fable beasts but by a human statue whose body parts are made of specific materials, namely gold, silver, copper, iron and clay.
Both visions have to do with the new Babylonian or Chaldean’s empire, Nebuchdnezzar’s vision with the beginning, and Daniel’s with the end of this empire. But both end with advent of God’s empire. That’s why they both cover the same historical period, however, with the difference that Nebuchadnezzar’s vision includes Babylon in the interpretation: «Though, o King, are the golden head». Daniel’s vision on the other hand, as we have seen, begins with empire of «Medeo - Persia».
With an appropriate comparison of these two prophecys this view will be still affirmed;
Because, after a comparison, quite specific parallels results between them, which refer expressionful to it, which of the both figuratively representations ( Daniel / Nebuchadnezzar ) historically belongs together and does embody the same world realm:
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Daniel's Nightvision: The first (beast) was like a lion and had wings like an eagle. I saw how its wings were plucked. And it was raised up from the earth and stood upon two feet like a human being, and it received a human heart. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: Its breast and its arms were of silver, |
Parallels and points of agreement:
First one notices that the number of limbs in both visions are the same:
The LION stands on t w o f e e t like a man. On the silver breast are t w o arms.
And just as in prophecy about the «ram and the billy goat», the ram with its two horns of unequal height represents the Kings of Medea and Persia, so also the two feet of the lion and the two arms of the statue represent the Medeo - Persian double monarchy.
Even more astonishing is the parallel with the «human heart » ; for this Medeo-Persian human heart, even though it is not mentioned here, is in a anatomical way, also in the silver breast of the statue to find.
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Daniel's Nightvision: And lo, I beheld another beast, the second, like unto a bear, which was raised up on one side and had in its mouth, three long teeth. And it was told: Arise, eat much flesh! |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: Its belly and thighs were of copper, |
Parallels and points of agreement:
The belly of the statue is obviously the best part of the body to take in the large amounts of meat the Greek bear ate by conquering Persia.
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Daniel's Nightvision After that I looked and lo, I saw another beast, like unto a leopard, and it had four wings like a bird on its back, and the beast had four heads, and it received great power. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: Its thighs were of iron, |
Parallels and points of agreement:
At first sight there seems to be no parallels between the leopard and the legs of the statue. But by looking more closely we see that the legs of the statue, which consist of two thighs and two lower legs very well create a meaningful parallel to the «four heads of the leopard». For just as the leopard with its four heads gives an image of the «Roman - German history». So also the four thighs parts which make up the thighs and lower thighs, partly next to one another and partly after one another, symbolize the four empires of «Roman - German history». Which existed partly simultaneously like «Byzantium» and the «West Roman Empire» and partly arose successively like the «Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation» and the «Second German Empire»:
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Daniel's Nightvision: After this I saw in my night vision suddenly a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible and extremely strong; it had enormous teeth of iron; it ate, and crushed, and stamped with its feet upon what remained. It looked completely different from all the previous beasts and it had also ten horns. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: Its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. Daniel's interpetation: That you saw the feet and toes partly of clay and partly of iron means: the Kingdom will be a divided realm, but the properties of iron will remain in it,… |
Parallels and points of agreement:
Here, too, both pictures show clear parallels
The fourth beast has « t e n horns » .
The feet of the statue have « t e n toes ».
In Daniel’s Nightvision England and the USA are symbolized by the fourth beast and in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as a «divided Kingdom» by the two feet of the statue - two world powers, historically very connected with one another, at former united until 1783, When the Anglo - American colonies separated from the mother land and founded the United States of America.
England, which was part of the iron Empire of West Rome until 476 is the «iron foot» of the statue.Whereby the USA is represented by the «clay foot».
And just as the fourth beast bore «ten horns» and the feet of the statue «two times five toes», so did iron - England first take over the leadership in the league of nations, relinquishing it after the founding of the «United Nations» to the super power USA.
Having seen the historical meaning of the «four large beasts» in Daniel’s night vision, it should be possible to discover the secret of the seven headed beast.
John saw it for the first time when it arose out of the «sea of peoples». After that it appeared to him again in the desert, where it disappeared into the abyss. When John was surprised about this, the angel who had led him into the desert asked him:
Wherefore did thou marvel? I will explain you the mystery of (…) the beast, which have seven heads and ten horns.
The beast, which you saw, had been there (in former times) and is (now) no longer (there) ; but it will come up again of the Abyss and goes into the perdition; there will be astonished the inhabitants of earth, those, their name are not written into the book of life since foundation the world, if they see the fact that the beast, which had been there and is no longer there and will be again there.
And here is the mind necessary, which is paired with wisdom:
The seven heads are seven mountains on which the women sits,… and mean seven Kings: five of them are (already) fallen, the one (the sixth) exist (now), the other one (the seventh) has not yet come, and if he come, he will remain for a short time.
Furthermore the beast, which was and (now) is no longer there, is even the eighth and belongs nevertheless to the seven (beasts) and goes into the perdition.
And the ten horns, which you saw, are ten Kings, (Kingdoms), which have not yet the reign received, but they receive their royal force to the same hour at the same time with the beast.
These (ten) have unanimous sense and give their power and force to the beast. These ten will fight against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them - because he is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings - with his combat comrades, the appointing and the chosen few and the faithful followers. -Rev. 17 (Source: Menge Bible)
At first the explanation of the angel seems quite mysterious and confusing. But when we study it carefully, relying on the historical interpretation of Daniel, we soon come to understand the deeper sense of these dark words.
According to the explanation of the angel, the seven heads refer to seven mountains and at the same time seven Kings. In the imagery of the Bible «mountain» means a Kingdom or empire, for example, in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision the Kingdom of God is likened to a stone which became a «great mountain».
(Dan.2:35, 2:44-45)With Daniel’s interpretation as a basis we can easily assume that these «seven heads of the beast, which point to seven mountains», at the same time mean seven world empires, arising out of the sea of peoples one after another.
Five of them are already known from the Daniel prophecy: Babylon, Medeo - Persia, Greece, Rom with the four consecutive empires of Roman - German history and Anglo - America.
The two other world empires existed before Babylon: Egypt, which succumbed to Assyrian rule in 663 B.C., and Assyria, which was conquered in 612 B.C by the Babylonians together with the Medes.
«Five of them have already fallen.»
John received the Apocalypse in the first century A.D. five world empires had already fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medeo - Persia, and Greece.
This is doubtless the «Roman Empire» (One is now here) what the angel talked about, which followed Greece, and was at the height of power in the 1st century A.D. with its four empires east Rome (Byzantium), west Rome, Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, and second German Empire, it can look back on 2000 years of Roman - German history.
England and the USA as «divided» seventh world power followed the «Second German Empire». England which after WW I at first took over world leadership, was supplanted by the USA after WW II.
And in 1949, when the USSR advanced to a nuclear power the balance of power between east and west was almost even through the Balance of dread; on the one side the NATO states with the super - power USA and on the other hand the WARSAW pact states with the super - power USSR.
«Furthermore the beast, which was and (now) is no longer there, is even the eighth and belonged nevertheless to the seven and goes into the perdition. And the ten horns, which you saw, are ten Kings, which have not yet received the reign , but they receive their royal force to the same hour at the same time with the beast. These (ten) have unanimous sense and give their power and force to the beast.»
Just as the «League of Nations» and the «United Nations» in Daniel’s night vision are symbolized by the ten horns of the fourth beast and in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by the twice five toes of the Statue, so both these world organizations are symbolized in Revelation by the ten horns of the seven - headed beast. (Rev.17;
12-13).From history we know that after WW I by the initiative of the USA and under the leadership of England the League of Nations was founded. After it could not keep world-peace as was expected and 20 states left the organization again, it sank into the «abyss» at the outbreak of WW II and at the end of the War arose again as the «United Nations» like the phoenix from the ashes.
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Daniel's Nightvision: I looked and beheld the (fourth) beast being killed and its body ruined and thrown into the fire, and the power of the other beasts was finished; for each had a time and hour for its activity. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: You saw how a rock came down, untouched by a human hand; it hit the statue on its feet, which were of iron and clay, and crushed them… |
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«And John saw the seven headed beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against Him, who sat on the horse and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.» - Offb.1919-20. |
Apparently the United States together with the UN, which both are represented in Daniel’s night vision by the fourth beast with the ten horns and in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by the feet and toes of the statue, form the last political world power on earth; because Daniel saw how the statue was hit on the feet and toes and completely destroyed.
And so, just as the fourth beast including its ten horns and the little one that grew up among the others was thrown into the fire, for «each had a time and hour for its activity.» So also John saw in the Apocalypse how the seven - headed beast, which at first as beast from the «sea of peoples» represented the league of nations and afterwards as «beast from the abyss» represented the UN, was thrown into the sea of fire together with the false prophet.
The erecting of the Kingdom of God!
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Daniel's Nightvision: I beheld in this night vision how one came in the clouds of heaven like the 'Son of Man', and was brought before the ancient of days. He gave him power honour and Kingdom, so that all peoples of all tongues should serve him. His power is eternal and waveth not, and of his Kingdom there is no end. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: But the rock which destroyed the statue grew into a great mountain and filled the whole world. |
In the further course of the revelation,
John saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names and
having seven heads and ten horns:
«The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet colour and richly glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls, her hand holding a golden cup full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: „Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and the abominations of the earth".
John saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus; when he saw them, he was greatly astonished. Then the angel that had lead him in spirit to the desert said: „Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman... The waters which you saw, where the whole thrones are peoples and multitudes, nations and languages.... And the woman which you saw is the great city which reigns over the Kings of the earth.
(Rev.17).Later, John further reports: „I heard a voice from heaven saying: Come out of her my people (from Babylon), so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues! For her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her sacrilege.» - Rev.18;
4-5.
The warning to God’s people to flee from Babel obviously points to the «Endtime Parish» that apparently in this moment is still in the spiritual imprisonment of Babylon and is now summoned ‘to leave Great-Babylon, whose sins reach unto heaven’.
Evidently the appeal «to flee from Babylon» already at that time caused insecurity and confusion among the young Christian communities. Because initially one believed that the heretic Rome that the Christians under Nero had particularly persecuted «was the great city that ruled over the Kings on earth and was drunk by the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus». Later when the Christian church became the Roman state religion and then itself persecuted the irreligious and the deviationist´s from the „Roman-Catholic Unity Doctrine“ with death penalty, it was pointed on that the «Great-Babylon» was the papal Rome. Initially it was Joachim von Fiore, who died in 1202, thereafter the Franciscans and Dante. And after the Reformation it was Luther, Calvin, Bengel and others who recognized the Whore of Babylon in the worldly papacy.
How justified it was to pillory the papacy as the «Whore of Babylon» will be confirmed as soon as we take a closer look at the history of papacy and have extended our investigations to the first centuries of Christendom; of a Christendom that has split up into numerous lines of believe since its beginnings and that according to the parable of the Kingdom of heaven (Matth. 25) will symbolically split up into «five clever and five foolish virgins» at the end of the world
The History of Christianity: After Christianity had begun to expand more
and more despite of being persecuted by Jews, Greeks and Romans within the
Roman Empire, the young Christian communities optimistically waited for the
imminent return of Christ. Knowing that with the fulfilment of their mission:
«Go out and teach all nations», the establishment of a Kingdom of Peace would
be near at hand. The Apostle Paul, however, - one of the
driving forces behind the expansion of the gospel - must have suspected already
at that time that the return of Christ would not happen so soon. Thus he
restrained their impatience urgently warning them:
«Let yourself not too soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, pretending that he is God».
2. Thess. 2
Had the Christian communities at that time suspected that the proclamation of the gospel would only be concluded after two thousand years it would certainly have restrained their enthusiasm. But as it was, Christianity rapidly expanded and had soon become a political power factor in the great Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Constantine perceived the political significance of the Christian church. Therefore, he aimed at making them the clip of the endangered unity of his empire. (Tolerance Edict, 313).
The extent of the damaging influence Constantine’s new religious politics had on Christianity is explained by Wolfgang Goeller in his commentary „The Turning Point of Constantine":
«Certainly Constantine cannot be denied a personal spirituality. His chief interest, however, aimed at politics. For the universal power that he aimed at he required a universal doctrine - a doctrine with the power to unify. From the religious politics of his predecessors he learnt how not to do it...
If before it was necessary to be courageous to be a Christian, now many came to the church by simply following the crowd. Loss in spiritual substance and moral credibility was the result. Due to the development that the church of the empire experienced, it is obvious that it could no longer bear or want any other church next to it - contrary to the heathen religions that have always tolerated many godheads. With Christianity arose a claim for spiritual exclusiveness. This claim was soon asserted by doubtful measures. In the beginning the Christian mob agitated here and there and as time went by agitation became more frequent culminating in the destruction of pagan temples. Former pagans suddenly destroyed their own temple to demonstrate their rightful faith.
With the recognition of the church by the state, it drew not only doubtful members. It not only gained a powerful strength that was highly inappropriate for the church compared to the modesty of Jesus, their Lord. The church also attained access to culture, to the schools and science...» („2000 years of Christianity“, P. 741).
Another commentary by Wolfgang Goeller „State and church from the time of Constantine the Great“ explains us the radical change within the nationalised young „Church of Christ“ by the „Turning Point of Constantine“:
«When Emperor Constantine turned to Christianity in the beginning of the 4th century, the changes in the religious politics of the Emperor came a bit too quickly for the Christians after having endured long periods of persecution, or threat, in the least. The church was not in a position to think at length about the ifs and whens. Whoever had expected earlier that the church would merely be tolerated, was simply rolled-over by the events. An Emperor who - no matter for which motives - promoted Christianity exceeded the wildest dreams...And above all the church was to be the integration factor in the empire.
In the Edict of Religion of 380 finally the end of religious freedom was cemented. The Catholic Church was declared a state religion . Simultaneously it was precisely declared which dogmatic direction Christianity was intended: The one of the Bishop of Rome, Damasus (366 to 384). One not only had to be a Christian but a Christian with the rightful faith. Divergences or even different religions were punished as state crime. The state itself helped with the means available to them to implement dogmas and to do missionary work. In 389 the Roman Senate was forced - despite heavy opposition - to damn the old faith and to accept the new one.. After the Edict of Religion in 380 heathendom soon disappeared from the scene.» („2000 Years of Christianity“, P. 742 ff).
For the unity of the mighty Roman Empire, the recognition of Christianity may have been a clever political move but it entailed great damage to the Church of Christ. However, much more troublesome seemed the increasing misconception that with the secularisation of the Christian faith Christianity itself, the Kingdom of God and the fulfilment of all prophecies of a better future have arrived. In Meyer’s Conversational Encyclopaedia we can read the following comment in this respect:
«Chiliásm (Greek), the belief of a future
thousand-year long Kingdom of God on earth arising with Christ’s visible
return....
The defeat of chiliásm was sealed by the
politically changed position of the church since Constantine.
As soon as the victorious church had made
itself feel at home on earth, it began to get accustomed to the idea that the
thousand-year long Kingdom has arrived already with Christianity itself and
Augustin adopted this as his elementary principle. From that time the church
was simply acknowledged as the Kingdom of God and the fulfilment of all
prophecies of a better future» (Vol. 4, P. 31).
Isn’t it absurd that the early Christian communities waited patiently for over three and a half centuries for the return of Christ and the erection of his peace Kingdom, to finally learn from Augustinus (354-430) that the Kingdom of God had already long ago arrived with Christianity itself? A fatal mistake conjuring far-reaching repercussion in the development of the Church of Christ that had already been politically shamefully misused.
Jakob Kroeker writes in his book „Daniel Statesman and Prophet“:
«It is true that Rome gave the then dying world empire the name of the Kingdom of God, but created in the womb of the Church of Christ, a Christian abode for the heathen spirit and his mystical cult. The world empire was called Kingdom of God, its constitution became the organisation of the church, its cult the form of God worship, its priest regulations the exterior splendour for the representatives of Christ and the imperial administrator on earth. But from now on the church was no longer the witness of the salvation, it pretended to be the administrator of salvation, it was no longer prophet of the revelation, it acted as guardian of the revelation, it was no longer spirit creation but it stood out as universal organisation.» (P. 41)
If Augustinus had not been the fanatic enthusiast who invented the famous word „cogite intrare!“ meaning „force them to join the church!“, force them with violence! - then he would have had to recognise during his research into the Holy Scripture that his idea of the Kingdom of God is contradictory to the words of the Bible. All the more because Paul had already at his time warned against such misinterpretations when he reminded the Thessalonians not to be deluded or even tempted by the ever recurring deceitful desire «as if the day of Christ is already existing». Thus remains as possible explanation: Augustinus had succumbed to the general pressure and had considered it opportune out of purely political reasons to raise the «Roman state religion» with their largely «forcefully recruited followers» to the «Kingdom of God». He had obvious reasons for this: In a «political God state» the Roman clergy would have a much earlier possibility to expand their power as in a serving church.
The extent of the link between state and church and how shamefully the church had been misused for political purposes can be concluded from two decrees issued by the Roman Emperor Theodosius.
«In the year 380 he proclaimed a law making the Catholic Church the only state religion. Every Roman citizen from now on must be Christian. Heathendom or heresy would be a state crime... Validity was given alone to orthodoxy. In the following years Theodosius takes another step forward: He forbids conversion to heathendom. Everything that lives under Roman sovereignty has to be Christian from now on. Whoever is not Christian has already made himself guilty. Pressure from the state replaced missionary work. The state religion is born. The effects of such a law are partly ridiculous: The ministers become civil servants, any freedom of opinion and faith is suffocated, the church dogmas are governmental laws, whose offence is punished severely mostly by death. Simultaneously arose a destruction of the temples comparable only to the horrors of earlier Christian persecutions. The pagan places of sacrifice were destroyed by a raw mob assuming the name of Christ, stealing and murdering, looting and burning down anything that they doomed heretic. „Solely for the honour of God.“ („Die Kirche lebt - Der Weg der Christen durch zwei Jahrtausende / The Church lives - The Christian path through two millenia“, P. 71).
In the East of the former Roman Empire the question: «Who rules God’s holy church?» was decided: Christ the Lord of the church had no representative on earth; instead the Emperor was the supreme authority in church and state.
It seemed appropriate to grant the renewed Western Empire that had been transferred to the East-Franconian (German) Kings by the coronation of Otto the Great of the Karolingers the administrative authority over the church. Admittedly the Empire was here backed up ideally by the papal Sacerdotium (papacy) that possessed authority in their own right. In the Sachsenspiegel (the oldest and most influential law-book of the German MA) we find the following about the relationship between the two forces:
«God left two swords on earth to protect Christendom: the Pope the religious, the Emperor the worldly. At a certain time the Pope must ride on a white horse. The Emperor must hold him the stirrup so that the saddle does not move. This indicates that the Emperor with the worldy law has to obey the Pope if this one faces resistance that he may not want to conquer with religious law. So also the religious law should help the worldly court if necessary.»
«According to the opinion of the Emperor both the Pope and the Emperor receive the religious and the worldly law directly from God. Accordingly, the Emperor is equal to the Pope; both act completely independently...
«According to the interpretation of the Roman cury (Gregory IX, Innocence VI., Bonifacius VIII.) the Pope was bestowed with two swords, namely with religious and worldly law; the Emperor receives the worldly law from the Pope, carries it out for him and is subordinate to him (this perception was explained also by comparing the relationship between sun and moon):» („2000 Jahre Christentum / 2000 Years of Christianity“, P. 307 and 981).
From now on the power obsessed papacy wooed with the Roman Emperors of the «Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation» for the «Universal Monarchy». In answer to the beginning controversy between papacy and Kingdom or Empire (investiture conflict) Gregory VII wrote supposedly in the year 1075, in 27 guiding principles a list of church law texts („Dictatus Papae“) concerning the privileges of the papal chair. In Meyer’s Conversational Encyclopaedia (Vol. 15, P. 406 f) we can read the following comment about this:
The thought that Gregory VII had made from the papacy and that had been expressed in many ways by Pseudo-Isidor has two sides: a political and a religious. All earlier glorifiers of the Papacy wanted to give the Roman Bishop the position of only a primacy of the church; however, according to Gregory’s will, he was to appear as a representative of God on earth on whom not only the religious but also the worldly laws should depend and to whom not only the authority of the Bishop but also the Kings’ majesties are subordinate. The idea is to have an all encompassing theocracy at the head of which is the Pope like a great feudal association holding all religious and worldly property, and Gregory VII and his successors acted according to this idea at the times when they banished and dismissed princes, disposed over crowns and gave away.
The Emperors had to submit themselves; England, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Aragonia, Sicily were as Kingdoms obliged to pay tax to the papal chair; had the crusades, as such already proof of papal power of the souls, been successful, the Orient would also have had to pay tribute. The Kings of the earth called themselves Sons of the Pope and were in many ways dependent on their favour and benevolence: The constitutional conditions of their countries were inadequate, the nations were fearful of the interdict, and the vassals took joy in revolting against Kings, whose right and power had deteriorated.»
Thereafter resided an arrogant and self-important Papacy that at times had completely gone to the dogs with an immense display of splendour comparable to the Egyptian Pharaohs, on brilliant thrones, enveloped by incense, surrounded by a royal household and army, like secluded idols, the tiaras resplendent with jewels and the magnificence fanned by ostrich feathers (Hans Kuehner). This secularised church leaning itself on worldly power was no longer a serving but a harshly ruling church. A division was inevitable between the inflated clergy giving itself pompous titles, such as: Your Holiness, Holy Father, Your Eminence, Reverend, etc. and the plain and simple church folk. «The increasing division between clergy and folk», Guenter Sternberger comments in his book "2000 Jahre Christentum / 2000 Years of Christianity“, «also becomes apparent in the manner the Bishops are elected. The Bishop was initially elected by the entire Christian community, from the third century onwards the election was accomplished more and more by the Presbyters of the local community and the neighbouring Bishops. The folk was merely permitted to attend the election and applause. The „elected class“ and the „royal priesthood“ (see Ex. 19;6; 1. Petr. 2; 9 and Rev. 1; 6) were divided more and more: on the one side the folk, on the other the priesthood». There was hardly any mention of brotherhood within the former Christian church any more. Pope Innocence III even explained that he was admittedly subordinate to an angel but far superior to a human being. Hans Kuehner expresses his opinion on this subject in his book „The Empire of the Popes“ and questions:
«To what extent was Jesus only means to an end to the Pope monarchs? ...What was the nature of the relationship between the Pope monarchs and the man that died on the cross and his representatives on earth that they claimed and still claim to be representatives of the God that wanted to bring peace?...Never can Jesus, the powerless, have desired a powerful church. How far had it moved away from the principle „my Kingdom is not of this world“? The Kingdom of the Pope monarchs was systematically built on completely worldly interests...» (P. 12)
After all that we have learnt from Christian history, it follows «that the great city that has the Kingdom over the Kings on earth» is nothing else but the Papacy, because during a fierce power battle lasting hundreds of years it had fought for absolute world power with the Emperors and Kings of the middle ages repeatedly asserting this claim until the time of reformation.
«The apostasy of the Germanic nations during the reformation upset the basis of the Papacy. Protestant powers emerged. They were free in relation to the Popes and that did not give them any privileges and by no means the privilege of a priesthood provided with special gifts and privileges and a visible representation of Christ» („2000 Jahre Christentum - 2000 Years of Christianity“, P. 286 ff).
But still today in an ideologically changed world in which disbelief and materialism is triumphant over Christianity, the Papacy maintains its claim on world dominion. This at least is expressed in the coronation formula used during the coronation of newly elected Popes in Rome: «Receive the tiara that is decorated with three crowns and know that you are the Father of the Princes and Kings, the leader of the world, the governor of our saviour Jesus Christ on earth whom we honour and praise for ever and ever, amen».
Remarkable for the infamous church monarchy was that it, as a young Christian church, had for centuries suffered immense persecution had now become the greatest persecuter of heretics threatening everyone that was not prepared to accept the «standardised catholic faith» decreed by the pagan Roman Emperor Constantine and the Roman Bishop:
«The Christians revealed themselves not less cruel regarding the persecution of heretics than the pagans. The persecution of Christians had barely ended when it came to severe oppressions among Christians and between Christians and unbelievers. On the one hand the numerous Christian groups fought with each other with unyielding cruelty. The tolerance that one had until now requested for oneself was now forgotten. The different sects did not even stop at bloodshedding. During the battles in 366, 137 people were killed on one single day. On the other hand the Christians also tyrannised the pagans. They destroyed their temples and statues, heresy was persecuted. The persecution of the heretics was considerably milder than that of the renegades within Christianity. The lessons of the past when Christians themselves still suffered from persecution were forgotten all too soon.» („2000 Jahre Christentum - 2000 Years of Christianity“, P. 713).
The bloody traces of tyranny, intolerance and death has been going on since the erection of the so-called «State of God» throughout the entire Roman-Catholic history. Moreover, countless millions of people were victims of the crusades, the inquisition, the witch processes, the persecution of reformed Christian-Lutherans, Huguenots, Calvinists etc. - and the thirty-year long religious war (1618-1648) between Catholic and Protestant Princes.
To top their religious fornication the Roman church established from the beginning an own God known in church history as «Trinity» or «tri-unity». In „Reader’s Digest Universal Encyclopaedia“ we read the following condensed version:
«Trinity (tri-unity), Christian dogma of the unity of the divine substances Father, Son and Holy Ghost; not in original Christianity but only between the 2nd and 4th century, developed especially during the struggle against Arianism.»
Further information about the «triune doctrine» can be found in the book „2000 Jahre Christentum/Kirchengeschichtliches Lexikon - 2000 Years of Christianity - Church History Encyclopaedia“:
«Arianism: The doctrine of Arius that is condemned by the entire church as heretic. His teaching denies the unity between Father and Son. Also after the theological movement of the Arian struggle within the church this teaching survives in Germanic tribes, especially Westgothics, Vandals and Langobards. After the conquest of Western Rome they protected the Arian faith from the Roman-Catholic Church. The Arian faith had arrived from the partly Arian defined East Roman Empire via the Westgothics to the Germanic tribes as a kind of national property. Individual tribes sustained it until the 7th century.
Athanasius of Alexandria. The Greek Church Doctor and Patriarch of Alexandria (295 to 373) represented during the Arian dispute the similarity between the nature of God Father and God Son thus belonging to the forerunners of the Trinity dogma that attained validity by the councils of 325 and 381 in the Roman Church Empire....» (P. 911)
The Roman-Catholic «Trinity doctrine» has not been raised to a dogma in appreciation of its true contents but was established only after resentful resistance and ongoing hostile fights with the most detesting means: „slander, false witness, unjust charge, intrigue, dismissal, banishment and murder“ (Wegener). That only because pagan Roman Emperors, that called themselves „Christians“ but merely misused Christianity for their political purposes, wanted to reinstall quiet and peace within the fighting church.
With this we are faced with the fundamental question whether the dogma of the Trinity of God is in fact reality or whether it is pure blasphemy? To find the truth is important already because on it depends whether or not the passionate advocates of this dogma have made themselves guilty of instigating idolatry against better judgement or out of uncritical faith towards the church.
At first we should find an answer to the question why Jesus and the Apostles never spoke of a «tri-unity»? Did they in the end not even know such a Deity? The Bible at any rate does not mention it anywhere except in one unreal place in the letter of John (1. John 5; 7-8) that has, however, been removed again as forgery:
«The additional words in early editions of the Bible in verse 7 and 8: „There are three that beget in heaven: the Father, the word and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one“, cannot be found in the handwritings of the Greek text nor in Luther’s own interpretation.» (Jubilee Bible of 1964).
Also the Baptism formula in the gospel of Matthew:
«Therefore go and teach all nations and baptize them in (or on) the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost...»,
that is repeatedly mentioned in particular as evidence for the «tri-unity Doctrine» does not testify absolutely anything in view of a «triune God». For this reason it is mentioned in the «Wuppertaler Study Bible»:
«The trinomial Baptism formula arising here for the first time is not yet an executed trinitarian creed but a liturgical formula corresponding to the three times submergence of the baptized».
What is remarkable about this Baptism formula is the fact that the other evangelists: Mark, Luke («who diligently investigated everything from the beginning!») and John do not mention it at all. Was it unknown to them? Or did they not give it any special significance?
The following words of Jesus that are frequently given as argument: «I and the Father are one» (Joh.10;
30) are not convincing by any means. Otherwise the question immediately arises what is the position regarding the disciples that according to the Bible (John 17; 11-23)are also «one» with God and Jesus:«Holy Father keep them in your own name that you have given me that they may be one like us... I pray not alone for them but also for them that shall believe in me through their word; That they all may be one, like you, Father, are in me, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me. And I have given them the glory that you have given me, that they may be one, like we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be perfect in one and the world may believe that you have sent me and has loved them, like you love me.»
The concrete Biblical statement: «the disciples are one with God and Christ» would eventually paradoxically signify in the sense of the triune doctrine that God, Jesus and the disciples together are «one» thereby forming a «multi-unity Deity».
This is certainly an absurd idea! But doesn’t it correspond precisely to the same deceitful way of thinking with which Christian theologians still nowadays are desperately trying to support the non-biblical «tri-unity»; a teaching that was completely strange to the early Christian communities and the substance of which still has to be verified by religious researchers unto this day? Let us, however, ask the theologians of today how we are supposed to imagine a «triune God»? We will be astonished to discover that the entire clergy is not in the position to give a binding or satisfactory answer to this question. Supposedly the «divine tri-unity» whose roots have been established in Hellenistic thought is a great secret, a mystery, that cannot be grasped by the human mind and, therefore, cannot be explained to anybody. But isn’t that virtually a confession of their helplessness towards a dogma that has been taken over from heathendom and forced into a Christian tight jacket to give it a binding appearance? In the „Dictionary of the Bible“ we find the following seemingly helpless and meaningless explanation for this:
«...We will always face a last secret that is incomprehensible by the human mind that no eye has seen and no ear has heard and has not come into any human being’s heart...Because this belief as soon as it is put into words has to use the human language in order to express itself but with these words are already connected certain ideas. This makes it plausible that exactly at this point of the Christian doctrine the interpretations show considerable differences. All the more as there is not a single sentence in the Bible that simultaneously mentions the complete God of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost...» (P. 510).
The New Scofield Bible (P. 1022) gives the following comment about this:
«The three divine persons are one God, not three Gods... The triune God is certainly a big secret, something that is completely beyond the possibility of a comprehensive explanation.»
In view of so many contradictions, absurdities and mystifications that surround this ominous «triune doctrine» that has been invented by false Apostles in a chaos, we should be alert and critical and should not let ourselves be misused by the Satan and his worldly helpers «that pretend they are the Apostles without being an Apostle» (Rev. 2) and put Jesus Christ in the vicinity of the evils of Satan by making him «equal to the omnipotent God» and «one» without even having the slightest Biblical evidence for this unholy statement. Let us not forget that it was precisely Satan - Christ’s opponent and the murderer of human beings from the beginning - who rose in his heart and «wanted to be equal to the most supreme» (Esek. 28;12-18; Jes. 14;12-15), but was condemned for his pride by God and will at the end of time suffer the final «second death». (Rev. 20;10).
Since neither the Bible has a basis for the triune doctrine nor Jesus himself or his disciples have ever proclaimed a «triune God» the question arises which were the compelling reasons to implement by force and mean murder the «triune doctrine» against the will of the majority of the early Christian communities? Biblical reasons being excluded, there could have been only political interests in the foreground, namely clerical interests that were to exclusively support the expansion of power of the Roman Papacy; as explained by Rudolf Poertner in his book „Die Erben Roms - The Inheritors of Rome“:
«…According to the doctrine of the Presbyters, Arius of Alexandria, Christ was not the same as the creator but only the most supreme of all created beings. On the other hand the orthodox doctrine claimed (and still claims) that the Father and Son are the same. Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor in the world considered the conflicts concerning this question was a concern among clever theologians. The practical cohabitation of state and church has far-reaching consequences due to differing opinions. If Christ is merely a creation of God it means that his church will have to observe modesty and accept a subordinate role under worldly authorities whose mystic origin is not questioned at least by the Germanic nations of this time. Therefore it was not by coincidence that they without exception embraced the Arian belief system. Logically they did not allow the churches to grow beyond a type of national church organisation - a role with which the universal Roman-Catholic doctrine has never contented itself with and by virtue of their dogma could never do so.» (P. 23 f)
In summary it can be said that the so extensively disputed triune doctrine was only a means to an end and merely helped the power-hungry Papacy to pave its way towards universal monarchy.
It is very unlikely whether the Roman-Catholic Church will ever be able to liberate itself from the dogmas of the blasphemous triune doctrine; because the Roman Popes that claim for themselves to be «infallible» regarding religious questions cannot easily annul dogmas. This extensive decision connected with considerable consequences to reject the «trinity dogma» can and must be decided upon by each individual Catholic solely by himself.
Evangelic Christians having been largely liberated from the yoke of the Roman-Catholic false doctrines by Luther (Dogma of Mary, Saint- and Image Worship, Purgatory, Primacy of the Papacy, etc.) can more easily take the step to abandon the triune doctrine because for them the Holy Scripture is relevant for any arising religious questions, which, however, as we now know, is not aware of a «triune God».
Finally the question remains what the begotten Son himself thinks about his relationship with the heavenly Father. Contrary to the triune doctrine of Athanasius: all three persons are likewise eternal, likewise great and in reality the three Gods are one and the same God revealing himself in three different ways of being or persons always as the one same God, Christ explicitly explains: He is the beginning of creation. And his God and Father is greater than he.
These precise and unmistakable statements can - contrary to the triune doctrine be Biblically proved, for example in the message of Jesus to the community of Laodiceans:
«These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;» -
Rev. 3; 14.Or in the gospel of John:
«You have heard that I said to you, I go away, and come back again to you. If you had loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go to the Father; for my Father is greater than I..» -
John.14; 28.«My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand..» John.10; 27.
In the letter of the Hebrews we read:
«Therefore, holy brethren, comrades of the heavenly vocation, fix your thoughts, on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess, he was faithful to the one who created him, just as Moses was faithful in all God´s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater glory (honor) than» -
Hebr.3; 1-3.These concrete Biblical statements in which Jesus liberally admits: «the Father is greater than I», point singularly to the fact that between the omnipotent God and his first-born son - the first of his creation work and the beginning of creation - there obviously exists a hierarchical order, comparable to the order of precedence existing also between Christ and the community or between man and wife according to the words of the Apostle Paul:
«The man is the head of the wife like Jesus is the head of the community and he is the Savior of his body. But like the community is subordinate to Christ, the wives should submit to their husbands in everything.» -
Eph.5; 23-24.In the letter of the Corinthians Paul refers to this order and explains to the community:
«I let you know that Christ is the head of every man; but the man is the head of the wife; but God is the head of Christ». -
1.Cor.11; 3.In his letter Paul further writes about this hierarchical order and explains as follows:
«The last enemy that shall be destroyed is the death. Because, he «has put all things under his feet.» (Psalms. 87) But when he will say, «all things are subdued!», it is of course, that who is excepted, who put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued to him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all..» -
1.Cor.15; 26-28 (Menge).In the Old Testament reference is also made to this order. The Psalmist writes:
«He will thus call me: You are my Father, my God and Host that helps me. And I will make him my first Son, the most supreme among the Kings on earth.» -
Psalm 89; 27-28.Psalms 45 that emphasises the «divinity of Christ» expressly confirms that the Son of God is under the Father; Christ is thus not a God next to God, this would also offend the first Commandment: «You shall have no other Gods beside me, - but a God u n d e r God:
«God your throne is for ever and ever: the sceptre of your Kingdom is a right sceptre. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.» -
Psalm 45; 7-8.Jesus who was certainly conscious of his secondary position and therefore repeatedly expressed: his Father is his God, said after his resurrection from the dead unquestioned to Maria Magdalena:
«Do not touch me; as I have not ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God». -
Joh.20; 17.And even from heaven, utterly conscious of his mighty position, he once more points out that his Father is his God:
«Whoever overcomes I will make the pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall not leave any more; and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the new Jerusalem, the city of my God, that descends from heaven from my God and my name, the new.». -
Rev.3; 12.According to the Biblical statement God Father and God Son are not the same as Athanasius erroneously claims, but they are two different Gods of which, however, God Father is greater than the Son and the Son is subordinate to the Father according to divine order.
«I am the A and the O, speaks God the Lord, who is there and who was there and who will come, the omnipotent». -
Rev.1;8 ;4;8; 11;17; 15;3; 16;7;16;14;19;6; 19;15; 21;6.«This says the first and the last, who was dead and became alive» -
Rev.2; 8.And John speaks of the two, i. e. the Father, the omnipotent God, and of the Son, who is the first and the last»:
«And I saw no temple therein; as the Lord, the omnipotent God is their temple and (also) the lamb (Jesus). -
Rev.21; 22.Assuming that the triune doctrine is the Truth, this would entail serious consequences for the credibility of Jesus. Because the question immediately arises: Why did he even after the resurrection from the dead totally unfettered and sincere ask Maria Magdalena to tell his brothers: «I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God»? Did the «faithful and truthful martyr» want to leave us in the dark about his true identity or even deceive us? -Surely even those ignorant ones would not take it seriously who to this day vehemently defend their blasphemous trinity doctrine with dubious sayings and deceitful specious arguments!But wouldn’t it be a logical consequence if the advocates of the trinity doctrine were right and a triune God really existed? Even the stupid chatter of dogmatic fanatics cannot blind us to the fact that this is obviously contradictory: Jesus has after all come to earth as human being and has therefore also made his statements as a «human being». They diligently ignore in this respect that Jesus repeats and reconfirms his statement that he made on earth that «his Father is his God - and greater than he» (Rev. 3) in the «revelation, that God gave him» (Rev. 1) after his ascension, i.e. from heaven. Also from heaven in his message to the community of Laodicea he expressly states that he,
In the Jubilee Bible (1964) we find the following comment about the already in the first Christian century existent conditions against Christianity that lastly paved the way for the blasphemous triune doctrine:
«From the three letters of John we can see how already at the end of the first Christian century all kinds of things appeared that could make the old Apostles afraid when looking into the future of the Church of Christ: on the one hand power-hungry community leaders that did not care about apostolic instructions, on the other hand false Antichristian teachers.» (P. 378).
Also the Apostle Paul warned about such intrigues against Christianity:
«For such are false Apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is not great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.»
(2.Cor.11;13-15)
Another unmistakable sign for the imminent end of the world and the returning of Christ in this connection is the open emergence of the «Accomplished Antichrist», who, according to the words of Paul, will sit itself in the Temple of God deceptively pretending to be the returning Christ:.
While the apostasy from the Christian faith which the large Christian churches have been suffering particularly since the end of the Second World War and the dying of church life are recognisable for everybody, the identification of the accomplished Antichrist meanwhile appears to face considerable difficulties, especially as he resembles the true Christ so much, «that being deluded, if it were possible, even the chosen few.» For this reason we will be able to unmask him only if we proceed selectively and above all concentrate on those signs that are given to us in the Bible.
Prof. D. Luetgert, Eisenacher Bund, had at one time occupied himself in detail with the «signs of the Antichrist» and described them in the year 1921 on a conference in Kassel as follows:
«Connected to the Biblical Prophecy is also the expectation of the Antichrist... With the coming of the Kingdom of God the enmity against Christianity is reinforced and deepened. The prophecy prepares Christendom for this increased resistance against Christ and his Kingdom. This battle against Christendom consolidates in the Antichrist.
Antichristianity is not an irreligious, but a religious contrast to Christianity. It is a religious movement that consolidates in a personal head, a religion that wants to establish itself in place of Christianity. The expected Antichrist will not only dethrone Christ, but replace him. For this reason the accomplished Antichristianity will not emerge from the world but from Christianity itself. It is Christianity completely reversed. At the same time it is heathendom in perfection. However, simple heathendom is not yet Antichristianity. But Antichristianity is such a heathendom which has exceeded the rejection of Christianity. Only by the clear and conscious negation and battle against Christianity the naive heathendom becomes Antichristianity. It is not simple godlessness, but a religion that develops out of opposition against Christianity. It is not flesh but spirit, not folly but wisdom, not weakness but strength, not inertia but effectiveness, not human but demonic, not natural but supernatural, not rational but mysterious, not darkness but radiant light.
The Antichrist is expected at the end of history according to Biblical Prophecy, however, he is not coming unprepared. Already now, says the Apostle, many Antichrists have come. He is the final head of the movement that runs through the entire Christian church. With Christianity the opposite of Christianity will soon arrive. He arouses approval, but also opposition, love, but also hatred, devotion, but also contempt; besides the Yes, he will encounter indifferent silence, but also a determined No; and this is, like any No, a Yes to the other. Antichristianity necessarily develops in opposition to Christianity, the Spirit of the World in opposition to the Spirit of God, the Glory of the Lord to the gloomy Light of the Prince of the World. Likewise it happened already at the time of the Apostles. Antichristian tendencies appeared simultaneously with Evangelism. Besides the Truth there was delusion, but also the lie, besides conversion temptation and obduracy.
We are waiting for the Antichrist, and he will be a culprit. He resembles the Christ and the Bible describes him as a miracle maker, «so that being tempted, if it were possible, also the chosen few». An apt motto has been written at the beginning of Selma Lagerlöfs novel "The Miracles of the Antichrist": "When the Antichrist arrives, he will appear to look absolutely like Christ, a great plight will prevail and the Antichrist will wander from country to country and give bread to the poor and he will gain many followers."The numerous Antichrists in the apostolic era are very successful. The world listens to them. The similarity with Christ renders the Antichrist a tempting power. The Antichristian religion also resembles Christianity very much. It is not disbelief but wrong belief, a supernatural religion with a mystical touch. Wherever it appears, Antichristianity seems to be a higher, deeper, mightier religion. It is not dispassionate, but enthusiastic and intoxicating. It makes the human being great by making him equal to God. The ancient alluring words: "Thou shall be like God" repeat themselves again and again. The human being attains infinite significance, which is expressed in an excessive self -confidence. Antichristianity is always accomplished by the apotheosis of Man.» 21
The comprehensive and detailed comments by Prof. Luetgert show clearly, that as an «accomplished Antichrist» only such an opponent of Christ comes in question, who:
• denies that Jesus is Christ!
1.Joh.; 2;«Who is the liar? It is such one who denies that Jesus is Christ. That is the Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.No one who denies the Son has the Father; but he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.» -
• pretends to be Christ himself!
- Matth.24; ;4-5;«Watch out that no one deceives you. For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am the (returning) Christ', and shall deceive many." »
• strikingly resembles the true Christ!
- Matth. 24; 24«For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall perform great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.»
• will sit itself in the Temple of God at the end of time pretending he is God!
«Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come, because at first the apostasy must take place until the man of sacrilege appears, the son of perdition. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, even so that he sets himself up in God's temple and proclaiming himself to be God. And now you know what is holding him back, so that he will be revealed first in the for him destined time.» (2.Thess.2;
1-6).The classical model of the «Accomplished Antichrist» is Antiochus Epiphanes, «a bold and malicious King», of the Greek-Syrian Seleucids Dynasty. (1.Makk.).
In the prophecy of the «Ram and the Billy Goat» he is symbolized as a «small horn» which had grown from one of the four horns of the Greek billy goat. (Dan.8). We encounter this «small horn» also in another face of Daniel, which he had had two years before. In this night-face he saw «four enormous beasts» arising one by one from the «sea of people», which, according to the Angel, (Dan.7;8) embody four subsequent empires. Daniel reports as follows:
«While I fixed my attention precisely on the ten horns (of the fourth beast), I saw how another small horn shot out between them, whereupon three of the first horns were plucked out before him and now I saw, that this horn had eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking daring things.»
Here it is no longer Antiochus Epiphanes, who is symbolized by the small horn, but the accomplished Antichrist himself, whose appearance reveals itself as the effectiveness of Satan and who says he is the returning Christ while all treacherous forces, signs and miracles of the lie unfold.
His deceit will be unsuccessful, as we have the possibility - according to precise biblical information to determine more closely the time of his birth, which is symbolized by the «breaking forth of the small horn». Daniel saw the small horn break forth between the «ten horns of the fourth beast» only after the beast had arisen from the «sea of people» - at a time, therefore, when England had been a leading empire already for a long time and also the League of Nations, lead by them and which is illustrated by the ten horns of the four beasts, had resumed work in Geneva. But since the «small horn» broke forth between the ten horns of the fourth beast, b e f o r e three of the ten horns were pulled out, we can assume that the birth of the «Accomplished Antichrist» will occur between the year of 1919 (foundation of the League of Nations) and the «pulling out» of the three horns.
If it is possible for us to now also interpret the Plucking of the Three Horns correctly, it should be possible to isolate the "Birthday of the Accomplished Antichrist" even more.
The first indication is the number «Ten», which is used in Biblical Prophecy also symbolically as a full number. Because just as the ten horns of the fourth beast symbolize all the members of the two world organisations, likewise the «three plucked horns» can alone signify members of these organisations, and precisely such members that have withdrawn from the organisation over the years.
However, only members of the «League of Nations» are eligible, as according to their regulations it was only left to their discretion to quit the organisation. While such an article is not even provided in the Charter of the United Nations.
The solution is easy: The League of Nations counted totally 66 countries during the duration of its existence. Therefore at a ratio of 3:10 horns (30%) 20 countries must have withdrawn.
In reality, by 1942 altogether 20 countries had to cancel or give up their membership in the League of Nations as we can gather from the following list:
17 countries have withdrawn «fallen out» (Dan.7; 20):
1925 Costa Rica, 1926 Brazil, 1927 El Salvador, 1933 Japan and Germany,
1935 Paraguay, 1936 Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras, 1937 Italy,
1938 Chile and Venezuela, 1939 Hungary, Peru and Spain, 1940 Rumania,
1942 Haiti;
Two countries had to withdraw their
memberships from the League of Nations «were pulled out»
(Dan.7; 8), since they had been annexed by other countries:
1938 Austria - annexed by Germany;
1939 Albania - annexed by Italy;
One country was excluded «humiliated» (Dan.7; 24) due to violation of the regulations of the league:
1939 USSR (after attacking Finland).
22Thanks to the early withdrawal of Costa Rica from the League of Nations, we are in a position to limit the «year of birth» of the accomplished Antichrist to the period between the formation of the League of Nations (1919) and the withdrawal of Costa Rica (1925).
With this in view if we look around to find who under these circumstances is the possible «Accomplished Antichrist», we will soon discover that there are indeed only a few possibilities and finally only one remains to which all biblical signs does apply. They are «Jehovah's Witnesses», a world-wide organisation that has emerged from the Bible Researchers and began working on a small scale in the year 1919. (Wt. 1.5.92).
The establishment of their organisation lasted a little over three years. "In the year 1922 it was prepared to start work". In September of the same year began a great wave of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God that had been established in heaven in the year 1914. It commenced with the war-cry: "Proclaim thee the King and his Kingdom!" on the occasion of the Congress in Cedar Point (Ohio, USA). "With this day", explained the President of the Watchtower Society , J. F. Rutherford, "began the organised testimonial work" (Wt. 1.4.1989).
While the large Christian churches since the end of the Second World War had suffered a remarkable membership decrease and the visitors to Sun-daily services sank under ten percent, Jehovah's Witnesses recorded, for example, in the year 1999 an increase of 2 %, which means that in the year 1999 about 114.000 additional preachers have joined.
For the training of their preachers the Watchtower Society annually spends many millions of Dollars. In the «Work Year» 1999 approximately 64.5 million US Dollars were spent to support their special pioneers, missionaries and travel supervisors with regard to their preaching work allocations.
Their success is chiefly due to the fact that each «Jehovah's Witness» is a specially trained preacher, who - supported by an increasing missionary consciousness - is constantly in search of still faithful Christians and good-willed people, to convince them of their supposedly one-and-only «true religion» and the perniciousness of all other religions by overwhelming them with Bible texts and specious arguments.
When they appeared under the name of «Jehovah's Witnesses» in 1931 the number of their preachers had grown to 39 372. In 1947 there were approximately 200 000. Today there are more than approximately 5.6 million preachers with rising tendency that are strictly organised into 89 985 assemblies world-wide (Wt. 1.1.2000).
In 1935 the organisation officially divided itself into two groups: the «anointed remnant», which is called upon to live a divine life and the «worldly class of the other sheep» which, after the "Battle of Armageddon", would live eternally on this paradise transformed earth.
The leading corporation of the New York World Centre looks after a uniform programme of "biblical" teaching. Each assembly has 5 gatherings weekly: the Theocratic Preaching Work School, the Work Assembly, the Assembly for the Public, the Watchtower Study and the Assembly Book Study. The Theocratic Preaching Work School should help their participants to be able to approach people «effectively» with their teaching.
In their «Work Year Report 1999» the Watchtower Society published their world-wide activities. Among other things the following data was published: The number of their preachers that fanatically propagate their teaching of the in 1914 supposedly erected «Kingdom of Jehovah» has meanwhile risen in Germany to 164 263. In Japan, 222 663 Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses roam throughout the country performing as many as 152 198 Bible studies in the homes of the people. In Italy 225 104 Jehovah's Witnesses form the second largest religious group after the Catholics. In Argentine the number of preachers count 117 809; in Brazil there are 483 113; in France 114 918; in Great Britain 121 723; in Canada 108 437; in Korea 86 256; in Mexico 515 785; in Spain 96 239; in the USA 940 650; and in Russia the number of preachers has meanwhile risen to 102 513 (Wt. 1.1.00).
The «Watchtower Magazine» is published twice a month in 128 languages and is circulated today in 234 countries and islands with an edition of 22.4 million copies (Wt. 1.1.00). Some of their books have sold two-digit million times. The book «You can Eternally Live in Paradise on Earth», published in 1982 in 130 languages, in the same year sold 80.9 million copies. The book «Du kannst für immer im Paradies auf Erden leben/The Truth, that Leads to Eternal Life», published in 1968, was printed approximately 106.5 million times in 116 languages by May 1987 («Awaken» Wt. 8.10.90).
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the «anointed remnant» of their organisation would consist of «Christ-like people», that, in contrast to all other beings, «would not only be resurrected to live eternally but to be immortal and non-decomposable». In the Watchtower Magazine dt. 1.5.1990, P. 27, they give the following explanation:
«The future reward of immortality was promised to a few faithful Christ-like people and was to be realised only when Christ's kingly power was transferred in heaven - not immediately after his ascension in the first century....
By the way, this perspective was given to relatively few people only. Jesus described them: "a small herd" (Luk. 12:32). Those belonging to this group - 144 000 in number - are resurrected to live life in heaven as immortal spirits in order to rule the earth together with Christ from his heavenly kingdom.»
The significance of «144 000 Christ-like people», is explained in the book "Die Neue Welt/The New World", P. 95, published in 1949 in Germany:
«Together these 144 000 make up the "Bride" of Jesus Christ or "the Wife of the Lamb"... These must all be anointed with the Spirit of God, i. e. as spirit-begotten Jehovah's Witnesses be officially appointed.»
The essence that they derive from this deceptive wording is as follows:
«Therefore The Christ or The Anointed is a collective or compound corporation with Jesus Christ as the "Head", and the 144 000 members of its assembly as the "Body"».
The creator of this Antichristian teaching is the second President of the Watchtower Society, Lawyer J. F. Rutherford. Initially he was a legal adviser, but after the death of the first President, Charles Taze Russel (1916), he became head of the subsequent "Jehovah's Witnesses". Based on his teaching of the «New League» (1880 and 1907), according to which "also the 144 000 did not require a middleman, but the middleman for the rest of humanity, the Christ, should consist of Jesus and the church - the Head and the Body" (Prof. James Penton), Rutherford gave a new interpretation to the teaching of Russels: He defined the Watchtower Society as an endtime Society and introduced a solid theocratic leadership.
During his tenure of office from 1916 to 1942 he adjusted the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses to the changed conditions that prevailed after 1914, after Russel’s' expectations had not arrived and the subsequent disappointment of the "fervent Bible Researchers" - as they were still called at that time -. Heredrafted the teaching and distributed it in many texts and books in millions of editions world-wide. In his book «Schöpfung/Creation», published in 1922, he proclaimed as a «New Creation» the following self-willed version of Christ:
«The new creation is the "Christ". The Christ is a corporation composed of many limbs (members). The head of Christ is Jesus Christ, God's beloved Son. Such beings that are withdrawn from humanity, justified, begotten and anointed by the Spirit of Jehovah and thereupon persevering faithfully until death, will constitute the limbs of the accomplished Christ.» (P. 200)
The brochure "The Final Battle" furthermore mentions:
«God decided, that the Christ or his anointed organisation shall consist of Jesus Christ, the head and the 144 000 others, which have to be made equal to Jesus Christ.» (P. 13)
To give their «Corporation-Christ», moulded out of the «144 000 Christ-like human beings», a genuine appearance, «so that being tempted into the delusion - if it were possible - also the chosen few», Rutherford did not even hesitate to hypocritically use the name «Jesus» in order to make him the head, thus misusing him to advertise his «Pseudo-Christ». As he includes Jesus in his version of Christ, he cunningly denies that Jesus is the Christ; because as a member - even though a great and mighty head of their «Christ-Corporation», Jesus could barely be «THE CHRIST» himself.
The core of their teaching thus consists of the evil lie: Not Jesus is the Christ, but the Christ is a «collective corporation composed of 144 000 Christ-like members» or «anointed organisation» that they, moreover, declare as the «accomplished Christ».
Supposedly the majority of the «144 000 Christ-like human beings» has already since 1918 participated in the «first resurrection» and now rules the earth from heaven. In their numerous publications Rutherford and his successors in office try to biblically substantiate this plump presumption as follows:
«The Holy Bible proves the definite fact that the Lord came to his temple in 1918 to the tribunal and that he began this tribunal with the people of God; furthermore, that God had the ones he desired anointed in 1922 by Christ, brought to the temple and gave them the robes of grace and the coat of justice." (Licht/Light Vol. 2, P. 269).»
«To finally unite with Christ in the heavenly assembly, the Apostles and others that were selected after them, had to, just like Jesus, complete their worldly life in faith until death. Although they were all accepted in the League for the Kingdom or in the heavenly assembly, they did not immediately ascend to heaven after death to unite with the head of the assembly. They slept in the grave until the time of the first resurrection that occurred when Jesus Christ came to the temple of Jehovah in the year 1918 whereupon they were awakened in order to share the glory with him, their head.» (Gott bleibt wahrhaftig/God remains truthful, P. 139.)
«The "small herd" of 144 000 Christians that will rule with Christ has been gathered for more than 1900 years. Presently only very few are still alive on earth, most of them rule already with Christ in heaven...» (Du kannst für immer im Paradies auf Erden leben/You can eternally live in paradise on earth, P. 163/164
«The leading corporation in the New York World Centre as well as all the other «anointed remnant members» of their organisation belong to the 144 000 Christ-like human beings. Presently only 8798 people that claim that they belong to this "heavenly class" live on earth (Wt. 1.1.98). Rutherford describes them as "feet" or "foot limbs (members)" of his Pseudo-Christ. While the majority of the imaginary limbs (members) of their "Christ-Corporation" consisting of "144 000 people" merely function as staffage, the active "foot members" that live on earth embody the «speaking» part of their idol erected in the heavenly temple in the year 1922 (Rev. 13;14-15; Matth.24;15):
GOD'S VISIBLE ORGANISATION
«...in New York exists a leading corporation of elderly Christian men from different parts of the earth that supervises the world-wide activities of the people of God. This leading corporation consists of members of "faithful and sympathetic servants". It acts as mouthpiece of this faithful "servant".» (Du kannst für immer im Paradies leben/You can eternally live in paradise on earth, Page 195.)
Jehovah's Witnesses demand the most supreme position in the universe for their Antichrist, the position right next to the almighty God
and they give the following reason for this requirement:«The perfect body of the human being is a wonderful God-created organisation. Likewise also the royal family of the "Kingdom of Heavens" consisting of Jesus, the Head, and the limbs, the "Body of Christ", is God's special organisation. As God the supreme has assigned Jesus Christ the highest position in the universe, the position immediately after him, and since the "Body of Christ" is united here with Jesus Christ, Jehovah God makes the royal family to the chief organisation of his universe. Naturally, the royal family is a part of the divine universal organisation consisting of holy beings, yet it assumes a distinguished position due to its rank and special ministry and it is the supreme element of the universal organisation of Jehovah.» (Das Königreich ist herbeigekommen/The Kingdom has come, P. 272.)
They arrogantly ignore in this connection that they have installed their «accomplished Christ» as it were as «accomplished Antichrist» in the position that Satan wanted to occupy when he rose in his heart saying:
«I will ascend into heaven and I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.»
- Jes. 14.Rutherford further maintains in his immeasurable arrogance that the «anointed remnant» of their organisation is already «lodging in the heavens», although this one is still on earth in the flesh. For the ascension of the «anointed remnant» into heaven he gives the following explanations:
«Satan had been thrown out of heaven where he could remain no longer and now the Lord gathered his witnesses to form a part of the new heaven and to accomplish his kingdom-testimonial.» (Licht/Light, Vol. 1, P. 218).
«The remnant or the faithful servant class on earth in actual fact is now lodging in the heavens or in heavenly places as they own a conditional right to eternal life» (Licht/Light Vol.1, P.249).
In the book "The Harp of God" Rutherford designates «Christ» as the «divine Lord». As, however, he denies that Jesus is «Christ» and the «anointed remnant» itself claims it is Christ, by referring to «divine Lord» he can only have meant their «Pseudo-Christ» which is made up of «144 000 Christ-like human beings»:
«Christ the divine Lord.
Jesus was killed in the flesh and awakened as a divine being... God had promised to bestow on him divinity by giving him the power and the right to have life in itself. Only divine beings have life in themselves and need nothing to sustain life.» (P. 165)
The contradictory «Divinity» demand for his Pseudo-Christ, that Rutherford derives from this wording is explained by him as follows:
«The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to divine nature is a guarantee that all limbs of his body have to be awakened to the same nature and to immortality.»
«The church of Christ consists of Christ Jesus, the head, and the 144 00 limbs of his body... This new creation will, as soon as it is accomplished, possess divine nature... The nature of the church will thus be the same as the one of Jehovah's God.» (Schöpfung/Creation, P. 251; Die Harfe Gottes/The Harp of God, P. 277).
This absurd conclusion is interpreted by the leading corporation in Brooklyn as follows:
«...In the article IMMORTALITY indicates that Jesus Christ on the occasion of his resurrection from the dead attained immortality and thereafter possessed "indestructible life" (1. Tim. 6:15,16; Hebr. 7:15-17). As "the express image" of his Father, the eternal God (Hebr. 1:3; Tim. 1:17), the resurrected Jesus is also eternal
As the heirs of Jesus will be united with him in the similarity of his resurrection they will like him as creatures of the spirit not only be awakened to eternal life but to immortality and imperishability....
The term immortality therefore obviously means the nature of their life, its endlessness and indestructibility while the term imperishability seems to be used for the organism or the body that God gives to them and which is actually neither perishable nor destructible. It seems that God bestows them with the ability to sustain themselves independent of any exterior energy source in contrast to his other creatures, the worldly and the heavenly...» («Hilfe zum Verständnis der Bibel/Aid to Comprehend the Bible», Vol. 8, P. 1506/07).
As according to their teaching the «144 000 Christ-like human beings» are supposedly rewarded with immortality and begotten to divine nature signifying eternal and indestructible life, and they also have the ability to sustain themselves independent of any exterior energy source and thus would «possess life in itself», they elevate their Pseudo-Christ to be the «Divine Lord».
What did Paul write to the Thessalonians: «That man of sin, the son of perdition, the opponent who will sit himself as a God in the temple of God and say that he is God!»
The decree of the «accomplished Antichrist» was already issued, when Esekiel made the following proclamation in the name of God:
«Because your heart is lifted up and said: "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the middle of the seas", while yet your are a man, and not God, though you will set your heart as the heart of God, - Behold, you believe you are wiser than Daniel; that nothing can be hidden from you...You shall die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it, said the Lord God.» (Esekiel 28; 2-10).
Jehovah's Witnesses assert in their texts to be an organisation «that is theocratic and functions in a theocratical manner, i. e. is lead by God» (Wt.1.5.93). But how little they do to this noble demand and how carelessly they deal with the truth is revealed clearly by their fatal errors and lies to which they persistently hold on against all knowledge: «For this reason God shall send them great delusion that they should believe a lie; That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.» (2 Thess. 2;11).
The «Two-Witness»-Lie
In Revelation John mentions a seven-headed beast that arose from the Sea of People. Later, at a time that he was in the spirit it emerged again in the desert where it disappeared for a short time in the «abyss».
Rutherford erroneously identified «the beast of the Sea of People» (Rev.13
;1) with the «Hague World Court» and «the beast that emerged from the abyss» (Rev.17;3-8). with the «Leage of Nations». In 1930 he published In in the book «Licht/Light» following historical interpretation:«This "beast"...emerged forth in 1899 and was active until the end of the World War. Then it disappeared in the abyss and became inactive. After the World War it emerged again from the abyss and resumed work as the League of Nations. The Hague World Court and the League of Nations are the same organisation. The following historical proof confirms this.»
23When Rutherford's historical proof proved purely speculative and the end of the world did not arrive as expected after the League of Nations, instead the United Nations emerged, they quickly changed their Biblical interpretation to agree with the prevailing conditions and announced the following version in their book «Gott bleibt wahrhaftig/God remains truthful» published in 1948 covering up Rutherford's fatal mistake:
«...during the second World War the League of Nations under bows retreated from the scene... The beast that you saw (the old League of Nations) was and is not (it was without life during the second World War) and will emerge from the abyss (as the organisation of the United Nations
24With their new version that the United Nations and not the League of Nations were the ones that «emerge from the abyss» they were faced with an entirely unsolvable time problem. Rutherford had complacently proclaimed that the prophecy of the «two Witnesses of God", who according to the revelation of John will be overcome in battle and be killed by the beast that emerges from the abyss, fulfilled itself in the year 1918 at a time when he and another six Russelites had been sentenced to each twenty years imprisonment for instigating violence. Referring to Revelation 11;
7 he declared:«...at the end of the twenty-two months God agreed that 'the beast that emerges from the abyss fought in battle with them and conquered them'...
This occurred also in line the facts on 7th May 1918 when the active servants of the Jehovah's organisation were arrested and all connections between the headquarters and the sub-offices in other countries were interrupted.»
25
With their modified interpretation they suddenly found themselves troubled with the delicate question: How Rutherford and the other six accused could have been overcome and killed by the «beast of the abyss» already in the year 1918 although it, i.. e. the «Organisation of the United Nations», appeared only 27 years later on the surface of world history according to their own information
As they also cannot come forth with any «witnesses in replacement» that could in that case have been overcome in battle and killed by the United Nations instead of the League of Nations, they find themselves caught in a vicious circle that they can escape from only by frankly admitting their error. For this they obviously lack courage and sincerity.
Desperately struggling to prevent their teaching construct from collapsing and to save what can still be saved they hit on the absurd idea to refer «the beast of the abyss» neither to the League of Nations nor to the United Nations but to simply transfer its existence to the «century after the deluge». In their book «Dann ist das Geheimnis Gottes vollendet/Then the Secret of God is Fulfilled» they declare without any logic
«The symbolic "wild beast" did not emerge from the abyss until after that time. This "wild beast" is the same beast that emerges from the abyss of the sea according to the description in Revelation 13;
1-2. In reality it emerged in the century after the great deluge in the days of Noah. It became the world-wide political system of the devil. This political system that resembles the beast that emerged from the symbolic abyss at that time, progressed against God's "two witnesses" after the 26/27 March 1918...On 7th May 1918 they effected the arrest of the President and the Secretary Cashier of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society..., and on the 21st June... the federal judge proclaimed the sentence over these men that represented the class of the "two witnesses»...26
It seems that the absurd «deluge version» was not unanimously accepted by their own community; because 18 years later they silently withdrew from it and restored their old 1948 version. In their 1988 published book «Die Offenbarung - ihr grossartiger Höhepunkt ist nahe/The Revelation - their great vertex is nearing!» (P. 246-248), they again proclaim the «beast of the abyss» is the United Nations.
Whoever expected that Jehovah's Witnesses would refrain from their «Two-Witnesses-Blunder» would be disappointed. A sect that pretends to be a «theocratic organisation» lead by God and that boasts with the belief that God's holy spirit would protect them as Christ's followers from false teachings («Hilfe zum Verständnis der Bibel»/Aid for the Comprehension of the Bible", P. 1553), could by no means admit having made such a major mistake, especially as their interpretation of the «two witnesses» is one of the supporting pillars of their teaching. Therefore they preferred to hold on to Rutherford's fatal error concealing it with their doubtful well-tried methods.
Under this deceptive sign they published in the already mentioned book «Die Offenbarung - Ihr grossartiger Höhepunkt ist nahe»/The Revelation - Your great vertex is near!» the following absurd explanation:
«The two witnesses shall be killed ... John writes: ‘'When they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the abyss shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them...' (Rev. 11;7-10).
This is the first of 37 times in the Revelation in which a wild beast appears. At the appropriate time we will take a closer look at this as well as other beasts. In the moment it may suffice to say that 'the wild beast that emerges from the abyss' is a political system of the things that Satan has entered upon.... The two witnesses did not remain dead... These two prophecies in Esekiel and the Revelation strikingly fulfil themselves in the year 1919 when Jehovah awakened his "dead" witnesses again to active life.»
27Naturally they could have also referred to Page 248 of their above-mentioned book and explain that «the beast of the abyss» signifies the United Nations that emerged from the abyss as successor organisation of the League of Nations in the year 1945. Because then they would also have had to examine in detail the question concerning the time difference of 27 years existing between the death of the two witnesses (1918) and the founding of the United Nations (1945). However, they could not do this nor did they want to, because they do not know who is behind the two witnesses. But with the ingenious explanation that the wild beast is mentioned 37 times and a closer examination of this as well as other beasts would take place at the appropriate time, they avoid disclosing their «Two-Witnesses Blunder» which has meanwhile become a lie and they avoid the embarrassing confession that their teaching is a completely imposed lie and that they have for 70 years spread nothing but errors and lies far beyond Christianity
Jehovah's Witnesses even misrepresent history. To veil their fatal errors and lies they proclaim against all knowledge that the Kingdom of God was erected in heaven 1914 and that the «first resurrection» occurred already in 1918.How did they of all things fall upon the year «1914» as the time for the erection of the Kingdom of God? Raymond Franz, a former member of the leading corporation in Brooklyn and nephew of the fourth President of the Watchtower Society, answers this question in his book «Der Gewissenskonflikt»/The Moral Conflict» as follows
«In short, one arrives at the year "1914" as follows: In the fourth chapter of the book of the Prophet Daniel appears the wording 'seven times'... The 'seven times' are interpreted as seven years with each 360 days. Seven times 360 is 2520 days. Other prophecies in which the term 'one day for one year' appears³ are also included. Using this mathematical law, the 2520 days become 2520 years, a time period lasting from 607 BC to 1914 AD. As already mentioned, today's teachings of the society, the beginning of Christ's supremacy, the last days, the commencement of the resurrection and thereto connected things are all relevant for this calculation.» (Claudius Verlag München, 2nd Edition 1991, P. 138/139).
Their book «Babylon the Great has Fallen/Babylon die Große ist gefallen!» (P. 454/55) published in 1985 contains an explanation as to how they arrived at the year 1918 as the supposed date for the «first resurrection». It reads as follows
«Here we aspire to carry out some calculations taking into consideration events that happened simultaneously 1900 years ago. In spring 33 Christ was awakened from the dead. That was three and a half years after he became the Messiah, the prince, on account of the anointment with holy spirit. Starting from the beginning of autumn 1914 and adding three and a half years we arrive at spring 1918, the period immediately after the Passah,... Correspondingly, the faithful followers that had ended their worldly life by self-sacrifice would have awakened around this time
Since the Jewish Whitsun fell exactly on
the fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead something
was supposed to occur in 1918 according to the rules of time parallelism. What
was supposed to have happened? Those members of the 144 000 that were faithful
unto their death were to be awakened invisibly, not as human beings of flesh
and blood but as spirit beings, and this was to occur in February 1918.» 28
So, this is how simple it all is. One
refers to any «rules of time parallelism» and draws certain parallels
between the events that occurred before 1900 years. Then one dubiously utilises
the estimated year of «1914» as a basis and is immediately in the
picture that the «first resurrection» must have happened naturally
«in spring 1918» The starting point of their obscure
mathematical trick is the year 607 BC; a year that Jehovah's Witnesses
designate as the year of the destruction of Jerusalem although all historical
dates point clearly to the year 586 BC In the appendix of their book «Dein Königreich komme/Your Kingdom Shall Come» (P.188/189) they try to justify this plump historical
misrepresentation with the following adventurous mathematical construct: «Historians recognise that Cyrus
conquered Babylon in October 539 BC and that his first year in parliament began
in spring 538 BC. When the decree of Cyrus was issued at the end of his first
parliamentary year, the Jews could easily have been in the seventh month
(Tishri) in their homeland, as written in Ezra 3;
If we, therefore, count back 70 years from the year 537 BC, the time when the Jews returned to their homeland, we arrive at the year 607 BC. In this year Nebuchadnezzar (in his 18th year in parliament) must have destroyed Jerusalem...»
29This is truly a masterpiece of dishonest distortion. However, it will not work out; because they deliberately ignore the fact that in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel it reads: «that a period of seventy years was to pass the ruins of Jerusalem» - a prophecy that as we learn from the Biblical report in the book of Ezra did not fulfil itself immediately after the return of the Jews from Babylonian imprisonment. In Ezra 38 it says that the Jews commenced the construction two years later after their return from Babylon by laying the foundation of the temple
«Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judas, and troubled them in building.» (Ezra 4;4).
They effected that a decree was issued by the Persian King Arthasastha reading, «that the reconstruction of the city was to be forbidden to those men,... and forced the Jews with barbarous violence to stop building. At that time the construction of the temple of God in Jerusalem stopped and did not resume before the second parliamentary year of King Darius of Persia.» (Ezra 4;
23-24; Sach.1;1-17).On account of a decree issued by Darius,
the temple in Jerusalem could be reconstructed in the years between 520-516 BC
(Ezra 6), so that the word of God to the Prophet Jeremiah, «that a period
of seventy years was to pass the ruins of Jerusalem», fulfilled itself in
the year 516 BC. Which is, by the way, a date that the Watchtower Society
explicitly confirms in their «Hilfe zum Verständnis der Bibel/Aid to Comprehend the Bible» (P. 1452).
So if, as we can take from the Biblical
report, the «Reconstruction of the temple and the city» could only
have happened in the period between 520 to 516 because of political intrigues -
which is 21 years after the return of the Jews from Babylonian imprisonment -
then it becomes obvious that the statement of Jehovah's Witnesses - against all
known historical facts - that Jerusalem was already destroyed in the year 607
BC is absolutely incorrect. If they, basing on the facts, would count back 70
years from the year 516 BC, they would inevitably arrive at the year 586 BC, a
historical date that is confirmed by historians as the year of the destruction
of Jerusalem With this the basis for their doubtful
«seven-times-calculation» is not applicable which by no means - as
they presume - would indicate the historically significant year of 1914 but the
year 1935; a year has hitherto not been specifically recognised by Jehovah's
Witnesses In the meantime doubts relating to the
correctness of their teaching have surfaced also in their very own ranks of the
leading corporation. Raymond Franz writes:
«...As already described in one of the
previous chapters, enquiries concerning the book "Hilfe zum Verständnis der Bibel/Aid to Comprehend the Bible"
have revealed that the year of the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, 607 BC,
has contradicted all recognised historical facts. Despite of lacking evidences
I still trusted the correctness of this year, because I presumed that it was
guaranteed by the Bible. Without the year 607 BC, the decisive year 1914 would
be doubtful. I presumed that the historical evidences were inadequate and I
also defended this view in the book». («Der Gewissenskonflikt/The Moral Conflict», P.
138 Although Jehovah's Witnesses - as we can
without doubt notice - are aware of the fact that their teaching is based on
fatal errors, they stubbornly hold on to it, involving themselves in more and more
lies so that, according to the words of the apostle, they will be damned
because they did not believe in the truth, but took pleasure in
unrighteousness. (2.Thess. 2;
In view of the enormous accusation that Jehovah's Witnesses had created their own Christ, it should be extremely revealing to find out how millions of preachers of Jehovah's Witnesses that are not included in the «heavenly class» and have only joined after the «Era of Rutherford» react to this accusation
If we ask them, «Who is Christ?» they answer hesitantly that Jesus is the Christ. But if one informs them that this opinion is not in line with the published teaching of their organisation they do not want to believe it and consider the whole matter a joke. If one proves with the help of their own writings that the Watchtower Society under the overall control of their second President, Richter J. F. Rutherford, and the assistant of his at that time closest collaborator and later fourth President, Fred Franz has proclaimed a Christ that consists of a collective corporation of «144 000 Christ-like human beings», which they pretend is the «accomplished Christ», they do not really know how to react upon this out of embarrassment
As soon as they become aware of the significance of the massive accusations and have to fear that they have possibly been deluded by the Jehovah's Witnesses, they confusedly search for a plausible explanation. Because something cannot be what is not supposed to be, and their dream of everlasting life on a paradise transformed earth would burst like a bubble, in their religious naiveté they refer stubbornly and infallibly to «a higher ascending light», that has supposedly revealed new facts to their leading corporation in Brooklyn
Old preachers still chiefly twaddle about «old hats» that no human being would read anymore. This concerns older study books of the Watchtower Society that have been replaced by new ones because the former books contained fatal errors that they try to veil by deceptively rewording the text.
Their flimsy arguments cannot be misleading the fact that between what they believe and what the Watchtower Society propagates as the official teaching there is a remarkable contradiction that they cannot eliminate with whatever wordy explanations. This also shows clearly how carelessly Jehovah's Witnesses generally deal with the truth. Because it obviously does not worry them in the least that Rutherford for 25 years spread his lie about the «accomplished Christ as collective corporation» unhindered world-wide without being accused and condemned by the Watchtower Society as an untruthful teacher, but instead was posthumously praised as a distinguished Jehovah's Witness and was furthermore, sarcastic as it may seem, selected as the Prophet of God 30 years after his death (Gott bleibt wahrhaftig/God remains truthful 1958, P. 237; Wt. dt. 1.7.72, P. 390/391). Moreover, it does not make them in the least suspicious that the leading corporation in their Watchtower publication No. 9 dt. 1.5.1990 (P.27) adheres to the deceptive statement that the anointed remnant members of their organisation are supposedly «Christ-like human beings» that alone would be rewarded with «immortality» and «begotten to divine nature» .
If they critically examined their study texts, they would very soon discover that nothing has changed regarding the Antichristian teaching of their organisation. Even, if it were true - what they obviously believe - that the leading corporation of "older men", that, as faithful retinue of Rutherford, has propagated his teaching with fanatical enthusiasm world-wide for more than decades, has now, thanks to better understanding, refrained from Rutherford's deceitful teaching, the question still arises why they do not at least from now on follow the wording of the Bible and openly admit that «Christ is the Head of the Community» instead of still propagating that Jesus and the corporation mutually constitute an ominous «Christ corporation», an «accomplished Christ».
Exactly the opposite is the case! As already in the time of Rutherford they still discriminate between Jesus and Christ and for purely optical reasons accept Jesus as head of their assembly of Christians. In the Watchtower Magazine of 1.8.1991 they write: «The anointed that constitute the assembly of Christians accept Jesus as 'the head of the body, the assembly» (Col.1:18; Eph.5:23).
When applying this presumption they refer to the Apostle Paul although they should have noticed when studying his letters that their teaching of Christ is in contrast to the Bible; because in the letter to the Ephesians, which they expressly give reference to, the Apostle Paul emphasises unmistakably that «CHRIST is the Head of the Community». He thereby excludes any speculation about Jesus and the community together constituting a «Christ corporation» resp. the «accomplished Christ» that Rutherford propagates as «new Creation».
Obviously with deceitful intention to hide their true Antichristian identity behind a Christian mask, they use a number of other expressions for their Antichristianism in the texts after the second World War, terms that may appear more innocent to the uninhibited reader. For example when they mention the «Bride of Christ», the «Wife of the Lamb», the «Kingdom of God», that is supposed to consist of Jesus and the 144 000 priests and kings, they constantly refer to their «accomplished Christ» whom Rutherford in 1922 situated at the Right of God in the heavenly temple thereby «gruesomely devastating the holy site» (Matth. 24;15; Thess. 2;4; Hebr. 8).
In answer to his disciples’ question regarding the «S i g n of his return and the end of the world» Jesus specifically referred to the great significance of the «Abomination of Desolation» and emphasised that this «Sign of the End of Time» would appear shortly before his return initiating the worst of all times - a tribulation, the like never has been since the beginning of the world until today nor ever shall be. He explained in his own words:
Dan. 9; 27; 11; 31; 12; 11), stand in the holy place, (whoever reads this, let him understand), then let them who are in Judaea flee into the mountains, and who is on the house-top let him not come down to take anything out of his house; and who is in the field let him not return to take his clothes.« When you therefore (i.e. after the gospel of the Kingdom of Gods has been preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and the end of time has come) shall see the abomination of desolation, (spoken of by the Prophet Daniel -
Woe to the pregnant and the nursing at this time! Pray that your flight is not in winter nor on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be. (Dan. 12; 1); and except those days should be shortened, nobody should be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened... Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth wail, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of trumpets, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.» - Matth. 24;
15-31.The urgent warning to flee into the mountains in connection with the Prophet Daniel and the indication: «If the tribulation should not be shortened, nobody should be saved», clearly testifies that after the end of the world-wide missionary activity and «the setting up of the - abomination of desolation», «the times of nations» (Dan. 7;12; Luke 21;24) are fulfilled, and the world is henceforth speeding towards its destruction. Therefore it seems urgently necessary to rescue oneself from the imminent world catastrophe and above all not to let oneself be irritated and lead astray by the deceptive salvation teachings of false prophets and the untrue atheistic teachings of scientific materialists nor by the short-sighted rigid priests that have not understood the sign of the times.
At the time of Jesus a «flight into the mountains» promised salvation and safety from attacking enemies as long as it did not occur in Winter or on a Sabbath. However, today, in times of global extermination weapons it would not make sense in case of a danger of war to take refuge in the mountains, on the field or even on a house-top. The request to flee into the mountains at the end of time thus cannot be taken literally but is to be understood only as a parable particularly since Paul also explicitly emphasises:
This spiritual battle, however, aiming chiefly against the Pseudo-Christian religion of the Antichrist as well as the deceitful teachings of false prophets will not be executed with tanks and artillery but with the «shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.» (Eph. 6;
16-17).So what is this mysterious «Abomination of Desolution», of which Daniel remarks that it will stand «near the wings (Luther: namely the Cherubim in the Temple)»? What does it look like? And who will set it up at the «holy site»?
According to Jewish history the «Abomination of Desolution» is a small heathen altar that the Greek King Antiochus Epiphany had set up on the great fire sacrifice of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in order to perform idol sacrifices according to heathen custom.
The following report regarding this subject is to be found in the first book of the Makkabaers:
«When Alexander died after ruling for twelve years, his servants took over the rule, each one in the position designated to him; they all wore the diadem (= the crown) after his death and likewise did their sons after them for many years causing great misfortune on earth.
Their godless offspring, Antiochus Epiphany (the noble), the son of King Antiochus, had been as hostage in Rome and came into power in the 137th year of Greek rule (176/175 BC)...
King Antiochus issued a decree over the entire kingdom that all his subjects should form one nation and that each one should give up their individual customs and laws; and all other nations obeyed the King’s orders. Also in Israel many took liking in the worship of godheads as requested by him and made offerings to the idols and desecrated the Sabbath.
The King then sent a written edict with a messenger to Jerusalem and into the site of Judaea demanding that henceforth all foreign rules and customs should be followed; fire, slaughter and drink sacrifice should be relinquished in the holy site, Sabbaths and festivities should not be celebrated; the holy site and the holy should be desecrated, altars, holy groves and temples for the worship of images allowed to be set up, pigs and other impure beasts should be slaughtered (= sacrificed); their sons should not be circumcised and their conscience should be adulterated impure and horrible things so that they would forget the (mosaic) law and abolish any holy order; and whoever disobeys the law of the King should be killed...
On the 15th day of the month Kislev (=December) in the year 145 (168 BC) they set up an «Abomination of Desolation» on the fire sacrifice and built altars in the towns of Judaea and all around...
On the 25th day of the month (Kislev), however, they sacrificed on the altar that was standing on the fire sacrifice and executed women that had their children circumcised by hanging the children around their neck in obedience with the royal decree; and their families and those that had executed the circumcision were killed.
Meanwhile many Israelites remained steadfast deciding not to eat impure food; they would rather have died than contaminate themselves with food or break the holy vow; therefore they were killed. Thus God’s terrible rage lay extremely heavily over Israel.»
- 1.Makk.1; 1-10; 41--64It was not only Antiochus who had an «Abomination of Desolution» set up. Already 420 years before Nebuchadnezzar II had a terrible image made and set up in the province of Babylon and ordered its worship threatening with death penalty in case of disobedience:
«The King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth six cubits: he set it up in the province of Babylon....
Then a herald cried aloud, «to you it is commanded, people, nations and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer and all kinds of music you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the King has set up. Those who do not fall down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace!»
Dan. 3; 1-7«In this perspective», explained Gerhard Maier in his book „The Prophet Daniel“ - «what Nebuchadnezzar had accomplished in Daniel 3 portrays something like a model of the Antichrist». In this respect the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up for worship is absolutely comparable to the «Abomination of Desolution» set up by Antiochus especially as a «terrifying image» is mentioned in the Apocalypse that the «accomplished Antichrist» had made at the end of time threatening with death penalty unless it was worshipped. John reports:
«And I saw a beast coming up out of the earth, it had two horns, like those of a lamb, and spoke like a dragon (...) and he deceived them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image of the beast that had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he caused that both small and great, rich and poor, free and bonded, received a mark in their right hand or on their foreheads, that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of its name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that understands count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a human being; and its number is six hundred threescore and six.» - Rev. 13
Although the «image of the beast» that the false prophet had made of the beast with the deadly appearing wound by the sword is an «image having spirit and is able to speak», there does not exist a apparent analogy to the «dumb image of a human being» in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. As the reference to the «number of a human being» with the «number 666» unmistakably refers to the golden image that measures «60» ells high and «6» ells wide, according to Daniel’s description, and - as we know from today’s interpretation of Daniel’s prophecy - the «radiant image of a human being» in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream embodies in itself five subsequent world kingdoms as well as «the sixth», the universal organisations: The League of Nations and the United Nations:
1. BABYLON as the «golden head»,
2. MEDO-PERSIA as the «chest and arms of silver»,
3. GREECE as «belly of ore (copper)»,
4. ROME (with its four kingdoms) as «thigh of iron»,
5. ANGLO-AMERICA as «feet of iron and clay»,
6. The League of Nations and the united Nations as the «toes of the feet».
With the help of such concrete numbers it is certainly not difficult to recognise the three «sixes», «for the solution of which wisdom and understanding are necessary», and which together result in the hitherto secret «number of a human being with the number 666».
Finally the question: Who in reality is behind «the beast with the deadly appearing wound of the sword»? remains to be solved. The solution of the mystery is obvious; because this beast «having the wound by the sword and was living» is identical with the «seven-headed beast out of the sea» according to John’s description:
«I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having two horns and seven heads and upon his horns ten crowns and on his heads the name of blasphemy(...) and I saw one of his heads as if wounded to death and his deadly wound by the sword (V.14) was healed.»
Just like Nebuchadnezzar had «the golden image of a human being» made as image of the «horrifying statue» of his dream-face which according to the actual Daniel interpretation embodies the world history of Babylon up to the United Nations, likewise also the «image of the beast» that the accomplished Antichrist will make at the end of time of the «beast with the wound by the sword» is an imitation of the «seven-headed beast out of the sea» that emerged like the «League of Nations» out of the „Sea of People“ and that analogous to the terrible statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream here now symbolises with its «seven heads» the course of world history from Egypt to the founding of the League of Nations.
After the painful experiences of the first World War one hoped that by «establishing the League of Nations» there would be an end to all wars believed with great confidence that now the murdering would cease. Because now, one was convinced, the «era of eternal peace» would start. All disputes between nations would from now on only be negotiated: «Because who is like the beast and who could now still make war with the League of Nations» as all fighting nations were united in the world organisation.
The sword that had given the seven-headed beast «the deadly appearing wound by the sword» is a synonym for battle and war unmistakably signifying in this connection the first World War; because at the end of the hitherto most dreadful of all wars the «second German empire», that as the last empire of the Roman-German history is at the same time embodied by the «sixth head» of the seven-headed beast, was completely shattered «as if wounded to death».
Under the ingenuous political guidance of Stresemann the «deadly appearing wound by the sword» began to heal. And finally when the assembly of the League of Nations unanimously decided to receive Germany into the League, Germany, having from it gained prestige and moral recognition, was no longer the ostracised in Versailles nor «the deadly wounded» Pariah of the nations but once again an equal member of the League.
The entry of the German delegation into the assembly of the League of Nations was triumphant. Chief interpreter Dr. Paul Schmidt gave a vivid description of this:
«I saw how Stresemann suddenly arose and then as the first German in the true sense of the word entered into the League of Nations by crossing the threshold of the small door. As he appeared the whole assembly whose silence was pregnant with expectation exploded into a stormy applause... The enthusiastic applause had truly reached the intensity of a hurricane. Clapping and cheering pouring down from all sides. Only with great effort the three German delegates made their way to their seats through numerous foreign representatives of the League of Nations. Everyone wanted to shake their hands and personally congratulate them to this great occasion. Meanwhile the spectators on the grandstands roared with enthusiasm swaying scarves, swinging hats, cheering «bravo Stresemann» in foreign accents. A scene that had not seen the like in the League of Nations and that I should not be able to witness ever again in such an international circle. This reception of Germany by the nations of the world was really something unique to use a word here that was later frequently misused.» (The Weimar-Republic, F. A. Krummacher/A. Wucher, P. 238).
After Stresemann’s talk before the assembly of the League of Nations the Foreign Minister of France, Briand stepped up to the lectern, he, a perfect master of speech, who was also completely under the spell of this great moment expressed the following:
«It is a moving sight to be seen that several years after the most dreadful wars the world has ever experienced and while the battle fields are still damp from the blood of the nations that the same nations are exchanging declarations of their mutual will to work together towards world peace...There will be no more war, no brutal, forceful, bloody solutions. Arguments will still be there in the future but from today onwards there will be no judge amongst us who speaks justice. Just like the people that bring their disputes before a judge so will we also settle ours in a peaceful way. Abandon the canons! Time for reconciliation, arbitration and peace!» (The Republic of Weimar, F. A. Krummacher/A. Wucher, P. 239)
The question still remains to be solved as to whom is hidden behind the beast with the two horns, who formed a speaking idol out of the «seven-headed beast with the wound by the sword» - i. e. out of the League of Nations, and had it set up at the «holy site» and ordered death penalty unless it is worshipped. It appears that concerned is a treacherous beast with horns similar to those of a lamb - that thus behaves like Christ -, but speaks like a dragon and is identified by John as «false prophet»? (Rev.16;
13).In contrast to the «world political» seven-headed beast with the deadly appearing wound by the sword that emerged as League of Nations from the "Sea of People", the beast with the two horns comes out of the earth and undoubtedly here characterises the creation of an «Antichristian-religious power». Additionally there is the agreement with the «small horn» from the night-face of Daniel that we have already identified as the «accomplished Antichrist»; because just as the small horn broke forth between the ten horns of the fourth beast only after the beast emerged from the „Sea of People“, likewise also the beast with the «two horns» emerged from the earth only after the seven-headed beast with its ten horns had already emerged from the ‘Sea of People’. This striking analogy can only signify that the „small horn of the fourth beast“ is identical with the „two-horned beast out of the earth“ and thus both are in the same way the «Christ-corporation» of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
And just like Nebuchadnezzar at his time made and set up for worship an image of gold as an example of the accomplished Antichrist identical to the horrible image of his dream-face, likewise the «false prophet» under the responsibility of the second President of the Watchtower Society, J. F. Rutherford, produced a «speaking image» out of the «seven-headed beast having the wound by the sword» - i. e. out of the League of Nations - and had set up as the accomplished Antichrist a «horrible image» in the heavenly temple for worship.
Naturally it was not to be expected that Jehovah’s Witnesses would admit that their «corporation Christ made up of 144 000 Christ-like people» is identical with the «image of the beast» and as such is an imitation of the League of Nations. In their book «Babylon the great has fallen!» they distort the historical facts and hypocritically come up with the following strange reason:
«The League of Nations and their successor, the United Nations, represent an international conspiracy against the Kingdom of God that at the end of times of the heathen was born in heaven in the year 1914. This international organisation that tries to establish peace and safety with human means is a deceitful imitation of the Kingdom of God that stands under the lamb and that Jehovah’s Witnesses have been propagating among all nations since the end of the first World War.» (P. 598)
It is remarkable that despite of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Antichristian attitude, they according to the motto: «Hold the thief!» hypocritically try to classify the League of Nations as a „deceitful imitation“ of the Kingdom of God. Despite the fact that the regulations of both world organisations neither refer to the Kingdom of God nor in any way give the impression that the League of Nations or the United Nations, whose disposition in their beyond governmental and religious diversity are both somewhat unchristian or partly even hostile towards Christianity, are the Kingdom of God that Christ has announced to arrive at the end of time. Their plump insinuation also does not apply even if it initially were wishful thinking under the expectation of the Kingdom of God among some Christians in the USA that the League of Nations could possibly be the «political exposition of a Kingdom of God on earth». It would sooner be correct that their «corporation Christ», that was seated at the right of God in the year 1922 by them in the heavenly temple and who supposedly already legitimately exercises power over this earth since 1914, in reality represents according to Biblical Prophecy a «religious contrast» to the „political League of Nations“.
But if Jehovah’s Witnesses in their publications continue to hold on to the absurd idea that the League of Nations is a «deceitful imitation» of the Kingdom that they proclaimed on the 31.10.1922, it will cause a time problem that they will hardly be able to solve; as according to their own information it was the 8th September, 1922 - i.e. about 3.5 years after the foundation of the League of Nations - on which during an assembly the war cry «proclaim the King and his Kingdom!» was announced:
«Now the Lord called his people again to a general meeting in September 1922 in Cedar Point, Ohio. The consecrated gathered from Canada, the United States and Europe. A short time before and without any expectations to fulfil any prophetic figures, the 8th September had been declared on the program as «The Day». (Psalm 118:24). On this day it happened that during the assembly and under great enthusiasm and zeal for the Lord that the war cry «proclaim the King and his Kingdom» was announced. With this day began the organised testimonial work.» (Light/Licht, Vol. 1, P. 113).
Also the following explanation was made during the general meeting:
«The 31.10.1922 marks the beginning of a world-wide spreading of the resolution together with its related argumentation in many languages. More than forty-five million copies were distributed to the people and its leaders The visible part of the satanic organisation on earth received the resolution.» (Light/Licht, Vol.1, P.113).
«The short period of «silence in heaven» ended undoubtedly in 1919. From this day onward and until 1922 God’s faithful people on earth prepared and made great efforts to fortify the organisation...Although the Lord was in his temple testing the consecrated they were not aware about it.» (Light/Licht, Vol.1, P.105/106).
Considering this date the question arises: How could the League of Nations, that was founded in 1919 be a «deceitful imitation» of the Kingdom they proclaimed, if its supposed existence - as they themselves admit - was until 1922 not in the least known to even the «anointed remnant».
If we examine the significance of the «144 000 Christ-like human beings of their Christ-corporation», it can be ascertained that not all preachers of «Jehovah’s Witnesses» belong to the preferred „heavenly class“ of the «144 000 elect». They explain:
«The number of members that make up the royal crown is limited and therefore only few people of those that live here on earth will go to heaven. The perfect human body, like the one of the "man Jesus Christ" has a perfect but limited number of limbs. The heavenly royal family is compared with a perfect human body the head of which is Jesus and the limbs of the body his successors.» (The Kingdom has come/Das Koenigreich ist herbeigekommen, P. 271).
According to the teaching of the Watchtower Society the «Christ-corporation» of Jehovah’s Witnesses or the «royal family of the heavenly empire» - as proclaimed by their 2nd President, Lawyer J. F. Rutherford - consists of literally 144 000 people. Since the number of their preachers has meanwhile risen to over 5 million naturally not all of their preachers can belong to the preferred «heavenly class» of the «Christ-corporation». As its selection began already at the time of the Apostles in 33 AD finally only a small «remnant» could live here on earth. Referring to Jesus they arrogantly insist on the following argument:
«According to Jesus Christ’s essential condition it can be concluded with certainty that John the Baptist and all other faithful men before him until Abel have all died before Whitsun and could thus neither be already in the heavenly kingdom nor will they ever be.» (The Kingdom has come/Das Koenigreich ist herbeigekommen, P. 274).
«In order to finally be united with Christ in the heavenly church, the Apostles and others that were elected thereafter like Jesus had to as long as they lived on earth remain faithful until death. Although the Apostles and other elect were accepted in the federation for the kingdom or in the heavenly church they did not immediately reach heaven after death in order to unite with the head of the «church». They slept in the grave up to the first resurrection with the coming of Jesus Christ. In the year 1918 he came to the temple of Jehovah and then they were awakened to participate in the glory with the head of the «church». » (God remains truthful/Gott bleibt wahrhaftig, P. 120)
«The „assembly of God“ consists...of all those Chistians on earth hoping for heavenly life. Altogether there will eventually be only 144 000 persons forming the «assembly of God». Today there are only few of them alive, a remnant on earth.. Christians hoping to live forever on earth follow the spiritual leadership of the members of the «assembly of the living God»...
«Jesus Christ, the chief ruler of this parliament and 144 000 persons will be taken out of humanity to rule with him in heaven.» (You can eternally live like paradise on earth/Du kannst fuer immer im Paradies auf Erden leben. P. 126)
The truth is certainly something else: because when it became obvious before the second World War that the number of the «remnant members» here on earth had risen incomparably high due to a constantly increasing number of followers, the total number of the «Christ-corporation» consisting of 144 000 members began to appear ridiculous. Then in 1935 the so-called «worldly class of the other sheep» was invented as a possible way out of the dilemma. In their book „Babylon the great has fallen/Babylon die Grosse ist gefallen“ they declare the following:
«In the year 1931 the «anointed remnant» adopted the Biblical name «Jehovah’s Witnesses»...In the year 1935 this movement gained more power. At that time the anointed remnant of Jehovah was revealed, the «great number of people» described in Revelation 7; 9-17 by the Apostle John was a worldly class of God-fearing people that would be liberated from the modern Babylon of the great. These people, metaphorically speaking, were given a sign on their forehead by the anointed remnant of the inheritors of the Kingdom distinguishing them as worshippers of Jehovah and servants of the ruling King, Jesus Christ...
These «other sheep» take delight in hoping that their shepherd King will lead them through the devastating end of this system of things into a new order of things with «new heavens and a new world»...There they will gain eternal life on a paradise-like world.» (P. 513-515).
In the year 1948 a total of 25 000 persons claimed being the «remnant or the «foot members» of the corporation Christ». As since 1935 new foot members were not possible any more their number decreases annually through death. 1997 there were only «8795 remnant members» left. The exact number is always calculated on the 14th Nisan (comparable with Good Friday); because only the «anointed remnant» participates in the annual Communion while the «other sheep» have to look on how the «foot members of the Antichrist» nibble bread and wine in a «festive» ceremony, which sooner resembles a farce. In 1997 world-wide 14.3 million „Communion-attendants“ viewing this questionable show curiously or otherwise expectantly were counted. (Wt. 1.1.1968).
The Antichristian teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses is obviously mainly concerned with the «anointed remnant» giving it paramount significance. It is precisely this «anointed remnant» that is of specific interest. The so-called «Sons of the Kingdom» have accomplished the singular piece of art to shape an image of which they ‘embody’ a part. They are the «feet» of the «corporation Christ» consisting of 144 000 Christ-like human beings. They represent the «mouthpiece» through which they have spread as «false prophet and accomplished antichrist» their fatal errors and lies world-wide since the year 1922.
As unbelievable as the teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses may seem, all these accusations can be read word for word in their books as the following excerpts clearly illustrate:
«The Holy Scripture has been written chiefly for the benefit, encouragement and consolation of the faithful on earth at the end of the world. Therefore it was to be expected that the foot members of Christ would perceive the revelation while still in the flesh.
On account of the Scripture and according to confirming circumstantial evidences it has become apparent to his people that Jesus Christ came to his temple in 1918 and began to get even with his servants by approving the faithful and making them a part of the «servant». These members of the servant are signified as the remnant to whom the testimony of Jesus Christ has been disclosed.» (Light/Licht, Vol. 1, P. 516).
«Those faithful are brought into the temple, incorporated into the organisation of God and made part of the elected servant, because they are in Christ and form a part of the Christ. They are discribed by God as the «feet», that means of Christ.» (Justification/Rechtfertigung, P.97).
«The vision discloses twenty-four chairs or thrones around the throne of God. On these 24 lesser thrones sat just as many elders, dressed in white robes and with golden crowns on their heads. The fact that they are twice as many as «apostles of the lamb», signifies that they not only represent the twelve apostles, but also all faithful that have been made members of the body of Christ. They are heavenly elders that may not be elders in years but elders of all celstial beings because they are the limbs of the body of Christ. The mentioned number must represent those that died as believers and were awakened to glory and also those on earth that remain in their faith under the cover of justice and in seclusion of the highest of whom is written that they «rejoice in glory» when the Lord is in his temple. (Psalm 149.5). These are the faithful that «receive the imperishable crown of glory» when the arch-shepherd appears... Nobody can take away the crown from the faithful remnant. Only the Lord can do it. (Revelation 3:11). They are described as «dressed in white robes» which distinguishes them as members of the glorious organisation of Jehovah. The faithful God «has awakened them together and lets them sit in heavenly realms in Jesus Christ.» (Light/Licht, Vol. 1, P. 55).
«The limbs of the body of Christ have been begotten to a heavenly, imperishable or immortal part of inheritance...Being faithful until death they attain immortality, the crown of life. After they have come forth from hell they are shareholders of the divine nature and the resurrection that is the first one as far as its importance and arrival is concerned. They are the only ones that attain imperishability or immortality so that the second death has no power over them.» (Reconciliation, P. 294/295).
«Those that have the privilege to be limbs of the body of Christ naturally have to be of the same nature. All limbs of the new creation must be of divine nature.» (Creation/Schoepfung, P. 248).
What outrageous insolence is uttered by the sentence: «All limbs of the new creation» - i.e. including those still living in the flesh on earth, the living «feet» of their idol - «must naturally possess the same divine nature. All limbs of the new creation must be of divine nature.»
«…and (the beast with the two horns) effected that all who did not worship the image of the beast be killed. And it causes that the small and the big, the rich and the poor, the free and the bonded, all of them give themselves a sign on the right hand or on the forehead that nobody can buy or sell unless he has the sign, namely the name of the beast or the number of its name.». - Rev. 13;
15-17
After the «accomplished antichrist» had deceitfully seated himself as «divine being» to the right of God in the heavenly temple there were no faithful followers there to worship him.
The problem was to be solved soon: because for the worship of their idol consisting of 144 000 Christ-like human beings they misused the so-called worldly class of «the other sheep» - willing people described as the «great crowd of people» who had been hypocritically promised eternal life on a paradise-transformed earth. These „sheep-like people“ they proclaim presumptuously, «would metaphorically speaking be provided with a sign on their foreheads by the anointed remnant of the inheritors of the Kingdom to identify them as worshippers of Jehovah and servants of his ruling King, Jesus Christ.» (Babylon the great has fallen/Babylon die Grosse ist gefallen, P. 514).
Many millions of people have been mislead by this seductive teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses since the end of the second World War. Especially because the majority of them is convinced that «Jehovah’s Witnesses» are true Christians. Therefore they erroneously believe themselves in good hands. They completely overlook in their blind enthusiasm for a supposedly good thing that they in their innocence and religious naiveté unexpectedly have ended up in the religious imprisonment of a deceitfully disguised endtime Antichrist.
Naturally they were right from be beginning warned by the «Battle of Armageddon» and informed that they will only be saved if they obeyed the message of God’s Kingdom and «do good to the anointed remnant». Otherwise they would, together with the rest of the other people that reject the message of the Kingdom neither giving the «remnant members» support nor friendliness, be destroyed in «Armageddon»:
«In the court of the nations - that will begin after the messenger and the judge of God, the Lord, has come to the temple - the individuals of the nations will be separated like sheep from the goats. The individuals that are like goats not displaying any high esteem but rejecting the Kingdom’s message and are neither supportive nor friendly to the messengers will be destroyed in the coming battle of Armageddon. But individuals that are like sheep listening to the message and taking delight in the coming of the Kingdom and doing good-to on earth to the remnant of the last limbs of the body of Christ will be gathered at the side of the favour of the judge.» (God remains truthful/Gott bleibt wahrhaftig, P. 309/310).
But merely „doing good to“ as furthermore explained is insufficient. One has to, if one wants to be saved,
«„do so much good to the remnant as though they were doing it to Jesus Christ himself, him, who is sitting on his throne of glory.»
(The New World/Die neue Welt, P. 108).Isn’t it peculiar that «doing good to» is expected from the so-called «other sheep» and is a principal obligation in order to be saved from eternal destruction while the observance of the commandment: «you shall love your neighbour like yourself» is regarded a natural duty of Christians? Why then, one questions oneself, the emphasis on this demand?
The real reason behind this can only be estimated if we recognise the hidden appeal of «divine worship». Because with the specific reference to Jesus and the «Throne of Glory» the «foot members of the Pseudo-Christ» (that Rutherford deceitfully raised and seated to the right of God on the «Throne of Glory» in the heavenly temple as the «accomplished Christ» to the «Divine Lord») demand that he be revered as is otherwise proper only to Jesus Christ (Hebr. 1) and the almighty God, according to the Scripture. The reason for this latent requirement is the following:
«Our Lord Jesus is described as «the reflection of the glory of God». He is also known to be the «Image of the Essence of the Father», and it is told to us that he is seated to the right of the Father. (Hebr. 1; 3) The 144 000 limbs of his body should be united with him on his throne in the presence of the Father, in glory.» (The Harp of God/Die Harfe Gottes, P. 291).
How great the discrepancy between the «anointed remnant» and the «other sheep» is, is in the true sense of the word expressed already solely by persisting that the religious heroes of the Pre-Christian era beginning from Abel until John the Baptist would not enter the heavenly Realm of God although Jesus unmistakably explained that many coming from East and West and will sit down to feast in heavenly realms with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Matth. 8; 11, Look. 13; 28-29). Contrary to the Biblical statement they teach that the religious heroes of the Old Testament (Hebr. 11) would attain a «better resurrection» compared to all other human beings in reward for their faithfulness but they would, however, rule on this earth only as «Princes» under the sovereignty of the «144 000 elect members of their corporation Christ». Their books give following explanations for this:
«A basic condition given by Jesus Christ ascertains that John the Baptist and all other faithful men before him back until Abel that all died before Whitsun can neither be in the heavenly kingdom nor will they ever be.» (The Kingdom has come/Das Koenigreich ist herbeigekommen, P. 274).
«Lord Jesus has now come to the temple as a judge and the remnant limbs of his «body» that are still living on earth have been gathered with him in the temple of absolute unity. (Maleachi 3; 1-3). Accordingly those faithful people of the old era can be expected back at any time. The Holy Scripture gives good reasons to believe that this will occur shortly before the outbreak of Armageddon.
Expecting this to happen a house was built in the year 1930 in San Diego, California, about which the religious enemies in the general public have maliciously talked much about. Its name is «Beth-Sarim» meaning «House of the Princes». Today it is administered as home for the returning princes. The latest incidents reveal that the religionists of the world today which is doomed to destruction grind their teeth owing to the testimony that is given to the new world by this «house of the princes».» (The New World/Die neue Welt, P. 103/104).
Obviously the old lie of Satan: «You will be like God» has attained its highest peak in the teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Human beings have autocratically risen themselves to God requesting - like Nebuchadnezzar and Antiochus before - divine worship from other people threatening with death penalty unless it is obeyed. It has been like this at all times from Egypt to Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Rome up to our century with Jehovah’s Witnesses at the unfamed end. For this reason Petrus warns the communities:
A religious community pretending to be guided by the «holy spirit» but that does not adhere to the Biblical truth but gives way to fatal delusions and spreads shameless lies cannot claim to be a theocratically lead organisation - «that is by God», unless it has devoted itself to the God of this world, Satan, the «father of the lie».
Just like Jehovah’s Witnesses promise the so-called «other sheep» a paradise here on earth, the church communities obviously assume that the paradise promised in the Bible will be re-established on a renewed earth. This is a misinterpretation of Biblical prophecy and in particular of the Biblical Creation Report that can easily be verified. Already in the apocalypse of John it is emphasised that the present heaven and the present earth will forever disappear. John writes:
«And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it; from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them...And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared; and there was no more sea...
And he that sat on the throne said, „Behold, I make all things new!“ And he said to me: „Write! For these words are true and faithful!“ -
Rev. 20; 11; 21; 1 and 5.It seems almost incomprehensible that at the «end of times» our heaven and our earth and also the sea (!?) should disappear; particularly if one also takes into account the «resurrection from the dead».
Questions arise for which we search an answer. But it is of no help if due to lack of understanding the following explanations are given in Bible commentaries: Heaven and earth would only disappear so that they can be renewed (Stuttgarter Jubilaeums-Taschenbibel of 1964). (Stuttgart Jubilee Pocket Bible of 1964)
If this emergency solution were really true one would have to ask oneself why John whose statements are very precise hasn’t also written down this version! Instead he emphasises:
Where can the new heaven, the new earth and paradise be found is a question that can be answered without difficulty; as the explanation is already hidden in the Biblical Creation Report - a divine report transmitted to us in the Genesis which we shall now peruse in detail. Until the cosmological recognitions of the 20th century it was as the following explanations vividly confirm still a long and thorny path full of mistakes and confusions.
«In the beginning God created heaven and earth»
. For nearly two thousand years this Biblical statement was the foundation of Christian cosmology. Just like ancient cultures believed that the earth was flat Christians believed this until the beginning of the 16th century although Aristotle in the 4th century BC wrote in one of his books that the earth must be round because the border of the earth ‘s shadow visible during an eclipse of the moon always describes an exact circle. Obviously the time was then not ready for such far-reaching recognitions that apparently contradicted all logic. Therefore this knowledge was forgotten during late antiquity and remained so throughout the middle ages. In any case it was not taught in school. The knowledge that the earth was round was certainly of interest only to philosophers, astronomers and mathematicians.In the 15th century finally the idea that the earth is round became of speculative interest. When Columbus set out to reach India via the western seaway it was feared that he, the further he sailed westward, would fall into nothing upon reaching the border of the earth with his ships.
The first available and practical evidence that the earth is round was supplied by the Portuguese navigator, Fernando Magellan (1480-1521), after sailing around the world.
At the beginning of the 16th century the earth was still considered the centre of the universe around which moon, sun, stars and planets orbited. The knowledge however grew. In 1543, in the year of his death, Nicholas Copernicus published his famous book in which he allocated the sun in the centre of the universe.
Copernicus’ work dealt only with the planets and their orbits. The stars themselves were regarded merely as shining specks stuck to an enormous ball; and the sphere of fixed stars was wrapped around the entire universe with the sun in the centre.
Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) later informed that fixed stars are in reality suns equal to our own in size, strength and brightness. He also recognised that the universe is infinitely larger than the limited system occupied by the solar system. In 1592 he was betrayed and fell into the hands of the inquisition that took him to court particularly because of his teachings concerning the infinity of the world and the multitude of world systems (which were against the science of Aristotle and the Christian cosmology). Bruno was sent to Rome in 1593 where he was burnt at the stake after seven years imprisonment.
Galileo Galilee (1564-1642) discovered in 1609 with a Dutch telescope that he had rebuilt that the star clusters and the milky way consist of individual stars. In a letter to the Benedictine B. Castelli he wrote his view about the relationship between the Bible and the nature discoveries, especially with regard to the heliocentric system (Copernican’s system with the sun in the centre of the planetary system) necessitating a reinterpretation of the Holy Scripture. This lead to a first controversy with the Roman Church at the end of which Cardinal R. Bellarmino (1616) admonished that all of his “deceptions“ were to be given up. When Cardinal Barberini (1616) as Urban VIII ascended the throne, Galilee hoped to find in this learned religious emperor an advocate for the teaching of Copernicus. In 1625 he published arguments for this teaching but without expressly declaring them to be true. He travelled to Rome in 1630 to attain imprimatur for his «dialogue about the two main world systems, the Ptolemean and the Copernican». Due to a delay by the censorship the book was not published until 1632 and withdrawn by the church already in the same year. Galilee was summoned before the inquisition on 1st October 1632 and convicted on account of misdemeanour of an order that was allegedly decided in the year 1616. On 22nd June 1633 he gave up «his error» as a faithful Catholic.
Now at least the Roman Church should have taken the opportunity to welcome the scientific recognition of Galilee and reconsider its existing false interpretation of the Biblical Creation Report. The truth was instead trampled underfoot and upright men with much more knowledge of cosmic relations persecuted.
The Roman Church however was not able to suppress the truth forever. The cosmological conceptions of science became more precise. By the 18th century the universe was imagined to be a mighty cloud of stars in the shape of a lens appearing like a silver band of the milky way.
Immanuel Kant was the first to interpret the dim nebulas between the stars as foreign milky ways.
When in 1917 the at that time largest telescope of the world on Mount-Wilson-Observatory in South California, was pointed to the nebula, individual stars were detected in the brightest part of the nebula. At last final evidence of the existence of other milky ways was obtained.
Owing to its narrow-minded perspective, the church was in severe distress. It was no longer considered as being serious. Even worse was the fact that it extensively lost its credibility. It was thus not difficult for the sceptics of the Age of Enlightenment, when the world was changing and one was in search of new values, to turn away from the yoke of the church and to turn toward scientific materialism.
In the 20th century when people withdrew from the church at an alarming rate and the interest in religious life in the Christian West declined, the church in its plight searched for a solution out of the crisis. Instead of searching for evidence for a belief such as Abraham’s and through trust in God at last - as already demanded by Galilee - welcome a since long required new interpretation of the Biblical Creation Report, the church helplessly went from one extreme to the other. The church is in a hurry obviously in view of the scientific discoveries to ensure that the Genesis merely corresponds to the ancient world view of the Biblical authors and is for this reason no longer applicable for scientific research. Or, as the theologian, Hans Küng, expesses in his book „To be Christ“: the Biblical stories about God’s Creation Report are based on the ancient environment.
In a five volume strong edition of the Bible recommended by Catholic and Evangelic bishops and appraised by the Austrian Catholic Bible Work, we read the following commentary on the Genesis:
«As long as man’s conception of the world was rather uncritical, one was able to read the first chapters of Genesis in view of its essential theological statement and unconcernedly accept its presupposed conception of the world as the natural component of the story. This changed when one started to take scientific interest in the beginnings of the world and mankind and hoped to be able to find an answer in the story of the Bible. A division was inevitable and scientific discoveries had to clash with the naive ancient oriental conception of the world. Creation and paradise myths, deluge stories among many more were the foundation of religious literature in the ancient Orient. Knowing this, Israel had to find a way to make mythological facts coincide with its own experience: The questions that these myths were able to answer were not only of concern to Israel but were of general interest: From where did the world emerge? From where does man come from? From where the evil of the word, if it was created by God? What is the origin of men’s discord, visibly expressed in the confusion of languages? These and similar questions had to be answered by Israel as well.
Israeli theologians provided the answers by comparing the ancient myths with their experience of God and verifying them with their own life experience... From their experience of the present and from personal God experience the Biblical theologians arrived at their own vision of the beginnings in comparison with the myths of the environment... This opinion was put into the story form of the time without any intention of transmitting „how it really was“». 30
If it were really true that the Genesis is merely the «miserable effort of Israeli Theologians» as suggested in the commentary of Catholic and Evangelic Bishops - a combination of ancient oriental mysticism and Israeli experience - and not, as Jews and Christians have believed since ancient times, the written word of God (2. Peter 1; 21), then this would not only shake Christian belief to its foundations but also the credibility of Jesus himself would be doubtful. Because no less a person than him, the true and faithful witness, has demanded the observation of the historical exactitude of the Old Testament in general (Mt.5; 18; Joh.10; 35) and the Genesis in particular. (Mt.19; 4; 23; 35; 24; 37).
Not all theologians have devoted themselves to the unfortunate spirit of the age and succumbed to the immense deceptions of modern times. They have maintained their faith and uninterruptedly adhere to the reliability of Biblical facts (2. Thess 2; 9-12). This applies also to the evangelical religious scientist, Jakob Kroeker. After a detailed examination of the origin and authenticity of the Biblical Creation Report he arrives at the following conclusion:
«Israel’s chief goods of revelation were not heathen wine in Israeli tubes, but divine life in human realisation. This also applies to the Biblical Creation Report. Isn’t it unprecedented among all the other cosmogonies of nations, particularly in view of its marvellous simplicity, inner truth and factual solemnity. Isn’t the story of Genesis extensively devoid of all national limitations and mythological speculations and arrays compared to other creation myths!
It will be more difficult to answer the question to whom the divine Genesis of the primeval creation was revealed. It can barely be a revelation that was only revealed to a later prophet in Israel: The writer of the Creation Report must have already adopted it from the divine heritage of his nation’s great history. Because the content of his report is much older than the Hebrew nation, whose greatest sons were the embodiment of the prophet of God in ancient history. This is clearly indicated by the cosmogonies of other nations with their frequently distorted mythological creation legends. These legends have lost the purity and magnificence of the original revelation of the primeval creation and have become myths of bizarre fantasy, but in many a creation legend there are certain utterances and imaginations related to the Biblical Creation Report that continue to live on... These and other reminiscences of the distorted creation legends of ancient nations to the Biblical Creation Report allow the assumption that once all have emerged from a mutual tradition. We believe that we should find this primeval tradition when dealing with the first man with God as the creator and Father».
31It will certainly be impossible to trace the origin of the Biblical Creation Report, especially since our investigations chiefly depend on presumptions.
In Jewish mysticism there is a very interesting aspect concerning the origin of the Biblical Creation Report throwing a completely different light on our problem. First of all it reinforces our presumption that - as Jakob Kroeker later expressed - the Genesis was adopted by the writer of the Biblical Report already as divine heritage from the great history of his nation. According to Jewish tradition, Adam received a book from God after being expelled from paradise which supposedly answers his obsessive questions about the future.
This divine book also known as «the book of the first man» was handed to Adam by the angel that said:
«Adam, stand up and strengthen yourself with courage, you shall not have fear and anxiety but take the book from my hand and take good care of it, as it will give you wisdom and knowledge and you may make it known to anybody who is worthy that it becomes his part
And in the hour that Adam received the book a fire ignited at the bank of the river and the angel rose to heaven in a flame. Then Adam recognised that the messenger was an angel of God and that the book was sent to him by the Holy King. And he kept it in sanctity and purity.
Hennoch stood up four generations after Adam. The place where Adam’s book was hidden was revealed to him in a dream. And the book gave him insight and wisdom. Therefore he knew all about the seasons of the year, the planets and the stars that did their duty every month. He also knew the names of every cycle; he knew the names of the earths, the names of the heavens, the names of the sun and the moon. Hennoch continued to wholeheartedly honour the book and understood all wisdom even better than Adam, the first man. He also foresaw that the generations that were to follow him would have no power to bear the book because it was mighty and magnificent. So he concealed it, and it remained concealed until Noah, the son of Lemechs came a just and innocent man in his line.»32
According to the transmitted report in the «book of the first man» it is absolutely imaginable that pre-deluge texts about the early beginnings of the history of mankind reached Moses via Noah. The Creation Report must have been among these texts - presumably in cuneiform writing on clay panels - that Moses after Israel’s exodus from Egypt placed at the beginning of his recordings as «sacred heritage of his forefathers». Thus the Bible has its very own cosmology that is neither applicable to the myths of ancient times complete with numerous godheads nor to the modern world view of the scientific materialists. For this reason when interpreting the Creation Report care must be taken not to interpret the obsolete philosophy of the antique into the Genesis out of prejudice. If we strictly follow only the wording of the Bible will we be able to conceive the full significance of the divine report and solve problems that to this day appeared insoluble. (Dan.12;
Contrary to the clear and unmistakable teaching of the Bible that God is the creator of heaven and earth, the scientific materialists are convinced that the origin of life and the creation of the universe are purely coincidental. They admittedly also presume that everything must have initially had a beginning. Contrary to the Bible that postulates a closed «three-world-system» (1.Mos.1; 2.Petr.3; 2 Cor.12;Rev.21), they believe that the universe was created by the explosion (Big Bang) of high density matter. It still continues to expand. The distances between galaxies and groups of galaxies that emerged after the Big Bang are increasing faster the farther they are apart. Prof. Isaac Asimov assumes the following position in a magazine:
«The research results obtained by us indicate that thousands of millions of years ago the entire substance and energy of the universe was compressed to infinite density. This infinite density exploded in an unimaginably tremendous outbreak of energy under extremely hot temperatures - the Big Bang. The temperature of the exploding universe however dropped quickly. Matter developed from the sea of energy that existed first. Matter concentrated as galaxies. In these milky ways on the other hand the mass concentrated as stars - billions of stars in each milky way. Finally our universe developed and while it developed into its present form it cooled down increasingly during many billions of years. Today it is very large, very cold - and still continues to expand.»
33Astrophysicists see proof of the «Big Bang-theory» in the redshift of the spectral lines in the stellar spectrum and define it as Doppler effect. Accordingly the wavelength of light emitting from a mobile light source is perceived by an unmoving observer as larger if the source moves further away, and as smaller if it comes closer. Therefore, they also assume that the redshift is an indicator for the speed at which the galaxies move farther away.
Of course they know that the «Big Bang» cannot be explained by physics; because if one imagines that the unimaginable amount of substance of all galaxies, yes, the entire matter of the whole universe was infinitely concentrated, it is absolutely illusory to obtain any scientifically satisfying concepts about the condition of matter at the time of zero, i. e. at the outbreak of the explosion. They would largely contradict all existing and recognised natural laws. The American scientist and Noble Prize Winner, Steven Weinberg, states:
«I cannot deny that I have a slight feeling of unreality when writing about the first three minutes pretending we actually know of what we are talking about.»
34Certainly also the global idea of an expanding universe is not accepted without objection, especially as it is absolutely speculative and practically nothing has been verified. Weinberg points out to the following in his book „The First Three Minutes:
«I don’t want to give the impression that everybody accepts the interpretation of the redshift. It has actually not been observed that the galaxies are moving farther away from us; in fact we only know for certain that the lines in their spectrums have moved towards the red, that is toward the longer wavelengths. Eminent astronomers doubt that the redshift causes Doppler shifts or an expansion of the universe. Halton Arp of the Hale-Observatory has persistently referred to the fact that groups of galaxies exist in space in which some galaxies show a very deviating redshift: in case the groups should be true physical associations of neighbouring galaxies, they shouldn’t present with hardly any major speed deviations. Apart from this Maarten Schmidt discovered in 1963 that a certain class of objects that look like stars also show enormous redshifts in some instances more than 300 percent! In case the „so-called stellar objects“ are so far away as must be assumed in view of their redshift, it would necessitate an enormous emission of energies for them to appear so bright.»
35The Universe is not Expanding.
According to an article in „Naturwissenschaften“ (Science) (Issue 17 - 1962), a magazine of the Academy of Science in Goettingen, the Soviet physicist, N. P. Suworoff, Moscow, has examined the connection of the Hubble-constant, that describes the apparent expansion of the universe, with the effect that a gravity field has on light quantums:
«…Since it has become possible with the help of the Moessbauer-effect to measure extremely small time intervals or energy differences, Pound and Rebka have investigated the speed changes of light quantums in the earth’s gravity field, and discovered that they principally agree with the general theory of relativity.
Suworoff has calculated the effect of the gravity fields of the galaxies on the light quantums that they emit. He discovered that the observed redshift is exclusively due to the gravitational effect. Thus the universe is not expanding. This has also clarified numerous contradictions concerning the age of the universe.» (FAZ - Natur und Wissenschaft dt. 25.9.1962). (FAZ - Nature and Science).
The physicist, civil rights campaigner and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Andrej Sacharov, who also played a leading role in the development of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, stresses the lack of knowledge and unsatisfactory concepts regarding the condition that prevailed before the so-called «Big Bang». He writes:
«We cannot explain the modern picture of the universe without possessing specific concepts or at least hypotheses about the conditions that prevailed at the beginning of its evolution. The following questions have not yet been satisfactorily solved:
1. What was b e f o r e the time of infinite density?
2. What was the degree of inhomogeneity of the original „infinitely dense“ substance?
3. Did this substance consist of an equal amount of particles and anti-particles,
or was it asymmetrical?4. Was this substance absolutely cold or „infinitely“ hot?
5. Did any „primeval“ magnetic field exist?
6. Is space flat or „bent“ or does it correspond to
the geometry of Lobatchevski?
A clear answer to all these questions cannot be given as we stated already. Their investigation is of utmost necessity as they are the crucial problems of astrophysics.»
36The same objections against the Big Bang theory, as submitted by Sacharov in 1968, can be read in the PM-Magazine 3/1997. Under the title: «News about the Big Bang: It never happened» the following questions were raised:
Problem No. 1: Where did the anti-matter disappear to?
Problem No. 2: How is it possible that the world is so consistent?
Problem No. 3: The oldest stars are older than the universe.
Problem No. 4: From where does the structure in the universe come from?
Problem No. 5: What was before the Big Bang?
The «Big Bang theory» established in 1948 by the Russian-born American, George Gamov, and since then taught as „standard model“ at the universities, is also subject to categorical doubt. Substantial doubts have been raised for quite some time; because scientists recently discovered countless new mysterious phenomena that question the Big Bang. Is the explosion in space possibly only an illusion? Astronomers had for instance calculated that the Big Bang must have left behind a kind of „echo“, a weak, but a to this day measurable radiation. In fact: It was coincidentally discovered in 1964 by the US researchers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson. Apparently one more evidence of the Big Bang. But appearances are deceptive: This radiation that according to the theory should be consistent from all directions showed minor irregularities - thus the Big Bang cannot have occurred in this way, as we have assumed....
Another aspect makes it increasingly difficult for astronomers to arrive at a uniform theory: The abundant data attained by increasingly better telescopes and more ingenious methods. Steven Weinberg, one of the most famous US astronomers and critiques of the Big Bang theory: „The more details we discover about the universe the more difficult it becomes for us to reconcile them.
As we can gather from the explanations of leading scientists, it is not possible for them despite all endeavours to state something concrete about the origin of the universe. All knowledge that we have to this day gained is either wild speculation - in no other field are there so many speculations as in cosmology - or daring presumptions for which the initial conditions for the development of the universe were partly based on assumptions that contradict the natural laws of current physics.
It is certainly discouraging for scientists when they have to admit that they have reached the limit of their understanding of science that is fixed by dogmas. But even if they should succeed in achieving clarity about the early conditions of the universe despite all obviously insurmountable difficulties, the decisive questions about the origin of the infinitely dense matter will remain unanswered. Did it develop out of an absolute NOTHING? Did it arise out of itself? Has it always been there? Or, how can its existence be explained from a materialistic point of view?
Many scientists deny that these questions are meaningful. According to their opinion they are beyond the range of exact sciences. They object that to find an answer one would have to return to a past time that existed even before the Big Bang. This is impossible as the origin of space and time and the laws of physics that describe space-time was the Big Bang.
Prof. Hoimar v. Dithfurt, who has become popular through various TV programmes, expressed the following in his book „In the Beginning was Hydrogen":
«From where does the hydrogen of the beginning come from? is a question that cannot be answered any more scientifically just as little as the already in this book discussed question: What existed before the origin of the world, the Big Bang, and what caused it?».
Steven Weinberg gives the following suggestion:
«Naturally one will ask how big the early universe was. Unfortunately we do not know this and we are uncertain whether this question is meaningful. As indicated in Chapter II it is perfectly possible that the universe is currently infinite and if this is true then it was also infinite at the time of the first picture and will always be infinite. It is also possible that the universe presently has an infinite circumference that has occasionally been estimated at approximately 125 thousand million light-years»
37Today’s cosmologians are not omniscient as has been verified by their hypothetical theories about the origin of the universe. Obviously they have reached the limits of their rational conceptions with their materialistically characterised atheistic world view - the «space-time-continuum»
The difficulty in exploring the mystery of the creation of the universe as well as the evolution of life lies predominantly in the fact that, although they look over the wall of finity like through a dense veil, their materialistic world view - a world without God - doesn’t allow them to go beyond what is concealed behind the border to metaphysics that for them is strictly out of bounds.
The well-known Bio-informatic scientist Hubert Yockey writes: «Since science does not dispose of any concept about the evolution of life on earth... it would only be fair to admit this to the scientists, the moneylenders and the general public. Leading scientists that speak ex cathedra should stop polarising the mind of students and younger productive scientists with statements that are exclusively based on faith.» (factum 10/83, p. 23).
It appears to even the most engaged representatives of the atheistic theory of evolution that the ideas about «self-organisation of matter» are occasionally unrealistic. As J. Monod stated: «It is absurd and absolutely foolish to believe that a living cell develops by itself; but nevertheless I believe this, because I cannot imagine anything else.» (factum 9/82, p. 15)
The English anthropologist and Darwinist Sir Arthur Keith (1866-1955) arrived at the following conclusion: «Evolution is unproved and not provable. We believe this, as its only alternative is the act of creation of a God and that is unthinkable.» (PM 3/1983)
Not all leading scientists have adapted the view of established sciences. The German astronomer, Peter v. d. Osten-Sacken in his book „The New Cosmology“ - Astronomers in Search of the Reality of our World - arrives at the following conclusion regarding these questions:
«Let us yet observe another issue. Does an intrinsic non-material sphere exist or can we ultimately attribute everything to physical and chemical processes?... It is not easy to imagine a process without a cause and therefore it is searched for in the spiritual. But if a spiritual sphere exists - substantiated by other criteria - it is not only possible but even likely that in it lies the origin of the universe. Let us view this more concretely: Supposing the universe originated at one point in time and an intrinsic spiritual sphere exists, the origin of this creation could be something unimaginable, different, non-material: many religions describe this as „divine“. Evidently the „divine“ is given attributes that satisfy our intellect. We must consider the fact that they can merely be images that only give a vague description the real, the truth, they can by no means describe it exactly.
Assuming the origin of the primeval creation is non-material this would naturally open the door for corresponding creations in the present and with it an acausality in the natural sphere according to our first limited definition. In this way also the sources of matter could be viewed as a current act of creation by an intellectual force. Because why should this „divine“ something be limited merely to the time of the primeval creation? There is no reason for this. Moreover this would explain all „real miracles“ more easily.
In the otherwise fairly comprehensible evolution of animated and unanimated nature there are two incidents that present with a „crack“, incidents in the chain of events where a new element arises the origin of which we cannot really justify. On the one hand there is the evolution of life and on the other the evolution of the human „intellect“. It would be too much here to concern ourselves also with this problem. Literature about this subject fills a whole library.»
38Dr. Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, has given the following explanations in an interview on current themes of our time:
«I believe that it is indeed possible for a scientist not to have any belief at all. But I don’t think it is possible that such a person can actually be a good scientist. Not believing in God he finally has to assume that everything occurs merely coincidentally. It is known that even a novice in any science could never earnestly advocate such a theory.»
The essence of the opinion that Millikan further developed is approximately the following: Whoever is familiar with the problems of modern physics and has for half a century had the opportunity to go increasingly deeper into „the matter“ finally arrives at the inevitable conviction that there are at least two universes, speaking in human terms.
The first is the material world about which we have recently discovered quite a lot, the world of atomic and the stars. The other world is the spiritual world, about we know almost nothing. But the little we know about these spiritual world, force us to believe in it.
We measure space, time, weight and the like. We can transform energy into heat or light and measure this as well. But we can neither produce nor measure goodness, love or self-sacrifice. Nevertheless we know that these things are in some way or other real although they obviously don’t owe their existence to this, our physical world. Since these moral values are real - everything that has an effect is real - but since they did not attain reality from this physical world they must derive from a metaphysical world, from a spiritual universe. (Lippische Landes-Zeitung 187)
The Biblical Creation Report also assumes the existence of a spiritual universe; because if we read in the Genesis: «At the beginning God created heaven and earth», this does not mean that God originated at the time of creation. This image of God is found in ancient myths. Therefore it can only mean that God was there before he started creation.
With this we arrive at the fundamental question of Christian cosmology: Where was God before he created heaven and earth and assumed residence in heaven? (Is. 66;
1-2).This is certainly the most difficult question. If we presume that God is «spirit» and if we out of logical considerations proceed from Millikan’s world view then the only possible answer is that God before he starting creation and before the origin of space and time must have dwelled in a different, unmanifested universe in which neither space nor time has any significance and which is unimaginable for our «limited» possibilities. The Biblical Creation Report, provided we interpret it correctly, gives us the possibility to draw a corresponding picture of o u r world:
«In the beginning God created heaven and earth; but the earth was a desert and barren, and darkness lay over the vast waters (= primeval sea), and the spirit of God moved (pondering) above the surface of the water. And God said: „Let there be light!“ and it became light. And God saw that the light was good; then God divided the light from the darkness and called the light „day“, but he called the darkness „night“. And it was evening and morning: the first day.»
Considering the events of the first day of creation and attempting to represent them in a diagram, we obtain the following picture:
On an empty piece of paper symbolising the „spiritual universe“ we draw two differently large circles:
• a larger circle illustrating heaven as a spherical bowl, its unlimited surface forming an ideal border to the «spiritual universe».
• and within the larger circle a smaller circle as a spherical object illustrating the earth
«Then God said: „Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the both sides waters!“ And it was so. And God made the solid firmament thus dividing the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And God called the solid firmament „heaven“.
The only «water» hitherto mentioned in Genesis is the «second flood» or the «primeval sea» respectively, that is a component of the primeval earth of the first day of creation.
So if it says: „Let there be a s o l i d f i r m a m e n t in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters!" „water“ can signify only the «primeval sea» into which God placed another heaven on the second day of creation, an object that God describes as «solid firmament» or «solid heaven».
This results in the only possible logical conclusion that creation disposes of t w o heavens: one over the „primeval heaven“ of the first day of creation, and one over the «solid heaven» created on the second day of creation in the midst of the waters of the primeval earth.
But before we take a closer look at the heavens of the first and second day of creation we should first of all consider the events of the third day of creation.
The Third Day of Creation
And God said: „Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together in specially place, and let the dry (= the dry land) appear!“ And it was so. And God called the dry „earth“, and the gathered water he called sea (i.e. world sea). And God saw that it was good.
Then God said: „Let the earth bring forth green, the herbs yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. The earth brought forth green, and herbs yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And it was evening and morning: the third day.
It should be of particular interest that God already on the third day of creation - i e. already before the rising of the sun on the fourth day of creation - put fresh green, plants and trees on the earth. In actual fact we could expect plants and trees to evolve after the sun; from experience we know that the plant world requires sunlight to grow.
On the other hand we also know that the ultraviolet rays of the sun would erase all life on an unprotected earth without the protecting ozone layer that forms in the terrestrial atmosphere only from molecular oxygen under the influence of the short-wave UV-radiation of the sun.
As it is to be excluded that the creator of heaven and earth made a mistake when planning creation, there must be another explanation in which way the life-sustaining oxygen was able to develop on earth without sunlight for the fish, birds, animals and man that were to appear afterwards.
The photosynthesis researcher, Daniel I. Arnon, was able to find a convincing answer to this problem. On 16th April, 1963 the following article appeared in the FAZ:
Photosynthesis in the dark.
«The well-known American photosynthesis researcher, Arnon (Berkeley, California) succeeded in an unexpected experiment: Having set up a cell-free system out of components partly gained from spinach leaves, and partly from bacteria, he was able to replace the influence of light during the first steps of reaction in photosynthesis by adding hydrogen gas. (Photosynthesis is the process with which the plant builds up sugar out of carbonic acid and water with the participation of chlorophyll and light). Since an atmosphere rich in hydrogen and low in oxygen with little light belongs to the conditions that once probably prevailed on earth, Arnold’s experiment throws light on how earliest forms of life accumulated energy».Professor Hermann Merxmueller, chairman of the Institute for Systematic Botanics at the Munich University explained the following in his talk on the 169th meeting of the research team in Duesseldorf:
In another way the answer can certainly be found why a plant - whose cells have all developed according to one and the same „genetic information“ - develops such completely different types of cells. For its growth, especially for the development of the chlorophyll, our plants require light. Next to this „photosynthesis“ there is another growth that can take place in complete darkness because it draws only from the available reservoir of matter. According to Professor Hans Mohr, Professor for General Botany and Plant Physiology in Freiburg, only very simple, inferior cell types develop under these conditions that substantially differ from the ones grown in light. „Superior“ plant growth necessitates at least a „stimulating impetus of light“ as interesting experiments with salad seeds have shown. (Frankfurter Rundschau of 14.3.68)
In view of the unexpected fact that God created «fresh green, herbs and trees» before the sunlight, we face a difficult question: Was the sun as the centre star of our planetary system really created after the earth; this can be regarded as physically unlikely.
The answer isn’t as complicated as it initially appears. After a further development of the theory of Kant-Laplace about the evolution of planets by C. F. von Weizsaecker (theory of turbulence) our solar system could have evolved for instance out of a slowly rotating primeval nebula that was much larger than today’s planetary system. When the nuclear fusion in the core of the sun began, thus providing energy for the lighting up of the giant gas ball, the evolution of the planets was obviously extensively completed. However, it must have certainly taken some time until the sun slowly attained its full brightness.
Presumably the earth that certainly also possessed an adequate intrinsic warmth from the very beginning was located in a moist tropical climate underneath a dense cloud-cover that lead to a steady temperature at ground-level that doesn’t exist any more today. The temperature is estimated to have been between 10 and 40 degrees Celsius, and this nearly evenly from one pole to another, so that at first in darkness and then later when the sun lit up gradually increasing its radiation a rich vegetation progressively spread on earth.
Dedicated researchers in the field of photosynthesis have always been surprised about the fact how little amount of light plants require for this process even today. Nowadays jungle plants being the most similar to the ancient plants of the dim past are twilight plants. Growing best in shade, bright sunshine is unbearable for them. (Prof. Heinz Haber, - „Unser blauer Planet/Our Blue Planet“ - 1965).
«And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God put them in the firmament of the heaven to light the earth.
And it was evening and morning: the fourth day.
That the s e c o n d heaven that developed in the middle of the primeval sea is indeed our stellar heaven as can be perceived already from the fact that God placed sun, moon and stars in the «solid firmament» - i. e. in the second heaven - «so that they may light the earth»
This also illumines Paul’s explanation to the Corinthians:
«It is of no use to me to praise; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ, who forty years ago (whether he was in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knows it) was entranced into the third heaven. And I know the same man (whether he was in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knows it) he was entranced into paradise and heard unspeakable words, that no man can utter.“ (2 Cor. 12-14).
When Paul was entranced into the «third heaven, in paradise» he envisioned the «new world», a «new creation» that can certainly not be compared with worldly standards and which we can obviously only inadequately describe for lack of words.
Apostle Peter when counting the heavens also included the heaven submerged by the deluge informs us why Paul mentions a «third heaven»:
«Out of wilfulness they do not want to know that the heaven existed also before times, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water by God’s word; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.
But the (present) heaven and the (present) earth which are now by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men...
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, during which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up...
Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.»
(2. Peter 3).From the apostle’s point of view the counting of the heavens logically begins with the submerged «heaven of the deluge» mentioned by Peter. But the second heaven kept for the fire is identical with our heaven.
The «t h i r d heaven» into which Paul was entranced is identical with the primeval heaven of the first day of creation.
Now the words of Jesus to his disciples become meaningful
, shortly before his ascension to heaven he consoled them:«Your hearts fear not! Trust in God and trust in me! In my Father’s house are many homes; if this were not so, I would have told you: because I am leaving to prepare a place; and when I am gone and have prepared a place, I return, and will take you with me, so that you may be where I am.»
Joh. 14 (1. Thess.4; 13-18; 1 Cor. 15; 50-58; Hebr. 8 ff)
Accordingly it becomes apparent that Jesus ascended into the heaven of the first day of creation, being the heaven that Paul specified as the «third heaven» and from which the apostle John at the beginning of the thousand-year-long reign of Christ saw the new Jerusalem coming onto the new earth - prepared as a bride adorned for her bridegroom:
«And I, John, saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her bridegroom. Then I heard a loud voice calling from heaven: „Behold, the house of God is with man! and he will live with them, and they will be his people; yes God himself will be among them and will dry all tears in their eyes, and death will be gone, and also sorrow, no cries of grief and no pain; because the first is over"
Then he who sits on the throne said: "See, I make everything new!" He continued: „Write! because these words are dependable and true!“ Further he said to me: „It is done. I am the A and the O, the beginning and the end; I want to give the thirsty from the spring of the water of life freely. He who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.»
Rev. 21; 2-8.
Having concerned ourselves in detail with the Genesis in the previous chapter, we are now confronted with a number of fundamental questions. The chief question is about the meaning of life and the purpose of the creation of the world. Another question of no lesser importance generally posed by the sceptics is, «Why is evil dominating the world, if it has been created by a «good God»? This is indeed a prominent question for a Christian causing fierce headaches to many people that sincerely contemplate the meaning of life. Since they don’t know any convincing answer such epigonic phrases more frequently lead to rejection of God, as nobody wants to believe any more in an „almighty God“ who tolerates all the misery in the world. Large numbers of Christians maintain this standpoint.
Naturally such reactions are to be expected in a glittering fake world of cities and industries determined by scientific materialism that has submitted itself to the force of the capital. But if convinced Christians that have preserved their faith in God and Christ despite of everything dwell on such dull thoughts, and - for whichever reasons - are tempted to be blind to reality they will barely be in a position to grasp the deeper meaning of life and solve painful problems considering terrible wars, ethnic persecution and global environmental and nature catastrophes.
Obviously we don’t have to search long for an answer. It is hidden since long in the Biblical Creation Report; because in some Bible translations containing concrete information about the events on the first day of creation, we are able to find explanations about why God has created the world and why it was doomed to destruction already from the beginning, and why only man - contrary to all other beings on earth - has the ability to discriminate between good and bad. In the Bible translation of Dr. Hermann Menge we find the following interesting comment:
«In the beginning God created heaven and earth; but the earth was a desert and barren, and darkness lay over the vast waters (primeval sea), and the spirit of God moved (pondering) above the surface of the waters.»
The expression: «pondering» used here suggests that after the «primeval heaven» and the «primeval earth» had been created, God intensively thought about something and pondered over a plan that obviously is closely related to the creation of light, as it further reads in the divine report:
«And God said: «Let there be light!» and it became light. And God saw that the light was good; then God divided the light from the darkness and called the light „day“, and he called the darkness „night“. And it was evening and morning: the first day».
Now the question arises: what kind of plan did God think about? And what reason did he have, «to divide light and darkness»? But first of all what happened to the «light» that was created on the first day explicitly considered by God as «good»? It could not have been sun, moon and stars, because they were created only on the fourth day of creation and installed in the «solid heaven» according to the Biblical Report.
Jesus, giving the answer to us himself, clearly explained: «I am the light of the world»; whosoever follows me, will not wander in darkness, but have the light of life. (Joh. 8)
Jesus describes himself as the beginning of the creation of God in the apocalypse which states:
«And write to the angel of the people in Laodicea: Such speaks he who is (the) Amen („the Amen“, i. e. the Christ in which all promises of God prove themselves as true,
(2. Cor. 1; 20), the faithful and truthful witness, the beginning of the creation of God») (3; 17).Both statements indicate precisely that only Jesus can be the «light» that God created on the first day of creation and «that he let shine forth from the darkness». Therefore John could also explain that the «Logos», that was with God in the beginning and represents Jesus, is identical with the «light of the first day of creation»:
«In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God
(i.e. together with God; facing God - The term «the word» (gr. the logos) refers here (as also v.14 and Rev. 19; 13) to God’s son as the one who reveals and executes the Will of God) and God (divine being) was the word. This was with God in the beginning.In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not taken it (comprehended it)
A man appeared, he was sent from God, and his name was John; he came to witness, to bear witness of the light, so that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but he was to bear witness of that light. The light was there, the true light, that enlightens every man that comes into the world; he was in the world, and the world was made by him (that was the light), but the world did not recognise him. He came into his own (= his possession), but his own did not receive him; but those that received him, were given the power to become the children of God, namely those that believe in his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
And the word was made flesh (= man) and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory, given by the Father to his only son; filled with grace and truth.» -
Joh. 1; 1-14 (Menge).Paul additionally explains:
«For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness“, is also He who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.“ - 2. Cor. 4; 6
Praising Jesus as «the wisdom of God» the texts of Salomos (8; 22) state the following in agreement with: Rev. 3; 17
«The Lord has created me as the first of his creation work, the first of his works in primeval times. I have been created since eternity, from the beginnings, before the primeval beginnings of the earth»
Naturally these statements do not fit into the concept of the triunity doctrine. For this reason some Bible translators have adapted their translation from Text 8 onwards to the triunity doctrine, according to the motto: what cannot be, must not be. In the Scofield Bible, for example, we find the following comment:
«(8;
22) The wisdom here is superior to a personification of a characteristic of God or the will of God who decided for the benefit of mankind; the intention here is to give a precise conception of Christ. The section Texts 8; 22-36 compared with Joh. 11; 3; 1. Cor. 1; 24; Col. 2; 3 can refer to nobody else but the eternal Son of God. Some interpreters maintain that the word «owned» («had in the beginning») in V22 should have read «created» but that would imply that Christ is a created being.» In the commentary of the Jerusalem Bible, the proverbs 8; 22 have been translated as follows: «Jahwe has created me as firstfruit of his reign, as the earliest of his works, since primeval times»,
in the Scofield Bible it says on the contrary:
«8;
22 created as the Hebraic verb (qanani) is translated by G, S, T, ...The translation „has obtained me“ or „has owned me“ (Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion) has been adopted by Hieronymous (V) probably in order to fight the false doctrine of Arius who regarded the Logos (identified with wisdom) as a being.»
Since we are now aware of the chief significance of the «light of the first creation day of the world», let us investigate why light and darkness were divided certainly also not an easy task. Why were heaven and earth created? What is the mystery of the creation of the universe? Why was creation started? For God, as far as it is possible to say, must have dwelled forever and always in an unimaginable spiritual universe before he created a world complete with life.
The Bible does not contain any direct information that explains in detail the aim and purpose of the creation of the universe. For this reason it is also difficult to explore God’s motives. But there are a few very interesting references that nevertheless allow us to lift the veil of the mystery. As we have already discovered the last book of the Bible - the Revelation of John - reports that at the end of times there will be an eternal kingdom of light on the one hand, and on the other hand the kingdom of darkness - the quagmire that burns with fire and brimstone, the second death:
«And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her bridegroom...
And I will give to the thirsty of the well of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son...
But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death...
And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God lightens it and their light is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates shall not be closed by day; for there will be no night there..»
Rev. 21; 2-25This clear and unmistakable Bible statement reveals that God’s plan is chiefly to forever divide the two primeval elements «good and evil». But obviously this division beginning already on the first day of creation with the separation of light and darkness is a long process that runs through the entire world history and finds expression in the erection of the kingdom of God on the one hand, and in the condemnation of evil to the second death on the other hand, at the end of a long chain of historical events.
Before we study the division of light and darkness, we should explore why darkness entered world creation at all? Did it possibly exist already prior to creation? Is it an element of the spiritual universe? The events in paradise definitely allow such a conclusion; because after Adam had carelessly disobeyed the divine command: «not to eat of the tree of knowledge of the good and the evil», God uttered the significant words: «Behold, Adam has become like one of us, and knows, what is good and evil».
This divine explanation allows us to legitimately assume that the ability «to recognise good and evil» is a characteristic that was not acquired only with the „sin“ in paradise but was already existent before God decided to create heaven and earth. Presumably the existence of evil is the true origin of the world creation, of a world in which the two universal primeval elements «good» and «evil» face each other in a gigantic power battle at the end of which light will be the radiant winner over darkness. Jesus himself describes his mission as follows:
«I have come into this world to divide: those that are blind will see and those that see will be blind.“ - Joh. 9; 39.
The «division process between good and evil» however will not only happen here on earth but as we can gather from the Revelation of John this important philosophical discussion between «light and darkness» takes place also in heaven:
«And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, but they did not win, nor did they stay in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, which is called «devil» and «Satan», the deceiver of the whole world: he was cast out onto 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 anointed»! For «the accuser of our brothers 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 live in them! But woe to the earth and the sea! The devil has descended upon you with mighty wrath because he knows that his time is only short.»
(Rev. 12; 7-12)The descent of Satan out of heaven is an almost two-thousand-years-old prediction to occur shortly before the sounding of the «seventh trumpet»; because the words about the «beginning of the reign of the king» perceived after the fight between Michael and Satan in heaven had already been perceived by John when the «seventh angel sounded the trumpet and loud voices were heard in heaven that called out:
„The reign of the king over the world has come to our Lord and his anointed and he will (from now on) reign as king for ever and ever!“»
- Rev. 11; 15According to Biblical prophecies the seventh trumpet is «the last trumpet»; because thereafter there will be no more time as confirmed explicitly by the angel, «but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he will sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be fulfilled, as he has declared to his servants, the prophets.» Rev. 10; 7
Apostle Paul also refers to the «seventh trumpet». He describes it as the «last trumpet». Answering the Corinthians when the resurrection of the dead would take place, he wrote:
«Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be transformed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.» -
1 Cor. 15; 51-52Consequently the fight between Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels in heaven is still to come. Satan’s descent out of heaven will therefore only occur at the very end, shortly before the return of Christ and the «first resurrection» that is related to it. (1 Cor. 15; 23)
Satan, of course, is aware of these predictions. He knows indeed that his time will soon expire so that there is only little time left for him to deceive the whole world. (Rev. 12; 9; 1. Pet. 5; 8)
The End is Nearing with Horror.
In the 19th century the world still seemed to be all right, and the Protestant world powers thought that it was right time to establish the kingdom of God as a political peace kingdom here on earth. But then the First World War unsuspectedly disturbed man’s content peacefulness and plunged the populace into the most terrible war of all times, into an infernal world catastrophe, surpassed only by the indescribable horrors of the Second World War. Subsequently the social and political structure of the world changed radically. Emperors and kings who ruled the world by the „grace of God“ were replaced by professional politicians, profit oriented businessmen, tyrants and communist dictators. These were and are responsible for the fate of this world that is shaken by revolutions, famines, epidemics and crises. God and Christ are not in demand in this world with its apathetic, inhuman dog-eat-dog society that wants to replace Christianity by scientific materialism with deceitful hypotheses.
During the chaos of the Russian October Revolution the Bolshevistic rulers unleashed a world-wide campaign against Christianity. Initially only the 92 million Christians living in Russia were affected by the merciless persecution. After the Second World War not only the political and social but also the ideological conditions in the other parts of the world have fundamentally changed. Where since then hostile ideologies against God are coming to the fore and are increasingly gaining ground in the battle against Christianity.
In the Eastern Bloc states ruled by Russia Marxism-Leninism was predominantly used as ideological weapon against Christianity. Nowadays on the contrary primarily «Darwinism» and the «Big Bang theory» are ‘preached’ as the «ultimate wisdom» in the democratised East as well as in the former Christian West.
Even in the Magazine of the Evangelical Church (No. 2 June/July 1985) these theories appear as possible alternatives to the Biblical Creation Report. According to a report in the news magazine „Focus“ 52/1996 the Catholic Church takes even one step further. Under the title «God and Science» it reads:
«…since the 22nd October of this year man now also according to the Catholic church derives from monkeys. It was the day on which the pope finally pigeonholed the last great historical war between church and science in the archives of the Vatican. After John Paul II had in recent years rehabilitated Copernicus and Galilee, he now made peace with Charles Darwin. „Late discoveries“, wrote the Holy Father of the Papal Academy of Sciences in Rome give reason to see „more than a hypothesis“ in the theory of evolution.»
Unquestionably a fatal development that clearly indicates that the religious world is in a spiritual crisis and is heading inexorably towards disaster. The almost two-thousand year old hunger for the return of Christ and the erection of his peace kingdom has since then not been discussed. Instead politics is heeding the fallacy that it is able to create a «new world order» out of its own absolute power, a world of peace and welfare. Certainly a beautiful illusion, but just an illusion. As long as evil is in command and the «prince of darkness» is pulling the strings such a plan cannot be realised.
The discussion between light and darkness or good and evil, respectively, is obviously heading towards its absolute zenith in our century during which a purely inner-worldly atmosphere and a before unknown development of spiritless energies have developed under the influence of science. A time characterised by moral decline and depravity; an era in which injustice is predominant, love has grown cold, the unfortunate are pitilessly driven into social seclusion and uncounted millions of people annually die of hunger; an age of terrible wars, ethnic persecutions and devastating nature catastrophes that have so far been known only as century catastrophes and that now in rapid succession devastate entire areas; a panic- and horror-stricken time ruled by general disorientation and helplessness with not much hope for a better future; a dreadful and terrible time ignorant of the disastrous reality in which one refuses to see that right before our eyes a global catastrophe is developing, inevitably and uncompromisingly heading toward «Doomsday».
In this connection it is certainly of utmost significance that on our earth only human beings are capable of discriminating between good and bad. This makes it obvious that the chief purpose of human creation is to actively participate in the division of these two primeval elements, to a certain extent as «spiritual vessel» collecting «light» or «darkness» depending on attitude and behaviour. Unless this process is completed there will and can be no peace. Paul reminded the communities to stay away from darkness and search only the good:
«For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.» -
2 Cor. 4; 6According to the Genesis the division taking place on earth between good and evil or light and darkness, respectively, was prepared in paradise in fact when Satan - in the form of the serpent - questioned the truthfulness of God and irritated Eve with the hypocritical question:
«Yes, God is supposed to have said: You shall not eat from all kinds of trees in the garden?»
When Eve innocently contradicted the serpent and answered:
«We eat of the fruits of the trees in the garden; but of the fruits of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said: Eat not of it, don’t touch it either, that you may not die».
Thereupon Satan accused God of a lie and assured cheeky:
«You will in no way die of death; but God knows that the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you shall be like God, and know, what is good and what is evil.» -
1. Mos. 3; 1-5Following this malicious defamation the question arises: Which reason did Satan have to defame God as a liar in the eyes of man? Why did he lie to Eve and tempt her into disobedience against God and into sin?
Isaiah and Ezekiel provide us with sufficient information concerning his lower motives and disgraceful indulgence. Isaiah writes:
«How did you fall from heaven, beautiful morning star! How were you thrust down to the earth, you who conquered all nations! For you remembered in your heart: I will ascend into heaven and exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit upon the mount of congregation in the farthest north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds and be like the Almighty. Yes, you descended to the dead, into the deepest pit!» -
Isaiah 14; 12-15In the prophecy of the King of Tyrus in which in replacement for Satan his beauty is highly praised Ezekiel gives further details for the reasons leading to Satan’s «great misdeed»:
«You are an accomplished seal, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You are in Eden the garden of God, and adorned with all kinds of precious stones: with sardius, topaz, and the diamond, turquoise, onyx, jasper, sapphire, amethyst, emerald and gold.
On the day you were created, your drums and pipes were prepared in you. You are like a cherub who spreads out wide and covers; and I have set you on the holy mount of God, that you may walk under the stones of fire.
You were perfect in your deeds from the day you were created, till your misdeed was found. For iniquity was found in you before your great merchandise, and you have sinned. Therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God, and, covering cherub, I will drive you away from the stones of fire.
And as your heart is lifted up, because of your beauty, and you have corrupted your wisdom because of your splendour, therefore I will cast you to the ground, and lay you before the kings. Because you have defiled your sanctuary by your great iniquity and evil transactions. Therefore will I bring you to ashes upon the earth that all the world may see you. All that know you among heathens shall be horrified that you so suddenly perished, never to rise again.» -
Ezekiel 28; 12-19The notable philosophical discussion between good and evil was obviously not initiated by the Fall of Man in paradise but already prior to Satan’s rebellion against God. This religious discussion was obviously extended to earth only after Satan succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve into sin in paradise. From that point of view Adam and Eve found themselves quite unexpectedly and completely oblivious of the events that occurred in heaven in the midst of a fight between God and Satan. But because they - despite of the threat of death penalty - carelessly disobeyed God, all their descendants now also participate in the global division of good and evil:
«And God the Lord spoke to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed above all creatures and every beast of the field. You shall crawl on your belly , and eat dust all the days of your life.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; it shall trample your head, and you shall stab it into the heel.»
1. Mos. 3The enmity between Satan and man existing since God’s judgement in paradise is reflected in the continuous discussion between good and evil. It is the determining element in world history; because hatred, envy, discord, ethnic persecution and above all contempt of man are the satanic driving forces for the unimaginable atrocities and terrible wars that repeatedly plunge mankind into bitter grief and misery.
The fatal discussion between the «seed of the woman» and the «seed of Satan» and consequently the first tragedy in the history of mankind had its origin when Cain killed his brother Abel in a blind rage:
«And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the field an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord had respect for Abel and his offering; but for Cain and to his offering he had no respect. And Cain became very angry, and he lowered his eyes. And the LORD said to Cain: Why are you angry, and why are you looking down? Isn’t it so now? If you are pious, you can lift your eyes freely. If you are not pious, sin lies at the door, and it desires you, but you rule over it».
Overwhelmed by evil thoughts Cain didn’t listen to God’s well meant advice and gave in to sin:
«Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel. And it so happened, when they were on the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.»
- 1. Mos. 4Although Satan was able to tempt Cain into fratricide at the very beginning, the judgement, «The seed of the woman shall trample your head», unmistakably suggests that with the end of the worldly discussion between good and evil also Satan’s fate will finally be sealed.
It depends solely on mankind’s behaviour whether he will belong to the seed of the woman - that is to Christ - or to the seed of Satan; because at the time of his birth he is without record. The form and essence of man are imprinted only in the division process between good and evil; for God said to Cain, «Sin lies at the door, and it desires you; but you rule over it.»
In the continuous conflict between these two contradicting primeval powers that mankind is faced with, he has to prove whether eventually the good in him will be stronger or whether the evil will win. He «who overcomes evil» will become the son of God in reward. (Rev. 21)
Somebody who proved his faith in God under the most difficult conditions and who despite severe physical pain and great psychological burden withstood the contestations of Satan was Job. We all know his story or have at least heard of his fate.
His life of sufferings, his contestations and his struggle with God are of particular interest for us since the circumstances under which Job’s trials came about are typical for the discussion between good and evil. The Bible reports:
«There was a day when the sons of God came before the Lord, and Satan was also among them. The Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? Satan answered the Lord: I have wandered the earth to and fro. The Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him on earth, perfect and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. Satan answered the Lord: Does Job fear God for nothing? Did you not protect him, his house and all that he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possession has increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has: he will curse you to your face!
The Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he has is in your power; only on himself do not lay your hand. Then Satan left the Lord. And Job lost in one day all his possessions and all his children.
Then Job stood up and tore his clothes and shaved his head and fell down to the ground, bowing down he said: I have come naked from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! Despite all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly».
«It happened one day when the sons of God came before the Lord, and Satan came with them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan: From where do you come? And Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro in the earth. The Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, fearing God, and shunning evil and who holds fast his integrity, although you move me against him, to destroy him without cause. Satan answered the Lord: Skin for Skin! and all that man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face. And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; but save his life!
So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to his crown. And he took a broken piece of pot to scrape himself and sat in the ashes.
And his wife said to him: Do you still retain your integrity! curse God, and die! But he said to her: You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. Did we not receive good from God and shall we not also accept the evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.» Job 1 and 2
Evidently the global philosophical discussion between good and evil that began on the first day of creation with the division of light and darkness has become a permanent fight between God and Satan.
The question is whether man can maintain his faith in God although he is physically and psychologically tormented, as clearly illustrated by the sufferings that Job is exposed to.
This dispute must have been of such eminent significance that God brought his own son into this discussion:
«God loved the world so much that he gave his firstfruit so that all that have faith in him may not be lost but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to judge it instead that the world may be saved through him. He that has faith in him shall not be judged; he that has no faith in him, is judged already, because he did not believe in the name of the firstfruit of God. But in this exists the judgement, that the light came into the world, but the people loved the darkness more than the light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hate the light and comes not to the light so that his works may not be open»
. Joh.3; 16-20.The Gospel states that Jesus after being baptised in the Jordan and the Baptist recognising him to be the Lamb of God was lead by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted there by the devil:
«…and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards hungry. And when the tempter came to him, he said, «If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread». But he answered and said, «It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.»
Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and sat him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to him, «If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down! because it is written: He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone». Jesus answered him, «It is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God!»
Again, the devil took him up onto a very high mountain, showed him all kingdoms of the world and their glory and said to him, „All these things will I give to you, if you fall down and worship me.“ Then said Jesus to him, «Go away Satan because it is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him only shall you serve!» Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and served him.»
Matth.4; 1-11As Jesus was lead into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil the question arises whether Satan after failing with Job doubted the faith of the firstfruit of God? How could it otherwise be explained that also Jesus was tempted by the devil?
Obviously the conditions for the faith in God had become considerably more difficult; it was no longer a question of possessions and health as in the case of Job, but of death itself and moreover the most shameful of all deaths, the death on the cross. Would Jesus still prove his faith if he had to suffer this horrible torment?
Naturally Jesus knew about the difficulty of his task. Because it was not for nothing that he had asked God if it were possible to let this cup pass by him:
«Then said he to his disciples, «My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even until death; stay here and watch with me!» And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, «My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass by me; but not as I will, but as you will!»
«And he went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, «My Father, if this cup may not pass by me, except I drink it, your will shall be done!»
«Then he came to the disciples and said to them: Sleep on now, and take your rest! But the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners!» - Matth. 26; 38-45
As his life of suffering clearly shows, Jesus resisted Satan until the end and proved him wrong. Therefore he was ultimately able to say on the cross: «It is done!» (Joh. 19; 28-30)
With his life of suffering and his faith in God and Father (Joh. 20; 17) unto death he not only overcame evil but also brought salvation to mankind:
«Since the children have flesh and blood, he himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Therefore in all things he had to be made like his brothers, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
- (Hebr. 2; 14-18)«Christ died for the sake of sins, the just for the unjust, to lead us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.» (1 Peter 3; 18)
«And since death came by man (= was caused), resurrection of the dead comes also by man. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order; Christ the firstfruit; afterward they that are Christ’s when he comes (= returns). Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God (and) the Father; as soon as he has destroyed all (other) rule and all authority and power. For he must reign as king, until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.» - 1. Cor. 15
The resurrection of the dead is one of the most discussed topics concerning Biblical prophecy. It is inseparably connected to the mystery of the creation of the world and consequently brings the division of light and darkness to an end. Hopes and expectations are associated with the resurrection and are reflected in man’s yearning for eternal life. Today and also frequently in the past divided Christianity is lacking harmony. The opinions are extremely diverse: The apocalypse expects the „first resurrection“ at the end of the world. The Roman-Catholic church declares that the resurrection has already occurred and dates back to the first centuries of Christianity:
« 20 4 This „Resurrection“ of the martyrs (see Is.26;19) is conceived symbolically as the re-establishment of the church after the persecution by Rome; the „thousand-year-old empire“ thus corresponds to the worldly phase of the Kingdom of Christ from the end of the persecution (fall of Rome) to the Last Judgement (in 2011 pp.). - For Augustinus and later for others the „thousand-year-old empire“ would begin with Christ’s resurrection; the „first resurrection“ would then indicate the baptism.“ (Comment in the Jerusalem Bible).
According to the Catholic unity doctrine the deceased ascends either immediately to heaven or in case of a sinful life descends to „hell“ (= eternally distant from God); or initially to the „purgatory“ the „place of purification“ as the „purgatory“ is officially titled.
In the book „The Great Religions of the World“ we find the following account under the title„The Supernatural Unity of the Church: the Life of Mercy“:
«There is a traditional distinction between the victorious church (= the faithful „in heaven“), the warring church (= the faithful on earth) and the suffering church (= the faithful at the place of purification). These three groups together form the „community of saints“. The unity of these three groups explains the prayer of the faithful on earth to those „in heaven“ with the request for mercy and their prayer and offering for the faithful at the place of purification...» (Catholicism, p. 173)
Under the title, „The Condition of Purification After Death“ we can further read:
«Enlightened by the Holy Ghost, gaining from the Holy Scripture and ancient transmittal of the fathers, the Catholic church on the occasion of holy councils and finally during this general assembly has advised: There is a place of purification and the souls abiding at that place will find help through the prayers of the faithful“, but particularly by the God pleasing altar sacrifice.“ (Der Katholizismus“, / Catholicism, p. 360)
In the Book „2000 Years of Christianity“ the term „Purgatory“ has been defined as follows:
«Since earliest times particularly Indo-Germanic religions have suggested the existence of a place of purification at which the deceased perform penance for their sins. According to the Catholic teaching the intermediate state of the purgatory is the abode at which the souls are redeemed „by the prayers of the faithful“ and specially by the sacrifice of mass. The diocesan catechism describes the purgatory as an undetermined abode where those souls abide that still have to atone for venial sins, thereby experiencing their self-induced separation from God like a burning fire.» („Kirchengeschichtliches Lexikon“, / Dictionary of Church History, p. 924)
The resurrection postulated by the Roman-Catholic church, obviously gaining its concepts about the resurrection of the dead from Indo-Germanic religions as well as ancient traditions, significantly contradicts the Bible. For according to the Revelation of John the resurrection of the dead occurs only at the «end of time when the number of fellow servants and brothers that will suffer death for the word of God and the testimony is complete». John reports:
«And when (the Lamb) 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: They cried with a loud voice, saying, „How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on earth?
And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little while, until the number of their fellow servants also and their brothers that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.» - Rev.6;
9-11.Having thoroughly explored this subject apostle Paul points out in his letters that the resurrection of the dead is inseparably connected to «the return of Christ» and will occur only «at the sound of the last trumpet»:
«We would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep...For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming (return) of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.» - 1.Thes.4;
13-17.«Behold, I tell you a secret; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; and in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.“ - 1.Cor.15; 51-52.
The «last trumpet» mentioned by Paul is identical with the «seventh trumpet» of the apocalypse as already explained; as we will learn from the following report it will not only initiate the end of this world that is condemned to destruction, but simultaneously the return of Christ, the erection of his kingdom of peace and the resurrection of the dead:
«And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, „The reign over this world has come to our Lord and his anointed; and he shall reign (from now on) as king for ever and ever!»...
And the nations were angry, but your wrath has come, and the time of the judgement of the dead and (the time) of the reward for your servants, prophets, and for the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and (the time) of destruction for them that destroy the earth.»
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of his testament became visible in his temple; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.»
- Rev.11; 15-19.Significant in this connection is indeed the corresponding description of occurring nature events in another vision of the apostle; because lightning, thunder, earthquakes and mighty hail at the «sounding of the seventh trumpet» described by John appear in an even more detailed description at «the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath»:
«And the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne saying, «It is done!»
There was lightning, voices and thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake.
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of this wrath.
And every island fled away and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for them his plague was extremely terrible.» - Rev.16;
17-21.The similar description of catastrophic Endtime events certainly cannot signify that identical nature events at the end of the world will occur twice one after another. Apparently they specifically indicate the time of their effectiveness; because at first «lightning and voices, thunder, a great earthquake and mighty hail» are announced by the sounding of the «seventh trumpet», to then during the pouring out of the «seventh bowl of wrath» simultaneously begin the catastrophic end of the world.
Apart from this the Gospel of Matthew and also the book of Isaiah indicate that at the end of the world «the sun will darken and the moon loose its light» (Matth.24;
29; Is.13;10); an Endtime prophecy which until now has been difficult to evaluate. Due to modern day’s discoveries in astronomy it is much easier to find a convincing answer. In the GEO edition of August 1995 a treatise on the impact of a comet on the giant planet Jupiter explains how a darkening of sun and moon can occur:«The next impact will occur with certainty. Debris from space also threatens the earth. Astronomers are searching for an early warning system - and for possibilities to divert the dangerous flight objects from their murderous collision courses.
Scientists are more interested in smaller but more frequent catastrophes in which mighty masses of dust are hurled into the atmosphere and scattered all around the earth. A drastic darkening and cooling would cause a breakdown of agricultural production. Each collision would directly or indirectly destroy a quarter of humanity. This necessitates a space object measuring between 600 metres and five kilometres depending on its composition and speed...“ (GEO - Das neue Bild der Erde“ No. 8/95) (GEO - The New Picture of the Earth“, N. 8/95).
Hagen Fritz Thorgesson writes in P.M. Magazine (P.M. 4/1996)
«The danger of a comet or a meteorite hitting the earth is greater than hitherto assumed. At the worst it can distinguish all life.
At this moment our solar system is flying into a stormy zone in space that is full of other space objects. This has been ascertained by the Professor of Geology, Claude C. Albritton, of the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The possibility of a collision with straying cosmic objects is therefore growing dramatically. The consequences of such a collision would be a catastrophe; at the worst it would distinguish all life on earth in one blow
When fragments of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet hit Jupiter in June 1994 its atmosphere darkened. The darkness has not yet completely vanished. A Shoemaker collision on earth would have devastating results. It would destroy agriculture and billions of people would starve or freeze to death. Is such a catastrophe really possible? Yes, scientists unanimously warn us, it depends only on the time.»
The threatening danger from space as described in the above reports unmistakably signifies that the cosmic catastrophe prophesied by the apostles and prophets - „Sun and moon will lose their light“ - will be ignited by the feared comet or asteroid collisions.
Effects of the First Six Bowls of WrathIn view of the expected catastrophic end of the world special significance is given to the before mentioned intermediate remark in the apocalypse (Rev. 16;15), according to which the return of Christ is expected to arrive in the period between the sixth and seventh bowl of wrath, therefore occurring already b e f o r e the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath.
For the Endtime community this message is connected to significant consequences; just as the Children of Israel - permitted to leave the country only after the tenth plague - had to endure all plagues that God had wrathfully imposed on Egypt, likewise the Endtime community will also face the consequences of the first six bowls of wrath (Rev. 16; 1-9) already before the return of Christ here on earth. Particularly global environmental and climate catastrophes essentially comparable to the Egyptian plagues have since the end of the seventies of the twentieth century occurred in a to date unknown accumulation of disastrous „century catastrophes“, so that we must assume that the pouring out of the first of the six bowls of wrath is already in full swing as the following events indicate:
«Then I heard a loud voice from the temple call to the seven angels: „Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on this earth!"
And the first angel came and poured out his bowl on the earth; then came terrible and malignant wounds to mankind that carried the sign of the beast and worshipped his image.
Rev.16 1-2.The «malignant and terrible wound» obviously chiefly points out to the immune deficiency «AIDS» initially in 1981 described as an independent disease, an acquired immune deficiency syndrome - a type of sexual epidemic that appeared unexpectedly and unprepared in our unrestrained, morally declined world after the so-called «sexual liberation» (Mt. 24;37
Due to failure of the immune system otherwise rather harmless infections can develop into severe infections, metabolism disturbances and cancer, particularly the generally infrequent Kaposi’s sarcoma, a type of skin cancer (= malignant tumour, visible as disfiguring boils and black ulcers, final stage AIDS
At first specially «homosexual and bisexual men» with frequently changing partners as well as «drug addicts» (by infected needles) were involved. But then also «ordinary unfaithful» for example wives and husbands infected themselves due to risky sexual practice.
In some US cities half of the HIV-positive derive from the section of couples (man-woman-love = heterosexual) (LN-Print, Luebeck 1988).
Difficult to estimate and even less comprehensible is the global development of the AIDS epidemic. World-wide presumably ten million people over half of them in Africa have been infected with the virus. In 145 countries on all continents the disease has already established itself. AIDS does not spare North American Indians nor Australian Aborigines. It affects people in Papua-New Guinea and on the Isle of Tonga as well as in Peru or Surinam. The estimated number of infected in Brazil is presumably one million, half a million in Mexico and in the Caribbean, 1.4 million in the USA. The virus is increasingly spreading in the slums of Third World countries and America (Stern 16/1989).
AIDS does not spare North American Indians nor Australian Aborigines. It affects people in Papua-New Guinea and on the Isle of Tonga as well as in Peru or Surinam. The estimated number of infected in Brazil is presumably one million, half a million in Mexico and in the Caribbean, 1.4 million in the USA. The virus is increasingly spreading in the slums of Third World countries and America (Stern 16/1989
«Aids in South-Africa out of control.The dpa, (German Press Agency) reported on 2000.10.05: Aids is the most horrifying epidemic since the plague according to leading scientist. Contrary to the general view the extent of the immune deficiency desease is nowadays increasing rather than decreasing , warns Prof. Robert Gallo, one of the discoverers of the Aids Virus, on Wednesday on the occasion of a public function in the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) in Berlin... "Aids is still very dynamic and unpredictable", said Gallo further. "Aids could even enter history books as the worst epidemic in the history of man. RKI-Direktor Prof. Reinhard Kurth in this year expects 4,5 to 5 million deaths due to Aids world-wide. This makes Aids together with malaria and tuberculosis one of the greatest killers of the infectious diseases ever.
The «deadly immune deficiency AIDS» occurring initially in the year 1979 and described in 1981 as an independent syndrome leads to the inevitable conclusion that the pouring out of the bowls of wrath commenced already in the year 1979 and therefore it is only a question of a few years until the last of the seven bowls of wrath will seal the fate of this world.
The North Sea is no longer able to combat the toxins emanating from one of the densest populated and strongest industrialised regions of the earth. Few decades have sufficed to turn the European sea into the greatest sewer of the world.
Many warnings to save the North Sea have been of no avail. Former animals of the sea were not rescued. At many places only jelly-fish are surviving in the polluted water. The North Sea is dying. The catastrophe predicted since 21 years has surfaced. The multitudinous species of earlier times has either disappeared, been displaced or suffocated. White sand 20 years ago; nowadays a carpet of seaweed that covers the bottom of the sea (FS-Globus „Nordsee“ of 26.6.88), (FS-Globus „North Sea“ of 26.6.88
«Alarm in Rome: The Mediterranean threatens to tip over. Devastating result of a scientific report of the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. The ecology group of the United Nations states why: 430 000 tons toxic sewage and garbage, 360 tons phosphates and 65 000 tons heavy metals are annually dumped into the Mediterranean. Additionally there is the sewage of private households and the agricultural fertilisers and pesticides ...“ (ADAC motorwelt 6/90), (ADAC motor world 6/90)
«And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the water springs then they changed into blood…» Rev.16; 4.
One third of the ground water in Germany is charged with pesticides according to reports of the environmental institute World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
In France the organisation indicated to the first mutual plant protection report of the countries. Accordingly, the rivers Rhine, Main and Weser are highly charged giving rise to great concern. Unpolluted drinking water provision is seriously threatened.
Agriculture is the greatest toxic catapult - in the true sense of the word. A Greenpeace study: „Industrialisation of agricultural production has lead to an unimaginable pollution of land and ground water with agricultural toxins". (Hoerzu-Edition 29/12.7.96
More than half the rivers world-wide are polluted according to a report of the World-Water-Commission.
Particularly highly polluted rivers according to the report are among others: the Yellow river in China, the Colorado in the USA, the Nile in Egypt and the Volga in Russia. (3sat Text of 30.11.99
«The World Health Organisation (WHO) has drawn a dismal picture five years after the ecological summit meeting in Rio. Air pollution has increased world-wide, the water quality has deteriorated and wasteland increased, said WHO member Kreisel in Geneva. Every fourth avoidable disease can be attributed to world-wide ecological destruction. Specifically affected are children in poor countries. Every fifth child in these countries dies before its fifth birthday as a result of deplorable environmental conditions»
Jelzin: «The bitter truth ». Russia is facing an ecological catastrophe. One sixth of the land is contaminated, three quarters of the population has to inhale heavily polluted air and half of the tap water is tremendously polluted. This was discovered by experts who produced a report for President Jelzin. (Sat. 1 of 9.10.1992)
„World-wide there are three billion people threatened by water scarcity. Each year 30 million people die of polluted water“. (ARD of 5.5.94)
«Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun; and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which has power over these plagues: and they did not repent to give him glory.»
- Rev. 16; 8-9.
«Since the seventies the ozone layer is disintegrating.
For 60 years the „miracle gas“ chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) has been used as propellant in spray cans, as coolant and for foaming of plastics. Nobody suspected how harmful the non-toxic, highly inflammable odour- and colourless „super chemical“ would be for the stratosphere. Already in the beginning of the seventies it must have - unnoticed - come to a disintegration of the ozone layer over the Antarctic. In 1985 scientists spoke of an ozone hole that was measured with the help of research balloons in Corona (Sweden). In 1987 in Montreal 46 countries agreed to cut down the CFC-production by half by the change of the millennium. The ozone hole continued growing freely - and over the Antarctic it is as large as North America (23 million sq. km).…So far scientists had detected the ozone hole only above the Antarctic. Now this protection shield is also torn above Europe. A hole measuring thousands of kilometres in diameter opens above our heads. The countries affected by this are Norway, Sweden, England, Denmark - and also Germany. Scientists have calculated that the ozone values have decreased by up to 45 percent in these areas. But a bombardment of life-threatening UV-B-Rays has increased to the same extent
Alarming news that induce scientists to make dismal predictions: „If the loss in ozone continues in the densely populated north, and if we are heading towards conditions prevalent in the Antarctic, then only God can help“, said Prof. Dr. Reinhard Zellner (51), owner of the chair for physical chemistry at the University of Essen and Manager of the German Ozone Research Programme. Frankly speaking: The catastrophe is only just beginning.
Experts have been warning about the consequences for years. The deadly UV-B-Rays from which the ozone layer protects us strike the earth with full force. They cause skin cancer to human beings, weaken the immune system and damage the eyes. They destroy protein structures, and impair plant growth. „This can extremely deteriorate our food supply world-wide“, says Zellner. Failed harvests of unsuspected magnitude threaten the world, famines are increasing dramatically. Furthermore, the UV-B-Rays stimulate the greenhouse effect changing our world climate. Radiation kills the plankton of the seas. Professor Zellner: „These tiny particles in the sea are globally the greatest destroyers of carbon dioxide (CO2). If the plankton of the sea dies, the CO2-content (emissions of industry and cars) increases excessively, poisoning mankind.
The result: The greenhouse effect changes our planet into a weather pandemonium. Mighty storms will ravage the earth. Increasing temperatures cause the poles to melt and the world seas to rise. Countries like the Netherlands, Pakistan and island states are threatened with destruction. Flat coastal areas like northern Germany will become uninhabitable…
Over 20 million tons of CFC have already been discharged into the atmosphere. In 30 kilometres altitude, in the stratosphere, the aggressive chlorine (bound as C in CFC) is beginning to destroy the ozone molecules. A single chlorine-atom can destroy many thousands of ozone molecules, dissolve the protective layer.
This layer will decrease dramatically within the next years, says Professor Zellner: „The ozone hole will grow, the maximum expanse has by far not been arrived at.“ The reason for this is obvious: „Scientists expect the densest chlorine concentration up there in approximately 2005“, says Professor Zellner. „The CFC’s take time to rise into the stratosphere, require between 10 and 30 years until they reach and become active.“ This indicates: Most of the ozone killers are still being expected in the stratosphere. (Bild of 1.9.96).
Some negative consequences due to the warming up of the earth atmosphere cannot no longer be prevented by any counter measure according to the environmental research institute Worldwatch: «It is already too late!», according to the latest Worldwatch-Report.
Carbon dioxide pollution of the atmosphere on its own has to date increased the earth temperature by 1 degree Celsius - sufficient to cause major global biological disturbances. Animals, plants, forests and moistlands are affected. (Sat.1-Text of 26.4.92)
Daily warnings: Killing heat-spells in America and southern Europe! Heavy storms in this area! Entire areas under water! Disastrous hurricanes! Rapid melting of polar ice! Ozone alarms are becoming more frequent - a result of the climate catastrophe
Devastation - hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes: Result of the climate change. The wind velocity around the globe has increased drastically and continues increasing. Hurricane Andrew that raged at a speed of more than 250 km per hour devastated Florida and the Bermudas on 24.8.1992. 20 billion Dollars worth of damage! Two million people had to escape. Dead and injured.
In China 1200 people drowned during a flood catastrophe on 7.7.1995. 26,000 people injured, over 900 000 houses destroyed.
The situation in Germany: From 1880 to 1977 the river Rhine rose above its banks four times. Since 1977 there are so-called „century tides“ about every two years.
Dryness - Deserts are developing in 99 countries of the earth threatening the existence of 900 million people - chiefly in the dry regions of Africa and Asia... In 20 years one third of the surface of the earth will be desert. (HOERZU - August 1995).
«Alarm signals from the Arctic: In vast areas of Alaska, North-West-Canada and Siberia the temperature is increasing. Entire areas are changing their face: Glaciers disappear, forests die, perma frost lands are melting. First responses of global climate change on account of the greenhouse effect?
…Meteorologists measure unusually high temperatures in Alaska - likewise in Canada’s north-west and in wide parts of Siberia - not only since this summer. Since 1960 the thermometer is climbing annually by up to 0.75 degrees Celsius per decade. Conservationists have been warning for a long time that the warming up of the Arctic exceeds three times that of the global temperature rise. „This corresponds exactly to exemplary calculations of climate researchers“, warns Kevin Jardine of Greenpeace Canada, „in the Arctic we observe the most dramatic impact of the greenhouse effect to this day. (DER SPIEGEL 34/1997)
The climate is tipping in the Antarctic! According to a ZDF (German Television)- Documentation (20.11.98) „Where the Icebergs are Melting“ the temperature on the Antarctic peninsula is rising twice as fast as on the rest of our planet. An ice floe of the size of half of Germany is falling apart. Sure sign of climate change! In the past 50 years the temperature has risen by 2.5 degrees compared to globally only 1 degree in the same period. 1 degree difference determines whether the ice remains ice or becomes sea again. Since 1945 shelf ice is receding by about 1 km per year. Suddenly today we observe 15 km as a result of the temperature increase. In five years half of the shelf ice will have melted. Researchers fear that the world seas will rise by six metres, if the ice fields continue to melt. If all the ice of the Antarctic melts, the sea levels will rise by 60 metres.
Warning: „Gigantic ozone hole over Russia:: Researchers have discovered the „greatest ozone hole in the history of mankind over Russia“ writes the newspaper „Obschtschaja Gasjeta“. It has a size of 15 million sq. km. Two thirds of the world’s largest country are thus almost unprotected from ultraviolet radiation.The centre of the ozone hole is located above the central Siberian polar sea city Tixi. The ozone layer here has vanished by 37%. In the west it already reaches the Kola peninsular at the border to Norway. (Sat.1 Text of 29.4.1998)
Climatic Zones Endangered? Global warming is leaving impressions. Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climatic Results Research recently discovered that the climatic zones have distinctly shifted since 1995, temperatures and rainfalls have regionally dramatically changed. What experts predicted for approximately 2050 has already appeared! Particularly effected are the semi-arid (half deserts) areas. Here rainfalls have become extremely scarce. In this way the deserts in Southern Africa are growing daily by about 100 sq.km. In the tundra areas of North America and Russia the perma-frost-land is melting. Europe is also affected - areas of the western Mediterranean in Spain, Italy, Greece. Changes are also becoming drastically evident in Germany (ARD-Globus, 29.11.2000)
Horrifying media reports impressively reveal that already four of the seven bowls of wrath have been poured out on the earth causing immeasurable damage and will continue to do so in the future. Three bowls are still to come! Contrary to the four first bowls of wrath these chiefly affect world politics. John reports:
«The fifth angel poured out his bowl onto the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened, and they bit their tongues in pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their wounds, and they did not repent of their deeds.»
Rev.16; 10-11
The beast on whose «throne the fifth bowl of wrath» was poured out is known to us from today’s analysis of history. It is identical with the «seven-headed beast» that John saw coming out of the sea. (Rev. 13)
Arising out of the «Sea of People» it appeared at first as the «League of Nations» after the First World War. Since the League of Nations did not fulfil mankind’s expectations «to maintain world peace» and 20 countries had withdrawn from the organisation it sank into the «abyss» when the Second World War broke out only to re-emerge as the «United Nations» at the end of the war.
Considering this explanation it should not be difficult to recognise the assembly of the United Nations in the «throne of the beast» - a world forum in which almost all countries of the world have a seat and a vote; naturally also the East European countries who have united to form the „Warsaw Pact“ under the lead of the USSR are now all likewise affected by the breakdown of the Soviet empire.
How concretely the historical predictions of the apocalypse have fulfilled themselves in the meantime due to the recent dramatic events in European history, how surprised the world forum of the UNO was by the exceedingly quick and completely unexpected development of global political events, and how the communist leaders of the former Eastern Bloc countries, whose empire was suddenly darkened, «bite their tongues in pain» on account of the radical changes are substantiated impressively by the following leading article in the daily press.
The Frankfurter Rundschau of 21.8.1989 states:
«The world will witness of one of the most dramatic course of events in contemporary European history. In a to date unimaginable speed a group of countries is falling apart that for decades considered itself as being a monolithic system in conformity with the natural law of the future: the «Eastern Bloc» or the «socialistic camp» is falling apart. Certainly it is not exaggerating to state that this downfall also signifies the end of the very ideology that was the only accepted creed in the empire of «real socialism.»
In the Sueddeutsche Zeitung of 21.9.1989: «An ideology resigns» Christian Schuetze writes:...
«...How must the members of the central committee of the Polish communist labour party have felt when they, grinding their teeth, after a long debate consented to Jaruzelski’s proposal that a Catholic public affairs commentator and prominent opponent of communism should henceforth lead the government....In the Republic of Poland the communist president new no other alternative but to propose a convinced Catholic as head of government
The departing of communist parties from their self-bestowed leadership roll has, in view of its failure in this role, gained dramatically in speed; it is irreversible. If sometime later we should recall what was the most important event in the second half of the 20th century, we will not remember the landing on the moon, but the decline of a militant ideology that once appeared to be close to conquering the world.»
Obviously the Western world has not been spared by the «fifth bowl of wrath» as „Stern“ author Heinrich Jaenecke expresses in his report of 2.2.1992: «Outcome of an exciting year»
«The changes slapping the world are unlimited. Nothing is as it was before, nothing will be the same tomorrow as it is today. To speak of a «crisis» would be glossing over: We are in the middle of a global change and nobody can predict where we are going and where it will end. Only one thing is certain: The wheel of development is turning with high speed and the speed continues to increase.
We believed then that what we experienced would be an end - the end of division, threat and confrontation, the end of an abnormality at least. But in reality it was a beginning: the beginning of a dissolution. The dissolution of structures and securities in which we lived and thought, they were without doubt uncomfortable securities, but at least they were securities. This is the irrevocable past. Division, threat and confrontation have remained only in another form. We have stepped into an era of disintegration. The epicentre of the quake is in the East. A drama is taking place in front of our eyes that has no equivalent in European history: the disintegration of an empire and its supporting ideology without exterior influence of violence, until now without interior rebellion, not in the course of generations or decades but in a single second of the world. As if struck by lightning something collapsed that presumed it was made forever, for the future of mankind - an implosion, that would affect the entire planet earth...
The dissolution of the greatest country of the world makes the winner shiver, because what else can develop from it but chaos and innumerable uncontrollable conflicts, not considering the destruction of world economy. America is shivering as it senses the symptoms of the dissolution itself.»
Now the second-last of the seven bowls of wrath «fulfilling God’s wrath» is following the fifth bowl of wrath darkening the „empire of evil“ and causing dramatic changes in the world. It was poured «into the great Euphrates river» starting the horrifying wars at the Gulf that were announced in advance by two trumpets (see annex 1a):
• Invasion of Kuwait by the fifth trumpet;
• The subsequent Gulf War by the sixth trumpet.
Invasion of Kuwait or the first woe.
«And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven onto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth; and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.» -
Rev.9;1-3.To replenish his cash balance that was depleted by the Iranian war, Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait, the wealthy neighbour and spiritual brother. For «five months» his whipped up soldiers terrorised the nation, completely looted the sheikhdom and turned the oil fields of Kuwait into a flaming inferno without reflecting on the catastrophic ecological consequences, so that for months «the smoke from the bottomless pit» polluted the air, the land and darkened the sun. (Rev.9;
21).John compares the exhausted invading army with a locust plague. Contrary to normal locusts, the «Iraqi locusts»
«who had been empowered like otherwise only scorpions on earth“, were entitled to, „harm neither the grass of the earth, nor all the green, nor the trees, but only humans that didn’t have God’s seal on their forehead.
Further they were instructed not to kill the people but to torture them for five months; and the torture should be equal to a scorpion stinging a human being.“ -
Rev.9; 4-5
The postulated time of «five months» precisely corresponds to the lifetime of normal locusts that entirely strip vast areas of crop during May to September.
It is fascinating to experience how Biblical prophecies fulfil themselves in history. As we can learn from the following invasion report not many lives were lost during the occupation of Kuwait, neither was there any damage done to the grass of the earth, nor to any green, nor to the trees. Only the people were gruesomely tortured by Saddam Hussein for a period of «five months».
«In the morning of the 2nd August at two o’clock when Iraqi tanks crossed the Kuwait border only two battalions were fully armed. These 24 tanks were fully equipped with tank destroying missiles, fragmentation bombs, machine gun ammunition, spare parts and fuel; the others with minimum load, and some even without any ammunition at all. This enabled the lightly loaded vehicles to approach Kuwait City with a speed of 80 km per hour leaving the heavily loaded tanks to break any resistance activities. There was no resistance! As expected the Kuwaiti armies did not meet with any resistance whatsoever at the border. It was only after the Iraqis reached Kuwait City that a few courageous defenders attempted to stop them. The result was disastrous. Neither the Kuwait air force nor the marine played any part. The best pilots of the air force (and there were not many of them) drove to the base and started their machines. Probably more inspired by intelligence than by heroism they flew to Saudi Arabia to prepare themselves for a conter-blow
The tiny marine of the country was not participating at all. They owned approximately twenty patrol boats that were used to protect Kuwait from smugglers (...) So the marine remained in the harbour, the air force flew away, and the army resisted merely symbolically, if at all. Everything went as the Iraqis had planned
Sheikh Fahd was the only hero in this matter. When the first Iraqis arrived he together with a few members of the guard stood on the top of the palace staircase to block the invadors’ path at gunpoint. One of the Iraqis shot him dead on passing by...
In the city itself very few individual attempts of bravery were to be noted. Some army units exhibited energetic resistance before they were mowed down by the superior fire force of the Iraqis. Seven hours later all was over. Kuwait was completely occupied by the invaders, the government disappeared, the armed resistance suspended, and the airport closed.“ („Saddam’s War“ Rowohlt Verlag GmbH, Reinbeck b. Hbg. 1991, p. 171-173).
In John’s report we can further read:
«In those days human beings will search for death, but unable to find it: they will yearn to die, but death will run away from them.»
- Rev. 9; 6.
Whosoever followed the terrible events in Kuwait knows what brutal terror the people were exposed to «for five months».
Particularly the North American and European citizens suffered from the psychological terror of Saddam Hussein. They were used as hostages and living protection shields for Iraqi chemical-, ammunition- and military bases and dragged from one strategic base to the next in a true odyssey. Those involved later explained: „Worst was the uncertainty. When will this waiting be over? You have a feeling as if they have forgotten you. How long will you still live? And for what?...“. A young man held hostage in the former GDR-Embassy warns the Germans at home (....) they should not overestimate the bearing capacity of the hostages. No matter whether they are locked in an apartment, in a hotel room or - abducted as „protection shield“ - at an isolated place. Some are about to lose control, he said, and with each day there will be more. „If we are still here at Christmas, there will be suicides.“ (stern)
Thanks finally to massive pressure of the world public and personal intervention of renowned politicians with Saddam Hussein for immediate release of all hostages, they were released and enabled to leave the crisis area before the Gulf War broke out.
The Gulf War or the Second Woe:
«The sixth angel sounded the trumpet; and I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar that is before God; saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet: Release the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
- Offb.9; 13-16.
And the four angels were released which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were many thousand times thousand; and I heard the number of them.»
While the first woe was limited to five months there is no such time limit for the second woe. But beginning and end of the second woe are defined by two very concrete historical events: It will begin with the outbreak of the Gulf War on the 17th Jan. 1991 - a time resolved by the UNO «exactly to the hour and the day and the month and the year» and it will end with a «great earthquake» that will shake the world to its foundations.
The duration of the second woe is not dependent on the end of the Gulf War, nor on the Near East crisis, but is chiefly determined by the activity of «two Endtime prophets» who will predict by divine order for «twelve-hundred and sixty days». Only after they have completed their testimony and have been «overcome in battle and slain by the beast that emerges from the abyss» the time has arrived for also the «second woe» to pass. (Rev.11).
According to the apocalypse many thousand times thousand (Luther) soldiers will partake in the «second woe»; from this we can conclude that there may be over two million, some Bible interpretations say even two hundred million soldiers.
The total strength of soldiers that participated in the Gulf War was approximately two million soldiers. But as the second woe is not yet completed with the end of the Gulf War particularly since the «two witnesses of God» have not openly emerged the approximate number of soldiers is difficult to enumerate.
This naturally also applies to the third part of mankind that will be killed by the fire during the second woe, and by the smoke and by the brimstone that will issue from the lion’s mouth of the crimson, yellow brimstone and jacinth blue war-tanks robed horses. (Rev.9
18).„In the last eight years according to a parliamentary report over 1.8 million people have lost their lives due to the Gulf War, the embargo and military criminal acts, almost one quarter of them being children under five years.
Approximately 430,000 children are victims of this politics according to the official broadcasting agency (INA) with reference to the Minister of Health, Umid Midhat Mubarak. Child mortality rose by four times since 1990. At that time 24 deaths were reported in 1000 births, today there are 98.
The Minister announced these figures on the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war on 17th January 1991.“ (3sat Text 17.1.99)
In the further course of the Apocalypse John furthermore envisioned that after the pouring out of the sixth bowl of wrath.
In Biblical times it was the Persian King Kyros who came from «where the sun rises». He dried up the Euphrates, conquered Babylon and freed the Jews after 70 years from „Babylonian imprisonment" (Ezra 1; Is.41;
25; 45;1; Jer.25;11-12; 29;10.According to the Nabonidus chronicle, Ugbaru, the governor of Gutium, and the army of Kyros entered Babylon without battle on the 16th day of the month of Tishri (12th October, 539 BC). As reported by Herodot (1.189-191) they had rediverted the Euphrates and, in a surprise attack, invaded the city along the dried up river bed. Seventeen days later Kyros himself entered the city and appointed Gubaru 3 as governor of Babylon and the region beyond the river.
After the digression into the History of Persia, we are faced with the difficult problem to find out who the counterpart of Kyros is, who in the time of the end symbolically dried up the Euphrates and «prepared the way of the kings of the East»? Certainly not an easy task, particularly as this can only be solved literally. In view of the dramatic changes in the world initiated by the sudden breakdown of the Eastern Bloc and their decisive importance for world history, only Michail Gorbachow, president of the USSR, can be the eligible «counterpart of Kyros»; as it does not matter how Kyros dried up the Euphrates and conquered the supposedly insuperable Babylon, likewise also Michail Gorbachow as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU „dried up the swamp of the Marxist-Leninist ideology“ that was also considered insuperable. In less than seven years in government he not only shattered Lenin’s state that terrorised Russia and its neighbouring countries for generations, conquered half of Europe and threatened the entire world, but through his politics of Glasnost and Perestroika and particularly on account of his non-intervention policy during the Kuwait crisis and the Gulf War, he initiated the chain reaction of liberation that swept over eastern Europe. In addition he liberated all citizens between Elbe and the Pacific Ocean from a monstrous Gulag. Dissolving the Warsaw Pact, he made it possible for the Eastern Bloc countries to shake off socialism and turn to a democratic government. (Der Spiegel)
As Kyros in his time returned freedom to the Jews after 70 years of Babylonian imprisonment, Gorbatchow by abolishing Lenin’s decree of „atheism by government law“ restored religious freedom not only to the Christians but to the entire Eastern Bloc after 70 years. On the XIXth Union Conference of the CPSU he explained: „I also wish to mention such an important subject as the freedom of conscience. It is given top priority today in view of the one-thousand-years old existence of Christianity in Russia. We do not conceal that we consider religious philosophy as non-materialistic and non-scientific. But this doesn’t justify contemptuous behaviour towards the religious world and the faithful, nor by any means using administrative pressure of any kind to enforce materialistic views. Lenin’s decree concerning the division of government and church as well as the division of school and church that was passed seventy years ago has provided a new basis for the relationship between them... All faithful independent of their religion are fully legitimate citizens of the USSR. („Michail Gorbatchow“ Gondrom Verlag, Bindlach 1989)
«And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and the mouth of the beast and the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of the devils, doing miracles and going out to the kings all over the world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God, the Almighty.»- Rev. 16;13-14.
After Gorbatchow, the counterpart of Kyros, has paved the way out of the socialistic camp for the Eastern Bloc population, and even the Gulf War was unable to diminish the hope for an end to the long lasting rivalry between East and West and the expectancy of an imminent new world order, George Bush as well as Michail Gorbatchow were optimistic in being able to establish out of their own absolute power the long yearned for everlasting peace and a new world order.
For the sake of a „new world order“, according to President George Bush at the opening of the Near East Conference in Madrid, the USA went to war in favour of the oil sheikhs of Kuwait against Iraq’s bloodthirsty aggressor Saddam Hussein.
In a report about the national situation George Bush emphasised on the 29th January 1991 that: „For the first time after the Second World War the international community is unified. The leading role of the United Nations, at one time merely a desired ideal, today confirms the vision of its founders... The world can therefore use this opportunity to realise the since long promised new world order".
During the summit meeting in Washington in May 1990 Michail Gorbatchow excitedly explained: „Today’s generation may witness the beginning of an irreversible era of peace in the history of civilisation.
Since the rulers of global politics are not able to recognise the bright light of the gospel, especially as the God of this world has blinded their senses (2 Cor. 4;4), their plan, characterised by scientific materialism, to create a new world order of peace and welfare without God and Christ is condemned to failure from the start according to the words of the psalmist: (2. Cor.4;
4).«Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, „Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us!"
He that sits in heaven shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then he shall speak in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure: „Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion"
I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to me, „You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel".
Be wise now therefore, you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Respect the Son that he may not be angry, and you may not perish on your path! as his wrath is kindled easily. Blessed are all that trust in him.».
- Psalm 2
Acknowledging the extensive information meanwhile collected on the basis of innumerable Biblical facts, it should certainly be of particular interest after the pouring out of the sixth bowl of wrath to extend our knowledge also to the development of Endtime events:
Following the comprehensive philosophical discussion between scientific materialism and Christianity - that lead to an incessant decline of world missions and a dramatic lapse from Christian faith particularly after the Second World War - we initially expect the return of Christ after the pouring out of the sixth bowl of wrath and the end of the greatest tribulation ever
«For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even as far as the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.» - Matth.24;
27-31.«And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war....and his name is called The Word of God...
And I saw the (seven-headed) beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that did miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of the fire burning with brimstone.And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse and that proceeded from his mouth. (Epheser 6; 16-17). - Rev. 19; 11-21.
Then Satan, after he and his angels had been thrust out of heaven down to the earth upon losing the battle will be tied for a thousand years and thrown into the abyss «that he may not deceive any more the heathen (nations) until after the completion of a thousand years»
«And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little while
» - Rev.20; 1-3.
Only after Satan has been tied and cast into the abyss for a thousand years, the first resurrection will occur:
«And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and they were given to judge: and I saw the souls of them those were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that had part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
- Rev. 20
According to everything that we have discovered, the following two groups will obviously partake in the «first resurrection»:
1. The martyrs under the altar (Rev.6;
9), those «that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God» who were given white robes and asked «to wait for a short while until also their fellow servants and their brothers, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled». Rev.6; 9-11; 20; 4.2. «Those that had not worshipped the beast, nor his image, nor received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands»
- Rev.20; 4.
The first group without doubt consists of these dead:
a) from Abel to John the Baptist those were slain for the word of God;
b) those were slain for the witness of Jesus since the time of Stephanus (Ap.7;
59) to the formation of the League of Nations.While there are hardly any doubts as far as the first group, «that was beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God» is concerned, it is slightly more difficult to obtain a picture of those «that did not worship the beast and his image». Concerned are predominantly Christians that neither believed in the deceitful slogans of their scientific materialists nor in the deceitful doctrines of the false prophets (Rev. 13; 11-18), and as reward for their unwavering persistence (Matth. 24; 13) were already prior to «the damaging of the earth, the sea and the trees, marked with the seal of the servants of God on their foreheads». (Rev. 7; 2-3
A parallel to the «sealing of the religious Israel that was redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ out of all kindred and tongues, out of all people and nations» (Rev. 5; 8-10) can by the way be found in the prophecy of Ezekiel in which a man dressed in linen was asked by God «to put a sign on the foreheads of all people in Jerusalem complaining about the atrocities happening among them» so that they may be saved from the subsequent judgement that God had imposed on Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 9).
The children of Israel that had painted the door posts of their houses with the «blood of the Lamb» before leaving Egypt were also under the protection of God and thus saved from the strike of the firstborn. (2. Mos. 12).
More illuminating details about the nature, extent and place of the resurrection of the dead can be obtained from various other Biblical reports transmitted by the apocalypse:
«Now I looked: and saw the Lamb standing on mount Scion and with him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father’s and His name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the one hundred and forty-four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever it goes. . These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits for God and for the Lamb and in their mouth no lies are found; they are without fault.
» - Rev. 14; 1-5.Obviously these „one hundred and forty-four thousand", «having the name of the Lamb and the name of his Father written on their foreheads» and singing a new song in front of the throne of God and the four beings and the elders“ are identical with the «sealed one hundred and forty-four thousand», that on earth had been sealed on their foreheads. (Rev. 7; 1-8
John saw not only the «one hundred and forty-four thousand, that had been redeemed from among men as firstfriuts for God and for the Lamb», stand in front of the throne of God, but in one of the earlier visions he speaks of a large crowd consisting of all nations and tribes, people and tongues, «that nobody could count» that also stood in front of the «Throne of God»:
«I saw a great number which nobody could count of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stand before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. They cried with loud voices: «The salvation is with our God who sits on the throne and with the Lamb!»
And one of the elders answered, saying to me, «Who are these that are dressed in white robes and where have they come from?». I answered him: «My Lord you know it». Then 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. Therefore are they before the throne of God», and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger and thirst no more, neither shall the sun burn them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.» - Rev. 7; 9-17.
This large crowd of all nations and tribes, people and tongues, «that cried with loud voices: The salvation is with our God, who is sitting on the throne, and with the Lamb!», obviously does not belong to the «sealed one hundred and forty-four thousand». But as they followed the call of God in due time and already «left the sinful Babylon during the tribulation and washed their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb», they will also partake in the «first resurrection» and «stand in front of the throne of God», that is at the «crystal (or glass) sea», that according to Revelation (4; 6) is in the vicinity of throne of God. John writes:
«And I saw something like a crystal (or glass) sea, mixed with fire, and I saw those that conquered the beast and his image and his name of number, stand by the crystal sea, with harps (in praise) of God in their hands. They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb with the words: «Great and wonderful are his deeds, Lord, Almighty God! just and true are his ways, you King of Nations! Who should not fear (you), Lord, and not praise your name? As you alone are holy. Yes, all people will come and worship you; as your judgements are revealed.» - Rev. 15; 1-4
The reference made to «the song of Moses» that the singers sang at the sea of glass is very revealing as it clearly makes a connection to the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt and certainly should also point out to the fact that the «first resurrection of the dead» is generally speaking comparable to the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt; because like Moses and the Israelites sang a song of victory in praise of the Lord after crossing the sea of reeds (2 Mos. 15) also the triumphant over the beast and his image will sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and also the song of the Lamb «at the sea of glass».
This striking resemblance between the singers at the sea of reeds and the singers at the sea of glass moreover reveals how «God’s nation» will reach the new world; just like Noah and his family reached the new world through the waters of the deluge, and the Israelites miraculously crossed the sea of reeds on their way into the holy land, the partakers of the first resurrection will also miraculously (1 Cor. 15; 50 ff.) overcome the primeval sea to the new world where they will reign as kings and priests together with Christ for a thousand years. (Rev. 20; 4):
«And when it took the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they (the saints) sung a new song, saying, your are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and we shall be kings on earth.» - Rev. 5; 8-10
The explanation: «we will be kings on earth», that is conveyed to us here in a slightly unusual manner by means of the «prayers of the saints» gives rise to the question on which earth they will reign as kings and priests of God and Christ for a thousand years together with Christ?
Obviously this question causes certain difficulties for the different religious communities depending on their faith. Some erroneously assume they would reign from heaven over this earth. Others, however, wrongly assume that they will reign as kings and priests here on a renewed earth. But after giving it some consideration, it should not be so difficult to find the right answer. Especially since Jesus has indirectly given us the answer himself. Before ascending to heaven he consoled his disciples as follows:
«I am leaving to prepare for you a place; and when I have gone and have prepared for you a place I will return and will take you with me that you may be where I am».
This statement that is utterly transparent clearly confirms that «the elected» will by no means have to wait in a remote place in some kind of atmosphere far away from this earth until paradise has been re-established. This opinion as advocated by the church contradicts the words of Jesus who exactly explained to his disciples immediately before he ascended to heaven that he is leaving to prepare a place and will return to take them with him, so that where he is they also will be. (Matth. 24; 31). Thus this place cannot be here on this earth but exclusively on the new earth, that - as we know - is identical with the «primeval earth» of the first day of creation. An absolutely logical conclusion; particularly since John envisioned that the holy city, a new Jerusalem, descended out of heaven from God onto this «new earth». Prepared as a bride adorned for her bridegroom, a city shaped like a cube whose enormous sides measure at least 2.200 km (more than the distance from Berlin to Moscow), equal in length, width and height; a city so large we can barely imagine it on this earth, especially as it is independent of the sun and the moon for light; for «night will be no more and a lamp is also not needed in this place»:
«And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, «Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.» And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and her light was like a the most precious stone, like a crystal clear jasper stone. And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And he that talked with me (the angel) had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. The city forms a square and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs (= 2.200 km); the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. (1 cubit is approx. 0.5 m). - (...) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb is its light. The nations shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And there shall in never enter anything that is impure, neither whatsoever works abomination or makes a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life...
And there shall be no more curse there; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever.
And he (the angel) said to me: „These words are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show to his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.» Rev. 21; 9-27; 22; 3-7.
John’s description plainly states that the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb pertain to the kings and priests of God and of Christ who constitute the „foundation“ of the new Jerusalem and will participate in the first resurrection. Whereas the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are certainly in lieu of those slain for the word of God prior to Christianity from Abel to John the Baptist. And the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, that are written on the twelve foundation stones of the wall of the new Jerusalem apply to those that suffered death for sake of the testimony of Jesus, as well as those who neither followed the fatal deceptions and lies of false prophets, nor trusted the deceitful promises of the political powers, but remained truthful in their faith in God and Christ until the end despite of all contestations.
Finally , what will the first resurrection look like? This is convincingly explained in detail in John’s first letter to the Corinthians:
«But some man will ask: «How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?»...It is sown a natural body, a spiritual body is raised. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.
And so it is written: «The first man, Adam, was made a living soul», the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. However, it was not the first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy, the second man (namely Christ) is of heavenly origin.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Christ).
Now this I say to you brothers that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I tell you a secret; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible body must put on incorruption, and this mortal body must put on immortality. So when this corruptible body shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal body immortality, then shall be fulfilled the saying that is written: «Death is swallowed up in victory: Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?» The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ» - 1 Cor. 15; 35-57.
The information given in the apocalypse is frequently very brief. Therefore great care must be taken when arranging all the described and partially simultaneously occurring incidents into an overall view of events.
When describing the first resurrection, John incidentally remarked that, «The other dead did not come to life again until a thousand years have passed». Certainly a very brief explanation but nevertheless of particular significance because it gives a clue as to what happened to all the other dead that have died since the beginning and had no chance to participate in the first resurrection; people that lived before and after the birth of Christ to whom the Gospel of the Kingdom of God had never been preached; or young children and minors that died under age and the psychologically handicapped that are unable to make any decisions or to understand the message of the Gospel. There must be billions of people that have populated the earth during thousands of years, that one thousand years after the first resurrection will be awakened to life again. John describes them as «nations at the four corners of the earth, whose number is like the sand at the ocean» and writes:
«When one thousand years have passed, Satan shall be freed from prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters (the ends) of the earth, the Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and encircled the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Then fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever»
- Rev. 20; 7-10.
Finally we are also informed about what to date appeared a big secret: From where do the numerous nations come from after the one thousand year long reign of Christ that are deceived by Satan and that he gathers to fight against the camp of the saints and the beloved city? Generally, it has been assumed that everything will occur on a renewed earth. A wrong conclusion which has only lead to unrealistic and diffuse interpretations.
According to John’s description the nations deceived by Satan moved to the breadth (plateau) of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But since according to our knowledge the new Jerusalem will descend from heaven to the «new earth» we logically have to assume that «the other dead, that will become alive again after a thousand years», will also experience their resurrection on the «new earth». Because where else could they, «whose number is as the sand of the sea», move to the breadth (plateau) of the earth and encircle the camp of the saints and the beloved city! Certainly not on our by far too small, old earth that was destroyed by fire, but only on the «new earth», the dimensions of which we cannot even imagine.
John’s report doesn’t give a clue whether the total number of those people that will become alive after a thousand years will let themselves be deceived by Satan or whether there is a group among them that in view of the paradise (Matth. 8; 10-12; Luke. 13; 28-29) refuse to follow Satan. As the case may be; it is absolutely certain that those that become alive again after a thousand years and follow Satan will be consumed by the fire out of heaven.
One question remains unanswered: Will the deceived finally partake in the Last Judgement? Presumably all the dead, of whom is said, that they will not become alive again until a thousand years have passed, will appear before the Last Judgement, but with the exception of those that already partook in the first resurrection and over which the other death has no power.
It is now that all people will be judged according to their deeds. Among them presumably also the dead that were deceived by Satan and consumed by the fire.
And whoever is not listed in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, in the second death, in which already dwell the devil, death and hell, as well as the seven-headed beast and the false prophet.
Und wer nicht im Buch des Lebens verzeichnet ist, wird in den Feuersee geworfen, in den zweiten Tot, in dem sich dann bereits der Teufel, der Tod und das Totenreich befinden, sowie das siebenkOepfige Tier und der Luegenprophet.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were all judged according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the sea of fire.
This is the second death, the sea of fire; and who was not found written in the book of life was cast into the sea of fire. Rev. 20; 11-15;
Those written in the book of life will, after the Last Judgement, live for ever on the new earth, in paradise:
«And John saw no temple in the holy city of Jerusalem: for the Lord God Almighty is their temple and (also) the Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. And its gates shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall never enter into it anything impure and nobody that abominates or lies, but only those which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. On either side of the river half way between it and the streets of the city stood trees of life bearing twelve types of fruits and yielding fruits every month; and the leaves of the trees heal the nations». Rev. 21; 22-27; 22; 1-4
C O N C L U S I O N «Then I saw another angel flying high above in the midst of heaven who had to truthfully announce Christ’s everlasting message to all people on earth, and all tribes, tongues and nations. And he exclaimed with a loud voice: Fear God and worship Him! As the hour of his Judgement has come; And worship him, who has created heaven and earth, the sea and the water springs!
· · · · ·
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25 J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.1, S.208 und 210, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung Wachtturm
Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)
26 "Dann ist das Geheimnis Gottes vollendet" S.317, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1970
27 "Die Offenbarung - Ihr großartiger Hoehepunkt ist nahe!" S.167 und 169,
Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1988
28 "Babylon die Grosse ist gefallen!", S.454/455, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1965
29 "Dein Koenigreich komme", Anhang S.188/189, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1981
30 DIE BIBEL, Copyright © 1975 bei Andreas & Andreas, Verlagsbuchhandel, Salzburg (S.418/419)
31 Die erste Schoepfung - Noah, Jakob Kroeker, © 1958 by Brunnen-Verlag, Giessen (S.45 u. 50)
32 Juedischer Glaube, Herausgeber Kurt Wilhelm, C.A. Koch's Verlag Nachf., Darmstadt (S.233/234)
33 PM-Magazin, Heft 5/1980
34 Steven Weinberg "Die ersten drei Minuten" © R.Piper & Co. Verlag, Muenchen 1977, (S.24)
35 Steven Weinberg "Die ersten drei Minuten" © R.Piper & Co. Verlag, Muenchen 1977, (S.55/56)
36 Ideen des exakten Wissens, Heft 11/1968 (S.15)
37 Steven Weinberg "Die ersten drei Minuten" © R.Piper & Co. Verlag, Muenchen 1977, (S.152)
38 Peter v.d. Osten-Sacken "Die neue Kosmologie", 2. Auflage 1976 Copyright © 1974
by Econ Verlag GmbH, Duesseldorf und Wien (S284/285)
BUECHERVERZEICHNIS:
• Cambridge Enzyklopaedie der Astronomie, Bertelsmann Lexikon-Verlag, Guetersloh 1978.
• "Daniel Staatsmann und Prophet", Brunnen-Verlag, Giessen 1967, 4. Auflage, Jakob Kroeker.
• Das Bertelsmann Bildungsbuch, C. Bertelsmann Verlag, Guetersloh 1956/58, 7. Auflage.
• Das Grosse Duden-Lexikon, Bibliographisches Institut AG, Mannheim 1969, 2. Auflage.
• "Das lmperium der Paepste", Werner Classen Verlag, Zuerich 1977, Hans Kuehner.
• "Der Katholizismus" aus: "Die grossen Religionen der Welt", 10 Baende, 1973
Deutsche Uebersetzung, Edito-Service S.A., Genf, George Brantl.
• Der Neue Brockhaus, 1958/59 F.A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden, 3. Auflage. 1973/75
F.A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden, 5. Auflage.
• "Die Erben Roms" , Econ Verlag GMBH, Duesseldorf-Wien 1967, Lizenzausgabe, Rudolf Poertner.
• "Die Kirche lebt - Der Weg der Christen durch zwei Jahrtausende", Oncken Verlag,
Wuppertal u. Kassel 1978, 3. Auflage, Guenther S. Wegener.
•
Dr. Gerhard Maier, "Der Prophet Daniel", Wuppertaler Studienbibel© 1982 R. Brockhaus Verlag Wuppertal)
• "2000 Jahre Christentum", Lizenzausgabe 1983, Manfred Pawlak
Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Herrsching,
• "Kosmos plus minus", Ehrenwirth-Verlag, Muenchen 1971, Peter von der Osten-Sacken.
• Lexikon zur Bibel , R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal 1960, 2. Aufl. der Volksausgabe 1973
• Meyers Enzyklopaedisches Lexikon , Bibliographisches Institut AG, Mannheim 1971/79, 9. Auflage.
• Meyers Grosses Konversations-Lexikon, Leipzig und Wien 1902/O9,
Bibliographisches Institut, 6. Auflage.
• Neues Grosses Volkslexikon, Fackelverlag G. Bowitz GMBH, Stuttgart 1979
• Reader's Digest Universallexikon, Verlag Das Beste GMBH, Stuttgart-Zuerich-Wien.
• "Realienbuch fuer den Arbeitsunterricht", Ausgabe A, Nr. 101, L.Kahnmeyer u. H. Schulze.
• Die Bibel, Andreas Verlag, Salzburg 1976, Hrsg. Sr. Dr. M. Prager OSB/
Univ.-Doz. Dr. G. Stemberger.
A P P E N D I X 1
In the Book „The Church Lives - The Path of Christians in Two Thousand Years“ (pp. 66) -Guenther S. Wegener illuminates the historical background responsible for the extremely abominable and shameful history of evolution of the blasphemous „Trinity Doctrine:
«…This entirely changed position of the church is reflected very clearly in the differences in thought concerning Christ in the so-called Aryan war. ...The differences have become more serious, resistance has grown. The waves of excitement reach far into the West. The church is again in danger of being split. This time the chief question concerns Christ.
To top it all a third party emerged between the Aryans and the followers of Athanasius. They were soon labelled „the orthodox“. This party is situated in the middle but slightly closer to Arius and is based essentially on the ideas of Origenes. Its leader is the before mentioned Eusebius, and this party is by far in the majority within a short time.
These things do not for long remain unnoticed by the emperor and make him immensely uneasy. For him a divided and arguing church is of no use. To attain his goals he requires a unified, strong church that supports him. So he considers it the right time to intervene. He calls for a synod. It is the first of the so-called emperor synods. They were to remain a determining element for the fate of the church during the first eight hundred years. As venue for the synod Constantine chooses his own palace in Nicaa in Bithynia. It is the year 325.
A surprised world witnesses a brilliant spectacle: Over 250 bishops go on a journey paid for by the government. They reside in Nicaa and assemble in the palace of the emperor. Then followed the most extraordinary thing: The emperor himself in splendid vestments displaying all the lustre and glory of his regiment assumes chairmanship. Anybody who questions the outcome of the synod in view of this radiant appearance is to be pitied: This synod will decide according to the emperor’s commands. And it certainly does.
By the way, Constantine displays admirable patience and serenity despite the unpleasant things happening behind the scenes. The pious gentlemen are not too shy to deviously slip all kinds of papers and letters to the emperor in which they with all their might slander their opponents. But Constantine demonstrates that he is a great monarch: He has the defamatory letters burnt without uttering a single word.
Since the followers of Eusebius, that is the before mentioned „middle party“, constitute the majority, the tip of the scales started tilting seriously towards Arius during the synod. The emperor for whatever reasons is not fond of this development and puts his foot down: Athanasius is right! And that’s it…
The situation is not quite as easy as Constantine thought it would be for him to settle religious controversies. By merely exiling Arius the disagreements are by no means resolved. On the contrary his followers continue to fight even more fiercely. With all possible diplomatic wit they stick behind the seriously ill Constantia, the emperor’s sister. They actually achieve a resumption of the proceedings and this time a new synod is called up after Tyrus. Now the entire dubiousness of the emperor synods is revealed: This time Constantine decides in exactly the opposite way, the same procedure as in Nicaa takes place, only this time with reversed signs. This time Athanasius is exiled and Arius is reinstalled in his office with all honours. Of course Arius is not supposed to enjoy this unexpected favour of the emperor any more. He is nevertheless invited to the palace once and is most graciously accepted but, back on the road, he breaks down showing all signs of poisoning and dies in a public convenience. Details about the background of this sudden death are unknown. Perhaps one of the emperor’s officers believed that this was the quickest way to solve religious questions?
In short, the circumstances of these two synods are shameful examples of the methods with which serious theological questions were to be tackled. During both councils the most detestable methods were employed: slander, false testimony, unfair charge, intrigue, dismissal, exile, murder. All this is used as offensive means by Christian bishops that court the emperor’s favour. Arius spends the majority of his time in office in exile. Athanasius is also exiled from his native place totally five times.
These events are all the more distressing, since the Aryan controversy is in fact the central element of Christian doctrine and Christian confession. The impression arises as if one wanted to solve questions with courtly intrigue and brutal authority that on the contrary should have been resolved in stillness and spiritual concentration by listening to the testimony of the bible. Around the middle of the fourth century it appeared as if Aryanism would finally become the faith of the Catholic church. Only in the year 381 the last decision is made, this time under emperor Theodosius in Constantinople, and this time irrevocably in favour of Athanasius and with this of the Nicaanean faith. The plots hatched in the meantime and the mean violence practised is so disgusting that one gladly abstains from wanting to know any details. Noteworthy is merely that Aryanism prevails for a long time after the synod of Constantinople in particular under the East Germanic.»
A P P E N D I X 1a
The pouring out of the bowls of wrath by seven angels. Rev. 15; 1-16; 21*) The sequence of the bowls of wrath runs exactly parallel to the sequence of the trumpets. Initially John again envisions a prelude in heaven, and after a transition uninterruptedly the first six visions of the Judgement and after an intervention the seventh Judgement. Apart from this similar set-up the key-words in the sequences are also strikingly identical and are space-printed in the following table:
|
Visions of the Trumpets 8,2 Introduction to the angels of the trumpets. 8,3-5 Prelude in heaven: Relation of the angels of the trumpets. 8,6 Transition to the visions of the trumpets. 8,7 First trumpet: Hail and fire are cast 8,8-9 Second trumpet: A thirds of
8,10-11 Third trumpet: A third of
8, 12 Fourth trumpet: One third of the s u n
9,1-12 Fifth trumpet: Locusts
9,13-21 Sixth trumpet: The four angels
10,1-11,14 Connection: The communities
11,15-19 Seventh trumpet: l i g h t n i n g s,
12,1-14, 20 Appendices. |
Visions of the Bowls 15,1 Introduction to the angels of the bowls. 15,2-8 Prelude in heaven: Relation of the angels
16,1 Transition to the visions of the bowls. 16,2 First bowl: It is being poured out
16,3 Second bowl: The s e a
16,4 Third bowl: r i v e r s a n d
16,8-9 Fourth bowl: The s u n scorch the people
16,10-11 Fourth bowl: The kingdom of the beast
16,12-14, 16 Sixth bowl: Is poured out on
16,15 Interruption to the community
16,17-21 Seventh bowl: L i g h t n i n g s,
17,1-22,5 Appendices |
*) Source: «The Revelation of John second part, explained by Adolf Pohl, Wuppertaler Studienbibel, R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal, p. 170»
© Helmut Seeger