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Conspiracy Prophecy (not theory)

by Phil Maxwell, September 2004
Updated: Sunday, 13 July 2008

Who are the 10 Conspirators?

 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. " 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly. 7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 "The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. 9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, 10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11 "And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. 12 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 "These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." 15 And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. 17 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled. 18 "And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." - Rev 17 NASB

Overview of Events

The Rise of Babylon

A single nation rises to global preeminence through economic prosperity, military might, and the political influence inherent in these.  Called "Babylon" in Scripture, relates to modern United States of America, especially late 20th century and on.

The Shaggy Goat with a Bad Attitude

A leader of Babylon arises with a vengeance provoked by the hostile acts of "Persian" enemies -- 9/11 attacks and the ensuing U.S. aggressions in the War on Terror, as its been dubbed.

Swiftly deposes two Persian governments, but at the time he reaches a particular pinnacle of power marked by notable boasting he is suddenly deposed in conjunction with the sudden devastating fiery attack covertly accomplished by the 10 conspirators who assume power in his place.

The End is Not Yet

The cataclysmic fall of America shakes the world's political and economic order to the brink of collapse, but the 10 conspirators have a plan:  In the absence of working federal executive and legislative branches of the government, they will serve as a collective ruling council, or oligarchy, according to already existing federal emergency plans.  Though the whole world will assume America's time as the only remaining "superpower" is finished, they are to be proven wrong in the months that follow.  The New America will be leaner, meaner, and hungry for vengeance.  (Think post WWI, pre WWII Germany...)

The conspirators' plans are far reaching, for they intend to present their "messiah" as God's anointed "man of the hour" for a beleaguered, broken, and angry nation -- just like Hitler.  But first, for the sake of restoring and maintaining order, federal services will be administrated through four regional authorities, one of which will probably be headed by the beast-man or antichrist himself.  Instability will prevail as conflicts between and within various authorities ensue.

Coronation of the Wrong King

Out of this mayhem, the antichrist will be presented as the great re-unifier, the one who can get the job done and restore America's greatness.  He will prevail over the resistance of three of the four regional authorities and take his seat over his 10 faithful disciples, probably by virtue of a general election.  Could go otherwise in ways, but end virtually the same.

Uncrowned horns

 ...I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.  ...12 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 "These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast.  (Rev 17:3, 12-13)

A key to following the timeline of events predicted in Revelation is the horns, particularly their crowning.  At this point, they are in position to be crowned with authority (over people), but are still political subject to Babylon (the collective will of a democratic republic), which they despise.  Later, when the beast rises after the undoing of the harlot, they are in the same position as horns on the beast, though then crowned with the authority guaranteed as a consequence of their covert coup d'état.  (Rev 13:1ff) 

For identification purposes, the point is that before the harlot suffers her fiery demise at their hands, they are the 10 horns on the beastly nation she governs, not just notable leaders; they represent a complete class of their own at the upper echelons of government.  In other times and cultures we might say they are princes serving a queen, but now they would be much more aptly compared to (or identified as) the president's cabinet, the ones tasked with executing the ruling electorate's will.  

Alternately, though not necessarily in contrast, the highly secret federal emergency "Shadow Government" plans to maintain the continuity of government in the event of a "decapitation" of the constitutionally elected and appointed framework.  These plans, which have been maintained, drilled, and even implemented at least once (in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks), potentially place both elected and unelected government officials and even civilians in key roles necessary in the event of a national catastrophe that disables the federal government.  Interestingly, the current first and fourth in the constitutional line of presidential succession -- Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- have both been involved in this program since its inception decades ago. 

In view of other popular theories, it should be noted that these 10 political leaders arise from the national entity ruled by the harlot, who they reluctantly serve and are both determined and destined to violently overthrow.  Thus, if they are European leaders, Europe must be Babylon; if they are Islamic terrorists, then their domain must be Babylon, etc.   Of course, it is common knowledge that the United States is the only remaining "superpower" in the world and otherwise uniquely fits the bill of Babylon the harlot, too, so I won't give much attention to such misguided theories. (See Red, White, and Blue Babylon.)

Merchants of the Earth

"...and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." - Rev 18:23-24

"Pass over to Tarshish; Wail, O inhabitants of the coastland.  Is this your jubilant city, Whose origin is from antiquity, Whose feet used to carry her to colonize distant places?  Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? The LORD of hosts has planned it to defile the pride of all beauty, to despise all the honored of the earth." - Isa 23:6-9 NASB

Before proceeding, the phrase "your merchants were the great men of the earth" merits closer scrutiny.  First, for the sake of communication, the term 'businessmen' is probably better than 'merchant', as several translations (e.g. TEV, AMP, TLB) render the term, though not necessarily at the exclusion of women.  Secondly, the term "the great men of the earth" is probably better rendered with "princes" rather than "great men", as the English Revised Version does, but either way, the Greek is prefaced with the definitive article 'ho', indicating that the reference is not just to 'great men', but the great men of the earth, an exclusive class.  Other translations bring this out more clearly, like the TEV, which says, "your businessmen were the most powerful in all the world." 

These are businessmen of international stature turned politician, which is very interesting in the light of President Bush's new second-term cabinet, which is loaded from top to bottom with exactly such people, including more second-term replacements than ever before.  A recent television biography of President George W. Bush characterized his unsuccessful bid for Congress as a rebellion against the traditional path to politics amongst members of his elite social sphere:  They are expected to succeed in business first, and then enter into politics, which seems to be a pattern emulated by most of Bush's closest advisors (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Snow, etc.).

Obviously, these are the ones God holds accountable for the sins of Babylon, which through the seduction of wealth and force of arms entices world leaders and people around the world to enjoin her evil works.  There can be little doubt that this summation of Babylon's final judgment refers most directly to the 10 conspirators represented first as the leaders and then the crowned rulers of the beast under Babylon's control.  (The other two notables involved, the antichrist or beast himself and his "Aaron," the false prophet, are individually judged separately.)

The implications of this seem rather profound with regard to narrowing down the list of suspected conspiracy, especially since we know there are only 10 people at the top level of the conspiracy to nearly destroy their own nation, Babylon-America, and all of them are in high level executive positions prior to her demise, and have strong business backgrounds and/or connections.  Pending further investigation, narrowing the field of candidates down to a small group should be fairly easy.

See: Center Releases Report on Bush's Top Appointees

Malevolent Servants of Babylon

"And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire." - Rev 17:16 NASB

While recognizing that many consider the identity of the Babylon of Revelation arguable, I don't, though I won't digress on the point here.  (See America Burning.)  Regardless, at the beginning of John's vision of the harlot in chapter 17, God has raised this nation to be the pre-eminent political and economic power in the world, and her executive power is wielded by 10 businessmen-turned-politician who truly despise the fact of her power over them and intend to depose her with great violence.

These are conspirators whose outward appearance is that of faithful civil servants belies their true intentions.  Yet, they are quite loyal and committed individuals, just not to the ideals of a democracy governed at the peoples' behest.    

In any event, the point here is that these high-level corporate spawn-civil servants could well reveal their contempt for American democracy in various ways, particularly in cases where the will of the people and their representatives interferes with their own far-reaching plans.  Examples that come to mind include the lies and half-truths used to sell the Iraq War to the American people, probable election-fraud in both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, and the unanswered questions about the bulge in the President's back during the first critical debate between him and John Kerry in the last.  Add to that the fact that the administration aggressively courted the so-called "Christian Right" that is credited mostly for both his presidential election victories, but has completely abandoned fighting the abortion industry and, apparently, the frivolous "Marriage Protection" amendment.

The present administration clearly values the will of the people greatly, but only to the extent that pandering to it furthers their own agenda, which I contend is likely far more insidious and anti-American than anything envisioned by Usama Bin Laden.  Their works certainly leave a lot of room for doubt about their commitment to the traditional American way of government, even to the extent that they may be as opposed to American democracy as those fighting with their lives resisting its imposition in distant lands.

Unwitting Servants of God

"For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled."  - Rev 17:16 NASB

God isn't too pleased with the people's manner of governing themselves, either, though for different reasons: They want power, God wants righteousness, and the harlot is in the way of both.  Like ancient Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, these are not godly men, but they are Yahweh's "servants," as he was often called in Jeremiah's prophecies.

Loyal Servants of the Counterfeit Messiah

"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined."   - Dan 9:26 NASB

Even if unconsciously, these people are servants of the "prince who is to come" before they unleash the devastating fiery attack against their homeland.  As indicated by even President George H. W. Bush with his taunting public comment challenging doubters not to "bet against Arnold Schwarzenegger" and other loyal devotees, these people are as dedicated to their cause with as much religious fervor as America's terrorist-enemies.

They are united by their common purpose of deposing Babylon's authority (suspension of the U.S. Constitution), setting themselves up as an oligarchy or ruling council in place of the existing federal government, and ultimately thrusting their Messiah-king (or president) into power with them as his "princes".  Their willingness to sacrifice "their kingdom" epitomizes both the depth of their commitment and their wickedness.

Consent of the People

I'll try to develop this point more later, but the rise of the antichrist will be according to the law, which is a reflection of the collective will of the people (the harlot).  In fact, with the exception of the relative handful of overcomers who aren't deceived, he will be universally lauded as a savior of sorts.   This standard has been set throughout time, being directly analogous to the anointment of Saul over ancient Israel, Adam in the garden, and other cases.  The strength of sin remains rooted in the law, and the man of sin will thereby ascend...the democratic way, by the consent of the governed.

The importance of this point goes to the legal status of elected and appointed officials in the event of a national crisis (which is a certainty), because the demise of Babylon will thrust them into a new role of governance over the people either directly or indirectly by consent, which could simply mean according to established "legal" frameworks enacted by the elected harlot government.

Notes

• No reason to directly associate 10 horns with any of 7 heads.
• They do relate directly to the 4th beast of the 4 arising in the shaggy goat's place, indicating that the other three are in competition and, thus, the 3 horns subdued by the little horn.  The country, having been parsed into four somewhat competing regions during an extended state of emergency, reunites under the leader of the fourth, probably duly elected as president of the Reunited States of America for a 42 month term; term probably set as a temporary measure leading to a general election restoring Congress or some sort of representative legislature.
• 10 rule with antichrist during hour of temptation (42 mos.), so they are not the horns uprooted by the little horn in Daniel; must refer to the four immediately following goat's fall or 3 others besides the 10.

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Probable Candidates

1. Vice President Dick Cheney - Next in line to presidency; Government appointments in 4 administrations, former Wyoming congressman, former Haliburton CEO; net worth approx. $70 million.
2. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - 6th in line to presidency; Government appointments spanning decades, former congressman, former CEO of pharmaceuticals giant G.D. Searle and high tech communications General Instrument Corp., former Chairman Gilead Science; net worth approx. $134 million.
3. Treasury Secretary John Snow - 5th in line to presidency; former CEO of railroad giant CSX; net worth approx. $100 million.
4. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman - 13th in line to presidency (15th except for 2 ineligible secretaries preceding him in line of succession); former CEO Fidelity Investments, Cabot Corp.; approx. net worth $164 million.
    

Health & Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt - 10th in line to presidency; founder of prosperous family insurance company; former Utah Governor until appointed, former EPA director; reported net worth between $5 - 25 million.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - 4th in line to presidency; close personal friend to Bush and family.  Formerly provost of Stanford Univ, but no known executive business experience.  Has served on numerous corporate and high level private boards, though, including oil conglomerate, Chevron, which even named an oil tanker after her.  Also served on boards for Charles Schwab, Notre Dame, JP Morgan Intl Advisory Committee, Transamerica, Hewlett Packard, Carnegie Corp, Rand Corp, and others.  Personal wealth reportedly well below $2 million.

According to a report in the March 5 edition of the New York Times, “Carlyle has ownership stakes in 164 companies which last year employed more than 70,000 people and generated $16 billion in revenues. About 450 institutions—mainly large pension funds and banks—are Carlyle investors..." The Carlyle Group: ex-government officials cash in @ http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/may2001/carl-m16.shtml (2/19/2005)

Bush, for his part, said Schwarzenegger will be "a fine and strong leader'' for California. The president also joked about how much he and the governor-elect have in common."  - Schwarzenegger, Bush hit it off in first official meeting / Plenty of jokes, but no requests for U.S. aid or promises of help (10/17/2003) - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/10/17/MNGK72DHQL1.DTL  (02/20/2005)

The presidential campaign season typically finds governors rushing to the side of their party's president, cozying up to the glamour of motorcades, wealthy donors and rapt supporters. But with his own movie-star allure and significant political disputes with Bush, Schwarzenegger has kept the president notably at arm's length.

... Even though he is an honorary co-chairman of Bush's reelection campaign, Schwarzenegger rarely comments on the president's performance.

...It is also clear that Schwarzenegger sees himself as a different type of Republican than Bush. Asked recently whether Bush is a good political fit for California, the governor replied elliptically: "If George Bush was living in California, as he did in Texas, he would understand Californians very well, so he knows what he needs to do and what kind of philosophy he needs to have to win."

In March, when Bush visited Los Angeles and Bakersfield for campaign events, Schwarzenegger was a no-show, except for attending a private fundraiser. After devastating wildfires swept Southern California late last fall, Bush met with the governor-elect but then toured the damaged area alone, leaving Schwarzenegger and then-Gov. Gray Davis behind.

More recently, Schwarzenegger traveled to the Middle East, met with the Israeli prime minister, dined with the king of Jordan and greeted cheering U.S. troops in Germany. He was acting like a president himself, and cable news interrupted its coverage of Bush's campaign to cover Schwarzenegger.

..."All Arnold would have to do is say the president is doing a fantastic job and he would swing a whole bunch of voters," said Michael Blitz, author of "Why Arnold Matters," a book about Schwarzenegger's cultural influence. "The fact that he hasn't done that is fascinating."

..."Schwarzenegger may not be able to carry the state for the president, but he gives Bush entree with voters who may not vote for him," said Dan Schnur, a Republican consultant who worked for the 2000 presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain of Arizona.  "Schwarzenegger and his team just put together the first winning Republican campaign in California in a decade, but you don't see any evidence of their involvement in the president's reelection," Schnur said.

...State Sen. Jim Brulte (R-Rancho Cucamonga), who is close to the Bush administration and Schwarzenegger, said that when he saw Bush and the governor together in October, "they seemed to be having a pretty good time."  But he said Schwarzenegger also knows how to negotiate and get what he wants. "Having been a party to a number of negotiations with him and the Democrats, he doesn't expose his hand to anybody," he said.

...In his requests, Schwarzenegger has sent a blunt message to the president: If you want the support of Californians in November, then pay up. Californians would "very much appreciate" federal help, he recently told The Times, and "that will weigh heavily on election day."

...Although Schwarzenegger regularly attends fundraisers for state Republican candidates, he has been reserved about those he publicly embraces. Schwarzenegger made three endorsements during the March Republican primary — Assemblyman John Campbell of Irvine, U.S. Senate candidate Bill Jones and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach. All three candidates won by large margins.  In each case, Schwarzenegger seemed to have made his decision out of loyalty. All three had been early supporters of his campaign for governor. "In the end, there is a personal relationship and a trust and, if that is there, that is what he relies on," Campbell said.

Bush, on the other hand, remained neutral during California's recall, offering only vague support for Schwarzenegger by saying he would make a "good" governor. Most of the Republican political establishment in California had supported Schwarzenegger. 

Schwarzenegger is close to Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush. The senior Bush invited Schwarzenegger to Camp David and appointed him chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, allowing Schwarzenegger to travel the country with the imprimatur of the White House.

When it comes to the current president, however, Schwarzenegger may be closer personally to his likely challenger. They have disparate friends in common. Documentary producer George Butler said Kerry gave Schwarzenegger advice on financing "Pumping Iron," the 1977 film that launched Schwarzenegger into stardom in America.  Butler, a friend of Kerry, is now producing a documentary, "Tour of Duty," about the Democratic candidate.

Kerry and Schwarzenegger own vacation lodges in Sun Valley, Idaho. On a visit to Sacramento, Kerry noted his family's longtime relationship with the Schwarzenegger and Kennedy families. Schwarzenegger regularly gets advice from Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who is the uncle of his wife, Maria Shriver.  In Sacramento, Kerry met for a drink with Shriver at the Esquire Grill. He did not meet with the governor, however, and Shriver later said she would not campaign for Kerry even though she is a Democrat. - "Gov. Keeps Distance From Bush Campaign"  By Robert Salladay, LA Times Staff Writer; Gov. Keeps Distance From Bush Campaign (05/17/2004) @ http://www.latimes.com/la-me-busharnold17may17,1,4210278.story?ctrack=1&cset=true (02/20/2005)

Related Bible Passages

Rev 13:1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. NASB

Rev 18:23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." NASB

Isa 23:6 Pass over to Tarshish; Wail, O inhabitants of the coastland. 7 Is this your jubilant city, Whose origin is from antiquity, Whose feet used to carry her to colonize distant places? 8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? 9 The LORD of hosts has planned it to defile the pride of all beauty, To despise all the honored of the earth. NASB

Ezek 27:12 "Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they paid for your wares. 13 "Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise. 14 "Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares. 15 "The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment. 16 "Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. 17 "Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil, and balm they paid for your merchandise. 18 "Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool. 19 "Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise. 20 "Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 "Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams, and goats; for these they were your customers. 22 "The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices, and with all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 "Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 "They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors, and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise. 25 "The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise.  And you were filled and were very glorious In the heart of the seas.

26 "Your rowers have brought you Into great waters; The east wind has broken you In the heart of the seas. 27 "Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors, and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise, And all your men of war who are in you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your overthrow. 28 "At the sound of the cry of your pilots The pasture lands will shake. 29 "And all who handle the oar, The sailors, and all the pilots of the sea Will come down from their ships; They will stand on the land, 30 And they will make their voice heard over you And will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads, They will wallow in ashes. 31 "Also they will make themselves bald for you And gird themselves with sackcloth; And they will weep for you in bitterness of soul With bitter mourning. 32 "Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you And lament over you: 'Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea? 33'When your wares went out from the seas, You satisfied many peoples; With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise You enriched the kings of earth. 34 'Now that you are broken by the seas In the depths of the waters, Your merchandise and all your company Have fallen in the midst of you. 35 'All the inhabitants of the coastlands Are appalled at you, And their kings are horribly afraid; They are troubled in countenance. 36 'The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; You have become terrified, And you will be no more.' " NASB

Rev 12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. 12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. NASB

Dan 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. 2 Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 4 "The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. 5 "And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much meat!' 6 "After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.

9 "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 10 "A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.

11 "Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. 12 "As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.

13 "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

15 "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 16 "I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.' 19 "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.

23 "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 25 'And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.' 28 "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself." NASB

Dan 9:24-27

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.

25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

26 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.

27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."
NASB
 

Obad
1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom — We have heard a report from the LORD, And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying, "Arise and let us go against her for battle" —
2 "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised.
3 "The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to earth?'
4 "Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down," declares the LORD.
5 "If thieves came to you, If robbers by night- O how you will be ruined! — Would they not steal only until they had enough? If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave some gleanings?
6 "O how Esau will be ransacked, And his hidden treasures searched out!
7 "All the men allied with you Will send you forth to the border, And the men at peace with you Will deceive you and overpower you. They who eat your bread Will set an ambush for you. (There is no understanding in him.)
8 "Will I not on that day," declares the LORD, "Destroy wise men from Edom And understanding from the mountain of Esau?
9 "Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman, In order that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.
10 "Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame, And you will be cut off forever.
11 "On the day that you stood aloof, On the day that strangers carried off his wealth, And foreigners entered his gate And cast lots for Jerusalem — You too were as one of them.
12 "Do not gloat over your brother's day, The day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah In the day of their destruction; Yes, do not boast In the day of their distress.
13 "Do not enter the gate of My people In the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity In the day of their disaster. And do not loot their wealth In the day of their disaster.
14 "And do not stand at the fork of the road To cut down their fugitives; And do not imprison their survivors In the day of their distress.
15 "For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.
16 "Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, All the nations will drink continually. They will drink and swallow, And become as if they had never existed.
17 "But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, And it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.
18 "Then the house of Jacob will be a fire And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau will be as stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau," For the LORD has spoken.
19 Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, And those of the Shephelah the Philistine plain; Also, they will possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, And Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20 And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel, Who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Will possess the cities of the Negev.
21 The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion To judge the mountain of Esau, And the kingdom will be the Lord's.
NASB

Ps 55:1-22

55:1 For the choir director; on stringed instruments.
A Maskil of David.
Give ear to my prayer, O God; And do not hide Thyself from my supplication.

2 Give heed to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fear and trembling come upon me; And horror has overwhelmed me.

6 And I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

7 "Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.

8 "I would hasten to my place of refuge From the stormy wind and tempest."

9 Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls; And iniquity and mischief are in her midst.

11 Destruction is in her midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him.

13 But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend.

14 We who had sweet fellowship together, Walked in the house of God in the throng.

15 Let death come deceitfully upon them; Let them go down alive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall call upon God, And the LORD will save me.

17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.

18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are many who strive with me.

19 God will hear and answer them- Even the one who sits enthroned from of old — Selah. With whom there is no change, And who do not fear God.

20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has violated his covenant.

21 His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
NASB

Ps 41
41:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.

2 The LORD will protect him, and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

3 The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, Thou dost restore him to health.

4 As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee."

5 My enemies speak evil against me, "When will he die, and his name perish?"

6 And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; When he goes outside, he tells it.

7 All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, saying,

8 "A wicked thing is poured out upon him, That when he lies down, he will not rise up again."

9 Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

10 But Thou, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, That I may repay them.

11 By this I know that Thou art pleased with me, Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

12 As for me, Thou dost uphold me in my integrity, And Thou dost set me in Thy presence forever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
NASB

John 13:18-19

18 "I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'

19 "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.
NASB

Mic 7:6

6 For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
NASB

Jer 38:17-24

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive.

18'But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.' "

19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, lest they give me over into their hand and they abuse me."

20 But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the LORD in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 "But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the LORD has shown me:

22'Then behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, "Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back."

23'They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.' "

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die. NASB

7 Headed Beast

7 Heads

Re 17:7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 "The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.

Beast exists first, then destroyed, then arises out of abyss, and finally will be destroyed.

Unbelievers will marvel over it’s strength, endurance

Re 17:9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, 10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

 7 heads = 7 mountains under woman

 Also = 7 kings; 5 fallen, 1 present, 1 yet to come for little while.

Re 17:11 "And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.

 One of 7 is revived to be 8th king/mountain under harlot.

10 Horns

Re 17:12 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 "These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."

 10 kings exist, but only bear authority for “1 hour” with beast.

 Join together in one purpose, to wage war against Lamb & His followers

Re 17:16 "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. 17 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled.

 10 horns & beast hate harlot (Lamb, followers within harlot)

 Serve God’s purposes by burning her up with fire

Snapshot in Time

 During reign of 6th head/mountain/king

 Before 7th head/mountain/king arises

 Before 8th which is one of 7 head/mountain/kings revived.

 Before 10 kings crowned

 Before harlot devoured with fire.

Comments

I won’t digress into arguing what seems to me to have become patently obvious in recent times – that the United States of America is the manifestation of the ‘great harlot city’ of the end times – though I recognize that it is, in the minds of most, an arguable point.  Rather, though