No one today can know who the False Prophet of Revelation is. Here is why?
Based on what the Apostle John said at Revelation 1:10-11 it has not manifested itself yet.
By inspiration I came to be in the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a strong voice like that of a trumpet, saying: “What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven congregations, in Ephesus and in Smyrna and in Pergamum and in Thyatira and in Sardis and in Philadelphia and in Laodicea.”
So, what John was to write down would be events that would transpire in the Lord’s Day.
Now, if one assumes that we are in the Lord’s Day right now, then I would be very interested in how that was derived. I am fully aware how The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society derived – rather borrowed from The Second Adventist Movement – the 1914 date as being the start of the Lord’s Day and extending on down to the last of the so-called faithful anointed ones dies and is resurrected.
However, if the Lord’s Day has not begun yet and is indeed future, then all of the discussion concerning who the Wild Beast and the False Prophet are would be in error.
The Date of The Lord’s Day Cannot Be Derived or Calculated
Jesus explicitly stated at Mark 13:32 that the knowledge of dates is not possible for men or angels or even himself. That such things belong only in the jurisdiction of the Father. So how can any human or human agency know of such things that Jesus said that even he did not know?
Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father.
Therefore, how can the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (or anyone else) establish 1914 or any date as the year that the Appointed Times of the Nations ended and as the start of the Lord’s Day?
Jesus goes on to say at Matthew 24:42 that …
Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.
And at Acts 1:7 Jesus said,
It does not belong to YOU to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.
So, until one knows when the Lord’s Day is, it will not be possible to affix anything existing today to identifying who the Wild Beast or False Prophet of Revelation are.
The World Will Be A Different Place
If the Lord’s Day has not begun yet, then nothing in The Book of Revelation has had a start of being fulfilled. That would mean that the Wild Beast has not ascended out of the sea (Rev 13:1); The Wild Beast out of the earth has not ascended (Rev 13:11); The war between the Dragon and his angels and Michael and his angels has not occurred and Satan still has full access to the heavenly realm (Rev 12:7-9); Babylon the Great is not here and so forth.
The assumption many are making today is that we are in the Lord’s Day and, indeed, the last days and that Jesus has been installed as earth’s King. Not so.
The world that the Apostle John was privileged to see would be a world unlike the world we are existing in today. That future world would consist of all persons resurrected from the dead (John 5:28-29). A world that would have gone through a 1000 year reign of Christ over the earth from heaven. Jesus visible representatives on earth in that 1000 year rule would be his Kings of the Earth (Those resurrected first). It would be a world of paradise conditions; the same paradise Jesus promised a convicted criminal he would one day be in. It would be a world that would see the end of Christs 1000 year definite rule over the earth from heaven. (Revelation 20:7).
It is at the end of Christs reign that things get interesting. It is at that time Satan ascends out of the abyss, and that what John sees and writes down in The Book of Revelation. The entire Book of Revelation is about that time period after Christs 1000 reign over the earth ends and Satan ascends out of the abyss.
What God gives Jesus and Jesus gives to an angel to present to John for John to write down, are the events that are to occur on the earth after Christs 1000 year reign ends. This makes perfect sense. Here is why?
First, Satan’s ascension out of the abyss (after the 1000 years has ended) is synonymous with the ascension of the Wild Beast. So, this points the era in which The Book of Revelation is speaking. Secondly, what stands on the earth when Christ’s rule of 1000 years ends? A world that is a paradise; a world of mankind that had been taught by Jesus for 1000 years and no longer in need of him as their mediator; a world that will have left over in it his visible associate kings or Kings of the Earth; a world that is peaceful and safe; a world that has order.
Yet, when Satan is re-inserted into the world of mankind he will …
go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war.
In other words, Satan will mislead that future world of mankind, and the former associate Kings of Jesus will be the ones he will use to accomplish this.
This makes sense, because the existing kingdoms today will not exist when Jesus begins his 1000 year reign. So the only possible Kings of the Earth that there could possibly exist at that time would have to be those who had a share in ruling with Christ for the 1000 years previous. They will remain over in the earth when Satan is released from his prison.
Satan’s ascension out of the abyss will not bring a drastic change to what it took Jesus 1000 years to build up in men and on the earth. In fact, Satan will simply usurp what Jesus left behind during his 1000 year rule. Satan’s beastly rule will be peaceful as well. It will be a paradise, too. It will so closely resemble what Christ established, that the inhabitants of the earth in those days will not immediately realize that what Christ had established has been taken over by Satan. It will be that subtle. But there will be a twist.
The words at Revelation 1:1 will come to life to some in those days. It will be eventually become apparent to a few that the words …
A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place …
… applies to them. To that future world.
A few will see the subtle changes and shift from worship of God to worship of the Beast and it’s image. These few will not support whatever this thing proves to be.
The Great Tribulation is also an event that will occur at the end of Christs 1000 year rule. It will be an event where those not supporting Satan’s peaceful system of things will be persecuted by those who do support it. It will be these visible Kings of the Earth and those following them who will be the source of the persecution and tribulation of those who do not support the Beast.
The persecution and tribulation will come from persons who, 1000 years previous within Christs 1000 rule where they were Brothers and Sisters, were fellow slaves persecuting and bring persecution to those who do not conform to the beast and it’s image.
The world at that time will be of one language and one mindset. Christ will have accomplished that unity in mind and worship during his 1000 year reign. Yet, when Satan appears, he will not change the one language and he will not change the “oneness” mankind will have. But he will change the mindset to gravitate towards another “oneness” and unity under his Wild Beast.
What Is The Image of the Beast?
Since I believe that none of the events of The Book of Revelation has had a start of being fulfilled, no one today knows for a certainty what the Wild Beast is or how it will manifest itself. We do know that Satan will “give it his its power and its throne and great authority.” (Revelation 13:2).
So the Wild Beast will have a throne over mankind and will have power and authority over all of the human family in those future days.
So since we do not know how the Wild Beast will manifest itself on the earthly seen, we cannot know what it’s image will be.
But I will speculate on the matter.
Many gravitate to think that the image of the Wild Beast is a literal statue or – in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses – The United Nations. I do not see this. Here is why.
If all of the human kingdoms existing today are destroyed when Christ begins his 1000 rule over the earth, then there will be no United Nations. So what could this future Image of the Beast be?
Could it be some physical statue or flag that the world will rally behind during Satan’s power-driven Beast system? I do not think so. The world in those days will not so easily bow down to a statue or some emblem. That future world would have been educated by it’s king Jesus Christ and his associate kings of 1000 years previous. So what could this Image of the Beast be.
What today in the United States – other than a flag – reflects what it that nation stands for in principle? A written document called The Constitution of the United States. This document is the Image of the United States of America. It reflects all that that nation is. This document is law. Obey it or be punished, even to death, if necessary.
I believe that a written document will prove to be the Image of the Beast. I believe this document will contain many words spoken by Christ during his 1000 year reign as well as added Dragon-like things.
Many Jehovah’s Witnesses today already know the consequences of not obeying the weight of Watch Tower authority. So do the citizens of any country who have written laws that govern them. So, it should not be surprising if it turns out that the Beast that Satan establishes will have a “Constitution” by which all are expected to abide by.
One must consider that within the United States of America, one of the requirements of citizenship is “an affinity for the principles of the U.S. Constitution.” This affinity “marks” the individual as an American citizen.
Likewise, within Satan’s Beast, a requirement – a compulsion – will be placed upon all who are to be it’s citizens and benefit from it. I believe this affinity will be to a “Constitution” that will reflect what the Wild Beast stands for.
Aside from digressing a bit, I see no evidence that the events of The Book of Revelation has had a start at fulfillment.
The common denominator among all who speak on this subject is that there has been some fulfillment. I see absolutely none.
The many are simply applying to “now” what Jesus said would occur in a future time period after his 1000 year rule ends and the establishing upon the earth by Satan a Beast that will have his power, throne and authority. We do not know how long this system will exist upon the earth after Christs 1000 year rule ends, but it has to exist for some reasonable amount of time to accomplish a misleading effort in the world and draft up an Image that reflects what it stands for.
The False Prophet
At Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus said:
Look out that nobody misleads YOU; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
While it is true that Christendom and her many denominations today and as well as The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, these religious systems were not what Jesus was referring. It would something much bigger and encompassing.
Recall from Revelation 19:19 concerning the False Prophet, John writes:
And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image.
Notice that it is the False Prophet who engages in the misleading work.
As I attempted to establish previously that the events of The Book of Revelation would have a start at fulfillment after Christs 1000 year reign ends and when Satan ascends out of the abyss. So this misleading by a False Prophet would have to occur during the time John wrote at Revelation 20:7-8:
Now as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison, and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea.
When? As soon as the thousand years have ended. This is the time period Jesus was referring to at Matthew 24:4-5, not today.
This False Prophet would be “many” persons who collectively would have power, a throne, and authority to speak in behalf of the Beast. They will be the primary interface to the people.
The only persons who could possibly fill this role would be Jesus’ Kings of the Earth. They will have already have gained the respect and notoriety among the people during their 1000 year co-rule over them. Satan uses this to his advantage.
Since Christs 1000 year rule ends, Satan by indirect and subtle means, gives these Kings of the Earth his power, his throne, and his great authority to bring people before his Wild Beast through these Kings of the Earth.
These Kings of the Earth will become, for a time, unfaithful slaves. They collectively are misled by Satan and become a party in “beating” their fellow slaves who do not support or worship The Beast and it’s Image. This “beating” is pressure and an non-cooperative spirit towards the faithful slaves who will worship God only.
Much like the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses today who dictate the direction in which the organization goes and what is taught. It metes out reward to those supporting it and punishment to those who do not. It even goes as far as placing a foul stench upon those who question it’s authority.
So these future Kings of the Earth will be direct interfaces to the people who will stand over them as kings with power and authority. They will no longer be kings under Jesus’ reign as that 1000 year reign will have ended. They become unwitting authority figures as kings under Satan’s regime. Remember, The Great Dragon gives this Wild Beast, his power, his throne, and his great authority. These former Kings of the Earth under Jesus’ reign will receive power and authority as kings under Satan’s regime. They will make the weight of their power and authority known much like the leadership of a few men within the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society does over the millions under it’s control.
It would be a mistake to say that the False Prophet are Christians. There is no such thing as a Christian in God’s view. Neither did Jehovah tell Christ that his worshipers were to be known as Christians. This is an expression “outsiders” called Christ followers, not what they called themselves. Christ called for discipleship to himself, not titles. (John 8:31-32)
That the world in future days will be a much different place than it is now, many wonder, “What about the other religions on the earth? They will never accept what a true or false prophet says?”
One must think: Jesus made a promise at John 5:28-29. A promise concerning all persons, regardless of what they believe or what they call themselves. Jesus said:
Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.
When Jesus begins his 1000 year rule over the earth from heaven, one of the things he must do is resurrect the dead. (All of mankind must die. See Article). The first to be resurrected will be those who will be his co-rulers and will be visible kings on earth. Some span of time must exist in order for their thrones to be established under Christ . The second to be resurrected after them will those who will be the subjects under those thrones.
If a Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any person of a religious system who was dead and brought back to life again into Christ’s 1000 year definite kingdom, and they learn whose voice that called them out of their graves, does one really think that those persons will continue to cling to their former religions? No! They will know that it was The Son of God, Jesus Christ who called them out. So where do you think their hearts will be?
So persons of all sorts, that condemned man too, will come out of their graves into Christs 1000 year rule and paradise. All will know what it will be like. They will have an affinity for the human co-kings over them during Christs 1000 year rule and when it ends and when Satan usurps them.
So, as the False Prophet during Satan’s unspecified Wild Beast, these Kings of the Earth will still be very much so respected and listened to. They will be “many,”: 144,000 of them.
I do not believe that anyone today can know if they are of that number nor do I believe that any human agency – such as The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society – can make such a claim that the 144000 (or remnant of) are with that organization. It is no human or human agency that choose who they persons, it is God himself who does the choosing. The Watch Tower, by making the claim that the remnant of the 144000 is with them are choosing who are of the anointed and who are not. While the number as to the number of persons who will have the privilege of reigning with Christ as “Kings of the Earth,” who they are has not been revealed and it will not be known who they will prove to be until the “First Resurrection” when Jesus begins his 1000 year rule over the earth from heaven.
Jehovah’s Witnesses speak of the anointed. Even former Jehovah’s Witnesses speak of “the anointed” as if these persons are somehow housed within the Watch Tower Organization.
I believe that it will a shocking revelation to learn in those future days who these persons will prove to be. It will not be as many today think.
When Jesus made the statement at Matthew 24:45:
Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time.
He was not speaking to anyone today. He was referring to those faithful ones among the future visible 144000 Kings of the Earth who were his co-kings on earth for 1000 years. (Jesus himself will rule from heaven). The ones among them who do not support and worship the Wild Beast and it’s image. Most of these Kings will be misled and will receive authority as kings for a time from the Wild Beast. Notice what Revelation 17:12 says:
And the ten horns that you saw mean ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings one hour with the wild beast.
When Jesus said at John 21:15-17:
He said to him: “Feed my lambs.” Again he said to him, a second time: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection for you.” He said to him: “Shepherd my little sheep.” He said to him the third time: “Simon son of John, do you have affection for me?” Peter became grieved that he said to him the third time: “Do you have affection for me?” So he said to him: “Lord, you know all things; you are aware that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him: “Feed my little sheep.
Jesus was referring to those future Kings of the Earth who would be entrusted with those he died for and resurrected. Jesus tells them not only to feed his sheep, but also to Shepherd them. This makes sense! They will be kings over them.
The “proper time” for this feeding is during Jesus 1000 reign over the earth.
And, that Jesus addressed John and Peter shows that they will be resurrected and given their 1000 year kingdoms along with the other faithful apostles. The other 143988 persons only God and Christ knows.
It pains me to say this as pain is not something I like to deliver: But The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is not the channel Jehovah is using to food at “the proper time” and neither is it a part of a worldwide body of a “Faithful and Discreet Slave” class.
If the “remnant” of the 144000 were on earth today and make up the “Faithful and Discreet Slave” class and have been appointed by Jesus “over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time,” why are 10-12 men who make up a Governing Body doing the feeding and not the whole remnant? Does this so-called anointed remnant as a collective body have a share as to what goes into the Watch Tower Magazines and the other publications? Are they voting members on the Governing Body? Does headquarters in New York no all of their names? The answer is no.
A handful of men (10-12) are the power, voice, and authority of the Watch Tower organization. Less than .1 percent of the names of the other so-called remnant is known by the organization. Yet, these persons are also tasked along with the other 10 or 12 members of the anointed Governing Body to provide the Jesus’ domestics ” their food at the proper time.” This is not the reality.
If a proclaimed anointed one has a disagreement with the Governing Body, that one would probably be disfellowshiped. Things such as this are hidden from most Jehovah’s Witnesses.
As a former twenty-year, faithful and active Jehovah’s Witness I have come to the hard realization and truth that the individual Jehovah’s Witnesses within the Watch Tower Organization are innocent. They are innocent children in captivity to the authority of men. They are afraid to challenge and question their captor’s authority. They are victims.
This is how persons within all religious systems should be viewed: As captives.
I am happy that I do not view persons who are members of any religious system as evil persons or enemies worthy of eternal torment and perishing (Second Death). I view them as Jesus does: As Sheep without a Shepherd.
While I know that Jehovah’s Witnesses might not like me because I am no longer with them, I do not feel the same about them. I will not speak abusively about Jehovah’s Witnesses or persons belonging to any religious system. It is that authoritative entities that sit on top of persons that I speak against.
This is what Jesus did.
Jesus preached a release from such authority. He stated at John 8:31-32:
And so Jesus went on to say to the Jews that had believed him: “If YOU remain in my word, YOU are really my disciples, and YOU will know the truth, and the truth will set YOU free.
It is discipleship to Christ – not to religious organizations – that leads one to knowing the truth. It is that knowing of the truth only Jesus can teach, that will set one free from from the all embracing arms of religious organizations and systems.
