Landmark Symbols

As we proceed to discuss landmark symbols found in Bible prophecy, we must be careful to always reflect on the foundational rule for interpreting prophecy:

No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. This means as scholars, our opinions, theories or feelings concerning the script are unlawful. The scriptures must always be afforded the opportunity to interpret themselves.

All of the symbols used in symbolic writings are explained within the context of the scripture or elsewhere in the Bible.

For example, the first three chapters of the book Revelation, talk about the seven churches in Asia. Seven golden candlesticks symbolically refer to the churches. There are also other symbols used, such as the seven stars and the meaning of these symbols are given in Revelation 1:20.

Revelation 1:20

20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Before we dive into the meanings of these symbols, I want to point out that you are not to abandon your own ability to think and reason in studying bible prophecy. In most cases, the scriptures will force you into a train of thought or logical thinking that allows you to apply your good old common sense. The scriptures above are a very good example of this.

Now, concerning the 7 stars that the scripture states are the angels of the 7 churches; in order to rightly divide the Word, we must look at Revelation 2:1. It starts off by saying,

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write;...”

Now if John was talking about a heavenly angelic creature, there would be no need to write to him. What we find here is the word angel in this passage means pastor, overseer or messenger of that church.

As scholars, we want to make sure that we adhere to what is written. By following this rule we find three

key points:

1. John is writing to seven natural churches.

2. The seven stars are angels of the churches. The meaning

of angels in this passage is pastors, overseers, messengers.

3. The seven golden candlesticks are churches.

Landmark symbols will enable us to really understand prophecies of the Bible.

The Abomination of Desolation

By using the same rule of interpretation, let’s look at the abomination of desolation and others.

St. Mark 13:14

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it

ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains:

To shed light on this symbol of prophecy, we must hastily go to the writings of John:

Revelation 13:11-15

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns likea lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth 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 to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Daniel 11:31

31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.

In the two preceding verses, we see the creation of an image. It is an image of the beast, which we will discover is the antichrist. These verses describe the image of the beast.

The antichrist, the one that will desecrate the temple. The world has been prepared to worship the image of this man. Notice that the image is placed in the Holy of Holies of the temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, the abomination of desolation is an image of the ruling antichrist that is placed in the temple as an idol for the world to worship. This is definitely an insult to the Jews.

The Whore of Babylon

Revelation 17

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a women sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the women sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome

them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Key points taken from the scripture:

1. The whore was judged by God for spiritual fornication with the inhabitants of the earth.

2. The woman rode the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.

3. She was arrayed in purple, scarlet, gold, pearls and precious stones.

4. The cup in her hand was full of abominations and filthiness.

5. She was drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. 6. She shall be made desolate, naked and burned with fire by the will of God. 7. The woman is that great city.

8. The Holy apostles and prophets were avenged by her destruction. In her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all that were slain upon the earth.

9. The seven heads are mountains which the woman sits upon.

There is really no need to prolong our research here. The scriptures are always faithful to reveal the identity of their symbols. All we have to do is stick to the rules: If the symbol is not identified within the context of the immediate scripture, then it is identified elsewhere in the Bible.

As we look at the list of key points or observations concerning the great whore, we see point #7 taken from Revelations 17:18 clearly states:

Revelations 17:18

. . . the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

There is no need to tarry. The woman is a city. She is a symbol of that great city. According to Rev. 17:6; 18:20; 18:24, the woman, which we now know to be a city, was filled with the blood of saints, martyrs of Jesus, apostles and prophets. If we stopped here, it could be considered to be almost any city in the world, especially Rome. But if we continue, we will find a uniqueness in this city relative to the blood of saints. In Rev. 18:24, it reads:

Revelations 18:24

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

This is the key to exposing her identity: In her was found the blood of all that were slain upon the earth. This is powerful. This city would contain the blood of all that were ever slain upon the earth. To reveal her identity, let us go to the sayings of Christ.

St. Matthew 23:30-38

. . . If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Bar-a-chias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killeth the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, . . .

38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate.

• Jerusalem is the city that contains all the blood of those slain upon the earth. • Jerusalem is the whore of Babylon, the harlot of the earth. (Ezekiel 16:1-41)

• Jerusalem’s judgment is to be burned with fire and utterly destroyed. (Behold your house is left desolate).

The seven heads are mountains on which the woman sits. Even though the city of Rome is known geographically as the city on seven hills, it is not the whore of Babylon. In using Revelation 17:9, most scholars stop reading at that verse and try to make the woman (who is a city), sit on seven hills or mountains. This is how they come up with Rome as being the woman. Remember, it is very important that we stick to what is written in the word and allow it to interpret itself. Now, the tenth verse explains the ninth verse. There are seven kings and the seven mountains are seven kings. Verse 19 tells us that

the great city (the woman) reigns (sits) over them.

The Great Red Dragon of Revelation 12

A great red dragon is described in Rev. 12:9. This dragon, as you can see, is the old serpent, the devil, Satan, the deceiver.

Revelation 12:9

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world . . .

Now, in Rev. 13, two other beasts are illustrated. These beasts are very closely connected to the great red dragon. The first beast mentioned is the antichrist and is explained in Daniel 8:23-25. This beast is a political leader. The second beast that comes out of the earth is the false prophet or the great deceiver. This beast is a religious leader and is described in Revelation 13:11.

Revelation 13:13-18

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth 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 to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six [666].

If you carefully read the above scriptures, and allow scripture to interpret itself, you will understand the relationship of these 3 beasts. Satan, who is the serpent, devil and deceiver, empowers the antichrist and the false prophet to operate in their deadly deceptions.

It is important to remember that all symbols used in symbolic writings are explained within the context of the scripture or elsewhere in the Bible. Take this time to study each of the landmark symbols in this study guide carefully. Then, as you continue your study on Bible prophecy, you will be better equipped to rightly divide and understand symbolic writing.

TERMINOLOGY

Abomination of Desolation

the image of the antichrist.

Antichrist

man of sin; the son of perdition; the Beast (II Thes. 2:1-12; Rev. 13:1-7).

Armageddon

the battle where the forces of antichrist come up against Christ in the valley of Armageddon at the second coming (Rev. 16:16).

The Beast

symbolic of a political leader; the Beast is given power from the dragon to rule on Earth; he is the anti christ (Rev. 13:1-8); the Beast of the sea.

Bible Prophecy

a foretellig of what God saids He would do.

Bottomless Pit

a place beneath the earth. The angel, Apollyon, is sent from Heaven having the keys to the pit and looses stinging locusts upon the earth to hurt those who have not the seal of God in their foreheads (Rev. 9:11).

Children of Abraham

those who are of Faith, (Gal. 3:7).

Covenant

a binding agreement made by two or more individuals or parties; a formal sealed contract (Gen. 17:1-27).

Crowns

1. Of Life - (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10)

2. Of Glory - (I Peter 5:2-4)

3. Of Rejoicing - (I Thes. 2:19, Phil. 4:1)

4. Incorruptible - (I Cor. 9:25-27)

Curse

(1) A pronouncement of judgment on those who break a covenant (Deut. 28:15-68); (2) A revelation of God’s justice in support of his demand of absolute obedience.

Detailed events

the signs which either lead to or make more visible major events (St. Matt. 24:3).

False Prophet

a religious leader who will work with the antichrist; he will prophesy according to the will of the antichrist and deceive the people of the earth to worship the antichrist; the Beast who came forth from the Earth (Rev. 13:11-18).

Fullness

the end of an appointed period or the completion of a time period.

Fullness of God

the presence, power and agency of God; it includes all that God is (Eph. 3:19).

Fullness of Time

a time of gathering of all saints in Christ; the church age (Gal. 4:4).

Great Red Dragon

the devil, Satan, old serpent (Rev. 12:1-10).

Great Tribulation

(1) the persecution of the Church and Israel; (2) the wrath of the antichrist (3) begins when the Abomina tion of Desolation is set in the temple of God (Rev. 13:5).

Judgment Day

the day God judges all men, both great and small out of the Book of Life (Rev. 20:11-15).

Lake of Fire

the place prepared for the devil and his angels.

Landmark scriptures

a guide in the study of Bible Prophecy which identifies changes or turns in the course of study; detailed events which lead to major events. Example: St. Matthew 24. (Remember, no prophecy or scripture is of any private interpretation.

Mark of the Beast

the false prophet’s deception to cause them who live on the Earth to worship the Beast; tattooed on the right hand or forehead in order to be able to buy or sell goods.

A. The First Half of the Week

Two witnesses (Rev. 11:3)

B. Daniel’s Seventieth Week

1. The Red Dragon

2. The Beast of Antichrist

3. The False Prophet

C. The Second Half of the Week

1. The scarlet woman (Rev. 13:5)

2. Revelation 13:5

Millennial Age

1,000 years (the Millenium); the devil will be bound and Israel will be the head of the nations; the sons of God will reign as kings and priests (Rev. 20:1-3; Isaiah 65:17-25).

Moab Covenant

the Lord commanded Moses to make this agreement with the people of Israel in the Land of Moab; an other covenant was made with them in Horeb (Num.33:50-56).

Mosiac Law

referred to as the first covenant or the Ten Commandments; received by Moses on Mount Sinai and given to the people to by (Deut. 5:1-29).

1. Thou shalt have no other god before me.

2. Thou shalt not make any graven image or likeness of anything that is in heaven or is in the earth or in the waters beneath the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, because I’m jealous, saith the Lord. The iniquity of the fathers will be visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Mystery of God

Christ in, the hope of glory (Col. 1:26-27; Rev. 10:7; I Peter 1:23; I John 3:9); Spirit of truth, Holy Ghost, and the Son of God (I Cor. 12:3, I Cor. 3:16, Romans 8:14-30); new creature.

New Creature

the hidden man of the heart (I Peter 3:4); the conscience (Rom. 9:1, II Cor. 1:12); the Spirit of truth; the Holy Ghost, and the Son of God (I Cor. 12:3, I Cor. 3:16, Rom. 8:14-30).

New Jerusalem

after the Judgment Day (Rev. 21:3-5); the fulfillment of all other scripture; a Holy city sent down from Heaven prepared as a bride adorned.

Oath

a curse on the head of the one who breaks the agreement or covenant.

Patience

to suffer bearing pain or trials without complaining and with joyful expectation; a manifestation of for bearance under provocation or strain; not being hasty or impetuous.

Prophecy

the foretelling of the will, heart, mind and intent of the Father; prophecy reveals:

1. The plan of the Father

2. The judge of principalities

3. The end of Satanic rule

Seven dooms - (Rev. 15, 17:1-20)

1. Mystery - Babylon

2. Babylon the Great

3. Great Supper of the Lamb

4. Armageddon

5. Beast and False Prophet

6. Satan Bound

7. Satan Loosed

Seven trumpets - (Rev. Chapters 8:7, 11:19)

1. Hail, fire, blood

2. Burning Mount

3. Wormwood

4. Sun smitten

5. Locusts

6. Horsemen

7. The Rapture

Sign of His Coming

the setting of the Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Place.

Signs of the Times

major events referred to in scripture, such as The Rapture of the Church, The Time of Jacob’s Trouble (St. Matt. 16:3, I Cor. 15:52).

Terminology

meanings used in this study of key words (Example: The false prophet, the Beast, the Whore of Babylon, etc.)

Time of Jacob’s Trouble

The end-time tribulation of the Jews.the fulfillment of the curse which is caused by breaking the Mosaic Covenant (Deut. 28:15-68, Jer. 30:7).

Timing

the chronological, historical or predictive setting of events; established by pulling detailed events out of scripture.

Tribulation Period

persecution of the Church and Israel; begins and ends during the 7-year reign of antichrist.

Virtue

the power which is inside faith and developed by the fruit of the Spirit; Love joy, peace, longsuffering, tem perance, meekness, gentleness, goodness and faith are manifestations of Godliness.

Whore of Babylon

that great city which reigneth over the kings of the Earth; Jerusalem

Works of Faith

the first work of faith, the operation of the Holy Ghost; adopted us into the royal family

Wrath of God

the seven plague judgments; the vials of wrath (Rev. 16:1-21; Rev. 19:19-21).

1. Noisome and grievous sores

2. The sea became as blood of a dead man

3. The rivers and fountains of waters became as blood

4. The sun scorched men with fire

5. The Beast Kingdom becomes dark

6. The Great Euphrates River dried up

7. Hail; the Battle of Armageddon; the destruction of the armies of the world at Armageddon Wrath of Satan - the persecution of Israel and the Church