The Thrones Will Be Cast Down

On September 22nd, 2016, we arrived at the Fall Equinox. Since it fell 15 years from the fall equinox of 2001, which itself was preceded by the tragic event known as 911, it was thought by many that an event of great significance would follow, an economic correction, perhaps the first step in the fall of Mystery Babylon. We don’t often think of Mystery Babylon as an empire but it really is the greatest in all history because it encompasses economic, political and ecclesiastical in such an intertwined way that it affects all human life. Those who have studied it intensely know it as one worldism and while it appears to still be somewhat shy of its ultimate goal, no part of the world escapes its tentacles.

Still, as I said last month, the empire of Mystery Babylon will fall and I think it will be soon. We are told in Revelation 18:21, “And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all”.

Empires! They have come and gone! Just think of what we have learned through our studies of Biblical and secular history. Assyria, the great empire that swallowed up the Nation of Israel and a huge portion of the Nation of Judah and which resulted in their exile to western nations as the Celtic, Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon and kindred peoples, was itself succeeded by Babylon. This was the nation that after defeating Assyria, conquered the balance of the Nation of Judah and exiled the vast majority of its people as captive people to its own lands in Babylon. But, another growing power, Persia attacked and conquered Babylon and extended the empire kingdom even further. It was during this period that Persia permitted roughly 49,000 from the House of Judah to return to Palestine to re-establish the Judahite (or Jewish) nation.

In terms of history, the Empire of Persia was short-lived and its huge mistake was to invade Europe. This led to the emergence of Greece, as Alexander the Great attacked and defeated Persia. The splitting of the Grecian Empire to Alexander’s sons after his death made it easier for a rising power, Rome, to absorb Greece, along with many other nations, and for centuries filled the Roman world with great suffering. But, they too suffered from rot and were brought down by the Goths and allies. Out of the ruins came the Papacy and Islam and one thing that never changed as empire gave way to empire was the cruelty, times of disaster and as one writer describes, as rivers of blood.

Well, by the end of World War One in 1917, the world changed dramatically as empires came crashing down. By 1918 and soon thereafter, the Babylonian succession of kings toppled one by one. It was in 604 BC that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, attacked the nation of Judah and 603 BC when Jerusalem fell. Interesting, 1917 was exactly seven times or 2,520 years (Leviticus 26:28) past 604 BC. when Jerusalem was liberated by Britain.

Bible scholars from our movement and many of we students looked at the opening words of Daniel 7:9, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down” and related it to what had taken place in 1917 and shortly beyond. After the WWI Armistice, the main enemy empires fell as Austria-Hungary’s aged Emperor died and William II of Germany abdicated and fled to another country. The Royal Family of Russia was overthrown and the Tsar and his family were executed. The Ottoman Caliphate of Turkey was badly crippled in 1917 and limped along until 1924. The Papacy had already lost its leading place by 1917.

Since that year, we have seen the end of other empires, like Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia and Japan, all of which have fallen, although Germany is the leading nation in the European Union and Russia has been flexing her muscles lately, with aspirations of empire building once again in mind. In the past decade we have seen the rise of Isis, that is now a player in 30 different countries. And since 1917 the other great empire, the British, lost their empire, in fact, they gave most away as the price of their EU entry.

So, it has to be asked, “Was 1918 only a partial fulfillment of Daniel 7:9”. Reading the entire verse, along with verses 10-14, it is pretty obvious, at least to me, that there is much more to come. Verse 9 reads, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire”. This is clearly an end time prophecy and the Wycliffe Commentary likely sums it up best. “It is a judgment scene wherein the Ancient of days – none other than “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” (Isaiah 57:15) – takes possession of the earth’s kingdoms through the Son of Man – a name our Lord clearly claimed for himself (Matthew 24:30).

We have seen the horrific growth of Mystery Babylon, particularly over the past century, and the Beast, that is, Economic, Political and Ecclesiastical Babylon, together with the False Prophet Media, has all but placed the world, particularly the Israel nations, in their total control. But, it will come to an abrupt end!

Many Christians are frightened of what is taking place and how it is going to affect them. But, should we be anxious? Exodus 12 has God telling Moses & Aaron to tell the people to take the blood of an unblemished lamb and paint it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, remain inside while the LORD passes over and smites the first-born man and beast in the land of Egypt. Well, in Isaiah 26:21, we are told, “For, behold, the Lord cometh out his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain”. But, in verse 20, he offers these comforting words, “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast”. This simply means we Christians are to take refuge in him until the tribulation is complete.

And how do we take refuge? Well, the prophet John describes Christians in Revelation 7:14, “…… These are they which come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes [come under the blood of Christ] and made them white in the blood of the [unblemished] Lamb”.

God told Moses to “….. Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes. And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai”. (Exodus 19:10)

Friends, we are in that third day now and as the old expression goes, “We must stay the course”.