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Even though mayor information about the Antichrist is given in (Rev 13), we must start our study with (Rev 7) and the 144,000.
In (Rev 7:4-8), the selection of the 144,000 is made and, according to (Rev 7:4), “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” KJV., they were selected from all the tribes of Israel. But, if we pay attention to the text, no one was selected from the tribe of Ephraim or the tribe of Dan.
We could argue that the tribes of Ephraim and Dan are extinct and that is why no one is selected from them, but that would go against the bible itself, specifically (Gen 49:1-28). Here Jacob prophesies what will happen to his descendants in the last days.
Those prophecies include Dan in a very somber way. (Gen 49:16-18), “[16] Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. [17] Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. [18] I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.” KJV.
Additionally, Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons who were born in Egypt from a gentile woman, in a very peculiar way. (Gen 48:3-5), “[3] And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, [4] And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. [5] And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” KJV.
From this point on, Manasseh and Ephraim are part of this multitude of peoples.
But then Jacob blesses them (Manasseh and Ephraim), making a big distinction between them. (Gen 48:18-20), “[18] And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. [19] And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it : he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. [20] And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.” KJV.
From verse 19 we can see that Ephraim cannot be an extinct tribe during the last days. There are more chances for Manasseh to become extinct than for Ephraim. And Manasseh is not extinct because the tribes of Joseph and Manasseh were included in the selection of the 144,000.
(Rev 7:6) “Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.” KJV
(Rev 7:8), “Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.” KJV.
If according to Jacob, both Ephraim and Dan would survive until the end, why GOD did not pick any of the 144,000 from among them?
We must remember that the tribes were separated after King Solomon died. Ten of the tribes accepted Ephraim as head of Israel, while the other two, Judah and Benjamin, formed the Kingdom of Judah.
By the end of his days, Solomon build altars of strange idols for his wives, (1 Kings 11:1-6,11-13], “[1] But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; [2] Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. [3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. [4] For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. [5] For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. [6] And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father… [11] Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. [12] Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. [13] Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” KJV.
As we can see, the kingdom was taken from Solomon’s house by the LORD due to his disobedience and idolatry.
After that, Ephraim and Dan plotted together how to remove the influence Judah had over the rest of the tribes because of the Temple being on Judah’s land. They turned into idolatry as a way to remove the authority from Judah, forcing the other tribes to worship idols on the altars they made over the land of Ephraim and Dan, preventing the others from tithing and sacrificing in the Temple. This caused the wrath of GOD to fall over Israel first, and after them it also fell over Judah. Both of them had lost their way.
Israel was taken away by the Assyrians, while Judah went into captivity by the Babylonians.
Judah returned to the land, rebuilding the temple and the Holy City.
In the new Government of Judah, the pharisees controlled the temple until its destruction in 70 AD.
Ephraim and Israel returned to the land by the time of the Apostles fulfilling prophecy, but those who returned abdicated their control over the ten tribes, yielding it to Judah, when they recognized JESUS as LORD. (Act 2:36-42)
Currently the land is still under the influence of the pharisees, but even though it is called Israel they themselves do not accept that Ephraim and the ten tribes have returned to the land. They still believe it is a future event.
Because they think it is a future event, they wait for two messiahs to appear, messiah ben Joseph from the tribe of Ephraim and messiah ben Judah. They will come to fulfill the words of (Zec 10:6-8), “[6] And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them. [7] And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord. [8] I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.” KJV., and the words of Jacob in (Gen 48:18-20) above.
Remember that Ephraim, and Manasseh, the tribes of the sons of Joseph, were taken away by the Assyrians together with the other tribes of Israel. But they expect Ephraim to lead the return, for Jacob said he would be greater than his brother.
They will get their messiah ben Joseph, for he has to fulfill the prophecy of the destruction of Edom. (Oba 1:18), “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.” KJV.
The leader of this destruction will be from the tribe of Ephraim as they expect, and he will burn down Edom following the will of GOD.
This destruction appears also in (Rev 9:13-19), “[13] And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, [14] Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. [15] And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. [16] And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. [17] And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. [18] By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. [19] For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.” KJV.
According to this, the third part of men will be killed by fire, smoke, and brimstone. Just like in (Oba 1:18) where Israel will be the fire and Joseph the flame.
I have already discussed who this “third part of men” are. They are The Whore of Babylon, please read this post if you haven’t yet.
If you’ve read already the post The Whore of Babylon, you can identify that he who destroys the Whore (Edom) is leading the New World Order (NWO). Then the Antichrist must be Ephraim, and the ten kings must be from the ten tribes of Israel, and all the Antichrist’s armies must be Ephraim’s men.
Is Ephraim redeemed for destroying Edom, (Oba 1:18)? Even though GOD wants Edom destroyed, as it is stated in (Oba 1:18), and (Rev 9:13-19); and even though Ephraim fulfills this prophecy, he is not redeemed because he thinks he does it out of his own will and not following the will of GOD, and also because as stated in (Dan 7:20-21) and (Rev 13:7), the Antichrist is making war with the saints and overcoming them.
Even though from Ephraim, the Antichrist and his people have not accepted JESUS as their LORD, they still stand in rebellion against Judah. The final reckoning will happen as stated in (Rev 16:12-16), “[12] And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. [13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. [14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. [15] Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” KJV.
As stated in verse 13, all of them are under the influence of devils, they all go to Armageddon in rebellion against GOD.
And JESUS, the LORD HIMSELF will meet them in that day and settle the score. The house of David will prevail as stated in (Rev 19:11-16), “[11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. [12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. [13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. [14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. [16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” KJV.
Just as written in verse 13 above, the LORD comes with HIS vesture dipped in blood as in (Isa 63:1-6), “[1] Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. [2] Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? [3] I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. [4] For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. [5] And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. [6] And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.” KJV.
In this passage, the Messiah, King of Judah comes from operating the winepress of the wrath of GOD over Edom (the Whore of Babylon). This confirms that even though Ephraim destroys Edom, he does it following the will of the Messiah who is LORD OF LORDS. And as stated in verse 6 and (Rev 19:13,15) above, HE is ready to do it again, but this time over Ephraim and his armies at Armageddon. (Rev 14:18-20), “[18] And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. [19] And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [20] And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” KJV.
This will conclude with the total destruction of the Antichrist, his armies, and the false prophet as stated in (Rev 19:19-21), “[19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” KJV.
I will continue with the talmudic idea of two messiahs in part two of this post, where the false prophet will be brought to light.
GOD bless you and keep you.
