The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

       Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. He asked me, "What do you see?"
       I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."
       I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
       He answered, "Do you not know what these are?"
       "No, my lord," I replied.
       So he said to me, "This is the word of The Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might or by power, but by my spirit,' says The Lord Almighty.
       "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'GOD bless it! GOD bless it!' "
       Then the word of The Lord came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the The Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
       "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
       "(These seven are the eyes of The Lord, which range throughout the earth.)"
       Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"
       Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?"
       He replied, "Do you not know what these are?"
       "No, my lord," I said.
       So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve The Lord of all the earth."


The Book of Zechariah: chapter 4

The Two Witnesses

       I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of GOD and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before The Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
       Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and over power and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
       But after the three and a half days a breath of life from GOD entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
       At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to The GOD of heaven.
       The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 11, verses 1 - 14

The Seventy "Sevens"

       While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to The Lord my GOD for His holy hill--while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:
       "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint The Most Holy.
       "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until The Anointed One, The Ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' The Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."


The Book of Daniel: chapter 9, verses 20 - 27

Signs of the End of the Age

       Jesus left the temple and was walking away when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" He asked, "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
       As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?"
       Jesus Answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
       Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of The Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
       So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.
       "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of The Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
       "Immediately after the distress of those days

       " ' the sun will be darkened,
          and the moon will not give its light;
       the stars will fall from the sky,
          and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

       "At that time the sign of The Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see The Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
       "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away."


The Gospel of Matthew: chapter 24, verses 1 - 35

The King Who Exalts Himself | The End Times

       "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against The GOD of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.
       "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

       "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."

       Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to The Man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
       The Man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted His right hand and His left hand toward heaven, and I heard Him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
       I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"
       He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
       "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
       "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."


The Book of Daniel: chapter 11, verses 36 - 45 & chapter 12, verses 1 - 13

The Man of Lawlessness

       Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of The Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called god or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in GOD's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
       Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but The One who now holds it back will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom The Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love The Truth and so be saved. For this reason GOD sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed The Truth but have delighted in wickedness.


The Book of 2nd Thessalonians: chapter 2, verses 1 - 12

The King

       When you enter the land The Lord your GOD is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," be sure to appoint over you the king The Lord your GOD chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for The Lord has told you, "You are not to go back that way again." He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
       When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere The Lord his GOD and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.


The Book of Deuteronomy: chapter 17, verses 14 - 20

The Beast--The King

       The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.
       King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
       Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. All king Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days. The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
       King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom GOD had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
       Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue--the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

       King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which The Lord had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to The Lord his GOD, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of The Lord; he did not follow The Lord completely, as David his father had done.

       On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

       The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from The Lord, The GOD of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep The Lord's command. So The Lord said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

The Book of 1st Kings: chapter 10, verses 14 - 29 & chapter 11, verses 1 - 13

The Two Beasts

       And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
       The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme GOD, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to The Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
       He who has an ear, let him hear.

       If anyone is to go into captivity,

          into captivity he will go.

       If anyone is to be killed with the sword,

          with the sword he will be killed.

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

       Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

       This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

The Book of Revelation: chapter 13

Beware of Freemasons

       If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your GOD is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is The Lord your GOD you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against The Lord your GOD, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way The Lord your GOD commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
       If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from The Lord your GOD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
       If you hear it said about one of the towns The Lord your GOD is giving you to live in that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to The Lord your GOD. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt. None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that The Lord will turn from His fierce anger; He will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as He promised on oath to your forefathers, because you obey The Lord your GOD, keeping all His commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in His eyes.


The Book of Deuteronomy: chapter 13

Condemnation Against Freemasonry

       Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to The Lord your GOD, and do not erect a sacred stone, for these The Lord your GOD hates.
       Do not sacrifice to The Lord your GOD an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to Him.
       If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns The Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of The Lord your GOD in violation of His covenant, and contrary to my command has worshipped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars of the sky, and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.


The Book of Deuteronomy: chapter 16, verses 21 - 22 & chapter 17, verses 1 - 7

Detestable Freemason Practices

       When you enter the land The Lord your GOD is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to The Lord, and because of these detestable practices The Lord your GOD will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before The Lord your GOD.

The Book of Deuteronomy: chapter 18, verses 9 - 13

Freemasonic Rituals Forbidden

       The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what The Lord has commanded: Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to The Lord in front of the tabernacle of The Lord--that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. This is so the Israelites will bring to The Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to The Lord, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of The Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to The Lord. They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.'
       "Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to The Lord--that man must be cut off from his people.
       " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood--I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien among you eat blood."
       " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off."
       " 'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible.' "

The Book of Leviticus: chapter 17, verses 1 - 16

Freemasonry Forbidden

       Then The Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.: Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
       " 'Make an altar of earth for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause My name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stones for Me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.' "


The Book of Exodus: chapter 20, verses 22 - 26

The Origins of Freemasonry

       Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
       They said to each other, "Come, lets make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
       But The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
       So The Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel--because there The Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there The Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.


The Book of Genesis: chapter 11, verses 1 - 9

Freemasonry Revealed

       One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
       Then the angel carried me away in The Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
This title was written on her forehead:

                                   MYSTERY
                     BABYLON THE GREAT
              THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
       AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
       When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.
       "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
       "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against The Lamb, but The Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers."
       Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For GOD has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until GOD's words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 17

The Fall of Freemasonry

       After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted:

       "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!
          She has become a home for demons
       and a haunt for every evil spirit,
          a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
       For all the nations have drunk
          the maddening wine of her adulteries.
       The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
          and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her
              excessive luxuries."

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

       "Come out of her, My people,
          so that you will not share in her sins,
          so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
       for her sins are piled up to heaven,
          and GOD has remembered her crimes.
       Give back to her as she has given;
          pay her back double for what she has done.
          Mix her a double portion from her own cup.
       Give her as much torture and grief
          as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
       In her heart she boasts,
          'I sit as queen; I am not a widow,
              and I will never mourn.'
       Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
          death, mourning and famine.
       She will be consumed by fire,
          for mighty is The Lord GOD who judges her.

       "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:

       " 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
          O Babylon, city of power!
       In one hour your doom has come!'

       "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more--cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.
       "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and will cry out:

       " 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
          dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
          and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
       In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin.'

       "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

       " 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
          where all who had ships on the sea
          became rich through her wealth!
       In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
       Rejoice over her, O heaven!
          Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!
       GOD has judged her for the way she treated you.' "

       Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:

       "With such violence
          the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
          never to be found again.
       The music of harpist and musicians, flute players and trumpeters,
          will never be heard in you again.
       No workman of any trade
          will ever be found in you again.
       The sound of a millstone
          will never be heard in you again.
       The light of a lamp
          will never shine in you again.
       The voice of bridegroom and bride
          will never be heard in you again.
       Your merchants were the world's great men.
          By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
       In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints,
          and of all who have been killed on the earth."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 18

Two Adulterous Sisters

       The word of The Lord came to me: "Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
       "Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians--warriors clothed in blue, governers and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust upon her.
       "Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
       "Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. She too lusted after the Assyrians--governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
       "But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breast fondled.
       "Therefore, Oholibah, this is what The Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side--the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons, and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. I will direct My jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
       "For this is what The Sovereign Lord says: I Am about to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity have brought this upon you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
       "This is what The Sovereign Lord says:

       "You will drink your sister's cup,
          a cup large and deep;
       it will bring scorn and derision,
          for it holds so much.
       You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
          the cup of ruin and desolation,
          the cup of your sister Samaria.
       You will drink it and drain it dry;
          you will dash it to pieces
          and tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares The Sovereign Lord.

       "Therefore this is what The Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten Me and thrust Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution."
       The Lord said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, as food for them. They have also done this to Me: At that same time they defiled My sancturary and desecrated My Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered My sancturary and desecrated it. That is what they did in My house.
       "They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry. You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to Me.
       "The noise of a care free crowd was around her; Sabeans were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put braclets on the arms of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads. Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, 'Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.' And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
       "This is what The Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
       "So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I Am The Sovereign Lord."


The Prophet Ezekiel: chapter 23

Early Kings of Judah

                                                 Rehoboam King of Judah
       Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city The Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put His name. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.
       Judah did evil in the eyes of The Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up His jealous anger more than their fathers had done. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations The Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
       In the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. He carried off the treasures of the temple of The Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. So king Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to The Lord's temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.
       As for the other events of Rehoboam's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

                                                 Abijah King of Judah
       In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
       He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to The Lord his GOD, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David's sake The Lord his GOD gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of The Lord and had not failed to keep any of The Lord's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
       There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout Abijah's lifetime. As for the other events of Abijah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

                                                 Asa King of Judah
       In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
       Asa did what was right in the eyes of The Lord, as his father David had done. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position of queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. Although he did not remove the high places, Asa's heart was fully committed to The Lord all his life. He brought into the temple of The Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
       There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
       Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of The Lord's temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. "Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me."
       Ben-Hadad agreed with king Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. Then king Asa issued an order to all Judah--no one was exempt--and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them king Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.
       As for all the other events of Asa's reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.


The Book of 1st Kings: chapter 14, verses 21 - 31 & chapter 15, verses 1 - 24