The Beast Wages War with the Saints

In both Daniel and Revelations it is clear that the Man of Lawlessness, the Little Horn of the Forth Beast, the Abomination of Desolation, the Antichrist of Daniel and Revelation will make war with the saints.

 

There are some that claim that since the word "Church" in not found in the book of Revelation after the writings to the 7 Churches and Chapter 4, that this must somehow mean that the Church must have been raptured prior to the following chapters in the book.

 

Does this really have any foundation for how we study and understand the scriptures? For we can see that Paul in most of the epistles writes to the Churches.

 

1 Corinthians 1:2

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

 

Yet here we see that Paul does not even address the Book of Ephesians to the Church, but to the Saints! Are we to conclude that since he used Saints instead of the Church that we should come to a similar conclusion to what they do in Revelation?

 

Ephesians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

 

Understand that though the church may not be used in these scriptures, the saints are the church, and the church is the gathering of saints. It is even clearer when you fully understand the depth in the meaning of the Aramaic and Greek words translated into saint. Saint (Hebrew) – In this cause it is actually an Aramaic word in the Hebrew Lexicon.

 

• H6922 qaddiysh - kad·dēsh' (Aramaic)
  Holy, Separate, those who are sacred to the Most High.

 

Daniel 7:17-28

17'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.  18'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'  19"Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,  20and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates.  21"I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them  22until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.  23"Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.  24'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.  25'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.  26'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.  27'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'  28"At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself."

 

Again we see the exact same picture in Revelation of the Beast making war with the saints.
Saint (Greek)

• G40 hagios - hä'-gē-os
  most holy thing, reverend, worthy of veneration
  set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively His.

 

Revelation 13:1-11

1And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.  2And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.  3I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;  4they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"  5There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.  6And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.  7It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.  8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.  9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.  10If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

 

In the fifth seal we see those that have already been slain asking how much longer until their blood will be avenged.

 

Revelation 6:9-11

 9When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;  10and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  11And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

 

Then in the sixth seal we see the Great Multitude that comes out of the Great Tribulation clothed in white robes.

 

Revelation 7:9-17

9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;  10and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."  11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  12saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen."  13Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?"  14I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  15"For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.  16"They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;  17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

 

Jesus sent his angel to testify to the Churches and for the Churches so that we would hold to these prophesies and understand that ALL of Revelations is for us the Saints.

 

Revelation 22:16-21

16"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."  17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.  18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;  19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.  20He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly " Amen Come, Lord Jesus.  21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.