What an incredible cast of characters fill the events of the Last Days! If Jesus' life could be called “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, what superlative can we reach for to describe the culmination of His Story? For all of our history reveals His Story, the story of the long-awaited, highly-contested return of an all-conquering King and of a people being prepared through the ages to receive Him.

Naturally, there are villains enough to go around, even villains on a cosmic scale. But there are heroes aplenty, too. Some of them may be some of us. Lord, let it be!

Though there are many contenders, one of the most riveting images from the Book of Revelation is that of the “Great Whore” riding a scarlet beast—the antichrist himself. She doesn’t know it, but she is being carried to her doom. Such a divine judgment is pronounced upon her that all her wealth and worldly glory are destroyed in a single day. Even the beast is said to throw her down, trampling her the way rodeo bulls do their unseated riders. She is called “Mystery Babylon.” The larger part of that mystery, no doubt, is the “mystery of lawlessness” at work in the Last Days. The abiding mystery for us, however, is just who this fallen woman represents. Does she represent the United States of America?

Here’s the villain of the story. This archenemy of humanity and of the Lord Himself is going to make his way onto the world stage several years before Jesus arrives. And there is nothing we can do to stop him. Trained by the Enemy and likely possessed by him, this cruel deceiver will be deceived. He will be fully convinced he can succeed in destroying the church, enslaving humanity, and seizing the earth as his own dominion. But the Lord will overthrow him “with the breath of his mouth” and destroy him “by the splendor of his coming.” Don’t overrate his power, but don’t underrate his cruelty. Here’s what we can know about him now.

The steady increase of calamities both natural and man-made have many thinking (fearing) that the “end of the world” is upon us. Wars and threats of war, freakish weather, earthquakes and famines are certainly signs of an end, but they are not signs of the End. They are signs warning us that the age of grace (begun at the cross) is drawing to a close. Jesus calls these events “the beginning of the birth pangs” and says that we are not to be alarmed by them. Why? Far worse is coming!

What monstrosities dragons are! In legends the mere sight of them inspires terror, panic and mind-numbing fear. Swooping down suddenly upon helpless villagers they wreak havoc from the skies with no thought of mercy, spreading confusion and destruction in their wake. Slaying the living, stealing their treasures and hording the wealth—that’s what they do. It’s what our enemy does, too. Also called the prince of the power of the air, this evil one roams the heavens, the earth and the realms of the dead. Like the fire-breathing dragons of old, this ancient deceiver cannot be killed by human hand. Its going to take the Lord and His holy angels to defeat him. And defeat him they will. But we will have to wade through his havoc to get there.

Just as the antichrist is a counterfeit messiah, so the false prophet is a pseudo John the Baptist. His nefarious role will be in preparing the world to receive the lawless one as a man of peace and the answer to the world’s problems. This he will accomplish by creating a one world religion, something that for centuries has seemed utterly impossible. Nevertheless, there are already signs that this merging of the world’s religions is in the making. Even Christians and Jews will be taken in by this deception, so it’s worth understanding in advance all that we can know of the false prophet’s ways.

How many times do we Christians complain that the Lord doesn’t tell us enough about what’s coming up in our lives? It’s the unknown that scares us when He leads us beyond our comfort zone. A little extra information would sure help us trust Him better, or so we think. Unless you carry that thought into all the revelation, He has given us about the greatest time of trial of them all—the Great Tribulation. We know more about Jesus’ Second Coming, than Israel knew about His first coming. Yet, rather than feel prepared to go through it, many devoutly wish to be whisked away! This time of trial is worth a much closer look.

Whatever you do, do NOT take this mark! Some of the direst imprecations (curses) in scripture are spoken against those who take the mark of the beast. Without question, the unbelieving and unperceiving world will take it to their doom. Either they will be wooed by worshipping the beast into thinking it is somehow for their good; or they will take it against their better judgment due to the threat of death or slow starvation that are imposed on those who refuse it. Christians will know better, but this gift of revelation comes at high demand: Even Christians who take it will be damned forever. Don’t take it!

Does it seem strange that the Book of Revelation which reveals our future began with letters to seven churches way back in the past? None of those churches are around anymore! Maybe that’s the point. If they had heeded the sometimes-harsh warnings of their Lord, they just might have lasted all the way through to our day. This introduction to the churches goes hand in hand with Jesus’ stunning revelation of Himself to John on the Isle of Patmos. We will need both His past warnings and His present manifestation if we are to make it through the times coming upon us.