2. Falling into the Pit

Now, a long, long time ago a story was written about just such a man.

This man’s name was Jabez Stone.

In Steven Vincent Benet’s The Devil and Daniel Webster, Jabez Stone had in mind a price which he was willing to pay in exchange for worldly gain. To gain this world's rewards, he said he would even be willing to sell his own soul.

“‘I vow,’ he said, and he looked around him kind of desperate—’I vow it’s enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil! And I would, too, for two cents!’”

“Then he felt a kind of queerness come over him at having said what he’d said; though, naturally, being a New Hampshireman, he wouldn’t take it back.

But, all the same, when it got to be evening and, as far as he could see, no notice had been taken, he felt relieved in his mind, for he was a religious man.

But notice is always taken, sooner or later, just like the Good Book says. And, sure enough, next day, about suppertime, a soft-spoken, dark-dressed stranger drove up in a handsome buggy and asked for Jabez Stone.”

Then, Jabez proceeded to make the deal of his life with THE DEVIL!

3. The Great Sell-Out

For poor Jabez was a very bad end! He went after temporal gain to the total neglect of that which is eternal. Like Esau, he was willing to “sell” his own birthright for a mess of pottage!

He SOLD his SOUL!!!

Now, you can only do that just once and then you are DONE!

Warning: My friend, never … never make the mistake about your soul's worth before God! Oh … oh … my, your soul ought to be so precious to you.

Please! Do not ever forget this!

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” [Mark 8:36]

Now, who else in the world [may I ask] has already done what Jabez has done?

Well, we know this much.  In order to get a meal for his belly, Esau did!

“And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” [Genesis 25:33-34]

In order to gain a vineyard, Ahab did!

Do you remember him, and his wife? “But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.” [1 Samuel 21:25]

“And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.” [1 Kings 21:20]

Sadly, there are people in this world all too willing and ready to sell themselves to the Devil in order obtain a kingdom, a realm, or an empire.

And often, this readiness [or state of mind] to enter into this kind of transaction [selling one’s soul to the Devil] involves a woman.

In the case of Ahab, this certainly was the case. Ahab’s wife Jezebel stirred him up to work evil.

Evil doing always results in the judgment of God coming down on top of you!

4. In the Kingdom Fixation

Now on this kingdom fixation, there are definite instances in history of men selling their souls to the Devil through a woman in exchange for being made a king over a kingdom even if it’s only for a short, short time.

Their kingdom fixation proves to be their END.

Now, we come to the study of future history which is called prophecy.

Now, we have here, in this prophetic scene [that is so soon to unfold in the near future] located in the book of the Revelation, chapter seventeen. Are you ready? Here we go!

Revelation 17:1-11

Verses one and two: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

Notice: There are seven angels, and there are seven vials. Each angel has a vial ready for judgment. God’s judgment comes in sevens.

Now, visualize through faith this following scene: The sight of “the great whore” [the woman] sitting “upon many waters”.

Remember, what we learned earlier, the “many waters” “are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” [Revelation 17:15]

We also, learned earlier, that “the woman” “is that great city”.

What is the name of this “great city”?

Answer: History shows invariably, the “great city” is the city of Rome.

Now, notice this: In Rome is a great CHURCH.

What is more, this church has religious and civil jurisdiction over the people [the waters] and their governments.

The Roman Catholic Church thus, is a church state. She governs or sits over the people politically from the religious realm with supernatural power. (See for this Ephesians 6:12.)

Verse three: “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”

John is transported [or carried away] “in the spirit” into the wilderness, and he sees this figurative woman.

Next, see her identifying colors !

Verses four and five: “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

The woman’s [this church’s] colors are purple and scarlet. Look at her: She is rich with this world’s goods: “decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.”

We see her Baalite priests each Sunday performing in the mysterious MASS and portraying the “golden cup” in her mysterious rites. Look out now!

There is more to note concerning this woman.

Are you ready for this?

Verse six: “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.”

Verse seven: “And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.“

Verse eight: “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

Verse nine: “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.”

Verse ten: “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”

Let’s move into review.

In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ [in chapter seventeen] there are seven men which are seven kings. Now, kings have jurisdiction over kingdoms.

Remember, it was the Devil who offered Jesus Christ “the kingdoms of the world”, and remember, he could give them “to whomsoever” he chooses for a price.

The price to gain a kingdom would be the price of their soul.

Since five of the seven kings are already fallen the focus will be identifying them.

Now, it is time for the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter seventeen, verse ten:

“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.” [Revelation 17:10]

Here are seven kings. Again, note: “five are fallen”.

These five kings: who are they?

 It is a good question.

To find out who they are, and how they became kings … is the goal.

The first thing to notice here [in verse ten], is the tense of the verb.

 [This is very important.]

These five kings “are fallen”!

It is in the past tense.

The five kings fell somewhere in time past.

Now, let’s pause here for just a moment.

What is now past … is now recorded: It is history.

Further: There are lessons we can learn from history. We can benefit to our good, if we heed history.

One lesson we can learn from history ... is that men never seem to learn from history.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can be different [and learn from history] if we are willing to be different! It is simply a matter of the heart.

If one studies history, he will see the things that the Bible has already foretold [the things that will happen], and then, see them fulfilled in history.

Conclusion: History is, therefore, the fulfillment of BIBLE prophecy.

Stated a little differently, history records the fulfillment of BIBLE prophecy.

Now, we move to where the future meets the past.

Here is our example that lies before us.

In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John by the Holy Ghost wrote that these five kings were already fallen.

Question: When did they fall? 

Did they fall before 90 A.D.?

For the answer, we will need to consider both time and eternity.

Now, God exists outside of time in eternity.

 It is man who is bound by time, and confined within time, not God.

Why is this so?

This is very simple!

Because GOD is GOD!

Scripture saith: “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.” [Deuteronomy 4:39]

God is the creator of all things, which includes all of us [I am talking about all of mankind]. See how God [out of the whirlwind] answered Job in his day of calamity with the demanding question: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” [Job 38:4]

End of discussion. Job had nothing to say! He could not answer! There was nothing but silence after God got through with Job.

What can we learn from all of this? We can learn this.

1) We all have a past [once we are born].

2) We all have a present,

3) and we all also, have a future.

In the book of Revelation 1:19, John was told to: “Write the things which thou hast seen [the past], and the things which are [the present], and the things which shall be hereafter” [the future].

A general rule can now be postulated.

General Rule:

Men live in time, and are confined by time.

Here is the exception to the rule.

The Exception to the General Rule:

Men “in the Spirit” can be set free from their set time.

The critical thing to discern [by believing this BIBLE] is what happens when a man is “in the Spirit”. This man [“in the Spirit”] can be broken out of the time he is living in ... through a time warp.

When the time warp is crossed, he finds himself transported to another place and to another time. Thereby, he (or an object) is transported to another place, or space, even to those places, or spaces, totally outside of time (this is called eternity).

Impossible, you say!

But this was indeed what had happened to the Apostle John as we shall see.

We need to see what God can do!

Read with me in the gospel of Mark: “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” [Mark 10:27]

We are now ready and set to go to the book of Revelation, chapter one, verse ten: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”.

Do you see what I see?

He was IN THE SPIRIT!

Truth #1:

A person can be “in the spirit” if he has been first “quickened” by the Spirit.

• Ephesians 2:1: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

• Ephesians 2:5: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; )”

• Colossians 2:13 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

• 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

Truth #2:
If a person has been “quickened” by the Spirit, then that person must first die!

Now, how can this thing be so? My friend, it is a TRUTH that so completely resounds throughout the heavens and in all of the earth! Scripture saith: “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:” [1 Corinthians 15:36].

The bottom line: The “words of life” [John 6:68] teaches the proper sequence in salvation is death is to precede life. The Spirit saith: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” [John 12:24]

Conclusion: Self is crucified with Jesus Christ, yet someone indeed lives!

God’s word reveals the meaning of this mystery in this way: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” [Galatians 2:20]

Once again I repeat: With God all things are possible!

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” [Matthew 19:26]

The things that are impossible for you, and me, to accomplish in the strength of the flesh are made possible by the supernatural work and grace of God.

The Spirit of God quickens men and brings forth life from death by the power of God’s word: “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” [Psalm 119:50]

A man thus being found “in the spirit” is a “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” of what God can do in a Christian [1 Corinthians 2:4].

God can transport such a man “in the spirit” to another place, and to another time.

Recall what happened to the prophet Ezekiel in his day: “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,” [Ezekiel 37:1].

Three more times in the book of Revelation [after chapter one, verse ten] it was said of John that he was “in the spirit”:

The first time was in Revelation 4:2: “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”

The second time was in Revelation 17:3: “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”

The third time was in Revelation 21:10: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,”

Next  5. With Five Fallen Kings