Why does the beast have only 42 months? The most logical reason, he would die. In Revelation 13 an image is made of him by the second beast . This image will be worshipped as a god. All who do not worship the beast shall be killed. The only way a person can survive is by taking the mark of the beast, the name of the beast or the number of his name. These three are important because they are one and the same. Any of these three will cause a soul to receive eternal damnation.
In the Arab world statues of leaders and martyrs are everywhere. Hero worship is common place in the Middle East. Syria showed this when Hafez-al-Assad died on June 10, 2000. This is what led me to believe that the beast would die after his 42 month reign. This could not be further from the truth.
Revelation 13 says that POWER will be given to the beast to continue 42 months. Does this mean his reign will end in 42 months or something altogether different? After I asked this question the answer came not once but three times.
The first in Rev.13:14 says that he ( the false prophet ) will deceive them with those miracles he had power to do in the SIGHT of the beast. Simply put, the beast must be present with the false prophet if he sees those miracles. Therefore, he will be present when an image is made of him.
Second, Rev.16:13 says that unclean spirits came out of the mouths of the dragon (Satan), the beast (Arafat), and the false prophet to gather them to the battle of Armageddon. What this verse shows is that all three are present at the same time in the same place during God's vial judgments .This is well after the rapture and just before the end of the seventh trump.
Third, Rev.19 is a picture at the end of Armageddon with the beast and the false prophet present as the kings of the earth prepare war against the Lord. Verse 20 states that the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles BEFORE HIM. The words " before him" are the one's I want to draw attention to. These miracles were happening in the presence of the beast. Furthermore, they were both taken at the same time in the battle of Armageddon.
ONCE again I ask the question. How can the beast continue for 42 months when he will be alive longer than the 42 months the Bible says he has?
ANSWER: The 42 months that Arafat has been given power to continue is the Peace Process. What is being talked about is his quest for the Holy city Jerusalem, Rev.11:2. When all the negotiations are done and Arafat and Israel cannot reach an agreement on Jerusalem, refugees, and settlements a war will start. Once again, what is being continued for 42 months is the peace process and the dispute over Jerusalem. It began with the dispute over Har Homa in Feb. 1997 and will end in August 2000.
The Watchman of Ephraim