What are the 1260 days in Revelation 11 verse 3, and 12 verse 6?

The 1260 days represented a 1260 year (a year for a day, Numbers 14:34) period from AD539 to AD1799 which led to the beginning of the Times of the End (Daniel 12). The 1260 years is the period of Papacy’s power. Papal domination kept the masses in ignorance, superstition and servility. The 1260 year period started when the Popes began to exercise civil authority and power in 539 and ended in 1799. The French Revolution was the rise of the people, who were demanding civil rights and were rebelling against domination.

1799 marked the beginning of the time of the end. Daniel 12:4 gives two signs of the end times, “…the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Increased travel (many running to and fro) began with the steam boat in 1807, steam locomotive 1830, and has led up to our modern automobiles, jet planes, and rocket ships. All knowledge began to multiply in the early 1800s. Specific Bible knowledge was also increased with the establishment Bible Societies in the 1830s. Today, mankind’s knowledge is doubling every five years.

The Woman (True Church) of Revelation 12:6 was in hiding (wilderness- away from Papacy) during the 1260 years and began to manifest herself with the reformers after 1799. The two witnesses in Revelation 11:3 are the Old and New Testament which sustained the True Church.

False prophets and false Messiahs will appear performing great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matt. 24:24). What does that mean?

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24

There have been many false prophets and false christs who have stated they were the mouthpieces of Jesus. As Jesus foretold, “…many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’…”

The Pope is himself one of these false prophets. The following is a quote from Pope Leo XIII in the Encyclical Letter of June 20, 1894, page 304: “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” No man holds the place of God! That is a false claim.

But who are “the very elect” mentioned at the end of verse 24? The elect are believers who faithfully obey God and develop the fruits of the spirit. Not all who profess Jesus will be faithful, only a little flock. 2 Peter 1:10, “…brethren (saved believers in Christ)give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail.” As the Apostle Paul writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:27. 

Just before Christ establishes His kingdom on earth, deceptions will increase. Some believe that God may allow materialization of the fallen angels (imprisoned in the Earth's atmosphere after the Flood). This possibility is speculative. These demons may be able to create signs and wonders so impressive, that were it not for God’s power, they could even deceive the last members of the church on earth.

To summarize, the last members of the body of Christ are allowed to go through sifting experiences, but if they stay close to His word, they will discern these manifestations as lying wonders coming from the adversary, Satan.

Babylon is located in Iraq in Old Testament. In the New Testament, where is the "mystery, Babylon" in Revelation 17-5?

The name written on the forehead of the woman riding the scarlet colored beast did not represent a location nor did it refer to literal Babylon located in Iraq in ancient times.  Rather it was part of a title,  “MYSTERY: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”. The title symbolically identified the woman.

All of Revelation is filled with signs, symbols, and pictures from the vision the Apostle John received on the isle of Patmos. These visions were delivered to him by Our Lord Jesus, Himself.  Given the symbolic nature of the book, you can see the Revelation 17vision does not refer to a literal woman riding a scarlet colored beast, nor was her head literally inscribed with a title, nor was that Babylon a literal city.  The woman is a symbol.

Where else in the Scriptures do we find a woman as a symbol?  In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins given by our Lord in Matthew 25. Here the true bride of Christ is represented as the wise virgins who go out to meet the bridegroom.  They represent the pure church, the true church. In the opposite sense, the woman in Revelation 17:5 represents a false and evil church as shown by her description. She was arrayed in purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.  Does this remind you of any church you may know that displays various forms of wealth in both person and ritual?  In her hand was a golden cup full of the abominations and filthiness of her fornication.  Who was she fornicating with?  Rev 17:1,2 says that she was a prostitute and had committed fornication with the “kings of the earth!”  Since the time of our Lord’s first advent, has there been a church which has made strong alliances with the kings of the earth, the earthly governments throughout history?

Why does her title include the name, Babylon?  Smith’s Bible Dictionary tells us that Babylon is the Greek form of Babel.  You may recall the account of the tower of Babel in the Old Testament where God confused the language of the people so that they could not complete the construction of the tower.  Indeed, the name Babylon means the same as its real reference, that is, confusion.   

This false church system carries in her hand, a cup that was once filled with truth, but now is contaminated with a wide array of confusing doctrines. Those doctrines are designed to intoxicate those who drink it.  As error was spread, ambition replaced the spirit of humility and loyalty to God and she desired the conditions that would give her greater power and influence in the world.  Revelation 18 describes in detail the destruction of this false system. 

How would it be possible for the saints to come down from heaven (Revelation 21:2) when 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says that they would only be gathered as far as the atmosphere?

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Verse 16 denotes what happened at our Lord’s return in 1874 to the saints who had been sleeping in death for centuries. They were awakened to receive new immortal spiritual bodies like that of our Lord’s glorious body. Verse 17 goes on to say that future saints now living “will be caught up [changed at the moment of death] together with them [to be also like the saints who were already raised] in the clouds [often symbolic of trouble and persecution] to meet the Lord in the air [earth’s atmosphere, not the heaven of heavens].” We believe that these scriptures refer to the harvest of the Gospel Age, a time preceding our Lord’s setting up of His kingdom on earth. Even though persecution has not been the experience of all the saints either before our Lord’s second presence or after, there are scriptures pertaining to the closing days that indicate that the very last members of the Church may suffer persecution and violence before they die. For example, their experience would be comparable to that of Elijah who was caught up in a fiery chariot and accompanying whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). Since we believe the Church class is still being completed (as is the great multitude, also a heavenly class), the marriage of the Lamb cannot have occurred. (See Revelation 19.) Therefore, we conclude that the risen saints are not yet with our Heavenly Father in the highest realm of heaven, where Jesus was seated after He ascended to heaven. We believe that the risen saints are with our Lord Jesus in the lower areas of heaven tearing down this present evil system so that Christ’s earthly kingdom can be set up.

However, in Revelation 21:2, the time frame has moved forward to the actual setting up of the earthly Kingdom. The Church is now complete, the marriage has taken place in the highest realm of heaven where God abides, and all people on earth are aware of a change in government from man’s control to Jesus and His Church’s control.

“I saw the Holy City [the government of God], the New Jerusalem [the completed Church in glory and Kingdom power, now united in marriage to the Lamb], coming down out of heaven from God [coming down from the highest place in heaven as they get their directive to rule], prepared as a bride [all the saints are counted as one collectively] beautifully dressed [resplendent for her husband Jesus].” (Revelation 21:2) This verse pertains to the inauguration of the reign of Christ. “Coming down from heaven” signifies that the New Jerusalem is of divine origin.

Are the risen saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 being gathered only as far as the earth’s atmosphere? Perhaps they may be in this realm or some other heavenly realm. We are not dogmatic on this issue. However, these same saints in Revelation 21:2 (the New Jerusalem) now descend
from the highest echelon of heaven since that is where their marriage to the Lamb took place.

What do we know about the 144000 mentioned in Revelation?

Revelation 7:2-4, “Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ‘Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.”

This is an end-time picture. Joel 2: 1,2,10 talk about “the day of the Lord…a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness,…the earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining…” During the period of our Lord’s second presence, Jesus shall judge the national, social (earth) and religious systems (heavens). However, before our Lord destroys this present evil world (Galatians 1:4), he will seal a class of 144,000 in their foreheads.

What is a seal? In ancient days, people would use a seal to imprint their identification marks in hot wax. When the seal was removed, the wax would bear the designated image of the owner. So, pictorially, this imprint of God is formed in the forehead. We know our foreheads represent out minds and thoughts. Therefore, this class bears the holy mark of God in their minds. Their thoughts and ways are clearly manifest to all as the seal is shown on their faces. This holy group of people radiate the mind of Christ.

What people have Christ’s mind? I Cor. 2:7, 16 states, “…we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God,…none of the rulers…understood this,…But we have the mind of Christ.” We, the faithful followers of our Lord, have the mind of Christ. Those who are of this unique class are but a “little flock.” Our Lord specially rewards those who are transformed into Christ’s likeness. He permits them to reign with Christ in His kingdom. Luke 12:32, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Referring back to Revelation 7, the final, armageddon phase of God’s judgment doesn’t start until the 144,000 of spiritual Israel have proven faithful, have the seal of God in their foreheads, to reign with Christ (see Revelation 20).