The next beast that we are going to see will be different from the first one. The first one comes up from out of the sea, the second comes up out of the earth. The beast from the sea represented a goverment from among the nations. The beast from the earth will represent a governing from among a religious mindset. It will be a convergence of all religious persuasions with this beast(leader) being its chief representative. Many different religions have been looking forward to the coming of some diety to solve the earths woes. The anti-christ will be the perfect canidate because he will be killed and come back to life. Little do they know that this person comes back to life in the power of Satan as Satan is kicked down to the earth. This is why they will worship this leader. Not only will he say he is God, but they will be told that he is, by this second beast. John sees this in Chapter 13, verse 11;
"And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like
a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon."
The interesting thing here is that is says that he had two horns like a lamb. We know that Jesus is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world for anyone who would receive what He did. This is why I feel that this leader is a religious leader. He speaks like a dragon (Satan) so we know that this person is a false prophet. Verse 12;
"And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he
makes the whole earth and those who dwell in it worship the beast(anti-christ),
whose fatal would was healed.
Verse 13;
"And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of
to the earth in the presence of men."
Jesus warned about being deceived from these signs and wonders. Remember, in the 24th Chapter of Matthew, Jesus was responding to the disciples questioning him as to the signs of His Coming and the end of the age. This is were Jesus had instructed them to look to the writings of the prophet Daniel about the abomination of desolation. This is when the anti-christ, (IT), Satan, seats himself in the temple of God, making claims of being God. After telling the disciples that, Jesus goes on to say in Chapter 24, verses 21-25;
(21)"for then there will be a tribulation, such as has not occured since the beginning
of the world until now, nor ever shall. (22) And unless those days had been cut short,
no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut
short, (23) Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ', or 'There He is',
do not believe him. (24) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show
great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."(25) Behold I
have told you in advance."
Jesus confirms what Daniel wrote about this leader who will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. Jesus also warns about the false prophet who will tell people that this leader is a messiah and get them to beleive it by performing great signs and wonders in the presence of the beast. Jesus said that if it was possible, and it's not, that these signs would be so persuasive that they
might even be able to deceive even those who know this is coming. Even the apostle Paul told of these deceptions in his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians. Right after Paul had just wrote about the man of lawlessness who would take his seat in the temple of God, making claims of being God, Paul writes in verses 9 and10;
(9)"that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all
power and signs and false wonders, (10) and with all the deception of wickedness
for those who perish, because they did not receive the truth so as to be saved."
John continues in verse 14;
"And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it
was given to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on
the earth to make an image to the beast, who had the wound of the sword and
has come to life."
Somehow people on the earth are going to be told to worship the image of the beast. Since not everyone can be in the physical presence of the beast 1, there must be images that are going to be replicated throughout the world that everyone will be able to see. When I first came to believe, 35 years ago, this was not something that could seem possible. But with todays advance technologies and computers, maybe even holograms, there may be a way for people everywhere to see, hear and worship the beast. John continues in verse 15;
(15)"And there was given to him (the false prophet) to give breath to the image
of the beast (IT), that the image of the beast (IT) might even speak and cause as
many as do not worship the image of the beast (IT) to be killed."
John goes on to descibe a new means of commerce that will be implemented during this time, when John writes this in verses 16 and 17;
(16) And he causes the all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor,
and the freemen and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on
their forehead, (17) and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell,
except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number
of his name."
Again, when I first received the truth, this was hard to imagine being possible. But again, with all the new technologies, I can see where this now is in the realm of possibility. How could this have been monitored if everyone is still using cash? Then came bank cards, but how could this work with global commerce, if the values of currencies are different throughout the world? Would we move towards a global currency, to where the rate of exchanges would not be an issue? What would the mark on the right hand or forehead have to do with it? Would it be a mark of the beast, like a tattoo, that would have to be seen before you could buy or sell? Is it a mark that actually will be used to access imformation, like a bar code or maybe even a chip that can now be used for commerce as is being done in some of the airports throughout the world, by scanning? A cashless society is a safer society, right? The drug trade will stop. Robberies would cease. All transactions can be recorded. Everyone could be located with a chip. No more kidnapping and getting away with it. Sounds like a great idea, but here's the problem for anyone who gets the mark of the beast, they will loose any chance of gaining eternal life. Receiving the mark is worshiping the beast. John completes Chapter 13, with this in verse 18;
" Here is the wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number
of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred
and sixty six."
Some manuscripts read 616. It says to calculate. I have no idea what to calculate. All I know is that it is the number of a man. As of right now maybe it is something that can not yet be calculated.
Jesus peace to all of you.
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