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1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Lesson 11 The First Beast/ Antichrist and The False Prophet
Once again, the more I re-read this the more I add, so I will stop here.
We now know a few things about this Beast from the sea:
*It is an empire of people with the same ideology and god. I believe they are Islam and Allah.
The Dragon (Satan), has been working on this machine that he is going to use in these last days for over 1300 years. It has grown into a very large, powerful, wealthy machine. It has two weapons that it uses to get its way with the kings of the earth. One weapon is its terror that costs kings lives, votes and money. The other weapon it has is its oil reserves which all the kings need. It funds its terrorists, acts of terror, the spreading of its ideology, and it gives the oil rich Islamic states a powerful bargaining chip with the kings of the earth. In fact, its oil allows it to dictate to as well as demand from the other kings, especially Europe, UK and US.
* This empire will have two supernatural leaders, the Dragon (Satan), and a fallen angel from the Abyss that will posses or unite with a human warrior to form a very powerful, successful leader of this empire. This leader will have supernatural qualities, he will be given all the dominion the Dragon (Satan) possesses in the earth. He will not only war with nations that resist him, but his angel helper from the Abyss will war with God's angels and even prevail over some. Because of the supernatural qualities that this human leader displays, he will have the admiration of much the world, and they will worship him. The Dragon will also be worshipped for the power he bestows on the leader, there-by guaranteeing success.
* Who are these leaders? The dual leader will be the al-mahdi, the one the Christians call Antichrist. The Dragon, (Satan) will not be seen, but will be worshipped as the god, Allah.
* The people of this empire will physically mingle themselves with fallen angels in either marriage or possession or both, in order to strengthen the empire. By the way, a possessed human has supernatural strength, very helpful in war. In the book of Acts 19:14-16, one man possessed by demons fought, stripped naked, and wounded 7 men all by himself.
* This empire will move across all the Middle East, Africa and probably some of Europe, consuming everything and everyone in its path, just like the empires of old did. In fact, you are witnessing the beginning of its last days takeover, right now, all through the horn of Africa, Egypt, and Syria. Now Qatar is complaining about the moves the Muslim Brotherhood are making across the territories, because they are afraid. When the angels unite with the humans of this empire, it will be even more terrifying and powerful than we could imagine.
About the 7 heads: for now, let's just set them aside along with the seemingly wounded head. If we leave it till last, it may reveal itself. I am seeing one thing about the 7 heads that may be important. The angel tells John that the 7 heads are 7 kings of which 5 have fallen. The angel also tells John that the 10 horns are 10 kings who will reign with the Beast for one hour. On these beasts from both Daniel and Revelations, the horns are smaller protrusions on one or more heads. To me, that makes the head superior to the horn even though they are both called kings. The head kings are superior to the horn kings. Could the head kings be angels, supernatural, like the 8 head the Beast from the Abyss, and the horn kings be natural, human kings? Right now it is just a question I am putting out there, but I am very much leaning that way.
* This empire is in a state of change. Right now it seems somewhat disjointed and scattered, but soon it will unite and elect 10 Islamic leaders to head the rebirth of this Islamic empire. They may or may not each be the leader of an Islamic state. Don't sell this empire short, it will immediately have real clout, besides its oil money and fear that the terror and oil has acquired for it, Islam also has NUKES.
In reality, Islam is already an empire to reckon with, and the leaders of the West know it. They are terrified and in major appeasement mode. Every western nation wants Islam to be their friend. Furthermore, Israel's allies are backing away from her because of the terror threat and the oil threat.
* Case in point: Wednesday London has a beheading on her streets, Thursday she lets Israel know that she is backing away from her support of Israel because of the settlements in Samaria and Judea. Is it a coincidence? I doubt it. Europe is battling Islam as well, and they to are trying to push Israel into giving Islam what she wants. The western states are using the "Palestinian state" as an excuse, when all they want is for Israel to make Islam happy so it will leave them alone. But no matter what Israel gives Islam, it won't stop the terror. This is how Satan is going to isolate Israel from any who could help her when Islam attacks, and it works.
* The 10 leaders who rule with the Beast, will be 10 human kings that is until the mingling begins. After that, anything is possible. But from the time they unite until the last half of the tribulation, they will be human.
I want to show you something further in Revelations 13 about the Beast from the sea, before we look at the Beast from the earth. We looked at Revelations 13:1-4, I want us to look at the next couple of verses.
Part of this always stumped me, but not anymore.
Rev 13:5-9: And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
The beast was given a mouth! Are you telling me this was a mouth-less creature? I finally get it, I guess I finally listened and I heard!
And the beast was given a mouth: An angel is unable to do much on this physical plane without a flesh and bone body, be it human or animal. The Beast could scream at the top of his lungs and not be heard until he gets control of a human or animal voice. The mouth the Beast is given, is his human sidekick, the little horn. Now the Beast from the Abyss has a mouth. We can be reasonably sure of this because the list of things that is attributed to the Beast with this given mouth is exactly the same things that are attributed to the little horn in Daniel, right down to the 42 months.
So, the Beast from the Abyss, is given a mouth, the little horn, a human who lends his body to do the bidding of the Beast angel, for 42 months. Now they are joined, the people will only see one being, the human one, but together they are The Beast, the one the Christians call The Antichrist.
I must share here that I find it extremely interesting that the Muslims are waiting for al mahdi, who has been hiding since the 1300's in a well or cave. He has been kept alive supernaturally. The first Beast, the supernatural one, comes from a deep dark pit, well or cavern called the bottomless pit or the Abyss.
Now John sees another Beast.
Still using a modern version that agrees with older ones for simplicity.
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast, which came up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb's horns, and it spoke like a dragon. It used the vast authority of the first beast in its presence. It forced the earth and all who live on it to worship the first beast, whose wound had healed. This second beast performed great miracles; it made fire come down out of heaven to earth in the sight of everyone. And it deceived all the people living on earth by means of the miracles which it was allowed to perform in the presence of the first beast. The beast told them to build an image in honor of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived.
John does not describe the second beast. The only thing we know about its appearance is that it has two horns like a lamb, not that it looks like a lamb, and it speaks like the dragon, not that it looks like the dragon. Our clues are extremely limited.
Two horns = horns stand for kings and also authority, what is unique about kingship is its authority! He is a human with two sources of power or kingship. The power to do supernatural acts come to this 2nd Beast from the first Beast, the one from the Abyss. The authority to make or demand that men do as he bids also comes from the first Beast. This human is in submission to the first Beast who gives him power to do the supernatural and authority to make decisions.
This will be a religious figure, a prophet or Imam. That is his first source of authority or horn. His second source of authority is the first Beast, hence two horns.
Do you know, it is this 2nd Beast, The False Prophet, that institutes the "mark of the Beast", and not the Antichrist as tradition teaches.
So lets glean what we can to fill in our picture.
came up out of the earth = In prophetic scripture, the earth usually refers to Israel; but I can tell you, this will be no Jew. No Muslim or fallen angel would work this closely with a Jew. The fallen angels and demons hate the Jewish people as much as the Muslims do. Where do you think Muslims learned all that hate? There are many Muslim leaders living within the borders of what God considers Israel's land, many! Any one of them could be this 2nd Beast, The False Prophet.
Another thing, when you think of a false prophet, don't think of someone the Christian West would consider a prophet, or a false prophet, like the Pope. This man is a false prophet TO HIS OWN FOLLOWING first and foremost. He will be claiming to be someone he is not, and proclaiming lies backed by miracles that someone else's power is providing. He will have them worship another man who isn't who he claims to be either.
Both of these Beasts, the al Mahdi and his prophet will be readily accepted by those they come up among; yet, they go to great lengths to deceive them as well as the rest of the world. All of Islam is a facade, a lie! Islam has become a machine that works toward one end and one end only. To annihilate Israel and rule the world. That is the Devil's goal.
The non religious world will be deceived by the miracles, and not because they believe him to be a prophet of God which they don't believe in either. Later on, Scripture tends to imply that people become completely taken over by the falsehood and the power of this Devil duo that they willingly follow these two right into hell.
Without God's Word in your memory and heart and believed upon, you have no ability against the deception of the Devil. Do you remember this that I shared a couple of years ago?
Don't skip this part, you or someone you love may need this part to insure that they are not deceived right into hell.
Eph 6:11-18 = Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against:
* the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world,
* the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.
So put on God's armor now!
Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground.
So stand ready:
* with truth as a belt tight around your waist,
* with righteousness as your breastplate,
* your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace.
* At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One.
* And accept salvation as a helmet, salvation is not automatic, you must ask for & accept it from Jesus
* the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you.
Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.
Every piece of armor comes from God's Word.
Back to the False Prophet. Let's see what else he does.
Rev 13:15 The second beast was allowed to breathe life into the image of the first beast, so that the image could talk and put to death all those who would not worship it.
Sure we have technology that could appear to do that, but this fools the world, this is done through supernatural, angelic, ability. It creates awe and terror. Kind of like shock and awe.
Rev 13:16 And he forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to have a mark placed on their right hands (or arm) or on their foreheads.
Rev 13:17 No one could buy or sell without this mark, that is, the beast's name or the number that stands for the name.
Some people will do this willingly, some for food and some out of fear for their very lives. The thing is, once this is done, there is no salvation in Jesus. These people will have to decide whether to take the mark and live till Jesus returns and then die and go to hell or die now of hunger or beheading but live forever with all who were saved by Jesus.
An interesting point, are they beheading in Europe or in the Vatican, or even the US? The Bible says the Beast beheads those who refuse to follow! Isn't that also a clue? Beheading has already happened on the streets of London for all to see. In Syria, a man killed another man, cut out his heart and ate it.
I am almost stunned that people can't see that Islam does not worship the God of Heaven. In fact, there isn't anything good, giving, loving, moral or decent in all that Islam believes, teaches and does.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Next time we will look a little more at this False Prophet and work our way to the mark of the Beast, 666.
Rhonda