Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Rev 13:1 and following. Indeed, thrown on the earth, the devil takes advantage of the “little time” he has. He uses two instruments, two “beasts,” a term that implies the absence of relationship with God. We are thus led to see the development of Satan’s plans to accomplish his long-cherished purpose of supplanting not only the gospel and the law, but the testimony of God’s kingdom in the world. To this end, Satan will follow two ways of embracing the two classes of natural men who have always existed here on earth; those who love power and those who attach themselves to religion. Of course, this is not about those born of God, but it is obvious that the heart of man allows itself to be dazzled by the prestige of intelligence and power, or rushes into religious forms. The devil will therefore put forward two main instruments, as leaders of these systems that will express these two tendencies of human nature, and that will respond exactly to what the heart of man seeks and wants to have.
Thus, from the beginning, Satan had the plan to establish himself as God in man. For just as God delights in developing in man all his wonderful ways and guidance, Satan will also act through man. How the Lord Jesus is not only a divine person, but the expression of god’s glory and grace; as the Church is the object of his love unfolding in the heavenly blessings of which he enriches her, and as Israel is the object of his favor on earth; thus the enemy who cannot produce, but only corrupt the truth, will imitate, in a profane way and by means of lies, the advice of God, and will have his Beasts, just as certainly as God has his Lamb. This is clearly established by Rev 13. There we see these two beasts; one civil power, the other religious power, and both apostates.
The dragon represents the enemy of Christ, using from beginning to end, the political power of the Roman Empire, so that it is the heads, that is, the successive forms of power, that we see crowned, not the horns. These, in fact, were not to appear until the end of the history of the Roman Empire, at least not before the Barbarians had overthrown the Western Empire. On the other hand, in the first beast of chapter 13, we see, not only the hidden spirit of evil making use of the power of Rome in the various forms it has assumed, but the empire in its final state, when the mortal wound done to the imperial beast has been healed, and thus returned to life, Satan will give it his power, his throne, and great authority.
For the various efforts made to guess what this number represents have left the question without a satisfactory solution: It may be one of those secrets that will not be discovered, before the character they concern appears; then we can be sure that at least the “intelligent” will understand it. That we can now is more than we should claim: What moral benefit would we derive from it? It is certain that there is to be collected now in revelation, well understood, all that can edify and refresh the soul, all that the Holy Spirit has enclosed in it for our real blessing, separating us from the world and attaching us to heaven, and above all, to Christ; in fact, we can learn much more from it than those who, in the days to come, will have to go through the circumstances that this book mentions. But there are points of detail held in reserve by the wisdom of God, and which, such as this one, would be suitable at present only to satisfy curiosity. Moreover, it does not seem that it can be the number of the antichrist, as is generally believed, but that of the empire or rather of the Roman emperor, in his final antagonism against Jehovah and against his Anointed.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The two beasts:
- Idolatry, examples
Ex 32:4 He received them from their hands, threw the gold into a mold, and made a cast iron calf. And they said: Israel! behold your god, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Jg 3:7 The children of Israel did what the Lord dislikes, forgot the Lord, and served the Baals and idols. 2 Kings 17:12 They served the idols whom Jehovah had told them: You will not do this. Acts 17:16 As Paul expected them in Athens, he felt within him his mind irritated at the sight of this city full of idols. Gal 4:8 In the past, not knowing God, you served gods who are not gods of their nature;
- Book of Life
Ex 32:33 Jehovah said to Moses: He who has sinned against me whom I will erase from my book. Dn 12:1 At that time will arise Michael, the great chief, the defender of the children of your people; and it will be a time of distress, such that there has been no such time since the nations existed until that time. At that time, those of your people who will be found inscribed in the book will be saved. Luke 10:20, however, do not rejoice that the spirits are submitted to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Rev 3:5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. Books were opened. And another book was opened, the one that is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, according to what was written in these books. Rev 21:27 He will not enter her house anything defiled, nor anyone who indulges in abomination and lies; he will enter only those written in the book of life of the lamb. Rev 22:19 and if anyone removes anything from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will remove His share of the tree of life and the holy city, described in this book.
- False miracles
Ex 7:11,22 But Pharaoh called sages and enchanters; and the magicians of Egypt, too, did the same by their enchantments. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their enchantments. Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron, according to what Jehovah had said. Mt 7:22 Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by your name? have we not cast out demons by your name? and have we not performed many miracles by your name? 2 Thess 2:9 The appearance of this ungodly will be by the power of Satan with all kinds of miracles, signs, and false wonders, Rev 13:13 She performed great wonders, even to the point of bringing down fire from heaven to earth, in full view of men. Rev 16:14 For they are spirits of demons, who perform wonders, and who go to the kings of all the earth, in order to gather them for the battle of the great day of Almighty God. Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with it the false prophet, who had done before it the wonders by which he had deceived those who had taken the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. They were both thrown alive into the burning pond of fire and brimstone.
- Disfigurement by sin, observed in its degradation on the human person.
Pr 21:29 The wicked man takes on a cheeky look, but the righteous man strengthens his way. Isa 3:9 The appearance of their faces testifies against them, and, like Sodom, they publish their crime, without concealing. Woe to their souls! For they are preparing for evils. Rev 13:16 And she made all, young and old, rich and poor, free and enslaved, receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, Rev 16:2 The first went, and he poured his cup on the earth. And a malignant and painful ulcer struck the men who had the mark of the beast and who adored its image. Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with it the false prophet, who had done before it the wonders by which he had deceived those who had taken the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. They were both thrown alive into the burning pond of fire and brimstone.
From all the above, we note that the first beast corresponds to the reconstituted Roman Empire. It will bring together the characters of the three previous empires: speed of the leopard (Greece), tenacity of the bear (Persia), voracity of the lion (Babylon; Dn 7:2-8). In the wilderness, Jesus had refused the kingdoms of the world. Satan gives it to the Roman emperor and thus obtains the homage of the whole earth (Luke 4:5-8). As for the second beast, it is a counterfeit of the Lamb, but its language betrays it. It is the Antichrist, who will exercise religious power, perform miracles, support the first beast. The multitudes of men he will seduce will be marked like cattle in the name of the “Roman beast”. They are called “those who dwell on earth” because they have their interests and all their aspirations there. How many people this class of people is already numerous today! Verset 6 mentions in contrast “those who dwell in heaven” (Phil 3:17-21). For although the false prophet assumes the character of Christ in his kingdom, it is mostly spoken of his action on the Gentiles; the Jews are mixed with them, as we see in Isaiah 66 and in Daniel. It is a time of liberal thought, as they say; but a time of the most extreme tyranny towards all those who will not bow their heads under the yoke of Satan and will not submit to the ordinances he has established. The character of this epoch is the absence of truth. Christians, let us show “clearly,” unequivocally, where our dwelling is (Hb 11:14-16). Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “The Lamb and his 144,000 redeemed on Mount Zion. »
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.