9/19/09
The Beast Power Speaks
False words vs. True words
Words can have a huge impact on people, institutions, societies and even governments. It was the words of demons and Pharisees in the crowd, shouting “Crucify Him!” that motivated the masses to join in the hatred against Jesus, and shout along with the demons for the murder of the Son of God.
On Halloween of 1517, Martin Luther changed the course of human history when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at
“Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."
Adolf Hitler was a skilled user of propaganda. "propaganda is the spreading of ideas to further or damage a cause; also the ideas or allegations spread for a purpose". Hitler had the ambition to make his country the most powerful in the world. Since he was a skilled user of propaganda, he could use his words to twist and manipulate the minds of people into believing that what he was saying was the absolute truth. Hitler was demonic, and his goals and beliefs were demonic. Again, the power of words.
When the early Advent believers studied their Bibles and learned new and exciting truth, they published tracts and books explaining their findings. These publications—these words of truth—found their way into the lives of individuals who were searching for God’s truth. And so a church took form, and God led many people into this church through conversations, sermons, Bible Studies, and publications.
Words can make you, and they can break you! Be exceeding careful what words you listen to, and what words you allow to have weight in your life!
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
The Bible says that in the last days people will be deceived by the “lawless one”, and they will “perish” because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. God allows these people to believe lies, false words, because the overall direction of their lives in towards unrighteousness.
Make no mistake about it: we will either have a love relationship with Jesus Christ, the True Witness, or we will have deadly love affair with sin and falsehood.
We are in the midst of a Great Controversy between Christ and Satan, and Christ is the Victor! Satan is already a defeated foe. But he is still a formidable foe, nonetheless.
In terms of spiritual survival through the ages, it has always been:
False words vs. True words
In the last days of earth’s history, in which we live, Revelation tells us that people will either be deceived and lost because they listen to the false prophet, or they will be healed and saved because they listen to the True Witness (Jesus Christ):
False prophet vs. True Witness
One of the main issues for these last days will be whose authority we are under. Are we basing our lives on the authority of man, or are we surrendering to the authority of God?
Authority of man vs. Authority of God
Today we will take a close look at how the Beast Power has spoken in time past, and how that power is speaking in our day. First we must establish who the beast is, and for some of you this might be review, but bear with me.
The Identity of the Beast
Revelation 14:9-10 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Those who receive the mark of the beast will be recipients of the wrath of God. They will not be on God's side in these final days--they will be part of an age-old rebellion against God. Therefore it is important for us to understand who the beast is and what comprises this "mark" of the beast, so that we can avoid deception, and survive spiritually in the end time. These are life and death issues, and God wants us to understand these issues.
Today we will focus on the beast power, and the false words this power speaks.
Satan usually tries to accomplish his purposes through a seemingly angelic instrumentality. He appears in these last days as an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), cloaking his evil in the guise of religiosity. He rarely appears as his hideous self. He works through people, systems, and powers to accomplish his agenda. It has always been this way. So remember that the beast power is merely being used by Satan. It is an instrument.
First we must go back, for the beast of Revelation 13 is but a culmination of evil and rebellion which started long ago.
Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Long ago, Lucifer had "I" problems. He wanted to be "like the Most High."
Ezekiel 28:12-15 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of
“ You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
God created Lucifer perfect. He was a covering cherub--evidently a very high figure in the angelic world. But his own pride caused his fall, and "iniquity was found in him."
Verse 17 says that God cast Lucifer to the ground. He spread discord to the other angels--and the rebellion against God and His government was on.
Revelation 12:7-9 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
There was war in heaven. The devil and his angels were cast out of heaven (verse 4 "a third"). The devil is described as a dragon in this chapter.
The rebellion--the great controversy--spread to earth. Remember the two major players in this controversy are Jesus Christ and Satan. Every generation has witnessed a new manifestation of that evil power in its untiring warfare against God and His law. The final form of the enemy opposition will be that of the beast of Revelation 13.
Revelation 13:1-7 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
A composite beast rising up out of the sea, which represents "peoples, multitudes, languages and tongues" (Revelation 17:15). A beast in Bible prophecy represents a king or kingdom (Daniel 7:17).
We will come back to this beast in a moment. First let's review God's wonderful prediction of the rise and fall of earth's great empires, in Daniel 7. Daniel and Revelation are sister books--meant to be studied together. They are both apocalyptic in nature, and contain much symbolic language. Thankfully, the Lord has given us His explanation of His symbolic language! The Bible interprets itself.
Daniel 7:2-3 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the
Daniel saw the prophetic waters just as John did in Revelation. Again, the waters represent many people.
Daniel 7:17 “Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.”
Daniel 7:23 "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth." So, the first three beasts must also be earthly kingdoms as well.
Daniel 7:4 The first beast was like a lion--
Daniel 7:5 The second beast was like a bear--Medo-Persia--538 B.C. to 331 B.C.
Daniel 7:6 The third beast was like a leopard--
Daniel 7:7 The fourth beast is "dreadful and terrible"--the iron monarchy of
The ten horns represent ten invading tribes which attacked the
Daniel 7:8 A "little horn" comes up sometime after the time of the fourth world empire--
Let's look at the nine characteristics of Daniel's Little Horn power:
First, the little horn came up among the ten. This places it geographically in
Fourth, the little horn would have "eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things" (verse 8). This indicates that a human being would be at the head of power represented by the little horn.
Fifth, "he shall be diverse from the first (horns)" (verse 24). This means that the little horn would be a different kind of power from those purely political kingdoms which preceded it.
Sixth, "he shall speak great words against the Most High" (verse 25--see Revelation 13:5-- "great words and blasphemies."
Blasphemy is speaking against God, or claiming to have the prerogatives of God--i.e. claiming to be able to do that which only God can do.
John 10:30-33 “I and My Father are one.”
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Jesus claimed to be one with the Father (He was). This verse makes it clear that it is blasphemy for a man to be accorded the place of God (the Pharisees didn't know Jesus was God Incarnate).
Mark 2:7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Claiming to be able to forgive sins constitutes blasphemy (Jesus was not a blasphemer, because He was God in human flesh).
Seventh, "he shall wear out the saints of the Most High." The little horn is a persecuting power--it will make war with God's people, and cause them to be put to death.
Eighth, the little horn will "think to change times and laws." This power seeks to change the law of God, which is a symbol of God's government, and a transcript of His loving character. No one can really change God's law, so this is only an attempt on the little horn's part--and on the part of the devil, who is working through the little horn.
Ninth, "and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time" (verse 25). This is the time period that the little horn power would reign. In Revelation 12:14, we read "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." In Revelation 12:6 it reads "a thousand two hundred and threescore days." The two time periods are identical--two ways of saying the same thing.
Time = one year
Times = two years
Half or Dividing of Time = one half year
3.5 times equals 3.5 prophetic days, or years
1260 days equals 3.5 years
The beast of Revelation 13:5 rules for 42 months
One Bible month contained 30 days. 42 months at 30 days each comes out to 1260 days as well.
In predictive Bible prophecy and probationary time, a day equals one year of real time. For one thing, this is the only rendering which makes sense in the book of Daniel, where we have contemplated world empires and hundreds--even thousands of years. To render the "days" as literal in Daniel would make absolutely no sense. Also, we do have other times in the Bible where a day stood for a year--see Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34.
An Exact Fulfillment
There is only one possible entity which fulfills all of Daniel's characteristics of the little horn power. It is the Papacy, or the Roman Catholic Church. Not the people of the church--not the wonderful Christians who comprise this church--but the SYSTEM itself.
First, the Papacy did arise in Western Europe, at the very heart of the territory of the Pagan Roman Empire--in
Third, when the Papacy arose, it was opposed by three of the tribes which had taken over at the collapse of the
Fourth, the Catholic Church did, and continues to have a man at the head of its system. Fifth, the Papacy was a diverse kind of power from the other political kingdoms before it. It was a church-state authoritarian power, which exercised its dominion over the entire earth. It was totally new and unique.
Sixth, the Papacy fits the characteristic of blasphemy. "The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted, that he is not a mere man, but as it were God and the Vicar of God. The Pope is, as it were, God on earth, chief king of kings, having plenitude of power." Volume VI, pp. 25-29 of F. Lucii Ferraris' book, Prompta Bibliotheca Cononica Juridica Moralis Theologica --printed at
Add to this the practice of Auricular Confession, and you have what amounts to a Biblical definition of blasphemy.
Seventh, millions of Christians were tortured and killed during the Catholic inquisitions. Here is what a Catholic Cardinal wrote in a book fully sanctioned by the Church:
"The Catholic Church...has a horror of blood. Nevertheless, when confronted by heresy...she has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture. She creates tribunals like the Inquisition. She calls the laws of the state to her aid...Especially did she act thus in the 16th Century with regard to Protestants...In France, under Francis I and Henry II, in England under Mary Tudor, she tortured the heretics." The Catholic Church, the Renaissance and Protestantism, pp. 182-184.
Eighth, the little horn would think to change times and laws. The Catholic Church has removed the Second Commandment from her doctrinal books and catechism,
because it condemns the worship of images. The tenth commandment is then divided so that they still have Ten Commandments. But two are against coveting (instead of one), and there is none against idolatry. The Papacy has also reinterpreted the fourth commandment to read "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy." The wording of the seventh day of the week has been removed. The Roman Catholic Church freely admits transferring the solemnity from the seventh day to the first--Sunday.
Ninth, the little horn would rule for 1260 prophetic days or literal years. Using 538 A.D. as a starting point for Papal supremacy, and counting down 1260 years, we come to the year 1798. In that very year the French general Berthier marched his armies into
Daniel's Little Horn and Revelation’s Beast are Identical
1. They both speak blasphemies against God
2. They both rule for 1260 years
3. They both persecute the saints of God
4. They both involve ten divisions
5. They both are situated geographically at
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 indicates that, already in Paul's day, the spirit of lawlessness was present . . .
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
The Beast’s Rule, Wound, and Revival
The Beast’s Rule: 1260 years (538 A.D. to 1798 A.D.)
The Beast’s Wound & Revival: “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity” Revelation 13:10
“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3
In 1798, at the end of the 1260 years of Papal supremacy, the Pope was taken captive by the French general Berthier, and he later died while in captivity. This marked the end of the free reign of the Roman Catholic Church over conscience.
But the Bible says that in time this wound would be healed, and that all the world would marvel at the Beast, and follow after the Beast. So we have a predicted revival of this fallen religious system—and that revival is alive and well today!
The Beast power has often spoken and made proclamations in times past. And many times those words have been blasphemous and full of falsehood. So what has the Beast power spoken in our day, just recently?
Well, the timing was not coincidental. Just before the G-8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, in mid-July, when leaders of the world’s top eight industrial nations assembled to discuss the global economic crisis, Pope Benedict XVI released an encyclical — the most authoritative papal document — in which he laments the sorry state of the world’s economy. That’s not so unusual, obviously.
But what he specifically says in the letter is very important …
It is actually a very eloquent statement that has many positive elements. Pope Benedict upholds the sanctity of human life from the time of conception. He also upholds the sanctity of marriage and defines it as a union between one man and one woman. This is all very biblical and true.
He also does a very good job of articulating the importance of including morality and human dignity in the discussion about the economy. And he makes a case for a global economy. The solution that he suggests to the world is unmistakable, in terms of who should direct and oversee such a global endeavor—who has the right and the authority to be in such a position. This is where the document becomes indeed a clear indicator that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled.
Caritas in Veritate
We will look at section 67 of this large document. This is from the most recent encyclical from Pope Benedict, Caritas in Veritate:
67. In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth. One also senses the urgent need to find innovative ways of implementing the principle of the responsibility to protect[146] and of giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making.
Notice that the Pope is calling for a reform of the United Nations, a reform of economic institutions in general, and a reform of international finance. He is calling for reform SO THAT the concept of the family of nations can have real teeth. In other words, not merely a global society in name only, but A REAL AND AUTHORITATIVE GLOBAL SOCIETY, with shared decision-making. This is definitely a movement away from national autonomy and nations looking out for their best interest. This is a strategy to build a new order of things.
The Pope continues:
This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity. To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority.
I think it is of interest just to notice the verbs that the Pontiff is using here: manage, revive, avoid, bring about, guarantee, regulate. All of these verbs have one basic thing in common: they involve power and control.
Notice that what follows these control verbs are infinitival phrases, the content of which actually take a lot of muscle to pull off! Here they are:
To manage the global economy
To revive economies hit by the crisis
To avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result
To bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace
To guarantee the protection of the environment
To regulate migration
Now, these are not wimpy activities, my friends! These activities are on the level of grandness and on a scale that is much bigger than anything we have ever experienced in our country. A long time ago, there was something called the Pax Romana—the peace of Rome—that spread across all of Europe and which safeguarded the nations, and brought them all into subservience to the church-state union that was the Roman Catholic Church.
Do we see the Pax Romana again in our day, taking shape, and drawing in all the nations? Notice the last sentence above—notice that the Pope is insinuating that there is a logical and historical entity that should rightfully be in the leadership position—leading the entire world in the areas of need we see outlined here.
Here are his words:
for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority.
A true world political authority. And who do you suppose he has in mind for this position? He has himself in mind. He has the Papacy, the
He goes on to say this power “would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power.”
In other words, power to enforce its views upon the rest of the world . . . power to make everyone comply!
“Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties, and also with the coordinated measures adopted in various international forums.”
This reminds us of the book of Revelation, doesn’t it? It warns that in the last days, world powers will use force — including economic force — to compel everyone to “worship the image of the beast” or they cannot “buy or sell” (Revelation 13:15, 17).
I also found it very interesting in Pope Benedict’s encyclical when he writes, “The economy needs ethics in order to function correctly — not any ethics, but an ethics which is people-centered.”
A new economic world order based on ethics? And who do you suppose would be the most likely candidate to provide the kind of moral authority to guide those ethics? Would it really be someone other than the one who views himself (and who is viewed by millions of others) as the “Vicar of Christ” on earth?
Please keep in mind that other papal pronouncements have often mentioned “protection of the workers’ Sunday” as central to their concept of economic ethics. It all makes sense, don’t you think?
No question, this latest papal declaration, given at a time of a severe world economic downturn, should make us realize more than ever how close we are to the end.
Working with the
And the “real teeth” of which the Pope speaks reminds us of the fourth beast in Daniel 7, which has “great iron teeth” (Daniel 7:7), or like the beasts and dragon in Revelation, because who ever heard of a beast or a dragon without “real teeth”?
How could something like this ever happen without the backing of an economic and military powerhouse like the
I don’t think it could. That’s precisely why the day after the G-8 summit, the Pope had his first meeting with President Obama. And what did he give the president of the
And that is exactly what President Obama is shooting for—a global economy, a global society, in which national decisions are made by the international community! Pope Benedict’s prescription for peace—the peace of
Very interesting and momentous times, my friends!! Makes you want to stand up and tell the world that time is running out, and that there are three angels who have a true message of peace and security! And they are found in Revelation 14!!
It makes you want to have a part in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His soon return!! Start a Bible study with someone within the next few days!! Pray for the Lord to lead you to someone who is ready to seek the Lord’s will for their life, and He will show you who to talk to.
You know, the Beast power speaks, and the lamblike beast power, the
Bible prophecy does not lie. It is a sure word of prophecy that we can count on. But it’s not only the Beast power and the False Prophet that speak in the last days, my friends. THE TRUE WITNESS, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, ALSO SPEAKS—HE SPEAKS THROUGH HIS CHURCH—AND HE SPEAKS LOUDLY, ABOVE ALL OTHER VOICE, ABOVE ALL OTHER POWERS. HE SPEAKS WORDS OF TRUTH, AND WORDS OF LIFE. PURE WORDS THAT WILL LEAD A PERSON ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN!
A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
Proverbs 14:25
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
Revelation 3:14-22
In an era where false comfort and false guidance abound, Jesus, the True Witness, counsels us to engage in a transaction with Him, in which we buy from Him faith, righteousness, and the Holy Spirit. Of course, this is highly figurative language. We are not buying anything, but rather Jesus is giving us these things through our relationship with Him.
In an era where the Beast whose wound is healed is speaking words about global economy and global society and contemplating leading the world in the formation of an ethical, authoritative regime, Jesus, the True Witness, counsels us to get our minds off of this world, and to “be zealous and repent”, to overcome, and to get ready to sit down with Him and dine with Him, and to sit down with Him on His throne in heaven!
While the Vatican craves power and looks for ways of amassing power, the True Witness WANTS TO GIVE AWAY HIS POWER TO HIS PEOPLE, SO THAT THEY MIGHT FINISH THE WORK OF THE HARVEST OF SOULS, AND THEY MIGHT BE FILLED WITH THE POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO PUT SIN FOREVER BEHIND THEM!!
What a difference in approaches between the Beast and the True Witness, Jesus Christ. One is a taker, and the other is a GIVER. One is a pretender, and the other is a DEFENDER. One is destined for the fires of hell, and the other is an all-consuming FIRE OF HOLINESS!!
Today, give your heart, your life, your control over to Jesus the True Witness! Let Him guide you and fill you with His love. Determine today in your heart to serve Jesus and to do His work of saving souls until He comes in the clouds of glory, to take us to be where He reigns supreme.