Do You Worship a Beast?
The Mark of the Beast vs. The Seal of God
The Mark of the Beast vs. The Seal of God
Does anyone understand Revelation? It is reportedly the "revelation from God to Jesus Christ to show His servants the things that must come to pass." Revelation 1:1
There is a lot in the book of Revelation. Most of it corresponds with Daniel in the Old Testament, that was written 500 years earlier. Let me tell you what I think is the most profound prophecy in the Bible. Daniel 12 : 4, "Shut up the book until the time of the end: many shall run too and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
Daniel and Revelation are the key to understanding the prophecies concerning the last days of this earth's history. "He who hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches" is the recurring chapter ending. Knowledge has increased exponentially since the beginning of the industrial age, in the 1830's. With the advent of the train there was no turning back. This reminds me of the quote, "Man has lost the ability to foresee and forestall, he will end by destroying the earth." Albert Schweitzer. In Revelation God says He will come and destroy them that destroy the earth.
To begin to understand Revelation we need to begin to understand who or what is the beast. There are a multitude of interpretations surrounding the last book of the Bible. For example, Rev. 18 talks about the warning for God's people to come out of Babylon. Most scholars interpret the word Babylon to mean confusion. How many are confused today about the simplest plainest truth's of the Word of God. Why are there over 1200 Christian denominations?
Let's try to get the basics nailed down first. All through the Bible the big issue has always been idolatry, and it makes it clear that the majority in the last days will be the most idolatrous people that ever lived. In other words, irreverent and disrespectful of God and His creation. So, just what exactly is idolatry?
It's real simple. It's man in place of God. It's man's worship of himself. It's anything we put before Him.
There are many beasts in Revelation that represent various man made powers both now and in history. The beast we are studying, is described well in the last verse of Chapter 13. "Here is wisdom, the number of the beast is the number of a man, 666." Six is man's number. God's number is 7. Man was created on the 6th day. Man falls short of perfection. Three is also God's number. 666 is man in place of God. The beast is man made religion with all of its false science and doctrine. Yes, this includes all of our Frankenstein science, tampering with nature, artificial fertilizer, and so on. These are violations of the 2nd Commandment, not to make anything in the likeness of anything God has made. This, of course, includes the number one idol in the world, the automobile.
When fuel prices escalated last year, it was reported that 1000 more vehicles were hitting the road every day! That's 365,000 a year! A lot of this is because everyone in every poor country wants to be like the Americans with a machine to do everything while they sit and get rich and fat! All we have to do is figure out something else to burn in them and then everyone in the world will be spared the misery of manual labor.
Now don't misunderstand me. I drive a car and do what I have to do to survive. The difference is, I wish I could walk or ride my horse. I don't worship man or the junk he has made. Not his junk science or his junk religion. Revelation 14: 9-10 says, " If any man worships the beast and receives his mark in his forehead or his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God." You've heard of the Mark of the Beast, most likely. What is it? The forehead and the hand means believing in that man made system and practicing it. You receive the Mark of the Beast when you reject God's sovereignty and authority and worship man (the creation) rather than the Creator and His Law.
What will be the outcome? The plagues of Revelation are God's judgments on the gods of this world. Just like the plagues that affected Egypt at the time of the Exodus of God's people from that heathen land. Just like Pharaoh, no matter what happens, most will "not repent" Rev.16:11.
There is a lot in the book of Revelation. Most of it corresponds with Daniel in the Old Testament, that was written 500 years earlier. Let me tell you what I think is the most profound prophecy in the Bible. Daniel 12 : 4, "Shut up the book until the time of the end: many shall run too and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
Daniel and Revelation are the key to understanding the prophecies concerning the last days of this earth's history. "He who hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches" is the recurring chapter ending. Knowledge has increased exponentially since the beginning of the industrial age, in the 1830's. With the advent of the train there was no turning back. This reminds me of the quote, "Man has lost the ability to foresee and forestall, he will end by destroying the earth." Albert Schweitzer. In Revelation God says He will come and destroy them that destroy the earth.
To begin to understand Revelation we need to begin to understand who or what is the beast. There are a multitude of interpretations surrounding the last book of the Bible. For example, Rev. 18 talks about the warning for God's people to come out of Babylon. Most scholars interpret the word Babylon to mean confusion. How many are confused today about the simplest plainest truth's of the Word of God. Why are there over 1200 Christian denominations?
Let's try to get the basics nailed down first. All through the Bible the big issue has always been idolatry, and it makes it clear that the majority in the last days will be the most idolatrous people that ever lived. In other words, irreverent and disrespectful of God and His creation. So, just what exactly is idolatry?
It's real simple. It's man in place of God. It's man's worship of himself. It's anything we put before Him.
There are many beasts in Revelation that represent various man made powers both now and in history. The beast we are studying, is described well in the last verse of Chapter 13. "Here is wisdom, the number of the beast is the number of a man, 666." Six is man's number. God's number is 7. Man was created on the 6th day. Man falls short of perfection. Three is also God's number. 666 is man in place of God. The beast is man made religion with all of its false science and doctrine. Yes, this includes all of our Frankenstein science, tampering with nature, artificial fertilizer, and so on. These are violations of the 2nd Commandment, not to make anything in the likeness of anything God has made. This, of course, includes the number one idol in the world, the automobile.
When fuel prices escalated last year, it was reported that 1000 more vehicles were hitting the road every day! That's 365,000 a year! A lot of this is because everyone in every poor country wants to be like the Americans with a machine to do everything while they sit and get rich and fat! All we have to do is figure out something else to burn in them and then everyone in the world will be spared the misery of manual labor.
Now don't misunderstand me. I drive a car and do what I have to do to survive. The difference is, I wish I could walk or ride my horse. I don't worship man or the junk he has made. Not his junk science or his junk religion. Revelation 14: 9-10 says, " If any man worships the beast and receives his mark in his forehead or his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God." You've heard of the Mark of the Beast, most likely. What is it? The forehead and the hand means believing in that man made system and practicing it. You receive the Mark of the Beast when you reject God's sovereignty and authority and worship man (the creation) rather than the Creator and His Law.
What will be the outcome? The plagues of Revelation are God's judgments on the gods of this world. Just like the plagues that affected Egypt at the time of the Exodus of God's people from that heathen land. Just like Pharaoh, no matter what happens, most will "not repent" Rev.16:11.
No comments:
Post a Comment