End Time Insights

Satan and the Rulers of this Age exalt themselves and usurp Divine prerogatives in contrast to the true Servant of God, Jesus Christ . Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the role of the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ described in the  Book of Isaiah . He did not attempt to seize the “ likeness of God ” as Adam did or exploit his position as God’s Messiah to exercise power over others. His sovereignty is radically different than the governments of this fallen world. Rather than subjugate his subjects or kill his enemies, Christ endured a shameful death on the Imperial Cross for friend and foe alike in obedience to his Father; therefore, God exalted him above all things.

The Empire’s propagandists encourage men and women to give allegiance and veneration to the Emperor, the Beast from the Sea . The “ False Prophet ” as described in the Book of Revelation uses religious symbolism and economic control to coax the Inhabitants of the Empire to pay homage to the Imperial Throne. Whether force or persuasion is employed, the goal is the same. Men who refuse to venerate the “ Beast from the Sea ” are excluded from economic activity and impoverished.

The New Testament warns of a future apostasy caused by deceivers and the Lawless One before the Day of the Lord arrives . The New Testament repeatedly warns us that before Jesus returns his Church will be attacked from within by deceivers, “ false anointed ones ,” and “ false prophets .” Before the “ Day of the Lord ” begins, his disciples will be confronted by the “ Man of Lawlessness ” whom the Apostle Paul links to the “ Apostasy ,” the final great “ falling away ” from the true faith.

The “ great voice in heaven ” pronounced “ woe ” on the “ Inhabitants of the Earth and the Sea because the Devil has descended to you, having great wrath .” The “ Dragon ” then began his war against the “ Seed of the Woman ” by summoning his own “seed,” the “ Beast from the Sea ” and the “ Beast from the Earth .”

John saw the “ Beast ascending from the Earth ” intent on deceiving the “ Inhabitants of the Earth .” The “ Beast from the Sea ” is characterized by its political power. In contrast, the “ Beast from the Earth ,” the “ False Prophet ,” uses religious performance and propaganda to deceive men, and economic sanctions to suppress all those who do not submit to its demands.

The Inhabitants of the Earth willingly venerate the Beast and take its mark, although believers also are not immune from its allurements . Discussions on the “ Mark of the Beast ” invariably focus on questions about what it is - a medical implant, barcode, or a tattoo – as well as the significance of its “ number ,” ‘ 666 .’ As important as these questions are, far more critical is the issue of how we as believers can avoid taking the Beast’s mark or its “number.”

The False Prophet coaxes and coerces men to take the Beast’s “mark,” its “name” or “number” – Revelation 13:16-18 .  The “false prophet” uses the power of the first Beast against anyone who refuses to give full allegiance to the “beast from the sea,” and its “mark” becomes an economic weapon against nonconformists. Commerce is the lifeblood of the beastly empire and imposing sanctions is its enforcement mechanism, and economic restrictions produce deprivation and suffering.

Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who redeems men, but both the Beast and the False Prophet mimic him to deceive humanity .  In  Revelation , several names are applied to Jesus, but by far the most frequent and important is the designation “ Lamb .” And in his war against him, the “ Dragon ” employs two entities that imitate the “ Lamb ,” namely, the beasts from the sea and the earth.

The False Prophet uses every means necessary to coax or coerce men to give their allegiance to the Beast from the sea .  The “ false prophet ” uses “ signs and wonders ” and its control of commerce to cause the “ inhabitants of the earth ” to render homage to the “ Beast .” Whether he employs force or persuasion, the goal is the same. Anyone who refuses to submit is excluded from the economic life of the  Empire.

The Second Beast or Fale Prophet employs economic sanctions to coerce men, so they swear allegiance to the Beast from the Sea . The “ False Prophet ” uses economic power against anyone who refuses to render homage to the World Empire , and the “ Mark of the Beast ” is his test of loyalty to determine who worships the Beast’s image and who does not. The ability to impose monetary penalties on nations, communities, and individuals is key to the imperial power of the First Beast.

The Rider on the White Horse destroys the beasts from the sea and the earth at the last battle, Armageddon – Revelation 19:17-21.  In chapter 19 of Revelation , John sees the destruction of the “ Beast from the sea ” and the “ false prophet ” at the final battle when the “ rider on the white horse ” overthrows the forces of “ Gog and Magog .” The passage does not state where this occurs other than on planet earth. The focus is on the destruction of the two beasts and their consignment to the “ Lake of Fire. ”

Fifty years ago, I was influenced greatly by the bestseller, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth.’ In it, I read how last-day prophecies were being fulfilled before our eyes in the daily news headlines. All the “signs” indicated that I was a member of the “last generation” that would live before the return of Jesus. The Antichrist, Armageddon, and the Millennium were just around the corner.