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Revelations 13 There are some important points we must first recognize before we can begin to understand the whole picture of this beast system set up in Revelations. If you haven’t been taught that they are there and you aren’t aware of them then you probably think that the main factor of the end times is the tribulation and everyone being forced to take the Mark of the Beast (which you probably think is 666) or die. And maybe this is the first step the beast has preyed onto its subjects; deceiving them first about what to expect would certainly be smart. So lets look at the 4 phases to the Beast in Revelations that we will be dealing with: -
The Beast -
The Image of the Beast -
The Mark of the Name of Beast -
The Number of his Name We will also be dealing with 5 major Myths taught concerning this Beast. -
That this beast is hated by its subjects and forced to worship it. -
Everyone will be forced to take this Mark or be killed. -
That you will not be able to Buy or Sell, Period. No exceptions. -
The Number of the beast is 666. -
That taking the Mark/Number is unforgivable and the person can not be saved. 1 & 2. The Beast and the Image of the Beast Revelations 13: 11-14 11 And I beheld ( a)another beast coming up out of the earth; 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the ( b)first beast before him, and (c)causeth the earth and (d)them which dwell therein to (e)worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth ( f)great wonders, 14 And ( g)deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those (h)miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying...that they should (i)make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. a This is the second beast of Revelations 13. This one is purposed to give life (Rev. 13:14) to the b first beast of Revelations 13:1-8. This first beast was powerful and all the world wondered after him and they worshipped him and they said “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” This second beast of Revelations 13 was going to c cause Who? d Them that dwell in the earth, which is revealed in Rev. 13:8 (not everyone, just these people:) “Those whose names are not written in the book of life“, to e worship this first beast again. How? By doing f great wonders and by g deceiving them by the h miracles he had power to do. For what purpose? So that they would i make an image to the first beast. The first Myth about this Beast and his Image revealed: Remember how you always thought you would know what the beast was because #1. You would hate him because he would persecute you and be forced to worship him? Well lets look at Rev. 13:3-4: all the world wondered (like sheep led to the slaughter, doesn’t say they were forced) after him and they worshipped him (they adored him, they thought he was the greatest on earth) and they said “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Sounds like they actually admired him. They thought there was no one like him! He was so strong they were sure he would keep them safe! No one could come against him. Remember this second beast would also cause (by deceiving them, not by forcing) the people by great wonders and miracles to again worship (adore, love, not hate and not by force) the first beast. The Image of the Beast Revealed: Now that we can see that this beast would be something loved by the people, lets see why that might be. Why did they worship/love him? Because of what he was an Image of. Because of what that Image represented. Image is 1504 in the Greek and basically means “Profile, Representation, Resemblance,” So this beast image was a profile or resemblance and representation. In order to represent something or resemble something, there must be something else it was like. Lets look at the Image. | The Image as found in Dan 2:31-33 | | Head of fine Gold: Wisdom (Education & Knowledge). Breast and Arms of Silver: Security (and general welfare for all people). . Belly and Thighs of Brass: Well-being and Protection. Legs of Iron: The general Military Strength of the Nation. Feet of part Iron and part Clay: General health and healing provided to its subjects. And in Revelations we can see that this image is also powerful, with authority, and miraculous and power to do great wonders, with security so that the people had no fear of who could come against them, for they thought there was none like him and they worshipped him. | All these things, this image provides, is our lifestyle, the things we have need of. Keep in mind the goal of this image is to take the place of the One True God, Yahweh. So he must provide a lifestyle to his subjects like what Yahweh provides His people, but the beast must make this Image to look deceiving enough as to make the people turn from Yahweh and to worship him. What better way then to provide what Yahweh is supposed to provide? So lets look at Yahweh’s image. This is the image we are to be like. | The Image of Yahweh | | Yahweh is a God of Wisdom: Colossians 3:10 we are to be renewed in KNOWLEDGE after the image of God. Col. 3:16; Proverbs 15:33; Proverbs 8:1-36; Isaiah 54:13; 1Cor. 2 Yahweh is a God of Security and Welfare: Psalms 91:10-12; Isaiah 40:10-11;Psalms 347-10; Matt.6:19-21 Yahweh is a God of Well-being and Protection: Matthew 6:24-34 Yahweh is a God of Strength: Psalm 91; Exodus 14:14; Exodus 15:2-3;Psalms 27; Isaiah 54:17;Jeremiah 17:5 Yahweh is a God of Healing: 2 Chronicles 7:14; Mal.4:2; Psalms 103:1-13;Matt 8:14-17 Yahshua, in the Image of Yahweh, also preformed miracles and great wonders. And said in Matt.4:10 “Thou shalt worship Yahweh and Him ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE.” | So to conclude what this image is, we can see that it tried to make unto itself as a God, one like unto Yahweh. An image so close to that of what Yahweh represented that men would be deceived and the people would think it was good, and love it even to serve it. Romans 1:25 They turned Yahweh’s truth into a lie and served the creature more then the Creator. Click to View phase 3 & 4 and the Conclusion.
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