Rev 13:18 KJV

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The mark of the beast consists of the number 666 and is described as the number of a man.  These two descriptions are simply teaching us the same truth in two differing ways.  This is because the number 666 is the number that represents mankind:

1. Man was made on the sixth day
2. Man falls short of perfection (7 is the number of perfection)
3. Man was consigned to 6 days of labor (day 7 was the day assigned to rest and worship)
4. Man, due to their fallen nature, stands opposed to the Lord and His people (Goliath is the perfect illustration of this principle – notice the repeated usage of “6” in the description of Goliath the enemy of God and His people in 1 Sam 17:1-7)

Alongside this principle of 6 being a number that is associated with the sinfulness and opposition of lost mankind to the Lord and His people, please notice that “666” stands in stark contrast to “777”.    777 is the perfect number listed three times which denotes a perfect Triune God (The Father, The Son and The Spirit).   Therefore 666 seems to indicate an imperfect, rebellious false triune god… (Satan, the beast of the sea, the beast of the earth)

666, as the number of man, teaches us that humanism is the core philosophy of Satan, the beasts and lost mankind.  What is humanism?  It is the exaltation of man.  It is saying that man should be the center of our attention, interest and devotion.  Basically, it is giving to man the honor that is due to God alone.  In that sense, humanism is making man equal to, or surpassing God Himself.

Humanism seeks followers by exalting man, using man’s pride and arrogance to appeal to the lusts of lost mankind attracting them to become followers.  Within the lost community humanism runs rampant affecting every aspect of life…

1. Beliefs that mankind can somehow remove the guilt, shame and punishment of sin through a religious reformation, human psychological methods, censoring of the truths Of God’s Word, or even religious genocide can be seen all around us.
2. The literal worship of other men can easily be seen in the cult following of political, entertainment, and even religious figures of our day.
3. The praising of men works and achievements with absolutely no acknowledgement to the God that has given these men their abilities. Without God they could never have begun to achieve such great accomplishments.
4. Looking to men to solve all of the problems of this world is lost mankind’s replacement to looking to their God as the only One truly able to resolve these issues.

These are just a few of the ways humanism can be seen in our society today.

As we see all of these attitudes in the world around us, may we always, as Christians, be on guard to not allow the humanist influences of the world enter our lives.  May we always remember that “…For in him we live, and move, and have our being…” (Act 17:27-29), and ALWAYS give to the Lord the honor and glory that he deserves!

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46S

Rev 13:17 KJV

(17)  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

In this section of John’s vision, we can see that the mark of the beast can be described in two other ways… “the name of the beast” and “the number of his name”.

Please keep in mind, the symbolic “the mark of the beast” refers to the different inward and outward characteristics of lost mankind.  The inward characteristics include the mind, desires, and conscience that are corrupted due to mankind’s fallen nature.  The outward characteristics of lost mankind involve living an habitual lifestyle of sin based upon selfishness and moral corruption.

However, according to our text this morning there are two other aspects to this mark of the beast that is placed upon all lost mankind…

1. First of all it is described as “the name of the beast”.

Wearing the name of someone implies ownership and usage.  For example, if I write my name in a book I am saying I own the book and the book is being used by myself.  This is the same basic principle of saying that the mark of the beast involves wearing his name.

In prior verses of this vision, we have seen that “blasphemy” is one of the names that is worn by the beast from the sea (Rev 13:1).   And it is a perfect characterization of how the lost are used by Satan and his kingdom to blaspheme the most Holy God. (2 Timothy 3:2).

2. Secondly, it is described as “the number of his name.”

Later in this vision, we see that the number referred to is the number 666 (Rev 13:18).  This is is a number that symbolizes humanism (more on this in our next devotional).   What is humanism?  It is the exaltation of man.  It is saying that man should be the center of our attention, interest and devotion.  Basically, it is giving to man the honor that is due to God alone.  In that sense, humanism is making man equal to, or surpassing God Himself.

These are the aspects of the mark of the beast that is seen placed upon all lost mankind.  The prefect text that describes this mark of the beast is found in Rom 1:21-32…

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and   fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.   

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

These characteristics make up the “mark of the beast” clearly displaying the lost man’s influence by and submission to Satan and His worldly kingdoms.

May we as Christians understand their spiritual blindness and show Christ to them in a very kind and gentle manner, knowing that we were in the same spiritually blind condition before Christ opened our eyes to the truth!

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46S

Rev 13:17 KJV

(17)  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Those who do not bear the mark of the beast are unable to buy or sell.  In other words, those who are the servants of Christ cannot fully participate in the world’s systems, for to do so would mean great compromise in our stand for Christ.

So, because of our stand for our Lord, we are excluded, mistreated, rejected and taken advantage of by this fallen world’s economic, political and religious systems.   We can see this taking place all around us, the degree of mistreatment varies based upon each particular situation the Christian is facing.

For some, it may mean simply being mocked or judged falsely; for others it may mean loss of a promotion, or even a job; there are those who may face ostracization from their circle of friends or even their families; or perhaps, losses in the legal, political, or economic systems may take place.  For many Christians, especially in foreign lands, they may face physical abuse, torture and even death.

Paul described the types of mistreatment that he faced from the lost world…

1Co 4:12-13 KJV – “…being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.”

Some of the types of mistreatment he mentioned include:

1. Being “reviled” (vilified)           2.  Being “persecuted” (hunted down)
2. Being “defamed” (spoken against)      4.  “made as the filth” (garbage, waste)
3. “made as the … offscouring” (scum).

Wow! Have you ever felt like Paul?

Has the world ever lied about you, and mocked you as they mischaracterized your act of honesty which looked like foolishness and naiveté to them?

Have you ever felt as though the lost world treated you like waste or scum because you choose to abstain from sinful pleasures to remain faithful to Christ?

Do you remember how “small” you felt when you were made fun of at school for carrying a Bible?

What about the feeling you had when your family turned their back on you because you had left their false religion in order to be a follower of Christ?

Our list could go one and on.

Probably, to a certain extent, we have all felt that way at one time or another.  We all have been called upon to suffer abuse at the hands of the fallen world.  Some of us have been greatly abused, others not so much.  But in each and every case, it hurt us within and brought some type of loss into our life.

But if you notice, back in our 1 Corinthians 4: passage, we can see that Paul recognized this abuse was a tremendous opportunity to be faithful to His Lord.

Paul:

1. “blessed” (spoke kindly about and to his abusers)
2. “suffered” (held remained firm through God’s intervention in his life)
3. “intreated” (he prayed for his abusers and their spiritual needs)

By handling his abuse in this way, he was being faithful to the Lord in four ways…

1. He was continuously pleasing to the Lord, before, during and after the abuse
2. He was setting a wonderful example for other believers to follow
3. He was showing Christ to his abusers through his acts of kindness and love towards them
4. He was laying up for himself eternal rewards

May we all follow Paul’s wonderful example of faithfulness in the abusive situations we face.

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46S

Rev 13:16 KJV

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

The mark of the beast can be seen in both the head and hand of his followers.  What can we learn from this truth?

Please keep in mind that the mark of the beast is simply the characteristics of those who are under the influence and Satan and His worldly powers.  When the Word says that the mark of the beast is found on the forehead and/or hand it is saying that these characteristics can be found in both the thoughts, choices and actions of those who are a part of Satan’s kingdoms.   The Bible clearly supports these principles:

The mind of the lost:

Tit 1:15 KJV – “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

Here, those who are lost are described as being “defiled” (contaminated) and  “unbelieving” (destitute of faith).  Both their mind and conscience are contaminated by sin and the worldly carnal influences.

2Co 11:3 KJV – “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Here, the lost person’s mind is described as being “corrupted” (spoiled, brought to ruin).  In other words, its contamination and unbelief results in the mind being useless in the pursuit and application of spiritual truth.

The actions of the lost:

Gal 5:19-21 KJV – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,   Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,   Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Here we find a listing of many outward characteristics that can be found in the life of those who are a part of the kingdom of Satan:

1. Adultery – transferring our affections from spouse to another
2. fornication – intimate relations outside the marriage union
3. uncleanness – impurities
4. lasciviousness – loss of control or restraint
5. Idolatry – worship of other gods
6. witchcraft – use of drugs, potions, spells
7. hatred – hostility, enmity
8. variance – quarrelling
9. emulations – long-term malice
10. wrath – burning, eplosive hatred
11. strife – divisions
12. seditions – arguing, disturbance
13. heresies – false teachings
14. Envyings – jealousy
15. murders – to slay
16. drunkenness – intoxication
17. revellings – rioting

The relationship between the corrupt mind and the sinful actions of the lost…

Jas 1:15 KJV “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Here, the lost person’s defiled desires (lusts) will lead them to willfully choose to commit acts of sin.  Their outward actions are only indicators of their corrupted inward condition

May we all remember that a lost person’s visible lifestyle is only half the story when it comes to their membership in the kingdom of Satan.  It is not enough for a lost individual to simply “clean up his act” and outwardly reform his actions to remove himself from Satan’s influence.

Because their inward being is also corrupt, they need more than outward reformation.  They need to receive an inward change of heart which only can come through the gracious salvation that is found in Christ alone…

Eze 36:26 KJV – “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

This is the only change that can remove a lost person from Satan’s rule to live a new life in service to Christ as a child of God.

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46S

Rev 13:16 KJV

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

So who will possess “the mark of the beast” (ie the characteristics of those who are submissive to Satan and his worldly kingdoms)?   Individuals that are a part of every possible social, economic, and religious parts of mankind can be in submission to Satan and his kingdoms.

It doesn’t matter how much or little respect we may possess;  it does not matter how much of the world’s wealth we may own;  nor what positions of authority or servitude we may hold; men from throughout all areas of society are under the influence of Satan and the bondage of sin.

Rom 3:23 KJV – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” 

This verse helps us to understand that men of all social, economic, and political status are capable of being under the influence of sin and under Satan’s influence.

As a matter of fact, please notice this verse tells us that ALL men are fallen sinful creatures due to the influence of Satan in this world.  That means that even those who are now in willful submission to Christ, were at one point in their lives under the bondage of sin and influenced by Satan.   Yes, even Christians were under Satan’s rule prior to their deliverance from sin.

This basic principle holds great importance for both lost and saved alike…

For those who have never come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, you should never feel “safe” in your social, financial, or political status.  There is no amount of fame, fortune or political power that can deliver you from Satan’s influence, nor the judgment that awaits all who are a part of his worldly kingdoms.

So what can you do?

Mar 1:15 KJV – “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The Lord clearly explains in His Word that you are called to simply:

1. repent (agree with God about your sins and your sinful condition, turn from your sins, and turn to Christ)
2. believe the gospel, in other words, place your faith in Christ believing that He died on the cross to pay your sin debt and was resurrected proving to all that He had successfully secured the salvation of His people. He was then seen by many witnesses proving His death and resurrection were not simple a fable or a legend.

For those who are saved, we should see the need of Christ by ALL mankind and be motivated to minister to all that may cross our path.  No matter how rich and famous, or poor and infamous a person may be, they all need Christ.

As the opportunity opens to us, we should always be willing to minister to anyone in need of Christ, whether a king or a slave, a mega-millionaire or someone who is homeless…

“For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46S

Rev 13:15 – “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”

Here, we are told that the beast of the earth (symbolic of the false religions of the world) have the power to “give life” to the idolatrous image which was made by man.

We have seen previously, the image symbolizes human works of righteousness that result from following these false religions.

Some of these works include many practices of the false religions (religious rites, practices and celebrations, etc);  human works that are done to gain favor with the false god (acts of obedience, contrition, etc);  as well as humanistic beliefs put into practice (decision making based upon situation ethics and moral relativity,  etc).   Satan is an absolute master at giving these things “life”.  In other words, Satan takes these false religious practices and gives them new, added appeal to the masses…

The New Age Movement is a perfect example of Satan’s giving of new life to that which is ancient.  For example, the ancient practice of speaking to dead spirits by way of a “medium”, is now described as “channeling”; “out of body experiences” are now called “astral projecting traveling”;  the “god” of the New Age movement is a combination of ancient heresies such as humanism (man as god) and pantheism (everything is god), turning God into a “personal life force”.    These beliefs and practices are just a few examples of Satan giving life to ancient heresies through the use of the New Age Movement.

The same principles can be applied to many of the observances of the Catholic faith which are a combination of Christian observances united with pagan observances of times past.  A few of these include:  Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth united with the winter solstice.  Easter is a remembrance of the resurrection of Christ united with the celebration of the Goddess Ishtar.   These and many other practices of the Catholic church are linked to pagan practices of ancient times.

Folks, these are just a few of many, many, examples of Satan’s restoring of ancient practices and doctrines of false religions remaking them into very appealing practices in today’s world.

This has been the way that Satan has worked from day one in the garden of Eden.  Stop and think about it.  Satan’s mode of operation in the garden was to make that which was forbidden look very desirable.  He did this by totally deceiving (beguiling) Eve (2 Cor 11:3).  What did the deception of Eve entail?  It was making the fruit appear desirable and beneficial….

Gen 3:6 KJV – “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,…” 

Instead of seeing the fruit for what it really was… a fruit that was harmful and forbidden by God, Satan made it look beneficial and acceptable to be eaten.  He continues to use these same tactics today as the spiritual warfare continues.

May we all be on guard for Satan’s schemes to beautify and make desirable that which is harmful to us!

1Jn 2:16 KJV – “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46m

Rev 13:14 KJV

(14)  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

One of the great goals of the world’s false religions (beast from the earth) is to cause men to commit the sin of idolatry.  What is the sin of idolatry… my simplified definition is “to love or worship any person, or thing, as God, other than Jehovah”.   In our text, the false religion’s desire to lead men into idolatry is described as “saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast”.

When mankind follows the direction of this beast, and commits the sin of idolatry, we can learn two major truths about mankind’s spiritual condition…

1. First of all, it proves they are now willfully rejecting the worship of Jehovah and accepting of false worship.

The making of idols for worship is specifically rejected by Jehovah and clearly taught in the ten commandments (Exo 20:4-6).   For mankind to participate in the making of idols is to purposefully reject the clear commands of Jehovah.  But also, in those days images were very commonly employed in false religious worship (2 Kings 3:2, Isa 40:19, Dan 3, Jud 17:3, Isa 40:19, Jer 10: 14 etc etc).  Again, this leaves no room for ignorance on the part of mankind.

When mankind chooses to commit idolatry, they are willfully choosing to reject the true worship of Jehovah and participate in false worship that originates from Satan himself.

2. Secondly, it proves they have readily accepted humanism (the exaltation of man as the supreme authority) as the ultimate truth.

If we stop and think about it… God is so great, He is the only One who is capable of giving us an image of Himself.    He did that for us when He created man (Gen 1:26-27) and when He sent Christ to the earth (Col 1:14-17).  NO MAN can begin to understand the greatness of Jehovah which is necessary to make an acceptable image of Jehovah.  For mankind to create any supposed image of God is an act of blatant humanism.  When men make an image of their “god” they are saying one of two things, either…

1. They are saying… that man is equal to Jehovah because, with the works of his own hands, he can create a proper image of Jehovah;
2. Or, they are saying that mankind has the ability to create their own gods and to worship as they see fit.   This places man above the authority of Jehovah making him a god unto himself.

In either case, it is false worship and humanism at its worst.

Sadly, even Christians can, at times be guilty of idolatry in their lives.  Anything, other than the Lord, that we put first in our lives has become an idol to us.

To test this in our own lives, we are to think of the things, or people, that are of most value to us.   If, to remain faithful to the Lord, we had to turn from them, would we be willing to?   This is a true test of idolatry in our lives and it take a very sincere, unbiased look at our lives to come to an honest answer.

May we all, through the gracious intervention of God, be able to sincerely submit to the teachings of our Lord, who said…

Mat 19:28-30 KJV –

“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you,…   And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.    But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46m

Rev 13:14 KJV

(14)  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

In our text, the false religions of the world are said to mislead others through the use of miracles.

The use of divine miracles in both OT and NT was used to prove that those who performed the miracles were sent by God.  We can see this method of validation used in the lives of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Joshua, the Apostles and most importantly, Christ Himself among others.

In spite of the divine accrediting miracles,  counterfeits also existed in the OT (magicians in Pharaoh’s day – Exo 7:-9:), and in the NT (Simon, the sorcerer – Acts 8:) and continue into todays’ time.

The Lord plainly tells us that these things will take place until His return…

2Th 2:8-10 KJV – “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

Mat 7:22-23 KJV – “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?    And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Because of this incredibly deceitful method of misleading others, we are to be always on guard against them…

Mat 24:24 KJV – “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Folks, the Bible explains that the accrediting miracles of God went out of existence after the completion of God’s Word in approx. 100 AD.   From that point forward, we can no longer use the performance of miracles to validate the teachings of those who perform those miracles.

***For more information and a detailed explanation of the above please see these two series that can be found on this blog:

https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/category/sih-series/spiritual-gifts/

https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/category/sih-series/our-experiences-or-gods-word/

May we all use Biblical principles as we judge the claims of accrediting miracles that we see take place around us.

May we all take these Scriptural warnings very seriously and quickly turn from those who claim to be messengers of the Lord, while in actuality are being enabled and led by Satan to deceive even the very elect of God… if it were possible.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”  (Mat 24:24 KJV)

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46m

Rev 13:11 KJV

(11)  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

In our last devotional, we saw that the beast from the earth (symbolic of false religions and false prophets and teachers) can appear to be innocent and harmless.  In our devotional for this morning we will see that, although they appear innocent and harmless, in actuality they are very deceitful.  They follow their leader, Satan, as they speak deceitfully with intent to harm the people of Christ.

We are told that this beast “spake as a dragon” (Satan).

Therefore, to understand the speech of this beast, we must come to an understanding of the speech of his father, Satan.  Christ, during His earthly ministry addressed this very subject…

“Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.   Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.   And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”  (Joh 8:43-45 KJV)

In this passage the Lord points out several truths about the nature and speech of Satan.  Christ tells us that Satan:

1. Is a murderer from the beginning – In other words, he actively works to bring death to mankind. This happened through his intervention at the fall of man and then continues throughout history through the false teachings of his political powers that proclaim the message that leads men to their eternal spiritual death.

2. Abides not in the truth because there is no truth in him.­ – In other words, truth cannot be found in him. Because his nature is to deceive and mislead, he lives a life filled with constant deceit and lies.

3. He is a liar and the father of all lies – In other words, he is the originator of deceitful, misleading words and lives a lifestyle of the same.

All of these points helps us to understand the message presented by the false religions and prophets of this world.  They consistently mislead others by proclaiming error that is meant to lead men away from Christ and to their eternal spiritual death.  It is in this sense that they speak “as a dragon”.

Folks, in the last two devotionals, we have had set before us a clear declaration of the ministry of the false religions that have existed throughout history.   With this clear declaration comes the responsibility to guard against the lies of these religions.  But, not only are we to guard against these false teachings, but we must clearly present the truths of God’s Word, to counteract the lies of Satan’s false teachers…

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;    Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.     For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;    And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.     But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”  (2Ti 4:1-5 KJV)

Although the above verses are addressed to a pastor (Timothy), it is important to remember that, to a lesser degree, we are all responsible to present the truths of Christ to a lost and dying world.  In doing so, we are giving to them the good news of Christ, His work on their behalf and the wonderful eternity that awaits all of those who have placed their faith in Christ!

May we all speak the truth and live the truth, opposing the lies of this world’s false religions.  In doing so, we are giving much needed light to a world that is encased in the darkness of Satanic deceit.

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46m

Rev 13:11 KJV

(11)  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

In this section of John’s vision, he sees the beast from the earth (symbolic of false religions and false teachers).

In his description of this beast, John states “he had two horns like a lamb”.   This description helps us to understand the very deceitful nature of this beast.   Although this beast is very harmful to man, he looks very innocent, meek and kind…. Just like a lamb.  They look and many times sound very tame and harmless.  Their teaching honors men and degrades the truths about our God; while they minimize our need of the true Christ and emphasize our great need of another god.

These other gods can take the form of idols made with men’s hands; or the wealth, fame and authority of this world; or perhaps, present man, himself, as the key to resolving all of our problems and shortcomings.  But in reality, the god they present to mankind is the god of this world, Satan, and the need to follow his teachings to their ultimate destruction.

This reminds us of the teaching of Christ, in which he emphasizes that the nature of false religions, and the individuals who teach their doctrine, is appearing deceitfully gentle while being inwardly destructive….

Mat 7:15-17 KJV – “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.   Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?   Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”

Christ not only emphasizes the deceitful nature of false teachers and religions, but He goes further and helps us to understand how we can recognize them in spite of their deceitful appearance.   He tells us that “Ye shall know them by their fruits”.  

So what are the fruits we are to look for when he attempt to discern between true and false teaching?

Teachers of the truth will bear the following fruits as a part of their teachings….

1. Their teachings will align themselves with the teachings of God’s Word (1 Tim 6:3-5)
2. Their message will always exalt Christ as the true Messiah, Lord and Savior of the world. (Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 2:22-23)
3. Their message will present man as in desperate need of Christ, and Christ alone. (Roms 3:23-26)
4. Their message will always present the remedy to mankind’s sinful condition as described in the gospel… Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, along with its proofs . (Gals 1:8-9)
5. Their message will center on the need for faith, apart from works, for the receipt of salvation (Acts 3:15-16)

These are just a few of the marks of a true messenger sent by God to minister to a lost and dying world.  May we all seek out churches and men of God who hold forth these fruits in their teaching ministry.    

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-46m

Rev 13:10 KJV

(10)  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

The Lord gives to us the promise of divine retribution for wrongdoers.  In this case, the wrongdoers are the political powers of this world.  The wrongdoing is their abuse of the people of God.

The Lord promises that any wrongdoing performed by those in authority will come back upon their head…  “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.”

The Lord goes a step further explaining that this principle is a motivating force behind the saints continued obedience in the face of such persecution.  It is one of the sources of “the patience and the faith of the saints”.

PATIENCE, based upon FAITH, that the final punishment of the wicked is only a matter of time.  It is a certainty, promised by a God who is ALWAYS faithful.

It is the saints trusting the Lord with His promises, and then putting that trust in practice by continuing to be faithful to Him in the midst of the persecution…

Heb 10:23-24 KJV – “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”

May we all trust the Lord and patiently serve Him no matter what Satan may bring our way.  May we always know that He is faithful and, therefore, any abuse we face will be avenged, and any opposition put before us will ultimately fail.

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-45X

Rev 13:8 KJV

(8)  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

As the beast from the sea (the political powers of the world) continues to speak words of blasphemy against the Lord, those dwelling on the earth will worship the beast for its great power, wealth, fame and authority.

Those dwelling on the earth at the Lord’s second coming are described as those ”whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”….

“The Book of Life”
The book of life of the Lamb contains the names of those who are sovereignly chosen to be the recipients of spiritual life and salvation from their sins by God.

“of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”
Along with choosing whom He would save, our God also chose how He would bring about their salvation.  In His eternal plan, God chose to send His son, Jesus, to the cross to gain the salvation of those He had chosen.  This eternal plan was set in place by God prior to the creation of the world.

For an individual to NOT have his name written in this book, is to say that they are an unsaved individual, remaining in a spiritually dead condition, and allowed to remain on the path they have chosen for themselves.  It is a path that leads to their eternal destruction.

Folks, the contents of the book of life, along with the 66 books of the Bible, play a very important part in the final judgment of lost mankind…

Rev 20:11-15 KJV

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

(The absence of their names written in this book will result in their sentencing to the Lake of Fire for an eternity.  Their works will be judged according to the commandments found in the 66 books of the Bible.  This will result in a determination of the severity of their judgment throughout eternity.)

For those of us who are saved, may we praise and honor our Lord unceasingly for choosing us to salvation, giving His Son to die on our behalf and intervening in our lives and bringing us to Him.

For those who are not saved, may you see the great need of your life, to come before the Lord humbly, by faith, turning from your sin, realizing that Christ is your only hope of receiving spiritual life, forgiveness of sins and a wonderful eternity with Him.

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-45X

Rev 13:6 KJV – And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Here, John explains to us three areas that the political powers of this world speak ill against our Lord… His person, His worship place, and His people.

Satan, knows what he is doing.  When he uses the powers of this world to blaspheme God in these three areas, he does it for a purpose….

Satan’s main goal was to receive the glory and honor, and the position and abilities that are reserved for our Lord alone.  We have seen in previous devotionals, even following his defeat on the cross, he continues to work towards becoming “like God”.   When he leads the powers of this world to speak blasphemies, it is his attempt to “steal away” the praise that is due to our Lord.  This is why he desires the world’s powers to speak against the Lord, His place of worship and His people.

1. Why does Satan desire God’s person to be blasphemed?

When others speak against the person of the Lord, they directly are taking away from the praise He deserves by convincing others our Lord is not worthy of our praise.  The evil speech takes from the Lord’s greatness and honor placing Him on a lower level than He deserves.

2. Why does Satan desire God’s place of worship to be blasphemed?

When God is worshipped in a Scriptural way, His overwhelming greatness is clearly seen and His people unite themselves in the praise of that greatness.   When Satan leads others to speak against His place of worship, they are taking away from the importance and attractiveness of His worship.  This, in turn, aids in minimizing both the revelation of His greatness and the resulting worship and honor to a minimum.

3. Why does Satan desire God’s people to be blasphemed?

God’s people are to be His reflection on earth.  When lost mankind look at His people, they are to see Christ in them.  When blasphemous speech causes others to think less of God’s people, it results in others thinking less of our Lord.  The reflection of Him is dirtied and His true glory is hidden from view.

May we all be on guard against the workings of Satan in our lives.  May we oppose his workings by frequently going to the Word of God to see His greatness;  regularly attending His place of worship to praise and honor Him; and live lives unspotted by the world to reveal His greatness to others.

1Pe 4:7 KJV – “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-45X

Rev 13:6 KJV

(6)  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

John sees the wild and dangerous beast from the sea (political powers of the world) speaking words of blasphemy against the Lord.   We have all heard of “blaspheming” the Lord, but what does that word really mean?

The words “blasphemy” and “blaspheme” in this verse comes from a Greek word that has several related definitions: 1.  “to speak ill of”; 2.  “to make a villain of”;   3.  “to defame”;   4.  “to be irreverent”;    5.  “to bitterly complain”

By looking at all these definitions, in our context, we can see that blasphemy involves…   “Taking away from the praise and honor that God deserves by speaking against Him”.

(In other words, blasphemous speech is irreverent speech that includes complaining about Him, fault-finding against Him, or defaming His person, character or works.)

Folks, let’s be honest… Normally, as Christians, we think that blasphemy is a sin that is reserved for those who do not have a relationship with the Lord.  We think that only those who are spiritually dead, and yet under the bondage of sin, are capable of such a heinous sin.

But if we stop and think about the definition of blasphemy, we can quickly come to the conclusion that it is a sin not reserved for the lost, but can be committed by God’s people as well.   Because we still possess a fallen sin nature within us, we are susceptible to taking honor away from our Lord.

How many times have we blasphemed our Lord in our thoughts, actions, or words?  Three examples of this would be the sins of impatience, doubting, and acceptance of sin.

Stop and think about it, when we become impatient with His workings in our lives, we are declaring to others that our Lord is slow to act, uncaring of those in need, or totally uninvolved in the lives of His people.  To give this impression to others is to blaspheme our Lord.

How about doubting the motives and methods of His workings?  By this we are telling others our Lord is not reliable, perhaps He is not faithful to His promises, or He makes mistakes in His workings among us.  Once again, this is clearly blasphemy.

The last sin we mentioned is that of acceptance of sin.   When we do not take a stand against sin in our lives and the lives of those around us, we are basically saying our Lord does not absolutely hate sin, therefore He is not perfectly holy, He has no perfect standard by which we are to live, nor is He perfectly just in His acts of discipline or judgment.  One more time… this is blasphemy.

Folks, we have just looked at three of MANY, MANY sins that when allowed in our lives, affects what others think about our Lord.  Anytime our actions or words make others think less of our Lord, or question His greatness, we are committing blasphemy against Him.  Also, when we allow our minds to go down paths that will lead us to think less of the Lord, we are blaspheming God to ourselves.

May we all be more conscious of the sin of blasphemy, and always ask ourselves these two questions…

“How will this action, speech or thought affects our own, or others, attitude about our Lord?…
Will any of us think more highly of Him, or will any of us begin to question His greatness and works among us?”

Col 3:8 KJV –  “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”

For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:

http://wp.me/pU88A-45X