The Beast is Deceiving People

[Christsfreeservant]

Revelation 13:5-8 ESV

“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”​

Do you know who the beast is? Do you think you would recognize him (or it) when you see him? How can you be sure you would? What would you be looking for to identify him (or it) as the beast? What if I told you that you can see the beast right now and yet many of you do not recognize him as such because you are so deceived? For it isn’t like he is going to be wearing a big red sign saying, “I’m the Beast!”

Who today worldwide are uttering haughty and blasphemous (sacrilegious, irreverent, ungodly) words? Who worldwide are uttering irreverent words against God and against the name of Jesus and against his gospel? Who today worldwide are making war on the saints of God and are conquering them by deception and/or by censorship and/or militarily? Who globally now are taking authority over every tribe and people and language and nation?

You might be surprised to learn that many of them are preachers who stand in our pulpits, and they are our government leaders, and some are public school teachers, and some are in the entertainment industry, both Christian and non-Christian, etc., and some are our fellow Christians and our friends and family members who are following after lies and not after the truth, some of them knowingly, and some of them because they are deceived.

Please ask the Lord to show you who this beast is, for he isn’t just one person. He is a conglomerate of many people – kings, queens, heads of state, CEOs of corporations, the wealthy elite, the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, NATO, the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, the Federal Reserve, the entertainment industry, the media, the institutional church, the Jewish nation, and the US government, and so much more.

And what is worship? It is reverence, respect, devotion, loyalty, allegiance, faithfulness, commitment. Do you pledge (vow) your allegiance to anyone with hand over heart? Many Americans do, to their government. And they sing patriotic songs of worship to their government, even in the gatherings of the church, and they honor their military as their heroes and as their saviors who they believe are keeping them safe and protecting their freedoms. Is that biblical? Who is our Savior? Who is our protector?

Revelation 13:9-10 ESV

“If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

“If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.

“Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”​

We, as the saints of God, who have died with Christ to sin, and who are living to God and to his righteousness, must be prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for what is here now and for what is yet to come, for things are going to get much worse, because the Bible says they will, and because the signs are everywhere that this is where things are headed right now. And if our spiritual eyes are open we should be able to see the progression of things which have been taking place and where they’re going.

Revelation 13:11-15 ESV

“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matt 24:24).​

Don’t think that just because you profess faith in Jesus Christ that you are going to automatically recognize these things as they are taking place, for false christs and false prophets are now leading many professers of faith in Jesus astray, and they are indeed deceiving those who call themselves the saints of God, though not all are asleep. Many do have their spiritual eyes open to see what is happening, and as time progresses, many more eyes are being opened to the truth of what is taking place in our world right now.

I see this second beast as the false prophet, which I believe is a two-headed monster, and which I believe to be the institutional (state) church, i.e. the adulterous and/or lukewarm church married to or in bed with the world (the government and big business). And it has altered the gatherings of the true church and the gospel of Jesus Christ to make them more acceptable and appealing to the world and to human flesh, and they are deceiving many.

And I can attest to the fact that, in America, this institutional church did indeed teach us to worship our government with hand over heart and through the singing of patriotic songs and through the honoring of our military as our saviors, and via the honoring of politicians as our saviors, too, who are rescuing or who are going to rescue us from the evils of this world, and who are going to bring us into a better place, so they say.

And what would be the “image” of this beast? It is a reflection, a representation of some kind, and it could also be a picture, like a photograph, or a flag, or television, and/or the internet. Look at most all American homes. What is front and center in most living rooms? What does most of the furniture face? The TV screen, which is also now the internet, too, for they are pretty much one and the same now. And now they are more personalized with the introduction of the smart phone.

And if you listen now to what people are saying, where are they getting most of their information which they are regurgitating? Isn’t it mostly from the TV and the internet, from the voices of politicians and the news media and talk show hosts and TV preachers and evangelists, etc.? And it is from memes on social media, too. And they recite whatever they are hearing as though it is fact, when it could all be a big fat lie.

Revelation 13:16-18 ESV

“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”​

Okay, I would like for you to prayerfully consider everything I shared with you here and let the Holy Spirit reveal truth to you. Please put away all that you have heard from other humans and get before God and just let God speak truth to your heart. And I would like for you to consider that this “mark” of the beast is first and foremost the influence of the beast on our minds (foreheads) and on our deeds (hands) before it ever becomes an actual physical mark on our bodies.

And many professing Christians today are being greatly influenced by this beast (conglomerate), and they are believing in, and they are following after the lies, for they are getting their truth from other humans and from the world instead of from God, or over and above God, because they are listening more to humans than they are to God and/or they are not testing what humans are saying in prayer and against the word of God.

So, this does indeed call for wisdom. Please do not believe everything you think you see or hear or read coming from the mouths of humans, for many are liars and deceivers. Many are part of this beast system which is leading the people of the world astray and which is conquering them via deception and also militarily. #6 is the number of man, so flesh times 3, like a false trinity of the flesh of man and not of God, but mimicking God. Test it all!

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Just some input on the above. The beast will not be some hidden human system, it will be a man, who shows forth God-like power, stating that He is God. He will require worship from all people. The purpose of his coming is to deceive those who do not choose to believe in Jesus. Yes, human systems will follow him, but human systems are not the beast.


There will in every age be anti-Christs and anti-God systems, but the beast although in agreement with anti-God systems, will be a man, who is clearly visible.


2Th 2:3-10 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, 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. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.


Dan 11:30-36 For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. "So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. "Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.


Rev 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,


Rev 13:15-17 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 

[BobRyan]

There is a very reliable and structured way of viewing the Rev 13 details - where the Bible explains the Bible.

As follows:
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All apocalyptic timelines use "day for year" as in Dan 9's seventy week prophecy which is 490 real years of time.

The dragon beast of Rev 12 is stated to be Satan in that chapter - but its attempts to kill Christ (also described in that chapter) came through the empire of pagan Rome. The woman in Rev 12 had to flee persecution - which is what the Christian church did , first from pagan and and then in the dark ages it fled from religious persecution , Bible burning, etc for 1260 years.

The 4 beasts of Dan 7 are stated to be 4 empires in Dan 2, 7 and 8.
1. Lion -- Babylon (Dan 2), Dan 7, (one head)
2. Bear - Medes and Persians Dan 7, Dan 8 (one head)
3. Leopard - Greece - and 7 and 8 (four heads)
4. 10-horned beast - Rome - Dan 7, and 8 unnamed (1 head)

A total of 7 heads and 10 horns in Dan 7.

Rev 17 informs us that the "sea" symbol is a multitude of nations and languages
Rev 17:1

The term "antichrist" is not used in 2 Thess 2 or in Rev 13

"Come, I will shew to thee the judgment of the great harlot, who is sitting upon the many waters,...15 And he saith to me, `The waters that thou didst see, where the harlot doth sit, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues;"​

So then the first beast of Rev 13 is an empire/entity that arises out of many nations and languages - densely populated -- (so probably Europe).

The first beast of Rev 13 is a composite view of Dan 7 - and arises out of many nations

So then the first beast of Rev 13 is an empire/entity that arises out of many nations and languages - densely populated -- (so probably Europe). It is the same entity that persecutes the saints for 1260 years - (persecution period of time mentioned in Rev 11, 12, 13)

Rev 13:1

"And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne, and great authority."
​

So then the second beast of Rev 13 - is a nation that arises out of "the land" not the "sea". So not densely populated with many nations like Europe. And it arises aftere after the end of the 1260 years of dark ages persecution mentioned in Rev 12. The reference to "lamb" is always a reference to Christ - so something about the rise of the second beast carries the message of Christ - but later it speaks as the dragon of Rev 12 -- satan.

Rev 13:11

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people. 14 And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.​

To make the whole earth do what it wants -- it would need to be some sort of "superpower". The term "antichrist" is not found in Rev 13 or 14 - but "man of sin" is mentioned in 2 Thess 2 so the final end-time "antichrist" does play a part in all of this.