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Articles 2014-2017
In the book of Revelation, the apostle John had a vision of a seven – headed wild animal rising out of the sea.
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
This beast was a composite wild animal comprised of four different ones that Daniel had described in prophecy many years earlier (Daniel 7). Daniel had foreseen four empires that would arise on the world scene to oppose God’s people. The Lord revealed them to the prophet as a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fourth beast different from the first three. Many scholars see these four empires as the Babylonian, the Mede and Persian, the Greek empire under Alexander the Great, and finally Rome.
In writing his vision, John described the beast as consisting of the same animals as Daniel listed – the lion, bear, and leopard, but in reverse order to Daniel’s description. Whereas Daniel looked forward in time, John was looking from his present time into the past. And John lived in the time of the fourth beast, the Roman Empire that was subjugating the whole earth. And it had in some measure incorporated elements of the first three empires.
Daniel saw these beasts arise out of the sea. In prophetic language the sea can symbolize nations in turbulence.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
And according to Daniel’s prophecy, these empires, these systems of government would arise out of the turbulent interaction of nations over many years. Which of course, they did.
But then John saw a second wild animal coming up out of the earth.
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
Though this wild animal wanted to appear like a lamb, it spoke like a dragon. Such speaking revealed that it had the heart of the dragon, for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart (Matthew 12:34). Consider this beast that wanted to look righteous, that wanted to appear like it knew right from wrong but whose heart motives were of Satan (the dragon). Here in some measure is the religious spirit.
This beast caused men to construct an image that came to life and drew people to worship it on threat of death.
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 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.
The tendency of many is to think that someday there will be literal breathing statues demanding worship. But this vision had present application to the churches John was addressing. And it made sense to them. Notice John’s instruction to those who would read or listen to its contents.
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
How would they be blessed if they did not understand what he was talking about? And how could they then keep what was unintelligible to them? John was an apostle. Therefore, this book is an apostolic writing. And the interpretation of its visions is simply the apostolic message. It is not primarily about futuristic events (although some of John’s visions clearly do speak of events in our future). But John’s revelation is largely the same apostolic message that Paul, Peter, or James taught but in visionary/symbolic form. What he wrote about was occurring in the first century and has been taking place in every generation since.[14]
To understand the image that this earthly beast was bringing forth in John’s vision, let us first consider that there are two images being fashioned presently in our generation. The first one is the image of the Lord Jesus Christ being formed in the hearts of millions of believers across the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:29). And this image is living.
Christ is eternally alive in my heart. And His purpose is to fashion me in the depths of my being into conformity with Him. As I am joined to Him and He with me, the living expression of His own Spirit can hopefully be seen a little more clearly in my life today than it could years ago. And as He speaks and reveals himself both in me and through me to others, that image is slowly being formed and emerging in them as they behold Him both in their own lives as well as in mine. This process should be true for all believers.
But there is another image being shaped in our generation. Through teaching and propaganda, it is being formed in the hearts of millions of people across the earth. As it comes to life, it is beginning to threaten death to those who do not bow to the political power it represents.
We saw this process in the 20th century. For example, there were German citizens in the 1930’s who just wanted to work and support their families. However, there were others who opened their hearts and minds to Nazi instruction and propaganda that began to fashion and then bring to life in them an image that began to speak.[15] Its message was basically that if people did not bow to Hitler’s vision of a 1000 year Reich and the superiority of the Aryan race, they would perish. And millions of people perished.
At the very same time, there were many Russian citizens just trying to work and support their families. But there were others who opened their hearts and minds to communist teaching and propaganda that began to form in them and then bring to life an image enlivened by an intensity of rage fueled by an anointing from hell. Its message was that those who did not bow to the vision of the Politburo would die. And millions perished.
In the last few years, we have seen Muslims who are just gentle people who want to work and support their families. At the same time, there have been others who opened their hearts and minds to Islamist teaching and propaganda that began to form in them and then bring to life an image enlivened by an intensity of religious fervor and rage. And that image has a message. “If you do not bow to our vision for an Islamic Caliphate, if you do not bow to our vision for Sharia law, we are going to kill you.” And today many are dying.
What we are facing is the religious spirit. It was a religious spirit operating through Nazi propaganda. It was a religious spirit operating in Communism. And it is a religious spirit operating in and through Islam.
And in our own nation, there are Americans who are just trying to work and support their families. But others have opened their hearts and minds to teaching and propaganda through our educational system and through various activists that have begun to form in them and then bring to life an image enlivened by an intensity of religious fervor and rage. And that image is speaking. “If you do not bow to our vision for gay marriage, and to our vision for how to handle the environment, and to our vision for what is acceptable speech, we are going to kill you!” Maybe the process is not yet as far along as producing actual widespread murder, but clearly something sinister is emerging in our land.
I recently heard of a little Pizzeria in Indiana that was challenged not too many months ago on the issue of their willingness to cater a gay wedding. This small business expressed the position that they were willing to serve anyone, but that to specifically cater a gay wedding would conflict with their faith. The result was an avalanche of hate, vitriol, and even death threats that caused them to briefly close down their business. And then I heard that many people responded with financial support to this little family business, and hundreds of thousands of dollars flowed in to them. They actually then came out further ahead financially than before.[16]
To whatever degree this story is true, it indicates that some are standing up in America and saying “No” to the beast. My understanding is that these financial supporters of the pizzeria were not primarily Christians, but just ordinary Americans saying, “Enough already.” This suggests that our nation is not as far down the road of destruction as are certain other nations. But we are a good distance down that road. And we must cry out for God to have mercy and to send the Spirit of conviction of sin across our land. May He come to our White House, our Congress, and our institutions of learning. May He arise into the gay community as well as the many churches that name the name of the Lord Jesus. If the mighty presence of God is not poured out upon us, there is no hope for this nation. But remember, God does love to show mercy; and mercy does triumph over judgment.
Some people think that someday a man will arise and begin tattooing people with a literal “666” on their foreheads or hands. And some suggest it might involve a computer chip placed under the skin. But such an interpretation would not have made much sense to the first century believers reading John’s epistle. Computer chips? Doubtful.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: his number is 666.
Here is my opinion. If the numeral 6 is the number of man, and you intensify it to 66, it still comes short of 7 the number of perfection. If you then intensify it to its fullest expression, which would be 666 (the number 3 speaking in some measure of fullness or completeness[17]), it would still fall short of God’s perfect number. The fullest expression of what man can do will always fall short of the perfection of God’s glory.
But notice the very next verse in John’s epistle.
Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
(Revelation 14:1 NAS)
Obviously, believers do not have God’s name literally tattooed on our foreheads. But His name, His nature is changing the way we think. It seems that in the vision, the Lord is indicating that His followers are being transformed by the renewing of their minds as they follow the Lamb.
Just as believers have the mark of God on our foreheads, so also those whose actions and thoughts are in harmony with the fallen nature of man have the enemy’s mark. Both what they do and how they think are in harmony with man’s ways rather than God’s. But the Lord wants us to learn His thoughts and come into harmony with His ways.
The best that man can produce will always come short of God’s perfect design. But humanity keeps trying. It seems to me that before we were born of the Holy Spirit, we all had the enemy’s mark on our foreheads and hands and that mark was revealed in the way that we thought and acted. But the blood of Jesus was greater and more powerful than Satan’s mark. Christ’s blood was sufficient to redeem us from darkness and to place us into His kingdom where we are now empowered to learn His thoughts and His ways.
Here is the hope of mankind. The gospel, God’s answer to what is broken in humanity has been and will continue to be applicable in every generation.
Some have thought that one day there will be a one-world planet-wide governmental system ruled by the beast. After all, John indicates that all who dwell on the earth will worship this seven-headed wild animal.
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Maybe it is true that there will one day be a specific one-world system of government opposing God’s people. But keep this in mind: we have been in a war with the dark spiritual forces John describes in the book of Revelation since the first century. They have been waging war against the saints – often influencing tribes, tongues, and nations to inflict pain – even though to this time they have not expressed themselves in a one-world system of government.
In John’s vision, there are two people groups, the heaven dwellers and the earth dwellers. All the heaven dwellers follow the Lamb, and all the earth dwellers have the mark of the beast. Believers are not earth dwellers; we have been seated in heavenly places. The gathered church is actually present in the throne room of God to worship Him, to hear His word, and to go forth bearing His presence to the nations. John’s vision pictures us as a woman clothed with the sun and dwelling in the heavens and also as an army from the heavens following our King in warfare. Our source is heaven; we have been born from above. Not only that, we stand against the beasts symbolized in Revelation as we seek to be filled with the actual presence of our living Christ who is from above.
I will close with this thought. John saw one of the heads of the beast receive a fatal wound. In that one particular empire system, the wild animal died. And then it came back to life. The whole world marveled and asked who could possibly fight this thing. And that question is one of the main reasons why the Lord gave this vision to John.
First, John describes the Lord Jesus in militaristic terms.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
(Revelation 19:11 - 16 NAS)
John then goes on to describe the result of the confrontation between Christ and the beast.
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
(Revelation 19:19 - 20 NAS)
God has the perfect answer to the problem of the beast. Nazi Germany was destroyed, but then communism rose up. Communism imploded but then a violent expression of Islam began arising. At the same time, secular humanism is in ascendance in Western Civilization. Various heads of the beast keep coming and going but there is a Kingdom emerging from Heaven that will endure forever.
Many say that the above vision of the rider on the white horse symbolizes Christ at His return. Such a conclusion seems correct but incomplete. Clearly, Jesus will not be physically riding on a horse when He comes because that was not the way He left. And the angel told the disciples that He would return in the same way that He left.
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
So the vision of Christ riding on a horse is about more than His personal return. It is a picture of His involvement in the great spiritual war engulfing humanity that culminates at His return. Certainly, that final day will bring destruction to His enemies.
since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
John’s vision of the Rider on the white horse reveals to us how our present conflict will conclude. It gave hope to the first century church. And it gives hope to us as well. The beast does not get the last word; Jesus does.
And in our generation, our King is riding across the earth with a sword proceeding from His mouth. And what He is saying is key to our present warfare against the beast. We must both hear what He is saying, and then follow Him specifically in His revealed will. We who dwell in the heavenly places must get on our horses, follow Him, and respond to His present emphasis.
If we respond to Him appropriately, the beast will receive a wound. We might even see one of its heads fall to the ground. But the beast will keep coming back in its various forms until our King finally arrives in devastating judgment against all that opposes Him.
Clearly, we are in a war. Our strategy is to love our God with all our hearts, listen to His voice, come into alignment with Him, and then follow Him in His present word to this generation. As He rides, take up the sword of His mouth.
And take…the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
(Ephesians 6:17 Amplified Bible)
The religious spirit hates people who love the Lord Jesus, who gather together to Him, and who love His word. This subtle and insidious enemy will try to defile the purity of God’s work among men any way that it can. Let us keep alert. And let us rejoice because we have seen the outcome of our faith. We are following the King who has already won the war in the decisive victory at Calvary.
Donald Rumble – October 2015
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