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THE BEAST FROM THE SEA - A NEW WORLD EMPIRE

 

Revelation 13:1-10, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 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. If any man have an ear, let him hear. 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."

 

It is a popular but erroneous notion to name the beast from the sea the Antichrist. John, who was the only one to use the term "antichrist" in scripture, did not himself use the term to describe the beast from the sea. Antichrist means against Christ. Referring to false teachers, John states, "Even now are there many antichrists." (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7) Indeed the beast from the sea is "against Christ", but lets look at the bigger picture.

 

An antichrist can be anyone. If you walk out onto a busy city street you are probably surrounded by antichrists. A person in your class or even a loved one or family member can be an antichrist.

 

Let's take a look at the characteristics of an antichrist.

 

In 1 John 2:18 John states that there are many. John goes on to say in verse 22 that he who denies that Jesus is Messiah (Christ) is the antichrist and that anyone who denies that there are a Father and a Son is the antichrist.

 

1 John 4:3 states that if you do not believe that Jesus was an actual flesh and blood person you are an antichrist. John goes on to reinforce this in 2 John 1:7 by stating that people who do not confess that Jesus came in the flesh are deceivers as well.

 

If we consider our own friends and acquaintances we should all know at least one antichrist. Society and the church have distanced themselves from the concept that there are many antichrists by attributing the term to only one person in the distant future. This is much more palatable than believing that perhaps your best friend, sister, brother, mother or father could be an antichrist.

 

Society at large always tends to "lay blame" as opposed to "taking responsibility" for what they have allowed. Some examples of this are as follows. Jesus was killed and society blamed Judas Iscariot. World War Two sweeps over the world and society blames Hitler. The Vietnam War is blamed on politicians. The amount of sex and violence in our society today is blamed on actors and directors in Hollywood. Our illegal drug problem is blamed on drug dealers.

 

Even though the persons mentioned here, Judas Iscariot, Hitler, Politicians, actors, directors and drug dealers are culpable and liable for much evil: they are but scapegoats. The true blame for these atrocities lies squarely on the shoulders of the societies that stand by and allow the atrocities happen.

 

It was the people of Jesus' time who were yelling "Crucify Him!" It was the people of Germany who elected Hitler to power. The people of America elected the politicians who paved the way for the Vietnam War. It is the people of the world that pay for the movies and television shows that have eroded our moral balance. Finally, if there were no market for illegal drugs there would be no drug dealers.

 

This is what has happened with the teachings of the antichrist. Society has created a fictional villain to lay the blame on. They have forgotten that it is society who has laid the groundwork for such villains to come to the surface. It is the spirit of the antichrist resident within society today, which is the real villain.

 

Now before we go on let us take a few minutes to discuss prophetic symbolism. One of the keys to understanding prophecy is to understand the symbols used in prophetic utterances. For example, when a "beast" is mentioned in prophecy it is usually in reference to a kingdom, a nation or a New World Order. When a "head" is used in a prophetic vision it represents the headquarters of a government. When a "horn" is used in prophecy it represents a king or ruler. When "the sea" is used it is referring to humanity on a global basis. The following verse from Daniel illustrates this.

 

Daniel 7:23-24, "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings."

 

The dragon gives the beast from the sea his power, seat and authority. Satan had once offered these same options to a weary Jesus who had just spent forty days in the wilderness fasting. Jesus in turn rejected all of Satan's offers. Sadly, the beast from the sea will gladly take all the power that Satan offers. The Greek word for "power" is dunamis {doo'-nam-is}. This does not merely mean political power but power that resides in having armies as well as the power to do miracles. It means to have the strength to back up what you say. The Greek word for "seat" is thronos {thron'-os}. This is the word that we get throne from and indicates a place of authority of rule. The word "authority" is translated exousia {ex-oo-see'-ah} and means, the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)

 

The following passages from Daniel are important to keep in mind when reading about the beast from the sea in Revelation. This new world order will contain many of the same characteristics of the following four beasts of Daniel all rolled in one. It will indeed be an awe inspiring sight.

 

THE FIRST BEAST: The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar. 605BC - 538BC

Daniel 7:3-4, "And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it."

 

Ancient Babylon was founded by Nimrod who ordered the construction of the Tower of Babel. As a result of this God confounded all of the languages of the world. From its inception Babylon always desired to unite mankind. With Nimrod they built the great city of Babylon which was a wonder in itself. When this was finished they began another even greater project. They began the tower of Babel, which was yet another attempt to bring mankind together under one ruling authority. Their idea was to bring mankind together by proposing a grand project that would unite mankind in a single purpose and a common goal. God then confounded the languages of the world so that no one could understand each other. Individual nations arose and mankind was separated through language barriers.

 

The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar attempted to reunite the world by conquering all nations and making them part of the Babylonian Empire. They again were trying to bring the whole world under one leadership. The problem with this is that the leaders of the Babylonian Empire considered themselves gods and demanded worship from the peoples. God could not allow this idolatrous practice to continue.

 

In 538 BC after the Babylonian Emperor Belshazzar used the golden vessels from the Lord's temple in Jerusalem for a drunken debauch, he saw the writing on the wall. The words written on the wall were MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and UPHARSIN. Daniel records the meaning of the words in the following verses:

 

Daniel 5:26-28, "This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

 

That same night Belshazzar was murdered and Darius the Median took the kingdom. Babylon was finished. The Medo-Persian Empire took over.

 

THE SECOND BEAST: The Medo-Persian Empire. 538BC - 331BC

Daniel 7:5, "And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." The Medo-Persian Empire considered its government infallible. Once a law was made it was never rescinded."

 

The Medo-Persian Empire reigned until 331BC when it met up with an unequaled military genius. This young man at the age of 25 became ruler of the World Empire of the time. His name was Alexander the Great and he conquered the entire known world in just 13 years.

 

THE THIRD BEAST: The Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great. 331BC - 168BC

Daniel 7:6, "After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it."

 

Alexander the Great before his death ordered all Greek cities to worship him as a god. This seems to be a common malady with One-World leaders. The four heads of the beast represent Alexander's four generals. Their names were Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleuchus and Ptolomy. At the death of Alexander the Great the Grecian Empire was divided into four parts. Each commanded by one of the four Generals.

 

As with Belshazzar so with Alexander the Great. In a drunken fit Alexander the Great drank down the Herculean cup full of alcohol. This cup was a huge thing and he drank it down twice. He died of alcohol poisoning soon afterwards.

 

THE FOURTH BEAST: The Roman Empire. 168BC - 476AD

Daniel 7:7-8 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth. It devoured, and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."

 

The fourth beast is conspicuously missing from the description of the Beast from the Sea prior to the opening of the Abyss. The Beast from the Sea is a hybrid of the first three Empires seen by Daniel in his vision of the four beasts. After the opening of the Abyss the Beast from the Sea will go a drastic change and be changed into a Roman Empire reborn.

 

Daniel states that the Roman Empire was distinctly dissimilar or different from the three kingdoms that came before it. It was a dreadful and terrible beast, exceedingly strong and violent. This new Roman Empire reborn will be no less dreadful and terrible. It will sweep up the world in a violent overthrow using the 200,000,000 demon/men army to destroy any resistance that the world now weakened by the first five trumpet warnings might provide.

 

The only relief the world will have is that this Kingdom will only reign a short time before being thrown into the lake of fire which is symbolic of eternal destruction.

 

Daniel 7:7-8, "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."

 

In 168BC Rome conquered Greece. Rome ruled the world with an iron fist. If anyone would come against Rome they would just send in their legions and crush any resistance. Since the Roman legions traveled on their feet Rome built magnificent roads throughout their Empire. Their great feats of engineering are world renown.

 

The ten horns of the dragon, the ten horns of the beast of Daniel as well as the ten toes on Nebuchadnezzar's idol (Dan. 2) all represent the same ten kingdoms each having a king. These ten kingdoms come from the fall of the Roman Empire.

 

When the Roman Empire crumbled it was divided into ten divisions each governed by one of ten Roman generals. The ten divisions were the Alemani (Germany), the Franks (France), the Burgundians (Switzerland), the Suevi (Portugal), the Anglo-Saxons (Britain), the Visigoths (Spain), the Lombards (Italy), the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli.

 

The last three were destroyed by the Roman Catholic church because they refused to become "Christian." These are the three kings (horns) that were subdued in Daniel 7:24.

 

Since a horn represents a king in prophetic symbolism and it was the Roman Catholic church that destroyed the Vandals, Ostrogoths and Heruli. Then it stands to reason that the Pope who is the ruler, or king, of the Roman Catholic Church must be the diverse horn of Daniel 7:24.

 

The Beast from the Sea represents a future New World Order. Just as the dragon represents the person of Satan and Rome so also does the Beast from the Sea represent an Empire as well as its leader. This empire will include many of the same characteristics of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The Beast from the Sea will also receive its power, seat and authority from the dragon, which is Satan or metaphorically speaking, Rome.

 

The dragon will be worshipped, then the beast and eventually the living image of the beast. Satan will be worshipped because he is the source of the power of the beast. The new empire that the dragon gives its power to will be an awesome sight. There will never have been an empire with such strength, majesty or dominance. Like Babylon this empire will encompass the entire earth. Like Medo-Persia the government will be seen as infallible. Like Greece, the military leadership of the empire will be without parallel and like Rome the empire will crush all that oppose it and will have a man-god king.

 

There is a saying that goes something like this, "We'll give him just enough rope to hang himself with." For the first three and a half years of the great tribulation while the trumpet warnings are going forth and after Israel has signed the seven year covenant with the beast from the sea the beast will be given free reign to do as he will. During this time the false prophet will erect the living image of the beast and demand that the whole world worship the beast's image.

 

Again at this point the world will start to lay the blame for all of the calamities that are happening on the Christians. Just as Hitler blamed the Jews for all of Germany's problems, so will the Christians be blamed for all of the problems that are now troubling the world.

 

Since society has to blame someone for their troubles the blame will lie on the Christians. The Christians will be immune and protected from many of the troubles that beset the world at this point and they will be hated by the world for this. The world will reason that since the locusts do not affect them, then the Christians must have sent them. They imagine that if they get rid of the Christians they will get rid of the problem.

 

All of the world will find a new religion to follow except for those recorded in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. This includes the 144,000 plus all converted during the seven trumpet warnings.

 

THE BEAST FROM THE LAND - THE FALSE PROPHET

 

Revelation 13:11-18, "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. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 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. 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. 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: 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. 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."

 

Revelation 19:20 names the second beast as the false prophet. The false prophet will receive his power from the beast from the sea, which in turn gained his power from Satan. The false prophet is limited in his power. He will have all of the power of the first beast only while in the presence of the first beast. Since the first beast also represents a kingdom as well as it's leader, as long as the false prophet remains in the kingdom of the first beast he will be able to perform his great signs and wonders. It also stands to reason that outside the kingdom of the first beast the false prophet will be powerless. This is yet another reason why the beast from the sea and the false prophet will come against Christians.

 

Christians have but one King and His name is Jesus. Having another King makes us members of a kingdom other than that of the beast from the sea. The false prophet will be powerless to influence Christians since they are outside of the kingdom of the beast from the sea.

 

The false prophet will be the campaign manager of the New World Order. Through his signs and wonders he will deceive the world into following the beast from the sea. That is, he will deceive all of the world except the 144,000 Jews and those that have come to Christ during the first three and a half years of the great tribulation. Christians will become the thorns in Satan's flesh at this time.

 

The false prophet is not empowered to actually come against Christians and overcome them. This power resides only with the beast from the sea Rev. 13:7. Since it is the false prophet's job is to make the whole world follow the beast from the sea; he will have to deal with these Christians who are continually making trouble.

 

At this time Satan initiates his most diabolical plan to rid the world of these pesky Christians who continually hinder his purposes. It is not a new plan for Satan for he had tried it once before in the time of Daniel.

 

In Daniel chapter three we are told that Nebuchadnezzar erected a great image of gold. He then ordered all of the chief officials of the provinces of Babylon to come together and hear an official edict. The edict stated that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer or bagpipe and every kind of music you are to fall down and worship the golden image. Being cast into a fiery furnace would kill whoever did not fall down and worship the golden idol.

 

Now the false prophet will resurrect this same edict. He will make an image of the beast of the sea and impart life to it. Then an edict will be passed in the New World Order that states that whoever does not worship the beast will be killed.

 

Now this is where the diabolical cunning comes in. Since it is impossible to get the whole world to come to the place where the image is, the false prophet issues another edict. A mark will be made available to all and this would be a sign of ones worship. Just as in Nebuchadnezzar's time whenever you heard any kind of music you had to worship the image of gold so also every time a person uses this mark to buy or sell it is an act of worship to the image of the beast.

 

Requiring the world to receive this mark serves two purposes. The first purpose is to make the entire world worship the beast from the sea by receiving it. The second purpose is to identify and separate those who will not comply.

 

There is no death sentence associated with receiving the mark, since it is only a sign of one's devotion. Of course we know that those who do receive the mark will be partakers of the wrath of God and will remain on the earth through the seven bowl plagues Rev. 14:9-11. At the end of the bowl plagues those marked persons who remain will be thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and the false prophet Rev. 19:20.

 

Those who do not receive the mark will be required to show their fidelity by worshipping the image of the beast from the sea. If they do not worship the image, then they will be killed. There will be many that refuse to worship the image of the beast or receive its mark. These persons will be martyred and then the number of the brethren of the martyrs under the altar (fifth seal) will be complete. These persons are also the people who are mentioned in Rev. 15:2. They are standing next to the glassy sea mixed with fire and have gained the victory over the beast, over his image, over his mark and over the number of his name.

 

At that point all Christian influence will be removed from the world and the bowls full of the wrath of God, mixed with the final plagues will be poured out upon the earth. — at www.apocalypsetheunveiling.com.

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