When you read Revelation 13:11-18, think about what was happening in John’s days. Stop trying to apply this passage immediately to America and the West and think about what John would have seen and thought.

Revelation 13 was already true in John’s days.

The anti-Christ, anti-god government (Rome) had partnered with pagan worship. In fact, the priests influenced and upheld the secular power of the state. Whatever Roman authorities declared, the priests of the temple upheld and enforced.

The priests in pagan temples did their best to compel, through fear and intimidation, all citizens and foreigners to worship Caesar and the Emperors. It was an unholy allegiance.

It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast…

-Revelation 13:12A,B

Pagan priests, conspiring with the authorities of Rome, even resorted to tricks and pseudo-miracles to deceive the people. The pagan priests under the authority of Rome ordered the various districts to make statues in honor of the Emperor.

In order to entrench the state religion or emperor worship more firmly into the minds of the people, the Priests, through the art of ventriloquism, made the statues speak. Someone would hide in the statue, speak in a low, authoritative voice—to give the illusion of the miraculous coming to life.

The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

-Revelation 13:15

 

It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

-Revelation 13:16-18

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

-Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Buy or sell unless they had (take) the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

-Revelation 13:17

Authentic Christ-followers often suffer economic oppression. directly or indirectly as a result of their allegiance to One God. This has happened throughout Christian history.

 

This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

-Revelation 13:18

Numbers are important in Scripture and reflect particular events associated with the work of God in the world.

2: God’s work: Luke 10, Noah's Ark, Two Witnesses

7: God’s perfection: Naaman/Jordan and Joshua/Jericho

12: The people of God: Disciples, Apostles, Tribes

10: Completion: 7 times 70: Until the objective is achieved

6: Man’s effort without God: The day man is created

Man was created on the Sixth Day and thus has been assigned the number six. Six is one short of seven and therefore also represents man’s effort short of God’s intervention. See Naaman in the Jordan and Joshua at Jericho.

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

-Revelation 14:1

144,000 is a number that uses multiples of 10 (Completion) and 12 (God’s people). Therefore, who will be in heaven? All the people of God. The full number of God’s people.

And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

-Revelation 14:2-5

What is the message then concerning the Beast of the Earth?

During the age of the church, Governments will partner with Religions that attempt to inspire allegiance to governing authorities. These examples can be seen in Hinduism, Buddhism Islam, and most recently in Atheism.

Governments who partner with Hinduism, Islam, or Buddhism may oppress the people, especially Christ-followers, but Atheists', people who attempt to live without God, are responsible for the disintegration of culture, the destruction of objective morality, and the diabolical oppression of the people.

What are we to do?

 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.

-Revelation 22:1-5

Woo! Hoo!

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