January 23, 2007

• Revelation 13 by Pastor Don

  As it so often happens, Friday’s Bible study started with a question. The question was about how we can prepare ourselves for the end times. Pastor Don took us to Revelation 13.

  Pastor Don pointed out that the antichrist cannot be everywhere all at once, so things will not happen simultaneously. The antichrist will operate according to the limitations of space and time. Patriotism is good, but we cannot confuse patriotism overshadowing Spiritual things. God established Britain to open the world to the Gospel. When they fell down on God’s principles, and the pilgrims came to the United States, they established a nation under God. Now we, in America, are beginning to fail in obeying God’s word.

  A bit of background and comments by Pastor Don before we get to Revelation 13:

  America is not seeing itself in a global context. In God’s kingdom, Jews and Gentiles will be one nation, grafted into one vine, Jesus. Islam sees itself in a global context, and the only piece missing is a powerful Islamic figure to bring the factions of Islam together as one, under a common cause. This cause will center around Israel which is considered the little satan, and America the great satan. For Islam to have world dominance they will seek to destroy Israel first, then America.

  Many people speak about moderate Muslims, but we haven’t really seen any sign of them. Where are the moderate Muslims that are speaking out against the Islamic violence and terrorism? They don’t speak out because those with the courage to speak out against the violence are often killed. Sadat was killed, for his attempts to bring about a peace agreement.

  We think of America as one nation under God, but America is not as powerful as it once was. We are neglecting to think globally.

  Right now the world is dealing with the Mystery Babylon – and Mystery Babylon hides in any religion that will bring opposition to Christianity. So it hides in Islam, it hides in the new age, the occult, the cults. Mystery Babylon hides in any radical form of religion that will bring people to doubt Christ.

  We are seeing a movement toward tolerance, toward all religions pulling together under one banner. We are all one, and all gods are one god. It is written in the Koran that Muslims are permitted to agree with anything, until they become more in numbers than the surrounding people, and then they will rise up and force people into their religion or they will be slaves or killed as nonbelievers in Allah.

  Someone mentioned a Christian Radio program where a former Muslim talked about the Muslim cells in our country, and the terrorist agenda that is happening on our shores. One thing that shocked the radio speaker was how children in public schools in California were being taught Muslim prayers, and spent a week saying the prayers that Muslims speak daily. The danger in that is by avowing Allah as lord, that they have now said the prayers that can cause them to be killed as infidels if they profess any other belief from the Muslim religion.

  The plan of the one universal religion and world government is the vehicle which the antichrist will use to gain control. The people professing a universal religion will lure people with lies until they are accepted as authority figures for the world, then they will lower the boom. All false religions do this same thing,  they don’t tell you the whole truth until you are committed, then they trap you.

  What is interesting is that the Koran does not mention Jerusalem, but the Bible mentions it hundreds of times.

  Then we looked at Revelation 13:1 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.

  The sea is a symbol of peoples and nations, and the beast has 10 horns. The European Union had divided up the world into 10 sectors, ten regions. The heads are the main parts of the government of these sectors.

  Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

  If you look at the description you get an idea of the characteristics of the antichrist. A leopard is stealthy, hunts at night, sneaking up on its prey which gives it a big advantage. The large paws of the bear, with its claws which can kill and destroy, and the roaring lion makes a lot of noise, is considered the king of the jungle. The male lion is not the boss, the females make him dominate. And we know that the dragon is satan. Remember satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth if Jesus would worship him, satan did have the authority to offer this to Jesus.

  We need to break the idea that the sanctity of the United States will be preserved. When we give power over to the antichrist or this one world government, we will no longer be a power player. In fact there is already a problem. The Federal Reserve, is not run by the United States, and it sets the value of our money and loans – we are no longer on a gold standard. And our country is rapidly going into debt. In fact Clinton was not popular with the Federal Reserve because he started getting our country out of debt, so when Bush entered the picture it made the Federal Reserve happy. At some point, the people who run the Federal Reserve, the globally rich, will call back the loans and we will then be a debtor nation at the mercy of other countries or the European Union. All it takes is just one phone call.

  Eisenhower said that we needed to stop the federal reserve and the military regime when the war ended or they will stay in power and our country will become a debtor nation. His prophesy was true.

  Revelation13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

  Only the church will recognize this when it happens. For the wound will either be a mortal wound or the appearance of a mortal wound, perhaps an assassination attempt. The world will believe that a miracle has occurred and that will put the antichrist into a more powerful position.

  Revelation 13:4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

  This figure will seem to be politically invincible.

  Revelation 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty two months.

  Pastor Don had us do the math, 42 months equals 3 1/2 years. And it is the beginning of the great tribulation (seven year duration).  Right now we are in the tribulation period, with wars and rumors of wars, etc. but when the antichrist is revealed, that will be the start of the Great Tribulation. Things will grow far worse then.

   Revelation 13:6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 

  There still is not a temple in Jerusalem, so no one has yet blasphemed the tabernacle. While blasphemies are being spoken today about God, and His name, the tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven haven’t been blasphemed yet – so the whole kit and caboodle has not occurred.

   Revelation 13:7 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.

  We know here that the rapture has occurred. Pastor Don asked us how do we know? And the answer was Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Therefore the church cannot be on earth, for while it is on earth satan cannot rule and reign, the antichrist is held in abeyance. But once the church is removed, then the antichrist has free reign on earth – and the saints that are talked about here are saved after the rapture. The Church has the ability to open the gates of hell either to cast in or to let out. We have the individual promises such as Isaiah 54:17 ”No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.

  The sovereignty of God will protect the church if it doesn’t speak, but the church must speak We need to point out when a plan is not godly. We also need to guard the church from those who will come in trying to sow ungodly seeds. That is why Pastor Don always encourages us to listen to teachers with discernment, and if we are not certain about a teaching we have the responsibility and right to ask for chapter and verse, even from Pastor Don. And not only chapter and verse in one part of the Bible but several chapters and verses to support the one verse. If it is not in the word, we are not required to accept it as doctrine – it might be a feel-good teaching, but it is not to be accepted as Biblical truth.

  John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

  We cannot set aside the word for anybody. We also have to be careful of anyone who says that they are the only ones who have truth, and everyone else is wrong – for those are deceivers.

  God reveals what He is going to do to His Prophets, there is safety in the council of His Word. As God develops the next step, we will start hearing the same teachings from many sources. For what God is doing begins in the spiritual realm and is perceived by others.

  I asked a question about Revelation, for from my studies with Kay Arthur materials I thought Revelation was presented in chronological order, Chapter 1 events coming before Chapter 5 events, etc. Pastor Don pointed out that John was in various places during the vision he saw in Revelation – in heaven, on earth, etc. And often what happens in Heaven manifests at a different time on earth, it is not simultaneous all the time.

  Then Pastor Don asked how many realities there are when you are in a movie theater – there is the reality of what is happening on the screen and the reality of what is happening in your life. You cannot get confused and decide that you are in the events of the movie, or that the movie is living your life.

  When you read Revelation you have to figure out who is speaking and what:

  Is it literal physical, or figurative physical.
  Is it literal spiritual, or figurative spiritual.

  Who is talking, who is telling what to whom, and what are they talking about.

  Chapter 5 of Revelation is happening in Heaven. Revelation 13 is on earth.

  You can’t take what is heard on a movie screen and say it is happening to the one sitting in the seat watching the movie.

  Some of us are living prophesies that were spoken over us when we were three years old. When we were three, although the prophesies were spoken they did not manifest until years later. Were the prophesies true, yes. Had they manifested then, no. Yet they did manifest.

  We can never take a movie literally until it manifests off the screen.

  (Heather’s note, I am thinking on this, I can see a case for both Revelation being linear, and also for what Pastor Don is saying, so I have to pray and think about this some more).

  Pastor Don says that sometimes a false prophet or teacher will come to you with a Bible verse or vision that does not seem Biblical. When asked to defend it, they say, “I was given this vision from God, so I understand it. Obviously you are not as advanced as I for God has not given you this same understanding.” Then when asked to point to it in scripture, they take a verse out of context or a verse that doesn’t seem to be saying what they are saying, and when questioned. They say, well God gave me the vision, and I understand the pure words of God.  You didn’t get the vision so obviously you can’t see it.

  This is circular reasoning, and so many of the false prophets use that kind of reasoning to defend their case. If you get a check in your spirit about a teaching, pay attention.

  The Holy Spirit reveals what he is saying by quoting what He said. An example is Matthew 2:15 …and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

  Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him. And out of Egypt I called My son.”

  The Holy Spirit gave a different meaning for the prophesy that was not seen at the time it was first spoken. Hosea was talking about the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt during Exodus, but in Matthew, the prophesy was also applied to Jesus, who was brought to Egypt when Herod was killing infants, and then brought back to Israel after Herod’s death.

  We know the truth of this by the Spirit of God, and it conforms with the Word of God. Can we permit someone who is not quoting scripture to use scripture to confirm what he says the spirit is saying to him?

  The beast will try to convince the elect if possible to believe the lies. We have to question what we are being taught, what we see on TV, what we hear on the radio, what we hear from the pulpit. We have to make sure it lines up with the truth of God.

  Revelation 13:8 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.

  This will be a global deception (all who dwell on the earth). All who dwell on the earth will worship him. Those who are saved, written in the Book of Life of the Lamb will not be worshipping him.

  Pastor Don pointed out that when the church began after Jesus, it was called “the Way” and the church met in people’s homes. Today we meet in churches and that is right – for it is an outreach to the world and there are programs in place. The movement today to house churches is unscriptural, but in the days of the antichrist, persecution will force the church underground, and we will go back to homes. Right now churches provide unity, social, financial and theological support.

  Right now in China, in the next 5-10 years there will be more people who are Christians than there are those in the Communist Party, and then the Communist Party will not be able to stop the church.

  Pastor Don pointed out that things happen in God’s timing. Sometimes what is in the mind of God is not carried out immediately. God waits for many pieces to be in place, then He acts. The will of God is sovereign, but man’s will is not. When we are willful and do not do what we are told to do by God, we can cause a delay in the process. God will still do what He wants to do, but may use another.

  Right now the antichrist, Pastor Don believes, is on the earth, but he is a sleeper. But we are seeing the first signs of his rising in power, lawlessness. We are redefining a lot of terms, such as tolerance, and creating words to affirm unbiblical positions.

  And terms are being redefined by the popular culture, such as Michael Jackson singing, “I’m bad.” And in this case the word “bad” does not mean bad, but rather good.

  We need to not buy into the lie, to not divide the people. As long as a revelation tries to supersede the literal word or adopt it for a different purpose, we do not believe the revelation. What God has ordained will happen with our without our faith, but we have a promise from God, a blessed hope, and we need Him.

  Then we read Psalm 97.

  One of our members asked Pastor Don about a sermon by Malcolm Smith that mentioned the 5th column. The Fifth Column was a name given to a German division that would go into a country and infiltrate the country, taking it from the inside.

  I was asked to look up information about this, and cannot find the reference to the sermon by Malcolm Smith – does anyone have that reference?

  Hoping you have a blessed day,

  Heather

  • 11:26 am
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