by Pastor Mike Taylor
1”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.
2And
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.”
(Revelation
13:1-2)
For
centuries what comprise the True Church of the Living God, mankind
has wondered who and what would be the beast found in Revelation
chapter 13. Many have hypothesized the identity of the dreadful beast
that rises out of the sea. I have myself, explored possible scenarios
and possible candidates apart from the popular views of evangelical
Christianity, as it is shrouded in mystery, but as we draw closer to
the time of the end of days of man's rule upon this earth, the
details draw more and more clear.
In
the past, I have made references to three possible candidates, that
being the pope in Rome, the 12th Imam of Islam, and the President of
the USA, as we just got through with the apostate Obama and replaced
him with someone, (we pray) will bring us out of the debauchery that
this country is drowning in right now.
But
let us take a journey in exploring this chapter and make some
statements that may come to pass, or may not, as only God knows the
end result. We just stay focused on God's Word and keep our hearts
and minds in tune with His Holy Spirit.
In
the first verses, noted above we see a beast rise out of the sea.
This beast is similar to the dragon that was mentioned in Revelation
chapter 12. They both have “seven heads and ten horns” as noted
again in Revelation chapter 17. The bible identifies seven
consecutive world powers, or earthly governments that Satan used to
persecute God's Church, His faithful church not necessarily the
ruling church of the Middle Ages.
The
dragon is Satan working through pagan religions, the occult and
spiritualism, while the beast symbolizes Satan working in disguise,
using the corrupted Christian church to do his work. In verse 5 we
see that the beast continues “forty and two months” . This is the
exact number of years if you convert those months into years of 1260
years that Papal Rome had dominion over the whole known world. In
verse 7, it makes “war with the saints” persecuting Christ's
true followers who stuggled to maintain the truth of God's Word. This
beast is none other than the Papal Church system that ruled with
terror for all those years. It arose as predicted amongst the
populated European nations, symbolized by “the sea” and the “ten
horns”. But note that Papal authority has since diminished from the
time of her dominance, but she will rise again. Prophecy has an
inerrant ability to repeat itself in a duality of events during these
last days. Papal Rome ruled with an iron fist from 538 AD-1798 as
noted in Verse 2 of this chapter.
WHO
IS THE BEAST?
This
beast has the characteristics of a leopard, a bear and a lion, the
same beast powers mentioned in Daniel chp. 7 being the leopard of
Greece, the bear of Medo-Persia and the lion for Babylon. This beast
represents the Papacy, the same religious-political power portrayed
by the little horn of Daniel 7.
The
dragon gave the beast “his power, and his seats, and great
authority”. Pagan Rome gave all these things to Papal Rome, and a
pagan “christian” institution of the time, had the means to
persecute and destroy God's faithful people for hundreds of years to
over a thousand years.
3
“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.
4And
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?” (Revelation 17:3-4)
In
1798, the French General Berthier under the commands of Napoleon took
the Pope prisoner and attempted to completely eliminate the Papacy as
an institution. It seems to the world that the Papacy was “wounded
to death.” However, the prophecy says that the wound “was
healed.” In 1929 the
Papacy regained
its civil power with the creation of the Vatican State, and the wound
began to heal. At some point in the near future the Roman Catholic
Church system will completely recover her former glory and will have
more power and prominence than ever before. “And the entire world
wondered after the beast.” See also vs. 8.
Note
that even as I type this message, the Roman Pope Francis wields much
political power, that even leaders, prime ministers, and presidents
give this man great audience to influence their decisions on what we
call the “New World Order” He started it in the United Nations
with Sustainable Development and Agenda 2030, which will govern and
control every man, woman and child on this planet to do their
bidding. It will be total control and even population management that
will be genocide of useless people who do not contribute in their
mind to the New World Order. That is the focus of the NWO, to
depopulate the earth to a “sustainable level” and if millions, or
even billions die, then it for the “good of the planet”.
Only
recently, has our USA President had the courage to go against this
nefarious scheme to the outrage of the NWO proponents. For how long
will it last? It seems the world is against putting America first,
but our POTUS is trying to change what was nearly destroyed by the
last Dictator in Chief, who can't stand that his legacy is in peril.
The liberal “lame stream media” and the liberal democrats in
Washington DC are in survival mode and may resort to acts of treason
and violence to preserve their dream of a One World Government.
5”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.
6And
he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name,
and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7And
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.” (Revelation 13:5-7)
Note
that the characteristics of this beast parallel very closely the ones
in Daniel
7:20-21, 25 and
8:10-12.
Have we ever seen a time in our recent history where a leader of a
religious-political institution has been blantant with changing or
contradicting the clear Words found in our Bibles. Pope “Francis”
has been about political shenanigans and using his office to draw
all religions into a One World Religion and changing even the moral
and spiritual definitions of being a Christian as has never been done
before in our modern era. Clearly his goal is a New World Order with
the RCC at its center for power and control. Pope Francis is actively
courting all religions of Protestantism, Islam, or any other “-ism”
and trying to bring them “Home to the Mother Church”.
8
“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.
9If
any man have an ear, let him hear.” (Revelation 13:8-9)
In
the last days, nearly the whole world, those “whose names are not
written in the book of life,” with “worship” this beast. The
day is coming soon when the majority of humankind will obey a few
supporting the authority of the Papacy
above
the commands of God, and will thus worship the beast. Only those
whose names are written in the Lamb’s “Book
of Life”
will stay true to God. This book records the names of all the saved
from every generation of Earth’s history. Revelation 20:12, 15. It
will be a daily test of their faith and endurance to stay true to
their calling by God's Holy Spirit. It will not be like it was in the
Church Age, when those who embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior were
given a deposit, a sealing of God's Holy Spirit of their future
glorification. No, they must guard it daily and not be deceived, as
the delusions that God will send them to cause them to be damned will
be strong because of their lust of the flesh and demonic powers will
have full sway over most of humanity left after the Church is
“snatched” from this earth.
10
“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.” (Revelation 13:10)
This
verse prophecy was fulfilled when the Pope was taken into captivity
and received a deadly wound, as Napolean sought to destroy the
Papacy.
How
did this happen? If you look at history and note what I just told you
that in 1929, the deadly wound that was inflicted by Napolean's army
in 1798 began to heal. The Roman Catholic Church has had to change
her image from a wolf, to a a lamb that wouldn't hurt anyone. But I
submit, she is a wolf in sheep's clothing and when the time is right,
she will expose herself and reveal her true nature.
THE
POSSIBLE IDENTITY OF THE SECOND BEAST.
11
“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.
12And
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.
13And
he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven
on the earth in the sight of men,
14And
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.
15And
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.”(Revelation
13:11-15)
Thus
begins the part of the chapter that gives me the most distress, as
this describes another beast coming up out of the earth. She begins
as a lamb, but is transformed into speaking as a dragon. The identity
of this beast, could be, and I emphasize, COULD BE, the United States
of America. Are you shocked? I know I am, but let us talk about the
reasons that I say that the USA COULD BE this second beast.
REASONS
TO BELIEVE SHE IS THE USA
First
off, the USA came to power about 1798, just as the Papacy is going
into captivity and receives her deadly wound. The USA declared her
independence in July 4th,
1776, and by 1790 has ratified her Constitution, with it's Bill of
Rights, and was coming up as a “youthful nation” and was quickly
drawn into the political arena and today is the lone Superpower on
earth. Many are challenging her, and the forces to depose her are all
around, but she remains a power to be reckoned with.
Second,
The “sea” represents “multitudes and nations.” Revelation
17:15. The beasts that arise from the sea usually do so amid the
strife of war. By contrast, this one comes “out of the earth,"
representing a relatively peaceful emergence in a comparatively
unpopulated area. This is exactly the manner in which The United
States came to power. We are called a great melting pot, that has
nearly every nationality and race represented within her borders. So
we abound in “multitudes and nations” that are represented in our
states.
Third,
this beast that has “two horns like a lamb” depicts and
represents a nation of youth, innocence, and gentleness, which is
based on our God given principles of libery in religious and civil
affairs. (“For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”).
At its beginnings, the USA had the strength to form a government
based on the principles found within the Ten Commandments.
Republicanism
and Protestantism were the fundamental principles of the nation.
These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. It is
strong because the government and the church are separate, without
one controlling the other. She has put her faith in Almighty God in
the past, but that is eroding with each passing day, as the nation is
in upheaval, as she is being stressed from within.
Fourth,
it is noteworthy to note that this beast does not have any crowns.
She has been a servant of the people, and has not ruled over them,
but they control her. Hence our democratic principles of voting those
to represent your interest. The USA has never had a king to rule over
government, or a pope to rule over the religious freedoms of its
citizens, which allowed freedom of worship and expression. To this
point we have kept religion and the state separate, as we disdained a
religious theocracy, as was found in Papal Europe.
Fifth,
in order to rule the world, the Papacy had to have sway over a
standing army. To influence and order a national army to do it's
bidding, on pain of excommunication in the past, so she must have a
superpower to enforce her edicts of religious authority even today.
To force anyone to worship the beast or its image, it must be a power
that would enforce, on pain of death, the desires of the Papacy.
This
beast will speak “as a dragon” and exercise “all the power of
the first beast before him.” The
“first beast,” as an agent of the dragon, used its “power” in
state affairs to enforce religious laws, resulting in the persecution
of the “heretics” who would not submit. For America to do this
and “give life unto the image of the beast” it would have to
abandon the principles of religious freedom, repudiate the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and discard the fundamental
beliefs that have made this great nation what it is. When America
uses its power to enforce religious laws and persuades other
governments to do the same, it creates an “image of the beast”
and it gives life, reflecting the intolerance and persecutions of the
medieval Papal Church.
Right
now, Chrisitians in American prayed for a reprieve from the
debauchery from the “idiot in chief” that left office in January
of 2017, but how long will that reprieve holdup? The forces of
darkness are rearing their heads and doing all in their power to
thwart any “draining of the swamp” which is the liberal base in
Washington DC. What will be their attempt to hasten the NWO they so
desperately want and envision? Only God knows what lengths they will
go to, to realize their “utopian” idea of man's rule on earth. I
fear, in the near future, that the next adminstration will speak like
a dragon and impose religious laws enforcing the worship of the first
beast, Papal Rome.
Protestants
in America that represent part of the apostate church system will
reject God’s law, and His power will be withdrawn from the churches
and His protection from the nation. Society will become increasingly
evil and violent, and at the same time the judgements of God will
descend on the United States and on the world. Instead of embracing
repentance and inward heart change, Protestant America will demand
that the government enforce religious laws to “bring this nation
back to God.” or at least the deceived idea of what “returning
to God” is even about. There will be some type of religious edict
that will force all who worship the “beast” of Papal Rome to take
a mark of loyalty, either in their right hand or their forehead.
7 For the mystery
of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall
that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders,” (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-9)
The
United States will deceive the world into making “an image of the
first beast” through the use of “great wonders” and “miracles.”
In Revelation
19:20 this
beast is called “the false prophet,” and in Revelation
16:13, 14 he
is said to work these miracles through “the spirits of devils.”
Matthew
14:23-27 indicates
that false Christ will add such strength to those deceptions as to
make them very nearly overpowering; 2
Corinthians 11:14 adds
that Satan himself is capable of masquerading as “an angel of
light.”
16
“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:
17And
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.
18Here
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 13:16-18)
Now
the identity of the coming Anti-Christ has not been revealed. It is
conjecture, even on my part to name the man, as I believe we will
never know for sure, as the church, the True Church of the Living
God, will not be on earth when he is revealed, but let me share
something with you that many of you may or may not know that gives
“hint” of who the man is.
The
mark of the coming Beast power and its dictator, the Anti-Christ,
will require a mark as mentioned on each person's body, either in the
forehead and in their right hand. It's not so much as a economic
sign, as it is sure that, for without it, you can't participate in
the economy, whatever form it is in that sad time called the
Tribulation. But what it is more importantly, its a sign of worship,
of allegiance to the supreme ruler of your lives. The man will reveal
himself at the mid-point of the Tribulation, and the nation of Israel
will know that the treaty they signed with him 3.5 years ago, was a
pact with the devil.
But
of this mark, a mark of worship...God’s seal is His name, character
and law written in His people’s hearts and minds and is seen in His
laws which are found in your Bible. Those laws, and the sacrifice of
His only Son, identifies who our God is, and who created each of us.
Those who resist the mark of the beast are those who “keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” and will not bow the
knee or worship at the first church of the Anti-Christ, or the church
of Satan.
But
what is the significance of the
number 666?
I believe we know that the beast, whose number this is, may symbolize
the Roman Papacy,
and that it’s “the number of a man.” One of the pope’s titles
is said to be Vicarius
Filii Dei,
“Vicar of the Son of God.” In Latin, the language of Catholicism,
some of the letters double as numbers, and the numerical value of
Vicarius Filii Dei adds up to 666, and a great many Bible scholars
believe that this is how 666 is to be interpreted.
Am
I saying the Pope is the Anti-Christ? He very well may be and he may
not. As I said, we won't know for sure. But believe you me, the RCC
will be at the table of power in the last days and she will reclaim
her position of power to even a greater degree than what she had in
the Middle Ages of her 1260 years of ruling over mankind. Problem for
her is, it will be a small, temporary rule that will find her either
destroyed by the Anti-Christ if she be only the False Prophet, or be
destroyed by Jesus Christ, our Living God when He comes to set up His
reign and rule for a 1000 years.
16,
“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall
hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat
her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17,
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree,
and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall
be fulfilled.
18
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth
over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:16-18)
These
verses would identify the False Prophet along with its Harlot Church
as being destroyed by the Anti-Christ. But what if the Pope is the AC
himself?
He
will destroy all religions, including the Roman Catholic Church in
favor of worship of himself. Remember what Paul wrote in 2nd
Thessalonians?
4 “Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.” (2nd
Thessalonians 2:4)
IF
THE POPE is the AC, then he will destroy all religions in favor of
worship of himself, as Satan desires worship, as he has entered the
man.
“
For
you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount
of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."
(Isaiah 14:13-14)
CONCLUSION
AND FINAL THOUGHTS
So
there you have it, my reader. My hypothesis of what may happen in the
last days coming very soon. I pray those found in Jesus Christ will
not witness one iota of the coming carnage that will transpire on
this earth when the lawless one is revealed. I am believing that the
Roman Catholic Pope will either be the false prophet promoting a
false religion to worship of the RCC with the USA as the state army
to enforce his will. OR be the Anti-Christ himself and will destroy
the Roman church in favor of worship of himself. And this man will be
destroyed by Jesus Christ Himself, as His coming to rule and reign
for a 1000 years by the brightness of His coming.
8 “And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming:
10 And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2nd
Thessalonians 2:8-10)
The
analogy of the coming One World Church with the RCC as receiving all
worship towards her, and the USA as its enforcer, will be on the
scale of when Charlemagne was enforcer of Papal Rome in the Middle
Ages. It will be as it was then. To have this even take place, one
other event must happen first.
7 For the
mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will
let, until he be taken out of the way.” (2nd
Thessalonians 2:6-7)
Understand,
my reader, this could happen at any given moment. As I've mentioned
in the past, I will be acutely aware and listening for a trumpet this
coming fall, or the next fall, or the next, as that is the Feast of
Trumpets which is the next chronological order of the Feast of God
that He has fulfilled to the letter in the past...I have covered this
extensively in the past, so if you missed it, then it's on my blog
for the interested reader.
As
you should know, if you read any of my past messages, the personal
pronoun in the verses directly above points to a only ONE power that
has the ability to withhold evil in this world, and that is God's
Holy Spirit. And since God told us He would never leave us or forsake
us, when God's Holy Spirit is removed, so shall His church and all
who dwell in Her....in an instant.
52 In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.
54 So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Time
is fast running out for those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior to the “ark of safety” when the Tribulation comes upon the
earth. Those who miss receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, will be
thrust headlong into a time that words cannot justify the horror that
will be experienced by those who miss the greatest event this side of
Jesus resurrection. Some call is the “Rapture'...called harpazo in
the Epistles of Paul, and identified as a snatching away, by force of
those who are taken. It will happen in a flash. Woe, woe, woe to
those who dwell upon the earth during that time, as they will see
tribulation so great that no flesh would be saved, if Jesus did not
shorten the time. It will be that that much destruction and carnage
of all life on this planet. Don't make that mistake and think you
have all the time in the world. Your time could run out in the next
few seconds.
16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17,
God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him, might be saved.
18 He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)
And
as it is written, if you desire to be with Jesus Christ, the above
verses and the ones below will lead you to a prayer of repentance.
9 That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Receive
Jesus our Lord, today and be filled with God's Holy Spirit and a
guarantee you will not see what I have just described...
This
is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you make that decision for Jesus
Christ right now... if you need prayer, counseling, or just a
friendly, listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, .So come
Lord Jesus..God bless you all.
TILL
WE MEET AT JESUS FEET
