apostasy | The Gospel Armor

Now, we will be given further detail of the governmental systems that will be in place all over the world during the tribulation. We left off, in Chapter 12, learning about the structure of the governmental system that satan had put in place at the time of his rebellion, during the first earth age, and there are a lot of similarities between the system at that time and the system we will be seeing in he very near future. There is good reason for that, and it is because satan is behind both systems.

(Rev 13:1) 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.

This beast is the one world political system that, with satan’s influence, will be put in place during the first half of the tribulation, during the 5th trumpet. As you may notice, it’s very close to the system explained to us in chapter 12, with one notable difference–this one has ten crowns, as opposed to seven.

The seven heads are seven world nations–Africa, Europe, Oceania, Asia, Middle East, North America, and South America. Many of these are already in place overtly, and there is a race to finish solidifying this governmental structure.

The ten horns are ten positions of power over the seven world nations, and the ten crowns represent the despots that will sit in these positions.

We are told that this government is blasphemous, and that’s because the purpose for the world to be arranged in this fashion is the desire to create a worldwide utopia in which there is no war (and no need for war or reason for war), and there is no competition or hatred or anything that makes this world ugly (but that is just what is told publicly–it’s really about power, and the most power-hungry one is satan). There is only one problem, and it is that none of this plan includes Jesus in any way. Without Jesus, there can be no true peace. They know at least that there is a good chance that world peace may last on its own, because of human nature, therefore there is a plan to enforce that peace, which is currently in the works. We won’t go into much detail of that in this article, but it will astonish you!

This is part of the modern day Tower of Babel because, just as in Genesis 11, the world leaders want to create their own salvation, without God, and that’s contrary to God’s plan because what we are supposed to be learning, in the flesh, is that we cannot have salvation without God. We cannot have a good life without God, and I’m talking about eternal life, the way it was meant to be.

(Rev 13:2) 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.

You may recognize that these comparisons of this beast system resemble something you have likely read in the past–Daniel 7.

(Dan 7:2) Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

(Dan 7:3) And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

These four beasts in Daniel are four increasingly powerful world superpowers throughout world history that have great influence over the people of the world.

(Dan 7:4) 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.

The first beast is like a lion, which is the animal that represents the tribe of Judah in the Bible, but this lion is Jesus. This is a Christian nation and it has eagle’s wings, meaning that it has the protection of God. However, these wings are plucked from off its back, and therefore that protection is removed and this power begins to fail. And because of this removal of God’s protection, it is made to stand on its own power, and without God’s help, it’s very difficult to be successful. Does this sound like any nation you’ve heard of? What nation is represented by an eagle to this day? You’ve guessed it: the United States.

Since the name of Jesus Christ has begun to be removed from every aspect of government and daily life, this nation has been going downhill. It’s a fact of life and this nation has been declining for decades. When we have a success, God is not even mentioned, and when we have a failure, the belief in God is blamed. That’s not a very good policy!

(Dan 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.

What nation is known widely as the bear? Yes! Russia (formerly the USSR or the Soviet Union). Following the Russian revolution, beginning in the nineteen-teens, communism took over, and Russia became a godless society. It’s very easy to research and find the economic failures that Russia has gone through, especially during it’s heaviest communist period, but many of its undesirable traits still remain, as it is trying to shake off the problems of the past 100 years.

It raised itself up on one side because it had previously fallen, wounded. But as it began to rise back up, it did so at the expense of three other nations, Christian nations. Which ones might they be? Well, pay attention to what is going on in current events. It will thrash and tear these nations to pieces.

(Dan 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.

This third beast is a leopard, and it has wings of a fowl, which mean it has the protection of satan. What is this leopard? It is the beast formed by those whose spots are not the spots of God’s children (Deut 32), and because of its spots, it is incognito and goes largely unnoticed. They are impostors who claim to be the children of God, but they are liars (Rev 2 & 3), the kenites. They have built a worldwide system of four hidden dynasties–Religion, Politics, Economy, and Education (Zech 1, Rev 6)–which gnaws away at our freedom and at the minds and hearts of most of the people across the world, except those who have the Seal of God. These are the four heads that lead this leopard beast. And the protection of satan, its four wings of a fowl, is administered by the four angels we saw loosed in Revelation 9 (the evil counterparts to God’s archangels).

(Dan 7:7) 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.

The fourth beast of Daniel is unlike anything we have seen before it, and is more horrible and more powerful than any of those past beasts. It has iron teeth, back by the fallen angels (iron), that rip to shreds the power of any of the prior world superpowers. This beast will strip the power and sovereignty from all national governments and put their welfare in its hands. This is already taking place, and you may know it if you pay attention to world events.

One thing you may want to note is that this nondescript beast has ten horns. Where have we seen that before? Oh yeah, this brings us back to Revelation 13.

(Dan 7:8) 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.

This next incarnation of the fourth beast we will cover later in Revelation 13, so just keep it in the back of your mind.

So, we are told the first beast of the tribulation is like the leopard, which means that it is empowered by four hidden dynasties, which have slowly swayed public opinion to blindly accept it because it gnaws away at the minds of the world population.

We see it has the feet of the bear, which means it is mobilized by the principles of communism, the system that the Soviet Union made so infamous.

It has the mouth of the lion, meaning that it speaks like Jesus, and therefore most of the world believes it is good and peaceful, but it is not by the power of Jesus, but of satan, the dragon. Satan is behind this evil system that he wants to use to ultimately destroy as many souls as will let him take the throne in their hearts.

(Rev 13:3) 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.

Alas, one of these seven heads would be wounded almost to death. This wound we will see in the burdens of Isaiah, as well as in the Gospels of Jesus. What is necessary to establish a worldwide political system? Peace needs to first be maintained between the nations, or else there will be not only bickering between districts, but civil war due to the differing cultures and philosophies. Without the love and peace of Jesus, this peace must be enforced by a central body. After all, a nation divided cannot stand.

(Mar 3:24-26) And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

Satan knows this, and that’s why this is his first objective in erasing all political boundaries and motives to war. They have the means and will be utilizing them very soon.

Well, although they have the means since this governance is not built on the Rock, Jesus, it will still crumble as tensions boil over and can no longer be contained. Where are most of the political tensions in the world today? In the middle east. This Middle Eastern Head will be the one that receives the deadly wound. What we will see taking place is a war in that region, which will culminate with many muslim nations, backed by Russia, will invade the tiny nation of Israel and soon after surrounding its capitol of Jerusalem. As the armies mobilize, there will be a build-up similar to WWI, in which nations will each choose a side, one after another, and prepare for a major war. Many of the “Christian” nations will back the nation of Israel, and many of the muslim nations will back its opposition. We can see this even shaping up right this minute.

As soon as war seems imminent, someone will come in and save the day and heal this wound. Why? Because a nation divided against itself shall not stand.

(Rev 13:4) 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?

Who is this savior? None other than satan himself, the dragon. When he heals this deadly head wound, the world will be in wonderment and will ask who can make war with this beast. This is because this figure will appear to have ended and made impossible all future war, and the world will believe that the system will never again be able to fail.

(Rev 13:5) 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.

As far as the people of the world know, their respective messiahs have all returned in one being. He will claim that all religions’ messiah have all along been one entity, and that’s him. The problem is that all world religions are of satan. True Christianity is not a religion, and therefore is not on the same level as the rest of these theologies–Christianity is simply a reality. Even the denominations of Christianity have been largely perverted and led astray from Jesus Christ (stick with the Bible). We are seeing this three and a half-year time period once again. This is an indication that we are seeing satan, who will now be on earth as the antichrist. Prophecy of evil is often given in months because it goes by the moon, satan–prophecy of good is often given in days and years because it is based on the sun, God.

(Rev 13:6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Everything satan will say, once he arrives, will be a blasphemous lie, and will be part of his flood of lies. It will seem holy to most people because they are not rooted in the Word of God.

(Rev 13:7) 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.

The saints are God’s elect, not what most people think of when it comes to the saints–it has nothing to do with performing miracles, and the saints are not to be prayed to–though many traditional saints are actually true saints. Those here on earth remaining faithful to God and not buying into satan’s system are themselves saints, as well, which simply means, “ones set aside, sanctified and made holy by God.” Satan hates God’s saints and will do anything he can to try to destroy them. That is his mission. In the process he will destroy the souls of everyone else, although most, being blinded to the truth of God, will receive one last chance later.

(Rev 13:8) 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.

Anyone who does not remain faithful to God, therefore being listed in the Book of Life and also being Sealed by God, will be deceived into worshiping the antichrist.

(Rev 13:9) If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Pay attention.

(Rev 13:10) 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.

Those who lead the world into captivity, which is enslavement by the deception of satan in the end times, will themselves go into captivity, but those who kill and try to stop this plan (which is ultimately part of God’s plan) will be killed. This is all a part of God’s plan and must happen, so there is no point in even thinking about trying to thwart it, or you will be going against God. If you fight and kill those who are working for satan, that is bad, and that will work against you. If you try to spiritually kill someone, as satan and his friends try to do, that is also very bad and those beings will be punished.

When the elect are delivered up before the councils of satan to give testimony as to why they won’t worship antichrist, the Holy Spirit will speak through their mouths, and if they try to say something under their own power, or to resist the Holy Spirit, that will also be considered treason against God. That will be a blasphemy because God’s elect know better, and the punishment for treason is death.

(Luk 12:10) And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

(Rev 13:11) 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.

At this point, we are seeing the rising of the last beast of the tribulation, the second part of the fourth beast in Daniel 7, the one world religion. Antichrist will have two horns like the Lamb (Jesus) has two horns–he will look like the Lamb, and he will appear to have the power of the Lamb (horns represent power)–but he will truly speak as the dragon, satan.

Among all the ten horns, one notable one rises up to replace three of the ten horns of the first beast of the tribulation, which have now been removed from their places. This horn is the antichrist who has now seized power of the world system and transformed it from a political system to one of religion, and he is the head pontiff. He will claim to be God, the Savior of the world, but he will be on earth as a man.

(Rev 13:12) 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.

All of the power of the first beast, and the seven world nations, will still be in place, but he has changed the focus of the world from political peace to a false religious peace. The world will now be of only one religion, and any deviance from this religion will be outlawed, just like in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 3.

(Rev 13:13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Satan will be given miraculous power, by God, to perpetrate this rouse because it is still for the good of God. It will even appear that he has control of God’s consuming fire.

(Rev 13:14) 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.

No one will be immune from this deception except those with the Seal of God, His elect. They will make an image of this beast, reminiscent of the one set up in Daniel 3, to be worshiped. All will be commanded to bow to the antichrist.

(Rev 13:15) 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.

Though he will threaten death for anyone who refuses, we are told that if we remain faithful to God, He will protect us (read Daniel 3).

(Luk 21:12-17) But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

Not only will the faithful be protected physically, but they will retain their salvation, represented here, and throughout the Bible, by their hair or head covering.

(Rev 13:16) 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:

Everyone else, those who do bow to antichrist, will receive the Mark of the Beast, which will, at least temporarily, condemn their souls. This mark is not a physical mark, but one within their foreheads, meaning within their minds and hearts. And it is also in their right hands, which represent the work that they do and whom they serve.

(Rev 13:17) 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.

Those who refuse to bow to antichrist will not have the ability to buy or sell supplies or goods, and they will not have the ability to take advantage of the economic system in any way, but don’t fear God will take care of you if you are faithful, just as He did for the faithful Israelites in the Exodus, as they wandered through the wilderness.

Also these faithful servants of God, more importantly, won’t buy anything the satan-followers will be selling in terms of knowledge and understanding of the truth because that will only be junk. Think back to the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

(Rev 13:18) 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.

Do you have satan’s number? Does he have yours? You don’t want to fall for the 666–6th seal, 6th trumpet, and 6th vial. Those are the numbers of satan, and you want to stay strong through the 666, and into the 777, Jesus. Six is the number of imperfect flesh man, and 666 is the trinity of satan, perfection of imperfection.

Stay strong and faithful to the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

God bless!