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The Lamb-like Beast
The Lamb of God Versus
The Lamb-like Beast
We are all aware of the Son of God coming to this earth where He, in a miraculous way, was
born of a virgin and grew up as a man; how He had a ministry of 3-l/2 years
following which He was rejected and crucified by those He came to save. This is
extensively documented in both the Old Testament and New Testament.
There is also much written, but very poorly understood, about a counterfeit god who is
to come in the time of the end and have authority over the earth for 3-l/2
years. This is also extensively documented in both the Old and New Testaments.
Since the counterfeit is so poorly understood, this study will be concentrated on him
and his activities. He will claim to be God and we are told that most all the
inhabitants of the earth will be deluded into believing that he is God and will worship
him as God. I can't over stress the importance of not making that mistake.
2 Thess. 2:3,4 NEB -- Let no one deceive you in any way whatever.
That day (Day of the Lord) cannot come before the final rebellion against
God, when wickedness will be revealed in human form, the man doomed to perdition.
He is the enemy...
Vs. 9 -- But the coming of
that wicked man is the work of Satan. It will be attended by all the powerful signs and
miracles of the Lie, and all the deception that sinfulness can impose on those
doomed to destruction.
This evil entity is not at liberty to come whenever he wants to, or stay as long as he
pleases. He has been allotted 3-l/2 years and the time to start this
time period is according to God's time schedule -- not the impostor's. This
3-l/2 year time period represents the Great Tribulation and represents
God's wake-up call to a world that has become increasingly rebellious to Him.
It can truthfully be said of this time that it is the best of times and the worst of
times. The best of times because never in human history will there be such a golden
opportunity for the Christian to witness to his neighbors who will be confused by these
cataclysmic events. He will be able to tell them that this is earth's last
opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior and to reject the impostor.
The worst of times because in a series of six plagues one-third of the inhabitants of
the earth will be destroyed. The timing of these first six plagues are each
announced by an angel from heaven sounding his trumpet. This keeps the program of
the plagues on heaven's schedule, but the plagues themselves are produced by the
counterfeit.
The Seventh Angel sounding his trumpet signals the end of the Great Tribulation and the
beginning of God's wrath, the Seven Last Plagues. Remember the Antichrist's number
is 6 -- six plagues of the Great Tribulation.
Rev. 11:15-18 -- The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and
there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.
This announces that this world has been placed under new management. The
antichrist's reign has ended and Christ's reign has begun.
The 144,000 who were sealed, immediately before the Great Tribulation began, were
martyred after they had completed their 1260 days of witnessing -- immediately
before the Seventh Trumpet sounded. A breath of life from God came into them 3-l/2
days after their martyrdom and a loud voice from heaven called them up to heaven (Rev.
11:11,12). This is at the end of the Great Tribulation and just prior to the Seven
Last Plagues, which the Seventh Trumpet also announces. The rapturing of these
144,000 are the only ones raptured that the Bible describes. Notice the statement of
the 24 elders in heaven in response to the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet.
Rev. 11:18 -- The nations were angry and Your wrath has come.
The wrath of God is the Seven Last Plagues which are announced by this trumpet.
Rev. 15:1 -- I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:
Seven angels with the seven last plagues -- last, because with them God's wrath is
completed.
"Your wrath has come," is saying that the impostor has completed his
wrath expressed in the first six plagues and now the real thing is poured out -- God's
wrath as expressed in the Seven Last Plagues. While these plagues of God are beyond
description, only the wicked will receive them. The saved will only be spectators.
Ps. 91:7-10 KJV -- A thousand shall fall at thy side, and 10,000
at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is
my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Why is it that the antichrist can't begin his reign any time he desires?
2 Thess. 2:7,8 -- For the secret power of lawlessness is already
at work; (Satan himself) but the one who now holds it back (God) will
continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be
revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by
the splendor of his coming.
What is the signal that this restraining hand has been withdrawn, allowing this process
of the Great Tribulation to begin? It is extremely important to see when this
begins, otherwise the pieces of the big picture will not fit and we will have a false
understanding of what is happening during this important time.
Rev. 7:1 -- After this I saw four angels standing at the four
corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from
blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
This represents God restraining the winds of strife (the Great Tribulation) until He
withdraws the restraint and allows the Great Tribulation to begin.
Vss. 2-4 -- Then I saw another angel coming up from the east,
having the seal of the living God.
He called out in a loud voice to the four
angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: Do not harm the land or the
sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
This is important to remember that the 144,000 are selected and sealed immediately
prior to the beginning of the great tribulation.
We know that literal Israel will remain in a condition of spiritual hardening in their
rejection and unbelief in Christ and this is not to be removed until the last Gentile is
called in (Rom. 11:25,26). The last Gentile is called in when those witnesses finish
their testimony at the end of the 3-l/2 years of witnessing.
Immediately thereafter the Seventh Trumpet sounds.
These 144,000 witnesses were God's choice to come from the 12 tribes of Israel, but
because of rebellion and unbelief their places are taken by default by branches of the
wild olive tree grafted into the cultivated tree (Rom. 11:17). They will be assigned
to these forfeited 12 tribal positions from totally committed Christians from the
Christian churches at the end-time and individually selected on the basis of their
personal relationship with God.
Rev. 7:3-5 -- Another angel who had a golden censer, came and
stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of the
saints, on the golden altar before the throne.
The smoke of the incense, together with
the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel
took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it onto the earth; and
there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
It is important to see just what the significance of this angel's activities represent.
It is the sign that the restraining hand has been removed and the world has been
turned over to the counterfeit to demonstrate him as the ‘savior’ of the world
as he will falsely claim to be. Daniel describes this same entity at the time of the
end, as the "horn power," a "stern-faced king."
Dan. l 8:12 -- Because of rebellion, the host of the saints,
and the daily sacrifice was given over to it. It prospered in everything it
did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
The rebellion it is speaking of is the rebellion of the Israelites in refusing to
accept Christ as the Messiah. The host of the saints who were given over to it
represents the Israelites living in the Land of Israel at the time of the end -- the
time of the Great Tribulation.
The daily sacrifice that was given over to it represents a service in the heavenly
sanctuary which is the holding back of this time of Great Tribulation. In the
earthly sanctuary it was represented by the evening-morning sacrifice which was on a
continual basis. That is why it is at times called the continual or the daily.
Num. 28:1-8 -- The Lord said to Moses,... "See that you
present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma
pleasing to me...
Prepare one lamb in the morning and the
other at twilight.
This is the regular burnt offering
instituted at Mt. Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire.
We note that the angel at the altar was given much incense to offer, with the prayers
of the saints. The smoke of the incense ... went up before the Lord from the angel's
hand. (An aroma pleasing to God) This handing of this service over to the
Counterfeit is represented by the angel hurling the censer onto the earth.
Rev. 8:6 -- Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets
prepared to sound them.,
Vs. 8 -- The first angel
sounded his trumpet and there came hail and fire mixed with blood and it was hurled
down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were
burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Let us study more into the credentials that this Counterfeit God will claim.
Dan. 11:36 -- He will exalt and magnify himself above every god
and will say unheard of things against the God of gods...
Vs. 37 -- Nor will he
regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.
Notice in Revelation this same evil entity as the lamb-like beast:
Rev. 13:11-13 -- Then I saw another beast, coming out of the
earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon...
And he performed great and miraculous
signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
Could this be the fire that he brings down which represents his first plague? In
consideration of this first plague I would like to present, for consideration only, some
information I was given as obtained from the Internet on the section of Catholic
religion. The point of discussion was the Third Secret of Fatima; a secret that the
Catholic Church has refused to publish and announces that it will never be published
though agreeing with it being authentic. This has apparently caused the apparitions
of Mary to be unhappy and the secret may have been given at other confirmed sites.
Notice the following:
Has the Blessed Mother revealed the third secret of Fatima in other messages?
Many people who have studied these messages clearly believe that the Blessed Mother
revealed it on 10/13/73 to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa at Akita, Japan. The apparitions at
Akita have been approved by the local bishop. The message was as follows:
As I told you, if men do not
repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all
of humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the Deluge, such as one has never
seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of
humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priest nor faithful...
The only weapon which will remain
for you will be the rosary and the sign left by my Son.
Each day recite the prayers of the
rosary. With the rosary pray for the Pope, the bishops, and the priests.
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Others point out that Our Lady seems to have revealed again the third secret in a location
to the Marian Movement of Priests on 9/15/87 at Akita, Japan, the Feast of our Lady of
Sorrows:
A chastisement worse than the flood is about
to come upon this poor and perverted humanity. Fire will descend from heaven
and this will be the sign that the justice of God has as of now fixed the hour of his
great manifestation.
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What better way to announce yourself to the world than to demonstrate your claim by the
devastation produced by fire from heaven as described in the first of his plagues?
Is there any wonder that not many will remain unconvinced?
When we are impacted by an earthquake that is probably global in its extent, we will
know that this represents the censer being symbolically hurled to the earth and that the
Great Tribulation has started. The newly selected and sealed servants of God -- the
144,000 have been selected from every nation, kindred, tongue and people at this special
time to reveal Christ to these terrified inhabitants of the earth. Most will be
totally unprepared for what is happening.
Rev. 5:9,10 -- You (Christ) are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.
The Antichrist will speak comforting, reassuring statements and will promise all who
place their full commitment to him that he will save them. Every true Christian
under the leadership of the 144,000 will be representing Christ and pointing out the true
nature of the Antichrist. Do you believe that God would rapture His true believers
out of this earth at a time of unprecedented witnessing opportunity and leave a world of
confused and uncertain people with only the Antichrist to explain what they need to do?
This is a time when all the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to the point of
choosing one or the other (the real God vs. the false god). As horrible as that time
will be I would not want to miss this great opportunity to witness to anyone who might be
interested in hearing the correct choice for them to make.
During this 3-l/2 years of witnessing by the 144,000 the greatest
evangelistic crusade in history will take place and millions will take their stand for
Christ. A much greater number will side with the impostor.
Rev. 11:7-12 -- Now when they have finished their testimony, the
beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
But after 3-l/2 days a
breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet and terror struck those
who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven
saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud.
When persecution develops against Christ's true believers as this Great Tribulation
intensifies, the woman (God's church) who gave birth to the male child fled into the
desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1260 days
(3-l/2 years). (This is the same period the Israelites are being
trampled in Jerusalem.)
This woman represents Christ's true church and those from which the 144,000 were
selected (or given birth to). These are representatives from all the Christian
persuasions with no denomination promoted by God above another. Notice another
portrayal of this pregnancy and delivery:
Isa. 66:7,8 -- Before she goes into labor, she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen such things? (Obviously a one-time event)
Can a country be born in a day or a
nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she
gives birth to her children...
Vss. 14-16 -- When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to His
servants, but his fury will be shown to His foes.
See, the Lord is coming with fire, and
his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke
with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment
upon all men, and many will be those slain of the Lord.
This is obviously the same woman and same pregnancy as the woman in Revelation 12.
The Son, the male child, her children that she delivers is obviously the church in
the end-time giving birth to the 144,000. "The hand of the Lord will be made
known to His servants" refers to the 144,000 who will know what is going on during
this critical time. They are referred to as His servants the prophets. The
Holy Spirit, with which they will be sealed, will give them prophetic insight in all their
activities. The book of Revelation is dedicated to them. Note the first verse
of the book:
Rev. 1:1 -- The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him (Christ)
to show his servants (144,000) what must soon take place.
Rev. 2:13,14 -- When the dragon saw that he had been hurled
to the earth, he pursued the woman (God's church) who had given birth to the male
child.
The woman was given the two wings of a
great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she
would be taken care of for a time, times and l/2 time (3-l/2 years) out
of the serpent's reach.
God's true followers will be here on earth during this great tribulation but they will
be protected by God from this evil entity. Some of them will probably be martyred,
but this sounds like most of them will be protected from the serpent during his 3-l/2
year reign.
During this same period of time an entirely different scenario has been scheduled for
the Israelites. Because of their persistent rebellion to accepting Christ they are
handed over to this evil entity for punishment. Notice Christ's prophecy of this
event to His disciples in explaining how they will know when His coming is near.
Luke 21:20-24 -- When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies
(The One World Order with its 10 kings each with his army) you will know its
desolation is near...
For this is the time of punishment in
fulfillment of all that has been written...
There will be great distress in the land (Great
Tribulation) and wrath against this people (The Israelites today).
They will fall by the sword (2/3 will
be struck down and perish) and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations (all
10 nations of the One World Order). Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Notice the various places that this punishment has been written in prophecy, the
statement that they have been handed over to this evil entity for this punishment.
This in contradistinction to true Christian believers who have been protected from the
serpent in his attempts to harm them.
Dan. 7:25 -- He will speak against the Most High and oppress his
saints (Israelites) and try to change the set times and the laws. The
saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. (Until
the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.)
Rev. 11:1,2 -- Go and measure the temple of God and the altar,
and count the worshipers there.
But exclude the outer court, do not
measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on
the holy city for 42 months (3-l/2 years).
Zech. 14:2 -- I will gather all the nations (One
World Order) to Jerusalem to fight against it.
Let us see what happens when this evil Conglomerate attacks Israel the first
time. This description in Daniel labels this evil general as the king of the North.
Dan. 11:40,41 NEB -- At the time of the end, he and the king of
the South will make feints with one another, and the king of the North will come storming
against him with chariots and cavalry and many ships.
He will overrun land after land, sweeping
over them like a flood, amongst them the fairest of all lands (Israel) and tens of
thousands shall fall victim.
After this invasion of Israel the surviving inhabitants of the land are divided into
two groups. Fifty percent are sent into all the nations of the earth (10 nations of
the ten kings) as exiles and the remaining fifty percent are made prisoners in Jerusalem
and undergo trampling for 3-l/2 years.
A more complete description of this invasion is noted in the Book of Zechariah:
Zech. 13:8,9 -- "In the whole land," (of Israel) declares
the Lord, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in
it. This one-third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and
test them like gold.
They will call on my name and I will
answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord
is our God.’"
Zech. 14:2 -- I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to
fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.
Half of the city will go into exile, but
the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
Ezekiel gives further details of this same engagement and its infamous leader, Gog:
Eze. 38:8,9 -- In future years you (Gog) will invade a
land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the
mountains of Israel, (Israel today) which has long been desolate.
They have been brought out of the
nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many
nations with you (One World Order) will go up, advancing like a storm; you will
be like a cloud covering the land...
Vs. 17 -- Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my
servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I
would bring you against them.
After the 3-l/2 years of trampling and brutalizing of the survivors of
the country, God brings this evil Conglomerate headed by Gog -- the man claiming to
be God. He will come, planning to eradicate the inhabitants completely but God is
bringing them back to Jerusalem for judgment and execution.
Eze. 38:18-22 -- When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot
anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord.
In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that
at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of
the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along
the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence.
The mountains will be overturned, the
cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword
against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man's sword will
be against his brother.
I will execute judgment upon him with
plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur
on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
The Battle of Armageddon is over, Gog and his hordes (the evil Conglomerate --
the One World Order) have been destroyed.
Eze. 39:11 -- On that day I will give Gog a burial place in
Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward the Sea. (The Dead Sea)
I will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried
there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.
This leaves no question that this evil Conglomerate with their 10 kings, each with his
army headed by this man who claims to be God above all gods, are now dead and buried.
Was this really Satan or a man possessed by Satan? Notice the taunt that God asks
the remnant Israelites who have been freed from their trampling to take up against this
evil entity who had previously brutalized them:
Isa. 14:3-20 -- On the day the Lord gives you relief from
suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage (trampling) you will take up this taunt
against the king of Babylon (Gog).
How the oppressor has come to an end!
How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of
the rulers, (the 10 kings) which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.
All the lands are at rest and at peace;
they break into singing...
The grave below is all astir to meet you
at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you -- all those who were
kings over the nations.
They will all respond, they will say to
you, "You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us." All
your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.
How you have fallen from heaven, O
Morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once
laid low the nations!
You said in your heart, "I will
ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on
the Mount of Assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend
above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
But you are brought down to the grave, to
the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate:
"Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who
made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go
home?" (Exiled Israelites)
All the kings of the nations lie in
state, each in his own tomb. But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected
branch; You are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend
to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, you will not join them
in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people.
I believe this passage leaves no doubt that this evil entity is none other than Satan
himself personified as a man. Another point to differentiate this false god
personified as a man from the true God (Christ) was that Christ, being God, was able to
raise himself from the grave after three days. The impostor does not possess that
ability and must remain in his grave for 1000 years when he will be raised by God for his
final reward.
After this same Battle of Armageddon as we have noted in Ezekiel, John records the same
scene in Rev.19:19-21. The beast (Babylon -- the evil conglomerate) and the false
prophet (Gog) are thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Same scene as in
Ezekiel) Immediately following this note the following:
Rev. 20:1-3 -- And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,
having the key to the Abyss (pit) and holding in his hand a great chain. He
seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil,, or Satan, (Gog) and
bound him for 1000 years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over
him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the 1000 years were
ended. After that he must be set free for a short period.
This is presenting the same scene as Ezekiel 38 & 39. This is even more
forceful that this is Satan himself being sealed in the Abyss (grave) for 1000
years. In this scenario he is called the false prophet; the
counterfeit. Christ is the true prophet.
Rev. 20:7 -- When the 1000 years are over Satan will be released
from his prison (raised from his grave)
Vs. 8 -- and will go out
to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to
gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore...
Vs. 9 -- But fire
came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them, was thrown
into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
(A 1000 years earlier and in the same area surrounding Jerusalem.)
This is Satan's final curtain call!
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