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The Second Beast
JohnMichael:
Ray wrote a paper on "Who is the Beast?" in his LOF series. After reading that (and having everything I'd ever been taught concerning this Beast blown to smithereens), my question then became, "Who is the Second Beast?"
Note: This isn't an attempt to teach. :)
(WNT)
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another Wild Beast, coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And the authority of the first Wild Beast--the whole of that authority--he exercises in his presence, and he causes the earth and its inhabitants to worship the first Wild Beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.
Rev 13:13 He also works great miracles, so as even to make fire come down from Heaven to earth in the presence of human beings.
Rev 13:14 And his power of leading astray the inhabitants of the earth is due to the marvels which he has been permitted to work in the presence of the Wild Beast. And he told the inhabitants of the earth to erect a statue to the Wild Beast who had received the sword-stroke and yet had recovered.
I wondered if this second beast is another symbol for Babylon. The first Beast is man himself, and he comes out of the sea (wicked humanity/carnal mind). The second beast comes out of the earth (the called), but gives power to the first. The first beast being man himself thinking himself a god (free will). Babylon endorses this notion of "free will" thus giving "power" to the beast within. Babylon is also the "church," so it has the head of a lamb (pretending to be lead by Christ), but speaks as a dragon (false doctrines, satanic blasphemies, etc). The "church" is also called the Synagogue of Satan (the Dragon). Babylon also leads the inhabitants of the earth (the called) astray and causes them to worship themselves.
This would also be able to be applied in the past, the present, and the future.
Any thoughts?
John
daywalker:
JM,
I'm currently thinking along the same lines as you. Not speaking with authority here, just opinion.
Daywalker
JohnMichael:
One could even take it a step further and say that this could also symbolize man's self-righteous nature after he leaves his First Love. Man sees his own works, and for a time (without God's intervention), this lends "power" to the thought that he is able to follow God by his choice. Man is deceived into thinking his works are holy, but in reality, he's building his house on the sand.
Kat:
Hi John,
Here are a part of the article 14 'The Beast Within,' that should help.
http://bible-truths.com/lake14.html -----------------
"And He beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the corner? Whomsoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever It shall fall, It will GRIND HIM TO POWDER."
When we fall on the Stone (Jesus), we are broken. Or as John tells us in Revelation,
"And I saw one of his heads as it were WOUNDED TO DEATH…" (Rev. 13:3).
Yes, when we fall on Christ we are broken, we are wounded (by the "sword" of God—Rev. 13:14 vs. Heb. 4:12). This is our human attempt at salvation. But then we fall, and our "deadly wound [which we received by the Word of God] was healed" (Rev. 13:3), we went back into the world, back into Babylon, thus leaving our first love. When the wound of the Sword of God’s Word that had slain us, is healed, we fall from the love of God, and we again turn our love to the world from which we came.
But here’s the good news concerning this stone. If we are among the chosen that overcome, then the Stone falls ON US, and our spiritual house built upon the sand comes crashing down. And when Jesus falls on us, He GRINDS US [along with all of our idols of the heart] TO POWDER!
Remember we are but "clay" in the hands of the Master Potter, and clay consists of particles of sedimentary silicates of aluminum less than two-thousandth of a millimeter in diameter—in other words, very fine powder. In Ancient Israel, the sin offering, the peace offering, the meat offering, and thank offering all had to be made with fine flour. All of the universe is composed of very fine things.
All of the instructions on what was to be offered to God in the service of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, who was to offer it, and how it was to be offered is not just quaint little stories of history:
"Now ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED unto them for ensamples: and they are written FOR OUR ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the world [ages] are come." (I Cor. 10:11).
Christ is representative of all and every one of these sacrifices. And
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He [Jesus Christ] IS, SO ARE WE in this world" (I John 4:17).
So, when we read of the fine flour, oil, salt, and frankincense in the Old Testament offerings, we must understand that WE TOO are to be like fine flour—spiritually humbled and ground fine like powder, oil—having the Spirit of God in us, salt—we are to BE the "salt of the earth," and frankincense—our very lives becoming a sweet smelling incense to our God.
Some of the things we must go through seem bad on the surface. But as in all of God’s dealings, what appears at first to be something horribly bad, is in reality, only a necessary stage in the process of overcoming sin and self so as to be qualified to reign with Christ in bringing the rest of humanity into a knowledge of the Truth, redemption, salvation, and finally, glory.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat
JohnMichael:
Kat & Others,
I remember reading that passage, and a thought occurred to me while rereading it.
What if the two "Beasts" are just the two sides of the same coin?
Babylon would definitely fit into the description of Beast #2, but isn't Babylon an outward expression of man's self-righteousness (and all the false doctrines and deceptions that come with it)?
Beast #1 is man thinking himself a god. He believes he has free will, and he can thwart the Will of God. Man is deceived into thinking he himself can do anything. He sits on the throne of his own heart, so to speak.
Beast #2 is what man sees himself able to do. He's building his house on the sand. He "chooses" to live "rightly" and has a "form of godliness." He sees himself doing all these marvelous works - stops smoking, goes to church, reads his bible, stops swearing, etc. This, in turn, reinforces his belief that he is the one doing it - God is just his mere co-pilot (in his mind). Man's self-righteousness leads him to, in reality, worship himself. He says to himself, "Look what I did! I was able to do this. I was able to do that. I am able to do anything."
Kat & Others, any thoughts on this?
John
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