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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 5 - ANTI-CHRIST AND THE LAMB OF GOD (REVELATION 13:1 - 16:21)
PART 5.3 - THE FALSE PROPHET APPEARS (REVELATION 13:11-18)

2. What does the false prophet do? (Revelation 13:13-17)


REVELATION 13:13-17
13 He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. 14 He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. 15 It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; 17 and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.

False Fire from Heaven: The false prophet knows that people are sensation seeking and longing for wonders. Satan had tempted Jesus that he may win for himself the people on the temple place through a spectacular miracle. (Matthew 4:5-7). The Lord rejected this temptation and preferred instead the way to the cross. The prophet Elijah made fire fall from heaven to burn his sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38-39) as well as his enemies (2 Kings 1:9-14). Jesus, however, rebuked John and James, who wanted to made fire fall from heaven onto the unfriendly Samaritans, saying to them: Don’t you know what manner of spirit you are of? (Luke 9:51-56) Yet, when on Pentecost the Holy Spirit came from heaven with a suddenly mighty rushing wind, tongues appeared to the praying believers, as divided by fire and set one upon each of them (Acts 2:2-3).

In a similar manner the false prophet would like to fill the human mankind with his spirit out of the hell fire, yet he can only make a fake fire light up. The Roman Caesar Caligula once had a lightning machine produced which made him appear as God throwing lightning bolts. Similarly the false prophet will operate splendid fireworks which will light up the whole sky and made everybody astonished. He may have rockets equipped with phosphorous bombs shoot against the enemies of the beast from the sea which explode in the air so that fire is poured out on the opposing. In World War II whole towns had been burnt down in this manner. In any case, the satanic fire from heaven will not be a blessing and redeeming but a destroying and devouring fire.

The book of Revelation warns all followers of Christ against the great wonders and signs of the false prophet. The signs of Jesus once were healings, casting out demons, feeding of 5,000 listeners or the calming the storm. The purpose of these signs was not to fill people with enthusiasm but to save and regenerate them. Often Jesus charged the healed persons not to tell about the healing (Matthew 8:4; 9:30 and other verses), because he wanted individuals to repent and not to cause a mass movement due to wonders and sensations.

With the false prophet, however, it is the other way round; he leads astray people through his tricky wonders in the area of modern technology, gene research, space expeditions, in media simulations and through contacts with spirits of dead, so that the masses stream towards him. Yet he does not bind people to himself but to the son of the dragon which is close to him and controls him silently and continuously. The anti-spirit leaves all honor to the son of the Evil One, as he received from him the ability to work signs. The false prophet is only the executive, an instrument and an obedient servant. He knows very well that he cannot do anything without the dragon. He submits to the beast from the sea not out of love and reference, but he fears him and for his part makes use of him coldly calculating as a means to an end.

The Speaking Image: The prophet inspired by anti-Christ orders his enthusiastic listeners to make an image of the beast which has been healed from his sword wound. The healing of the dead and its said immortality are to become visible everywhere so that this abomination of desolation will be worshipped by everybody. So then the false prophet deliberately impinges the first commandment of the law of Moses which prohibits to make and worship any image, statue or idol as a basis of all sins.

As a psychologically trained virtuoso the prophet knows that a dead and stiff monument attracts only minor interest. Therefore he reanimates the image with his spirit given to him by the son of the dragon. We may imagine this spirit nowadays as electricity which adds motor activity to the image.

We do not know whether John observed in these vision sequences of the life of anti-Christ as being performed on a large screen in a cinema or whether he saw how speaking robots moved simultaneously according to the original motions of the son of the dragon. Anyway, today speaking pictures like those of the vision of the seer go without saying. Even mass events can be watched at the same time in most living rooms in sound and vision.

May be that the speaking image for John includes also occult actions. Egyptian priests claimed to be able to animate stony steles. In mediaeval times there were many weeping, speaking and miraculous images of Mary and so-called appearances of the Virgin in the air, and so is it still today in the Middle East. In Indonesia village magicians claim to be able to make visible their spirits and have them speak, act and fight against each other. In occultism there are burdening and binding forces, which in developed countries are known to only few people. We do warn everybody who will be tempted to participate in such practices, because every man who opens himself to such spirits will be bound deep in his soul.

The Killing Image: A further aspect of the vision is difficult to explain: the speaking and moving image of anti-Christ is able to kill every person which does not worship it. In some Greek temples in the days of the patriarch John worship refusing opponents in solemn assemblies were stabbed to death from behind by the temple police so that after all they lay on the ground before the god or the idol in order to “worship” ultimately. May be that in such a manner the order of the son of the dragon transmitted by television or through a speaking monument could incite fanatic worshipers so as to knock down and stamp to the ground such unbelievers who did not prostrate themselves before the idol. In any case, the image will be worshipped either deliberately or by force. This worship is determined by fear and anguish. Terror must help when the deception of the satanic wonder alone does not lead to the worship of the beast.

Muslims do explicitly not worship images and idols, apart from the fact that they prostrate to Allah in the direction of the Black Stone of the Kaaba in Mecca daily up to 34 times everywhere on earth. Those unbelievers, animists and idol worshippers who do not deliberately submit to Islam in countries conquered by Islam, are to be killed or enslaved. More than 40 millions of African people were sold as slaves to South, Middle and North America between 1562 and 1810 AD, often because they did not accept Islam and refused to worship Allah in the direction of the Black Stone. Worship or dead, prostration to Allah or ongoing hell in slavery, this is the “alternative” which has become reality with Muhammad, a false prophet.

Do all Christians have to die within the three and a half years of the power trip of anti-Christ and his wily prophet? Theoretically, yes! Whoever does not worship, will be killed! Those who still live have worshipped the image. There will be many hypocrites who worship the beast out of fear even though they do not believe in its divinity. Yet those who confess to be Christians have to face martyrdom. So then only those will bear witness to Jesus who are willing to die for their faith.

The churches ought to be prepared for this challenge already nowadays so that they will not be surprised and take the line of the least resistance and because of the demanded worship two-facedly open themselves to anti-Christ, surrender to him and fool themselves so as to be able to serve Christ in secrecy. Our Lord does not crown a divided heart! Likewise a man is not willing to live with a woman if she at the same time gives herself to another lover. Therefore each church leader is responsible so as to prepare his church members in due time for the upcoming suffering! This needs prayer, love of Christ and guidance by the Holy Spirit.

The church history makes clear that the risen Christ does not want that all his followers will be killed for his name's sake. Up to the last days of the last time churches of Jesus Christ will be referred to on this earth. Even the most perfect system of anti-Christ will be riddled by the wonders of keeping worked by the triune God.

The prophet Elijah in his time sighed and thought that he would be the only believer left of the people of the Old Testament. But then the Lord revealed him that a further seven thousand people did not bow their knees to Ba'al (1 Kings 19:14-18). When in Babylon the three young men Shadrach, Meshach und Abed'nego because of their faithfulness were thrown into the fiery furnace, Daniel was absent (Daniel 3). And in return these three men were not mentioned when Daniel in the den of lions between the hungry beasts in a praying attitude trusted in his God and stand his ground (Daniel 6). Our God has more facilities to keep people than the satanic trinity knows. Nevertheless a time will come when each Christian can only be a Christian if he is willing to live out the eternal life in Christ, which is bestowed upon him, as a death overcoming reality and to prevail in death through faith. The poet Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715-1769 A.D.) testifies this resistance in faith when facing death in the following hymn:

Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings hence!
This shall be my confidence.
Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal.
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass death’s gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!

The Great Falling Away and How the Anti-Christian Community Comes Into Being: The threat of the image to kill those who do not worship anti-Christ and his image leads to a sudden conversion of the masses as well as of the authorities, both the wealthy and the needy persons, both free and slave. Everybody wants to live! Most people don’t mind whose adherents they are or to whom they submit as long as the money comes in. They like to marry, make holidays, have fun and live in comfort. God and the devil seem to be very far to them. Thus materialism dominates the plurality of people irrespective of the religion to which they belong. The masses are ready to submit to a fanatic minority for a certain time so as to have some peace and quiescence, instead of seeking God with their heart so that they may find the true live.

The beast from the sea with its threat to kill everybody who refuses to worship, abruptly eliminates all class differences. Then there is no longer any privilege for woman or man, child or adult, slave or free, socialist or capitalist, they all become united out of fear and worship the beast so as to continue to live. For some of them the worship of the “immortal” is somewhat fascinating. They hope through their worship to participate in its recovery from death.

As not everybody everywhere in the world, in a Bedouin tent or in an Eskimo igloo, in an airplane or in the jungle can see the image of the beast so as to worship it, the false prophet comes up with a further idea so as to subjugate everybody to anti-Christ: Everybody have to bear a mark branded on his right hand or forehead. So then the people will pile in masses so as to receive the symbol of this beast, as this mark means to have success in the society, to be entitled to buy and sell, may be, even to get petrol or to travel on the road. Without the mark of anti-Christ in those days nobody is able to exist in a normal manner.

Those who lived in the Third Reich of Hitler, know that the swastika put on the right arm, on the chest or on the cap announced already from afar what kind of spirit that person belonged to. Only for twelve years the destructive hurricane of the imitated sun wheel ruled in Great Germany and yet claimed the life of millions of people during World War II.

In the Eastern Block the five-pointed communistic star on a blood-red background ruled for 70 years as a symbol of victory of the Bolshevism. Under this sign starved and died millions of farmers, workers, intellectuals and priests, who did not submit to it. In China the same star enchains still a fifth of human mankind in a spiritual prison. Those who do not render homage to Mao or his successors unconditionally, will be brutally persecuted, brain washed or eliminated.

Islam chose the rising crescent moon as its symbol determining therewith the calendar and the feast seasons. The Islamic sickle mowed down during 1375 years rebellious Muslims and complete nations. A fifth of mankind suffers under the dominion of this symbol.

The free masons gather together under the symbol of a pair of compasses with an everything controlling eye in a triangle. Monarchs, bishops, Rabbis, and leading politicians bear a ring with this symbol engraved, which works in secrecy so as to control the economy of many countries more successfully than many people may think of.

The symbol of anti-Christ will once not be a secret sign and not bestowed only to an elite of party members. Instead, it will serve as an identity card for each worshipper and entitle him to live, work, buy and sell. Without this mark nobody will be able to live within these three and a half years of the beast. Already nowadays some men bear the number 666, for instance, as a pin hidden on the backside of the lapels.

Christians cannot accept this mysterious mark symbolizing the name or number of the beast, as they have already taken shelter under the sign of the cross. Many of them bear a small cross on their chest like an amulet or a protection symbol. Quite a few of these crosses are made of gold and are jeweled. In the last time the cross as a symbol of suffering will unite all Christians, who follow the Lamb of God, which is revealed to them: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24-26)

Jesus does not promise us a comfort and safe wealthy life, but calls on those who want to follow him earnestly to deny themselves, their desires and all earthly hopes, to take themselves not too seriously, to take up their own cross of self-denying, to confess their sins to the Lamb, to receive forgiveness and justification from the Crucified One and to begin following the Lamb of God without saying much. The apostle Paul confessed: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:19-20) The cross calls us to the death of our ego and liberates us so as to serve our neighbor or to die as martyr. Nobody can serve two masters! We cannot at the same time bear the cross of Christ and accept the mark of the son of the dragon. The church of the Lamb will be hated by all nations and be isolated and confronted with a nameless mass of the community of anti-Christ. Have we decided for Jesus without restriction and committed ourselves to the Lamb forever or do we go limping between the slain Lamb and the dazzling son of the dragon? Or are we hypocrites while we try to serve Christ and at the same time run after the dragon?

Conscious Christians when being baptized will be sealed with the Holy Spirit and bear the name of the father and the Son in the power of the Spirit invisibly on their forehead and engraved in their hearts (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; Revelation 7:2; 14:1 and other verses). We committed ourselves deliberately to the triune God and obey him not out of fear, but out of love and gratefulness. He is our Father, Savior and comforter. He helps us every time in our life, even in the utmost need of the anti-Christian regime (Matthew 28:20). He is keeping us in the eternal live.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we worship You because You are both truth and love. The power of Your love works in peace, while antichrist carries out his war cunningly and performs great signs. Help us not to wonder at the miracles of the son of the Evil One, who deceives the multitudes and leads them to worship the beast and his father dragon. Amen.

QUESTIONS:

  1. Where does the false prophet take his talents from in order to control the minds of the multitudes?
  2. How do images of persons speak today in houses and in cars?
  3. What are the marks that identify the followers of antichrist, without which no one would be able to buy necessaries for their family?

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