seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 13:12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
So the beast from the earth made everyone worship the beast of the sea. The beast from the earth could do magic! It made fire fall from the sky.... right there in front of everyone. This kind of reminds me of when the pharoah's magicians turned their staffs into snakes like the one Moses had. As I recall... the snake that came from Moses' staff... ate all the other snakes.
The beast from the earth put up a statue to the beast from the sea! AND the beast from the earth gave the beast from the sea life! He brought the statue to life! The statue talked and anyone who didn't worship it was put to death. Now that reminds me of when Daniel was put in the lion's den for worshiping God.
So this is from amazingdiscoveries.org.
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.
In the near future the United States will speak like a dragon and impose a religious law enforcing the worship of the first beast. Protestants in America will reject God’s law, and His power will be withdrawn from the churches and His protection from the nation.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.” First of all a law will be enacted making Sunday a day of rest as all its citizens. This will be a further rejection of God’s law and of His seventh-day Sabbath in the fourth commandment. As world conditions continue to deteriorate, economic sanctions will be legislated against those who refuse to comply with this new Sunday law, and they will be unable to buy or sell. Finally a death decree will be issued against them, and the United States will “cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Christ’s return to save His faithful interrupts the death decree.
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.”
In the near future the United States will speak like a dragon and impose a religious law enforcing the worship of the first beast. Protestants in America 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.” First of all a law will be enacted making Sunday a day of rest as all its citizens. This will be a further rejection of God’s law and of His seventh-day Sabbath in the fourth commandment. As world conditions continue to deteriorate, economic sanctions will be legislated against those who refuse to comply with this new Sunday law, and they will be unable to buy or sell. Finally a death decree will be issued against them, and the United States will “cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Christ’s return to save His faithful interrupts the death decree.
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.”
I don't know... I'm just an old woman with an online Bible and online commentaries. It looks like amazingdiscoveries is saying that the US is going to make a shift. Now if they put prayer back in the schools... will that be a sign? Now if they go back to the old blue laws... wait... the blue laws... does anyone remember the blue laws... we couldn't buy anything on Sunday... then they decided we needed prescriptions... the drug stores opened the pharmacy counters.... they roped off the other sections of the store.... in some states I understand you still can't buy liquor on Sunday. People went to church.... football didn't start until men got back from church.... we all know the jokes about the priests and preachers who hit a hole-in-one at the golf course on Sunday morning but couldn't tell anyone because he wasn't supposed to be playing golf on Sunday. People went to church because they didn't have anything else to do.... born hypocrites?
Since this beast is supposed to be the USA... I feel I have to defend it. So this is the easy English commentary for comparison.
The dragon (Satan) gave power to the first beast (Antichrist). The second beast (the false prophet) has power from the first one. He does what the Antichrist desires. He was like a prophet who served his god.
His purpose was to make all the people worship the Antichrist. The Antichrist had a bad injury and seemed to have died. But he lived again.
The false prophet did all kinds of magic acts. He even made fire come down out of the skies. All the people could see the fire. These deeds caused people to believe the false prophet.
He used the powers that he had for the benefit of the Antichrist. He did many great deeds that astonished the people. They believed the lies of the false prophet.
Those who trusted God did not believe the false prophet. They knew that the false prophet’s words were lies.
The false prophet told the people to make an image of Antichrist. And the people obeyed him. They made an image of the first beast. This was the beast that had a sword injury. He should have died. But he lived again.
The false prophet was able to make the image of Antichrist to come alive. This was powerful magic. But the power came from Satan. And the image could even speak. It demanded that all people should worship it. It ordered the death of any person who refused to worship the beast.
His purpose was to make all the people worship the Antichrist. The Antichrist had a bad injury and seemed to have died. But he lived again.
The false prophet did all kinds of magic acts. He even made fire come down out of the skies. All the people could see the fire. These deeds caused people to believe the false prophet.
He used the powers that he had for the benefit of the Antichrist. He did many great deeds that astonished the people. They believed the lies of the false prophet.
Those who trusted God did not believe the false prophet. They knew that the false prophet’s words were lies.
The false prophet told the people to make an image of Antichrist. And the people obeyed him. They made an image of the first beast. This was the beast that had a sword injury. He should have died. But he lived again.
The false prophet was able to make the image of Antichrist to come alive. This was powerful magic. But the power came from Satan. And the image could even speak. It demanded that all people should worship it. It ordered the death of any person who refused to worship the beast.
Happy Thanksgiving..... please start your meal with a prayer....
