SDA-A Unique Prophetic Movement

THE BEAST FROM THE SEA

As we read Revelation 13, we see a different beast, but it has ten horns and seven heads, just like the dragon, and no wonder, verse 2 tells us the dragon gave this beast his power, his seat, and great authority. In other words, this beast is controlled by Satan! As we said in the last post, Daniel 7 tells us about a terrible beast that would come after the nation of Greece, persecuting God’s people. This was the empire of pagan ROME! It had great iron teeth and iron claws, stamping and destroying everything in its sight. In 70 A.D. the Roman empire completely destroyed Jerusalem. (The only thing remaining is the “Western” or “Wailing” wall. Archaeologists have uncovered many things in this area today, and the rubble contains many artifacts.) When Rome fell it was divided into ten sections, but as the pope took over the very seat of the Caesars, three kingdoms that were opposed to their belief system were destroyed. We see the beasts once described in the book of Daniel to represent Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, the lion, bear, and leopard, make up this new beast in a composite form, showing us the errors of the past are perpetrated in this new creature that rose out of the ashes of the Roman Empire and calls itself the Roman Catholic “church”. (We do not like to even call it a church.)

Prominent among the characteristics of this beast from the sea is its BLASPHEMY. Verse 2 tells us the word, blasphemy, is on its head. When we read of a harlot later in this book, we see she has the NAME, Babylon, the great w***e. These are one and the same, just told in a different way. We saw that same type of exegesis in the book of Daniel. God uses various symbols to show aspects of the same thought. These are not different entities. We can tell that because they do the same action. Often we even see the same time period of 1260 or 42 months applied.

John saw this beast receive a deadly wound in verse 3, but that wound was healed. In 1798, during the French Revolution, Napoleon’s general Berthier took the pope prisoner and he died in exile. No, this false church didn’t die, but it certainly was wounded. Its property and holdings were taken by Napoleon, cathedrals were occupied by the state and the priests were executed. When Mussolini returned the land back to the Vatican in 1929, the newspapers proclaimed “Deadly Wound Healed”! The church was even given recompense for damages. We have seen a lot of changes. Once people doubted John F. Kennedy would be elected president of the United States because he was Catholic. But today almost all the Supreme Court and our judiciary is Catholic. The CI A is run by Jesuits and Jesuits occupy high positions in our government, in legislative, judicial, and educational systems. The current president is Catholic and vowed to work with Rome when he came into office.

And don’t miss the last part of verse 3, “all the world wondered after the beast”. We see this going on today, but certainly the charismatic Pope John Paul II started it. The relationship he had with U.S. President Ronald Reagan resulted in the fall of the Berlin wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union. Reagan also appointed a U.N. Ambassador to represent the Vatican, something unheard of from a church. But this church is committing adultery with the kings of the earth, it is not a good healthy relationship and the Vatican has tried to influence the U.S. and other world countries to passing laws in their favor. If you understand history, you know that is the reason for mass migrations from Europe in the 1700’s. The Dark Ages was a time when the Vatican held unpresedented sway over kings and nations and the armies were used to punish dissent. Pope Benedict, who has recently died, once wrote that the U.S. needed to make laws “with teeth”. That is exactly what Bible prophecy portrays in the next section of this chapter. But let’s finish with this beast from the sea, first.

As people worship this beast, and verse 4 uses this word “worship” twice, we see they are in reality, worshipping Satan. They see the power of the Vatican and realize there is none like it. It is now recognized as a world authority on religion and Christ’s true church. But is that true? No, as we continue, we see he has a mouth that speaks great things and blasphemies. Worship and blasphemy are words with religious connotations. Notice the beast had power to rule 42 months. This is the time of the Roman papacy, also called the Dark Ages, 538-1798. It is the same time period of time, times, half a time, or a thousand, two hundred, and three-score days, Revelation 11:3; 12:6. They were given time to make war with the saints and also received power over nations, kindreds, and tongues. We see this power blasphemies God, His name, and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven, Revelation 13:6. How does it do that?

Blasphemy against God is calling yourself God and claiming the ability to forgive sins. We see this even today as newscasters gush over the pope. One even said, as the pope’s jet took off, “Now we can truly say, Our Father which art in heaven.” When Pope Francis appeared before Congress, the speaker of the house actually wept. People kiss the pope’s ring and bow before him. Government officials wear black in his presence, even the women, while he wears white, as Christ. The priests daily listen to confessions of sins. The Jewish leaders once tried to stone Jesus because He told a man his sins were forgiven. (But Jesus IS God.) God’s NAME is His character, according to Exodus 34. When a church claims to represent God and yet has been responsibile for the death of millions of martyrs, we wonder what is Christ-like about that? They blaspheme the tabernacle in heaven because there Christ works as our great High Priest, to intercede for His people. They have a false priesthood that focuses on earthly priests. They set up dead people as saints, even Mary is exalted as a Co-Redeemer to pray to. Thus they blaspheme all those who dwell in heaven and work with Jesus in His ministry.

In verse 8 we are told that all who dwell on earth, whose names are NOT written in the book of life, will WORSHIP according to this beast’s dictates. If you have a ear, listen. This final issue is about WORSHIP. We are told that six times in this section of Revelation. We are told that those who lead into captivity, will be captive. Berthier fulfilled this prophecy. Those who killed with the sword were also killed during the French Revolution. It does take patience and faith to trust in the Lord when we see a church with so much power and influence AND ERROR!

We are going to digress a little and explain more about the Dark Ages and the times of persecution for God’s church before we proceed with part 2 of Revelation 13. Part two will begin with verse 11, the beast from the earth. God will give us a lot of details as we see false christs, false miracles, and mighty wonders from this false system. It is a false church, but it is also a state. We will see an image, an exact likeness developed in the last days in the United States.

One postscript: the sea represents a populated area, Revelation 17:15. The earth, which helped the woman in Revelation 12, represents the opposite, a wilderness sparsley settled.

TWO WITNESSES, TWO OLIVE TREES

We come to a very important part of Revelation 11. Much has been written about the two witnesses. We have to realize that the book of Revelation is written in SYMBOLISM. These two witnesses were given power by God to prophecy. They would be clothed in sackcloth for 1260 days (years in Bible prophecy). During that time no one could hurt them or fire would devour the enemies of God. They had power to shut heaven so it wouldn’t rain. They had power to turn water to blood, and power to pull down plagues from heaven. We are talking about the POWER OF GOD’S WORD! This isn’t two old men in brown robes lying dead in the street, this is God’s WORD being burned in the street.

But let’s go back to the two olive trees. We know from previous Bible studies that olive oil fueled the menorrah in the Holy Place of the Lord’s earthly sanctuary. In the book of Zechariah, we were shown two olive trees with pipes that fueled a golden lamp, with seven branches. This is like the menorrah in the Temple. Zechariah didn’t know what it all meant. God wanted the prophet to encourage Zerubbabel, who was rebuilding the Temple after the Babylonian captivity. God wanted them to understand that power and strength would never accomplish the work. It was like a great mountain. It would become leveled out by God’s grace. The power would come by the Holy Spirit. Thus olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It was used to anoint prophet, priests, and kings, showing that God would direct their paths. “Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.” There is living POWER in the Word of God. It can change lives! Amen! The two witnesses are the OLD and the NEW Testaments. A TESTAMENT is a testimony! Your last will and testament is your directive for your affairs after your death. In the same way the WORD is God’s directive for our affairs, but while we are ALIVE.

Let’s go back and look at the WORD. The prophecies in the Bible are ordained by God. They stand firm, they do not lie. When God told Elijah to tell Ahab it wasn’t going to rain for 3 1/2 years, it was what God had told him to say. God does not lie. It happened as God said. When God told Moses to wave his staff over the rivers of Egypt and He would turn them to blood, He didn’t lie. It happened. When God sent told Moses to tell Pharoah of the ten plagues coming, it happened, God’s Word is truth. During the Dark Ages, God’s Word was suppressed and hidden away. In this way, it was clothed in sackcloth as in mourning. But it wasn’t gone, it was just scarce and hard to find. Martin Luther found a Bible chained to a monastery wall. When the printing press was invented, God’s Word went out, though the papists killed William Tyndale for translating it. People hid God’s Word under loose bricks, in baked bread, in the seams of their garments. The light was dim but it did not go out!

After the fall of the papacy in 1798, the end of the time prophecy given in Revelation 11:3, France went atheist, fueled by the beast out of the bottomless pit, and burned their Bibles. They turned cathedrals into halls of vice, with a lewd woman worshipped as their goddess of “reason”. They celebrated because marriage was disavowed. Liscentiousness became the rule of the day. Thus the two witnesses lay dead in the streets for the appointed time period, 3 1/2 years. But after the leaders of the French Revolution began to turn on one another, and all the nobility fell victim to the blade, people realized how far they had gone. They looked with disgust at the blood on the streets. They saw that they needed God’s Word. They needed a 7th day Sabbath, not a ten day work-week where even horses fell down dead in the streets. Churches were eventually reopened, the Bible was again allowed. The result was a revival in Europe. The British Bible Society was founded in 1804. The American Bible Society was founded in 1816. The second Great Awakening took place. The two witnesses were LIFTED UP. Those witnesses, caught up to heaven, now stand in the heavenly investigative judgement. By their Words, we will be judged.

As a recap, we read in Revelation 11:13, “And at the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven.” Scholars believe this refers to the great upheaval of the French Revolution and the effects of atheism in the world. It is estimated that at least 7000 of the French nobility died at the gulilotine during this revolution.

“The second woe is past, and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”

THE SWEET YET BITTER BOOK

As we come to Revelation 10 we see another mighty angel clothed with clouds and a rainbow. In his hand there was a little book. One foot was on the sea, the other on the earth. This shows dominion over both. See Hebrews 1:13, Joshua 1:3. It is not for us to know what the seven thunders uttered. John was instructed NOT to write it out. Don’t waste your time speculating over it. There is enough in God’s Word that we can understand, that’s important.

Verse 6 is a recognition of our CREATOR. Again we point out that this wording of "heaven, things that are therein, and the sea" is a quote from the Sabbath commandment, Exodus 20:11. The Sabbath will play a large part in last day events because it shows who we honor. We will either worship the beast or follow God by showing our allegiance to one or the other.

We are living in the time when the voice of the seventh angel is being heard. The mystery of God is almost finished. What is this MYSTERY of God. One Scripture that comes to mind is the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). A mystery is something we want to understand, to have made plain to us. Christ came to earth to reveal the Father’s plan for us through redemption. He wants to redeem us from the penalty and the power of SIN. By surrendering to the Father’s will for us, we can have the MIND OF CHRIST and be renewed through His Spirit. Then God's purposes for us will be fulfilled and the mystery of God will be finished.

John was given a little book from this angel of Revelation 10. He was told to eat it and it was sweet in his mouth but made his stomach bitter. Acid reflux big time. We find this experience by an Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel. The people of God in the 1800’s also experienced a bitter test as they looked for the return of Christ. Great revivals broke out all over the world concerning the time prophecy of Daniel 8:14. We must understand the book of Daniel is the smallest book in Hebrew Scripture. (The minor prophets appear in the Jewish Bible as one book, so that makes Daniel very small with only 12 chapters.) This prophecy in Daniel 8 was thought by many Bible scholars of the day to designate the time of the second coming. That was a very sweet idea. But of course Jesus said only the Father knew the time for His return. But we have to realize that just because these people were mistaken on the event, it doesn’t make them lost or a false prophet. (No one was professing to be a prophet.) It was a misinterpretation. We have to remember that the disciples were very mistaken about the mission of Jesus. They did not understand the words of Christ. They lamented, “We trusted that it was He who would deliver Israel.” When Jesus died on the cross, they thought it was the end of the world. They didn’t understand the prophecies and they surely didn’t understand what Jesus meant when He said He would rise the third day. Here in the book of Revelation we are told even though it was a bitter experience, they realized they made a mistake. They continued in prayer and study. It encouraged them to read, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” The people of God were directed in the next chapter of Revelation to measure the temple of God. Then they discovered that the cleansing of the sanctuary is not the SECOND COMING, but rather, the opening of the books of JUDGEMENT of those who worshipped therein. This spills into Revelation 11:1. John was told to measure the temple and the worshippers. Verse 2 says he was not to measure the outer court, the Gentiles, those who do not profess Christ. We are also given a time prophecy of 42 months, which we will get into in our next post.

The opening of this chapter and the very end of Revelation 11, directs us to study the temple of God in HEAVEN. The earthly temple was just a figure of the true, a shadow, a type of heavenly realities. By studying the appointed times of God’s calendar, the people who went through the 1844 disappointment realized we are living in the heavenly DAY OF ATONEMENT. This is a time when eternal destinies are decided. It is a time to be cleansing our hearts and minds. It is a time for the putting away of sin, to allow Christ to blot our sins off the records. When Christ finishes this work, there will be no more chances, we will be sealed either for God or against Him. There is a final testing coming. The issue of the MARK OF THE BEAST is just before us.