In the Revelation we are told that the Dragon will declare “war” upon the True Worshippers of YHWH. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12: 17).
This war is waged against those Christians who are considered “fundamentalists” for they fundamentally adhere to all His Statutes, Judgments, and Commandments. Nothing enrages the dragon more, than to find a people who give allegiance to all of God’s Law–Toran, and not just those paying lip-service to the Ten Commandments. The Law of God has been the basis by which He governs the universe, and it was the basis of Satan’s contention, in eternity past. Today he gets most ministers of the gospel to lie to the world that “Jesus has died so that we may break God’s law with impunity, because He knows we are unable to keep them.” This is bald faced lie!
Here is what our God says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5: 3). This is the definition of loving God or loving Jesus–being obedient to his Word (Precepts). To this end, the Wise man, in the finality of life, left this divine counseled on record for all, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12: 13). When we learn our “duty” before YHWH, we will not chafe or resist, but joyfully “keep his Commandments. Through the Spirit of Prophecy Christ spoke, touching the Law, in this manner: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Ps. 40: 8).
Directing our focus to the end times, here is what the Revelator says, “11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” (Rev. 13: 11, 12).
Observe carefully that there are two beasts presented in this discussion. A young one, and an old one, so to speak. We know that the two-horned beast is “young,” because of his horns, they are lamb-like–tiny. On the other hand, the beast that “preceded” him is older, for he had a wound that is now healed, thus we call him the “healed beast,” or at times “the first beast.” Strictly speaking, however, he is the “healed” beast!
The “wound” to the first beast, was inflicted by the “sword”. But the “sword” has two discrete meanings in Scripture, (a), the literal sword as in warfare, and (b), the Spiritual “SWORD”, the Word of God, (Heb. 4: 12). Amazingly, in the year 1517 AD, Martin Luther, the Monk, nailed his 95 Theses to the Church’s door at Whittenburg, and began the religious “protest” movement, later known as Protestantism. They held to the principle of “sola Scriptura”–the Bible and the Bible ONLY, and this was the secret to their success. This truth along with the advent of the Printing Press, made the Bible available to the masses, and the scales of ignorance were fallen from the eyes of many in the Church, and as they expanded, the “wound” created a deadly-weakening effect, thereby leaving the Papacy vulnerable to assaults from the political entities, which in previous centuries would enter St. Peter’s Basilica on their knees. But in 1798, the French General Berthier went to Rome and arrested Pope Pius vi, and took him in exile, where he died. But the papacy would rise again, for we are told that the deadly would was “healed.”
In Scripture, “horns” are used to represent “political governments” or kingdoms, and this has been true on the beasts of Daniel, as well. Thus, “..the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.” (Dan. 8: 21). Concretely, therefore, the “horn” represents a kingly power–a political government or entity. Further, too, the angel announced that, “the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.” (Dan. 7: 24).
The two-horned beast in Rev. 13:11, therefore, represents a nation that has two kingly powers or political parties, and is relatively “young” when viewed as a kingdom, when the Papal power of Europe was dealt a death-blow. The symbolism points exclusively to the United Stated of America, and demonstrates that though in her early days she promoted the principles of Liberty, yet as she matures, her voice will change to one of tyranny–the bellicose voice of the dragon, the Devil and Satan. The USA speaks through her Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative branches of government–the laws she introduces and enforces.
The portion of the first beast that represents the Roman Catholic papacy is “head” (Rev. 13; 3), that was wounded to death, but all seven heads and ten horns though sympathetic to Rome’s political influence, are not summarily representing Rome.
With this understanding, it should become evident that America will be called upon by the “healed” beast, to invoke a type of “worship” stratagem that is in keeping with the principles and teachings of the “healed” beast’s religious policies, Sunday sacredness as an enforcement from the Federal Government. This will be done surreptitiously through the healed beast’s influence and alliance with the heads of Government. Today, it is an irrefutable fact that the Roman Catholic Church controls every sector of the US Government: Joe Biden (President) is a staunch Roman Catholic, The Supreme Court has six committed Roman Catholics on the bench, and the Congress is headed up by Nancy Pelosi, a devout Roman Catholic, also. Hence, this is the supreme Catholic moment in America, and Joe Biden with his political allies know this, and are running with this ball, rapidly, to the finish line! With the climate emergency the pope told him to declare, it is obvious to the most casual beholder that an “environmental Sabbath” will be decreed upon the nation and the world, in order to help “mother nature” heal from the trauma brought upon her through direct human activities.
“Given their continued widespread influence, biblical religion and its offshoots offer one particularly compelling and promising solution: Shabbat, the Sabbath day of rest. A weekly ritual, both symbolic and with real-world impacts, widespread observance of Shabbat done right could reduce environmental harm by about one-seventh in much of the world and provide a platform for ongoing meditating on our environmental sins and their consequences.
“Imagine if most of the world’s monotheists, those who come from traditions that profess to observe a weekly Sabbath, along with anyone else who cared to, chose for one day out of seven to essentially eliminate their own harm to the environment on a consistent basis. This could prove to be the one of the cheapest environmental solutions at humanity’s disposal. In theory, more maximal Shabbat observance could produce a 14.3% (one-seventh) reduction in carbon emissions without additional spending, new technologies, or unintended environmental consequences—one day out of seven where emissions are nearly eliminated. Observing a truly full weekly Shabbat, “doing nothing,” as it were, offers an effective action that one can take now to help heal our environment. Since the heavily environmentally damaging “developed” world is made up mostly of monotheists, the impact of eliminating most emissions once weekly would be particularly important. Judaism and Christianity call the Sabbath an obligation. If we really believe that radical change in our behavior is necessary for environmental reasons—I certainly do—then don’t these reasons make Sabbath, along with all other environmental solutions, an obligation?” https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/the-sabbath-in-an-era-of-climate-change
•“On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world… The law of weekly rest forbade work on the seventh day… And so the day of rest, centred on the Eucharist, sheds it[s] light on the whole week, and motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor.” Pope Francis, 2015, Laudato-Si, § 237.
From both these citations, one thing stands our rather noticeably, both “planet” and “people” are used to make the demands for an obligatory Sunday legislation (Sunday Law). Such a state of affairs will hasten on our world a crisis for those who are faithful to God’s Statutes, Judgments, and Commandments, and are the earmarks of the Mark of the Beast System (MOB). Far too many Bible-believing Christians regard the MOB as merely an economic transaction relating to computer technology. And while this will be employed through the CBDC projects currently under development, that which brings down the wrath of God on this system is not the economic, commercial, transactional nature of the system, as intrusive as that will be, but the “worship” component instead. Let’s take a read:
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Rev. 13: 15). Thus, a death-decree accompanies this brutal legislation! What will this worship include? “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” (Rev. 13: 12). Again, we see the words “worship” and “death” associated with this dragon-incited legislation! God’s Word has spoken decidedly against this forced worship, and in his denunciation, is clear evidence of what true worship looks like as compared with the false–having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof!
“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb… 12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14: 9 – 12).
Observe carefully, that the unmixed wrath of YHWH is directed against the MOB worshippers, and His “Saints” are earmarked as His “commandments” keepers, as well as “Faith” keepers–the FAITH that was once and for all times delivered unto the Saints! Are you a faith-keeper? God desires that you keep the faith what Christ gave to the Apostles, and which they have imparted to their successors as a baton in the relay of truth. Let’s double check the baton we are running with, that is not a bogus one, not a man-made one, not a Satan-inspired one, for the SAME baton that was issued at the start of this race must be turned in at the end thereof!
For more information, check out our video presentation on Rev. 13 (Formal presentation runs for the first 2 hours, and the remainder is interaction from the floor): https://fccdl.in/y933fSoahB?st=269
Garrick Augustus, September 17, 2022
The Adventist's Understanding of Prophecy 