We AIN'T seen nuthin' yet! Those who exist in the last days will experience unrest in powerful waves, and with obscure means to further deceive, and overtake them! Confusion will be rampant as people step away from what they know, to accept what they see, and what they are tricked by! The last days include the release of deceptive beings who will shake many people loose from their beliefs, and from stability in those beliefs, as they will be impacted BY what they see, hear, and therefore, follow others, as well as the deceptive beings! Thus, there IS a LOT of work to be done on the part of those who LOVE their LORD THAT their knowledge, and understanding ARE as an armour in those times! We know NOT when this will happen, and so, EACH generation IS to be prepared TO withstand, and TO REMAIN IN THE LORD *GOD* NO MATTER what!!!
ALL of this HAS to take place FOR the sake of the TRUTH! As enmity increases, and unleashes it's worst, CHRIST our LORD *GOD* WILL appear, and defeat HIS enemy(ies), our enemy(ies) once, and forever! NEVER again will there be opposition, unrest, discord, nor ANY negativity in existence, as THE LORD *GOD* SHALL rule eternal, and HIS KINGDOM SHALL be a refuge of LOVE, PEACE, and HOPE FULFILLED for those who survived the tests, trials, and tribulations of time, which they could NOT have done IF they had NOT REMAINED IN HIM! GLORY IS THE LORD *GOD'S* ALONE, and BY HIS WILL, ALL and everything SHALL KNOW IT, and SHALL BOW BEFORE HIM, regardless of their previous doubts, refutes, rebellions, or denials!!!
One of the reasons we are TAUGHT to KEEP our thoughts on that ABOVE, and not on matters of the world IS that we WON'T be overtaken by the falseness of this realm, AND that we KNOW HOW to detect TRUTH in the midst of those who delude us! In these times, we can see relation to the Revelation below, which may or may not indicate the times, but surely SHOULD alert the believer!!!
Yah, there are MANY reasons we KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON IN THE LORD *GOD*, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and HIS WORD, but the primary of these is our LOVE of HIM, and our RELIANCE ON HIM TO LEAD us through, and past what intends to shake us loose! PRAISE HIM WHOM IS FAITHFUL TO THE FAITHFUL, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, REJOICE IN HIS LOVING CARE for us, BE THANKFUL, GRATEFUL, and APPRECIATIVE, HONOUR HIM IN all your ways, all of your days, STAND IN LOVE, STAND IN TRUST OF HIM, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, and LEARN, LEARN, LEARN FROM HIM, FOR HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHOM WILL BRING US HOME!!!
1+++And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
2+++And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
3+++I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
4+++they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”
5+++There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
6+++And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
7+++It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
8+++All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
9+++If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10+++If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
11+++Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
12+++He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13+++He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
14+++And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
15+++And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16+++And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17+++and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18+++Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
The apostle, standing on the shore, saw a savage beast rise out of the sea; a tyrannical, idolatrous, persecuting power, springing up out of the troubles which took place. It was a frightful monster! It appears to mean that worldly, oppressing dominion, which for many ages, even from the times of the Babylonish captivity, had been hostile to the church.
The first beast then began to oppress and persecute the righteous for righteousness' sake, but they suffered most under the fourth beast of Daniel, (the Roman empire,) which has afflicted the saints with many cruel persecutions. The source of its power was the dragon. It was set up by the devil, and supported by him. The wounding the head may be the abolishing pagan idolatry; and the healing of the wound, introducing popish idolatry, the same in substance, only in a new dress, but which as effectually answers the devil's design.
The world admired its power, policy and success. They paid honour and subjection to the devil and his instruments. It exercised infernal power and policy, requiring men to render that honour to creatures which belongs to God alone. Yet the devil's power and success are limited. Christ has a chosen remnant, redeemed by his blood, recorded in his book, sealed by his Spirit; and though the devil and antichrist may overcome the body, and take away the natural life, they cannot conquer the soul, nor prevail with true believers to forsake their Saviour, and join his enemies.
Those who understand the first beast to denote a worldly power, take the second to be also a persecuting and assumed power, which acts under the disguise of religion, and of charity to the souls of men. It is a spiritual dominion, professing to be derived from Christ, and exercised at first in a gentle manner, but soon spake like the dragon. Its speech betrayed it; for it gives forth those false doctrines and cruel decrees, which show it to belong to the dragon, and not to the Lamb. It exercised all the power of the former beast. It pursues the same design, to draw men from worshiping the true God, and to subject the souls of men to the will and control of men.
The second beast has carried on its designs, by methods whereby men should be deceived to worship the former beast, in the new shape, or likeness made for it. By lying wonders, pretended miracles. And by severe censures. Also by allowing none to enjoy natural or civil rights, who will not worship that beast which is the image of the pagan beast.
It is made a qualification for buying and selling, as well as for places of profit and trust, that they oblige themselves to use all their interest, power, and endeavour, to forward the dominion of the beast, which is meant by receiving his mark. To make an image to the beast, whose deadly wound was healed, would be to give form and power to his worship, or to require obedience to his commands. To worship the image of the beast, implies being subject to those things which stamp the character of the picture, and render it the image of the beast.
The number of the beast is given, so as to show the infinite wisdom of God, and to exercise the wisdom of men. The number is the number of a man, computed after the usual manner among men, and it is 666. What or who is intended by this, remains a mystery. To almost every religious dispute this number has yet been applied, and it may reasonably be doubted whether the meaning has yet been discovered.
But he who has wisdom and understanding, will see that all the enemies of God are numbered and marked out for destruction; that the term of their power will soon expire, and that all nations shall submit to our King of righteousness and peace.
LWINSOR © 2017
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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