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Resource Central Support the ministry by passing on helpful resources. Many great resources can be found here; books, CD's, DVD's, and MP3's. For the complete series on the book of Revelation, go here. Chariot July 2010 - Norm Wakefield Battling
the Beast of Self, Part 3
Octavius Winslow, a Baptist minister from the 19th century wrote, "The
divine life has its dwelling-place in a fallen fleshly nature. It is
encompassed by all the corruptions, weaknesses, infirmities, and assaults
of the flesh. There is not a moment that it is not exposed to assaults
from within. There is not a natural faculty of the mind or throb of the
heart that is favorable to its prosperity, but all are contrary to its
nature, and hostile to its advance. As there is nothing internal that is
favorable to a state of grace, so there is nothing external that
encourages it forward. It has many and violent enemies. Satan is ever on
the watch to assault it. The world is ever presenting itself in some new
form of fascination and power to weaken it. A thousand temptations are
perpetually striving to ensnare it. Thus its internal and external enemies
are leagued against it. Is it then any wonder that faith should sometimes
tremble, that grace should sometimes decline, and that the pulse of the
divine life should often beat faintly and feebly?" (www.adisciplesnotebook.com)
The powers of
darkness from the world have an ally within the souls of men, the natural
self-centered mindset derived from the fall of Adam. Have you ever
considered the Apostle John's description of the beast in Revelation 13 as
a description of self in its fallen state? Self under the power of sin
fits all twenty-four characteristics of the beast of Revelation 13,
whereas a secular government or a powerful politician or council as head
of a world-order does not.
Let's begin
looking at Revelation 13 and see how John described our battle against the
beast of self. I'm going to present these descriptions in a "what if"
style for your consideration. I'll also show how John was teaching the
same thing he heard from the Lord Jesus and from his teaching partner in
Ephesus, the Apostle Paul. It is important to remember that Paul and John
worked together for a year and a half in Ephesus. Furthermore, Paul's
connection to the churches of Asia is vital. The seven churches,
recipients of this letter of Revelation, were either planted by Paul or an
associate. And additionally, his letters had been circulating for years. I'm
suggesting that the common knowledge between the writer and readers was
not Ezekiel or Daniel, but the gospels and the letters of the great
Apostle Paul. Therefore, it seems wise to look to these writings to
interpret John's revelation. The beast of self rose up before the devil.
"And
the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore" (Rev. 13:1). We know
from Revelation 12:9 that the dragon was Satan. "And the great dragon was
thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who
deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels
were thrown down with him." What if John viewed Satan having been
cast down to the earth prior to the creation of man and standing before
the sea of mankind in Adam and Eve?
This is exactly what occurred when Satan tempted Adam and Eve. The entire
sea of mankind was before him, just like the sea stretches out before you
when you stand on the seashore. This would not be the only time in
scripture when "sea" was used as a literary figure for mankind. Isaiah
wrote, "But the wicked are like the tossing
sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and
mud" (Is. 57:20). Jesus used the sea as a reference to humanity when he
gave this parable. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast
into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;" (Mat. 13:47). Paul
wrote in Col. 1:17 that Jesus is "before all things." The imagery is that
the entire sea of mankind stretches out before Him and there is nothing
hidden from His eyes. What if the sea spoken of in Rev. 4:6, which is
before the throne, is the same sea of mankind mentioned in Rev. 13:1-2? As
heaven was revealed to John he wrote, "and before the throne there
was something like a sea of glass, like crystal;" The beast of self rose up out of the sea of man.
"Then
I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," (Rev. 13:1). Jesus
taught about the extent of original sin when He said, "For from within,
out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts,
murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit,
sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things
proceed from within and defile the man" (Mark 7:21-23). Paul wrote
to the Romans, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the
world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned—" (Rom. 5:12). It was not just Adam who sinned from God's
viewpoint. It was all men, the entire sea of mankind was in Adam. When
Adam sinned, Satan cannot be blamed, nor can God. However, it was the
dragon's temptation and seeds of deception that brought forth the fruit of
selfishness and sin in man.
What if John was teaching the doctrine of original sin in this verse? How
better to describe what happened at the fall than the figure of a beast
rising up out of the sea of mankind in Adam? Is not this beast an ally to
wage war against those who "keep the commandments of God and hold to the
testimony of Christ" (Rev. 12:17)? The beast of self is deluded about its power and authority.
"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" (Rev. 13:1). When Satan tempted Adam and Eve, he lied
to them that if they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would become like
God. They must have believed Satan's lie for the beast that rose up from
within them was under the delusion that he was like God in the most
important way, in power and authority.
It may be observed that the number ten or a multiple thereof often
represents power. Some examples communicating God's omnipotence and
authority are the Ten Commandments, the ten plagues, the cattle on a
thousand hills, and the ten lepers healed. Whoever this beast is, he
portrays himself as having all power; he thinks he can do anything. Such
is the deception of the beast of self. He thinks he does not need God
because he is able to do what he wants. The story of the tower of Babel
showed this proud attitude regarding achievement. "They said, ‘Come, let
us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach
into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be
scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth'" (Gen. 11:4). Man can
achieve anything he desires, or so he thinks. It is the heart of
humanistic and progressive thinking. What king of the nations hasn't been
under the influence of such thinking?
Furthermore, horns, heads, and diadems also communicate power or
authority. Is it not true that man in his sinful pride and
self-centeredness thinks he is the ultimate authority? Self is king and
should never have to submit to anyone else! If the context of Chapter 13
is the war between Satan and God being waged on the earth, doesn't it make
sense that John would inform his readers of Satan's greatest ally in the
history of mankind? What if he was describing the pride of self,
originating from the fall of man, that wars against believers as mocking
the power of God? It certainly was a fitting description and important for
his readers to consider in their daily spiritual battles. The beast of self is deluded about its knowledge and perfection.
"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" (Rev.
13:1). The second way Adam and Eve thought they would become like God was
in knowledge and perfection. The number seven and its multiples reveals
another aspect of God's nature: perfect will and omniscience. Think about
how often God's will is revealed in the number seven. Rest on the seventh
day, Egypt's seven fruitful years and seven lean years, seven lamps in the
temple, sprinkle blood seven times, seven times around Jericho, seven
pillars of wisdom, seven things the Lord hates, seventy times seven to
forgive, seven loaves, seven stars, and seven golden lampstands. There are
many more examples, but clearly seven and it's multiples refer to God's
perfect will based on His perfect knowledge of all things.
Another of Satan's lies was that when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden
fruit, they would become like God–knowing everything, both good and
evil. So it is with the beast of self. Why is it that a naive,
inexperienced sixteen-year-old thinks he knows better than his parents who
have had 40 years of life experience? Additionally, he thinks he doesn't
need the advice and warnings of God's Word. Where does such thinking come
from?
John referenced this quality of unregenerate men in his first epistle
when he described the attitude of the world by the phrase, "the pride of
life." On the flip-side of the coin to not needing advice or instruction
is the pride of man that acquires knowledge and skills for the praise of
his own conscience and to obtain the praise of men. Pride goes before the
fall, and Satan's agent-in-place, the beast of self continuously affirms
that the promises of God and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross are
unnecessary because man is adequate in himself–he is good.
Doesn't it make sense that as John wrote of the antichrist in his first
epistle that he would also expose him in The Revelation? The cross
implies that man is helpless and hopeless in himself. What lie would Satan
wish to implant in mankind that would counter such a truth? The lie that
man doesn't need a savior, doesn't need power, authority, knowledge, or
perfection. Self is like God, and therefore doesn't need Him or His
sacrifice. Do you recognize this beast in people around you or in
yourself? The beast of self blasphemes God (proclaims himself as God).
"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" (Rev. 13:1).
Jesus was crucified because He made Himself equal with God and said He was
the king of the Jews. John recorded this: "For this reason therefore the
Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was
breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making
Himself equal with God" (Jo.
5:18). "Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was
written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS" (Jo. 19:19). Matthew
gave this account of Jesus' trial, "Then the high priest tore his robes
and said, ‘He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses?
Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy'" (Mat. 26:65).
The beast of Revelation 13 lies when he declares himself to be both God
and king. Does not self proclaim, "I am equal with God, and I bow before
no one (unless it advances my cause and authority)?" To self, submission
is a lie, an admission of weakness, a ploy to achieve greater power and
enthrone himself as king of all.
The point of John's first verse describing the beast is to reveal that
the beast mocks God and His power, authority, knowledge, and perfection.
Having blasphemous names on his heads (power) is a blasphemy of God's
power. In the war being waged against the saints, we must not be deceived
about the enemy within. To be ignorant of the power of the fall and its
continued effects is to ignore the spy, the defector, who sits in the soul's
Oval Office. Do
you recognize this beast of self within?
Rightly
did Winslow write, "The divine life has its dwelling-place in a fallen
fleshly nature." Do you recognize this beast within yourself? Do you see
the beast working to destroy your children? Have you wondered why your
children see no need for Jesus Christ and the cross? They have a traitor
in their council chambers who spreads disinformation and advises
destructive measures for handling life's problems. I hope you'll see the
importance of reminding yourself and your family of this aspect of
battling the beast of self. Application suggestions 1.
Consider with
your family the destruction that comes in relationships and life because
of the sin of blasphemy. 2.
How is the beast
of self revealing itself in your lives and relationships? 3.
Read Gen. 3:1-7
and discuss how Satan's lies are related to John's description of the
beast in Rev. 13:1. 4.
Read 1 Sam.
18:7-8. What were the women saying about David and Saul? Why do you think
Saul concluded David would have his kingdom next? (Hint: the number ten
and its multiples are a reference to God's power.) 5.
Read Octavius
Winslow's quote in the first paragraph to your family and discuss it. When
you see the beast of self stick up its ugly head, say, "There's that ugly
beast that hates God and the cross of Christ. I will put him to death and
thank God for the cross." After doing that for a time period, discuss what
impact it has had on your lives. The backbone of Elijah Ministries is the prayer team who pray diligently for God to turn the hearts of men to Himself, their wives, and their children. Before I leave to speak, I send out a prayer team invitation to those who will intercede for God to work for His glory in us as a team for the Kingdom. Not only is it a blessing to those whom I speak and myself; but it is also a reminder to the team about the direction of their own hearts. If you would like to enter into the labor together with me, you may go to my website and click on "Prayer Team". Has Norm's Chariot or other resources been an encouragement to you? As a nonprofit organization, Elijah Ministries needs support from people like you in order to function. If God has ministered to you through Elijah Ministries and Norm Wakefield, would you consider supporting the work? You can do so here. (Elijah Ministries is a tax-deductible 501c3 and is financially accountable to an overseeing board of 8 non-paid members from around the country.) The Chariot is also available as a podcast. You can automatically receive the Chariot each month in iTunes by subscribing here. (An RSS capable browser such as Internet Explorer 7 or Safari is required.)
If you
haven't visited our website, www.spiritofelijah.com,
please stop by sometime. You'll find: * Resources to equip you and your family * Previous Chariot articles * Norm's speaking schedule *
Free MP3 downloads * Subscribe to the Chariot Podcast here. * Various resources/pages translated and available in Spanish * An online store to purchase resources and make tax-free contributions by credit card
I invite you to be a part of the
moving of the Spirit of Elijah in your church, community, and the world.
How?
1.
Send this article to other men or families that you know would
benefit from it. You might inform them of the previous articles
available on-line at our website.
2.
Share resources from the Spirit of Elijah Ministries with others.
If Equipping Men or Rising to the
Call have been a blessing to you, then you know it will be
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4.
Join the Elijah Ministries email prayer team and make
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Norm
Wakefield 07.10 To unsubscribe, click here.
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