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Chariot September 2010 - Norm Wakefield

Battling the Beast of Self, Part 5

Can you imagine the whole earth in a corporate worship service? What would it look like for the whole earth–everyone on the earth except believers in Jesus Christ–to worship one individual? Before you can do that you might want to ask, "What do you mean by worship?"

To answer that question we can draw insight from a proposition the dragon, Satan, made to Jesus. Here was the dragon's proposal. "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours" (Luke 4:7). The Greek word for worship is a combination of a prefix meaning to face toward and the word for kiss. Most Greek dictionaries translate the verb as a show of reverence by submission. It would seem that Satan was asking Jesus to recognize him as the source or giver of what was promised–namely, the whole earth and its glory. This leads me to think that the act of looking to someone or something as the source of power, blessing, or happiness amounts to worship. So now I'll ask you again to try to imagine everyone on the earth looking to someone as the source of power, blessing, or happiness.

What did you see? Did you envision a Chinese man bowing down to the ruler of a one world government as he spoke on TV? Perhaps you saw ambassadors from every country on the earth in a United Nations setting giving a standing applause to the President of the World. Those ideas were scripted for movies and novels, but in reality can't and won't ever happen. Here's why.

How about a woman in the jungles of Papua New Guinea who knows nothing about anyone in the world outside of a circle of villages within a ten mile radius–how does she worship the ruler of a one-world government she knows nothing about? When have all the nations in the world been on the same page politically? There's always been a rogue nation or league of nations who refuse to bow to the accepted world power. So what did the author of Revelation 13 mean when he wrote,

And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 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?" Rev. 13:3b-4

10. The beast of self is worshipped by the whole earth.

Thus far in our study of the beast of Revelation 13, we've discovered ten characteristics of the beast.

1. The beast of self rose up before the devil.

2. The beast of self rose up out of the sea of man.

3. The beast of self is deluded about its power and authority.

4. The beast of self is deluded about its knowledge and perfection.

5. The beast of self blasphemes God (proclaims himself as God).

6. The beast of self acts like wild beasts which pursue their prey.

7. The beast of self has its power and authority from Satan.

8. The beast of self suffered a fatal head wound at the cross.

9. The beast of self continues to live.

10. The beast of self is worshipped and followed by the whole earth.

11. To worship the beast of self is to worship Satan

Rev. 13:3b-4 reiterate characteristics 7 and 10 above which we considered in last month's Chariot of Fire. The Apostle John wrote that the worship of the beast and the dragon are simultaneous. In verse 3, the whole earth was amazed at and followed the beast. But in verse 4, John ties together Satan's authority and worship in a causative statement. The reason the people worship the beast is because Satan gave the beast his authority. To worship the beast is to worship Satan. Is there anything in scripture indicating that the whole earth, everyone who isn't a believer in Jesus Christ, worships Satan, the dragon?

Although Jesus was speaking specifically to the Pharisees, I believe what he said of them is true of everyone whose name has not been written in the Lamb's book of life. The Apostle John recorded these words of Jesus.

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

In his first epistle, John wrote, We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). How did the evil one obtain power or authority over the whole world? It was given to him by God when he successfully tempted Adam and Eve to act selfishly. At that point, the beast gained its authority and rose up out of the sea of mankind with the ambition to be God. As long as selfishness reigns in the life of men and women, they worship Satan.

From the world's point of view, to advance self is the highest aim in life. Who among the people of the earth would refute this? John wrote of their pride in the beast, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" In other words, no one overcomes the beast. He wins every war. That's what's so amazing about self to those who are of the world. Among every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, throughout the entire history of mankind, self—sin—has been given authority by Satan to conquer. However, sin, in the name of self, doesn't seem so bad, does it? Have you ever considered self to be the angel of light with which Satan disguises himself?

Doesn't this interpretation of these verses and of the beast seem more tenable than the idea of the whole earth worshipping the antichrist who is the head of a one-world government? It is supported by Scripture. It is not a new idea, but one that Jesus taught and obviously His disciples reiterated. Furthermore, the reality that the whole earth will ever worship one man has no scriptural support nor is it even fathomable considering the geography, diversity, and history of the earth and mankind.

12. The beast of self will reign in man until Jesus returns

There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. Rev. 13:5

We already discussed the characteristic of blasphemy with regard to the beast. It declares itself to be God. If you haven't read it, you can access the Chariot archives at www.spiritofelijah.com and locate part 3. Now let's consider the limited term that the beast is given authority to rail against God–forty-two months.

Some take this time period to mean a literal forty-two months which is the same as three and one-half years, or 1260 days. The other reference in Revelation to this time period is found in Rev. 11:2, "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months." Isn't it interesting that the length of time the beast is given to exercise his authority is the same length of time that God allows the unclean in the church to mix with the true church? Could there be a correlation between the two?

I would like to suggest that there is a relationship between the trampling under foot of the Holy City, the church of Jesus Christ, by the nations and the authority of the beast to be worshipped by the whole earth. In the temple complex in Jerusalem there was the inner court where the Jews could worship and the outer court where the Gentiles worshipped. It is a picture of the church today which consists of the true church, the holy city, those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life and are regenerate, and the unregenerate, who are within her walls.

John was told by an angel of the Lord to measure or mark out the true worshippers from those who are unclean within the visible church. In the parable of the tares spread among the wheat, Jesus taught that these two groups of people are mixed together during the last days, and that they are not to be separated until Jesus returns. The length of time between the resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the church until He returns is the same length of time that there is a mixture of the believers and unbelievers in the church or the wheat and the tares. During this time, the unbelievers, otherwise known as the nations, who worship the beast of self as well as Satan, are allowed to trample under foot those who are true believers. Isn't that what is occurring right now and has been since the Lord Jesus came?!

What is the state of the church since it's beginning? Although it consists of true believers, there is a mixture. There are those who trample under foot the gospel message by walking in darkness while professing to be Christians. They also profane the true church by continuing to live for themselves rather than Jesus Christ. These are "springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words (cf Rev. 13:5) of vanity they entice by fleshly desires (lusts of the beast), by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption" (2 Peter 2:17-19).

Peter described this 42 month time period of which John wrote in Rev. 11 in his second epistle. "If He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties" (2 Pet. 2:7-10).

John's marking out those in the inner court meant that God is protecting the true church even though they are being tormented by the false unbelieving church. Both Peter and John described this conflict in the life of the church of Jesus Christ, but in different literary styles. Peter called this time period, "the last times" (1 Peter 1:20). John also was writing about the last times in Revelation 11 and 13.

So what is the significance of forty-two months if it's not a literal forty-two months, but the time period between the coming of Jesus Christ and his return? Numbers in The Book of Revelation do mean something. In the figurative sense, the number could represent the perfect timing and purpose of God (signified by the factor of seven) for fallen man and the beast (represented by the factor of six). Other numbers have factors with meaning such as 144,000 (12 x 12 x 1000) or 24 (12 x 2). Or the number could represent the same time period as 1260 days or 3 and a half times (years) used to tell the reader that the events of these two time periods are simultaneous. One or both of these interpretations is meaningful and useful as well as substantiated by scripture as I cited above.

Why can't it mean a literal 42 months? Because the time period that the beast of self or the authority of fallen man to war against the church of Jesus Christ has obviously lasted longer than 42 months. But one might argue that John was writing of a time to come which hasn't happened yet. I respond with a question: What encouragement then was it to the original readers or is it to you who are experiencing the battle of the beast of self and the trampling under foot of the true church by unbelievers who worship the beast? If these things are to occur, as some say they are, after the rapture, then what is that to a church who won't be here?! How does that glorify or reveal Jesus Christ as Lord if the message John intended was for all intent and purpose, useless to millennia of believers? Furthermore where in the text of The Book of Revelation does it explicitly or even imply that the rapture has taken place? The answer is: nowhere.

Sound biblical interpretation in any other book of the Bible would never allow such importation of information so crucial to the entire understanding of the book. Doesn't it seem wiser and safer to interpret the unclear from what is clearly taught in the rest of scripture? That's what I have suggested we do in this passage by showing how the teaching of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John dovetail.

What does this mean to us?

If you are a member of the true church, you are battling this beast and experiencing his authority to captivate people–even you. The fact that you espouse the universality of the fall, expose and repent of sin, won't worship the beast of self, but surrender your self to Jesus Christ, the Lamb who redeemed and purchased you with His blood will not be tolerated by the nations or people of the earth who are sitting with you in church pews much less by those outside the church. You are in a war zone even in the church! What encouragement there is to know that...

• God will protect you and the gospel.

• God has complete control of this period of mixture in the church.

• God has a purpose for the mixture of the wheat and the tares.

• God won't close this time period until everyone whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life are regenerated.

• The trampling of the saints and the gospel by unbelievers is not because God has lost control of His world and purposes in Christ.

• Your battle with self is a battle against God's enemy, Satan. When you fight selfishness, you are fighting on the right side.

• In this world you will have tribulation, but God is with you and has overcome.

• What is happening to you is happening to all the saints of God in differing degrees.

Personally, you will find within you a beast that hates God and wants to trample underfoot holiness to the Lord. What do you do when it stubbornly refuses to bow to God, humble self, and surrender to the Lord of glory? Love for the world, desires of the flesh, craving for attention and significance, fear of exposure of sin, and a thousand other forces tenaciously wage war against your soul seeking to drag you back into the worship of Satan and the beast of self. Take heart my friend, his time is short, he has been conquered through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and your hope is secure as long as you hope in Him until the end.

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            Norm Wakefield
            Elijah Ministries
            P.O. Box 377
            Bulverde, Texas 78163
            830.980.5606
            info@spiritofelijah.com
            http://www.spiritofelijah.com

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