Collision With Prophecy

Collision With Prophecy #15:
America in Prophecy

Introduction

In our last meeting ("The Sealing"), we saw that God is working through the process of sealing His people. He wants to get them so settled into His truth spiritually and with an understanding of it, that they are ready for what is to come, immovable. A time is coming when Jesus finishes His work of intercession for us in heaven and returns to this earth. The pleading of mercy on behalf of humankind ends, and Jesus comes for those who are His own. The climax of ages then has arrived. The end is then upon us. The end of all sin is at hand. He that is holy at that point, will remain forever holy. He who is impure, will never attain purity. The saved will be saved. The lost will be lost. Revelation 22:11-12.

But we aren't there yet. We are here. But tonight you may be surprised to learn how close we are to that incredible hour. I have to tell you that the entities that will accelerate the arrival of the time just spoken of, are here. They are already on the map. And because our time is short, tonight it falls to us to identify the lamb-like beast--the second beast of Revelation 13:11-18--the "image beast." You have been forewarned. I told you early in our series that we'd be plainly identifying specific religious entities, specific bodies, specific systems. Tonight we must do that again. There is no other solution.

For this reason I want to pause right here for just one brief moment, and re-issue my disclaimer. It is because God loves us that He sends these very firm warnings and identifications by His Word. It is out of divine love that we say what we will say this night. We speak, not of people in the specific, but of systems in the specific. We uncover what the Word uncovers, although it offends. We let the truth do the cutting, while we merely answer heaven's mandate that we tell it. So nothing I will say here tonight is intended to offend. Have pity on me. I am called to preach. If I took the smooth path I would not be a servant of God (Galatians 1:10). Hear and ponder what we share. Take your Bible and examine every point in its light. This is all we ask.

The First Beast Identified

Let's proceed by reviewing our identification of the first beast. This will prove a great help in our identification of the second as you'll soon see.

The first point of identification was that the little horn came up "among the ten;" this placed it geographically in Western Europe. Secondly, it came up after the ten arose. The ten arose after Rome's fall in A. D. 476. The little horn would have to begin to reign after that date. Thirdly, it would uproot three of the ten tribes. Don't forget Daniel 7:8, which says that, "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots."

The fourth point of identification was that he would be diverse from the first horns. We saw this in Daniel 7:24. The little horn would be a different kind of power from the political kingdoms preceding it. Remember, it would "speak great words against the most High" (Daniel 7:25). Its power would be religious in contrast to political. Fifthly, it would speak great words against the most High (Daniel 7:25). Revelation 13:5 says "great words and blasphemies." For the sixth, again from Daniel 7:25, we read this specification: he (the "little horn") "shall wear out the saints of the most High." This point leaves us in no question about the nature of this power. It will be a persecuting force.

For the seventh point we saw that it would think to change times and laws (Daniel 7:25). The last identifier we looked at was the length of its reign: 1260 years. When we looked for a 1260 year period bounded by significant events, we discovered the Roman Catholic Church persecuting and ruling from A.D. 538 to A.D. 1798 when the Pope was taken prisoner and died in prison. The Papacy was ended. But the Bible said even then, that the deadly wound would be healed (Revelation 13:3).

So there we were. No other religious body even came close. Eight clear points of identification, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, and letting history speak--gave us a crucial anchor. We were able to identify the first beast of Revelation 13:1-10 as the antagonistic antichrist system embodied in the Roman Catholic Church.

The Second Beast (Image Beast) Described

Let's turn now to our main purpose tonight: identifying the second, or lamb-like, or "image" beast. Let's walk through Revelation 13:11-18.

First, let's refresh our mind with a look again at these verses as a whole. Read with me now Revelation 13:11-18:

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 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. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Now let's work through, element by element of the passage, and see what develops . . .

Location of Emergence

John saw the first beast "rise up out of the sea" (Revelation 13:1). In contrast, he sees the second beast "coming up out of the earth" (Revelation 13:11). We saw that the first beast rose up in sea, or waters, biblically symbolic of "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" (Revelation 17:15). By this we identified the geographical point of emergence of this entity: western Europe. But the second beast comes up "out of the earth." The word here is in contrast to the arising from the water of the first beast. If western Europe represented a populous area with many people and nations, we should ask, what nation on this planet was rising into prominence and power around the time of the Papal collapse of 1798? A beast that rises up out of the earth (Greek: "land"), would be coming up in a sparsely populated region. In fact, there was a power then "coming up out of the earth" just fitting such a description. One, and only one power arrives in that time-frame: the United States of America.

Along with this we mustn't forget what we saw in Revelation 12:15-17 when we went over that passage in Church in the Wilderness and the Great Controversy. There, we saw that after the strong persecutions against the people of God in Europe, they fled to America, founding a nation without a king and a church without a Pope. Freedom of religion was an important part of what they were seeking, and in what eventually was accomplished in the nation's founding. The church was to be in the wilderness phase for 1260 years, ending in1798 with the deadly wound of the first beast (Revelation 13:3, 12). The followers of Jesus found refuge on the soil of America.

He Had Two Horns

The United States of America was founded upon two special principles: republicanism and Protestantism. Rather than rule by kings and princes, the government of the new nation was designed to be representative. It was founded upon a Constitution embracing the principles of civil and religious liberty.

Its people were guaranteed the right of self-government through representatives elected by means of a popular vote. Its civil powers were split between three branches: administrative, legislative, and judicial. Checks and balances were built into a plan for peaceful governance and transference of power still standing after two centuries.

Religious freedom was the other plank of the system of the new nation. Each citizen was guaranteed freedom of religious faith. The dictates of one's conscience were supreme. The founding documents of this nation promoted the idea that the state would make no laws enforcing adherence to a state-sponsored church. No laws were to be made, no attempts to be countenanced, that would take away freedom of conscience.

Upon these two pivotal foundational principles a nation was founded. If you go through the various beasts found in the Bible prophecies, you'll see a preponderance of horns. In Bible prophecy, horns represent the rulership of nations. But the second beast of Revelation thirteen has two horns. And America is founded upon those dual principles. These are core issues for America and Americans. Our government here is unlike any other government on the planet. Yes, there are varying copies of the American system here and there, but no other has been founded so decidedly upon these two principles.

Like a Lamb

The "lamb-likeness" is in the two horns. Remember, out of the 29 occurrences of "lamb" in Revelation, but one has reference to this power. Lamb-likeness has reference everywhere else through the book, to Jesus. Here, it is a pseudo-Christ-likeness. The governance of this country is built upon two just principles: fair representation, and religious freedom. If these principles are upheld, then our nation can be lamb-like. Lambs are gentle, not fierce. A nation that gives the people a real voice in matters civil and matters religious, is gentle. But this nation, while it has two horns "like a lamb," unfortunately, has another trait, a dragonic speaking.

Donąt miss this. This nation appears lamb-like. That's the impression it gives off and promotes. It was also the true intention of its founding fathers. The United States as a nation never was intended to speak like a dragon . . .

Speaks as a Dragon

How does a dragon speak? Remember our study of Revelation 12. What did we find? The dragon is Satan. Reference is made in Revelation 12 to the serpent--Satan. What words did he speak as the serpent? Lying words, deceiving words, blended words, mixing truth and untruth. God's will was re-interpreted by the serpent to Eve.

How did the dragon speak of the little baby Jesus through Rome? The command went out to kill the child (Matthew 2:8, 16). What did the dragon do in Revelation 12:4? He stood before the woman (the church) ready "to devour her child." What else does the dragon do in Revelation 12? He persecutes the woman, and spews water out of his mouth to drown her (Revelation 12:13, 15). He chases her, but the earth opens up her mouth and swallows the water; it provides refuge for the woman (Revelation 12:16). A country founded on lamb-like principles, fair principles, provides escape. But this prophecy tells us that this escape is temporary. Sometime after the close of the wilderness-phase, a pivotal change will come. The fact that the second beast of Revelation 13:11-18 is only lamb-like will become painfully obvious. The principals upon which this country is founded will be adjusted to the new thinking, and there will be a removal of constitutionally protected liberties. There will be a change in this protection. A dragonic, persecuting, murderous spirit will be manifested towards those refusing to go along with the program of the second beast.

Exercises All the Power of the First Beast

This powerful nation will, after its shift to dragon-likeness, "exercise all the power of the first beast." What power did that first beast exercise? We saw quite plainly that the first beast, down through history enforced her dogmas, and interposed between believers and our Savior a system of priests and priestcraft. It made human works a part of salvation in a deceptive sense. It took away the daily sacrifice and took away the authority of God's Word. At the Counsel of Trent it elevated tradition to an equal authority with Scripture. It said that the Pope had supreme power. It claimed the right to be the sole definer of truth and to persecute and even to murder in the name of truth. Many tens of millions of dissenters were cruelly tortured and destroyed by the inquisition and other projects. All this was done by the first beast. But we are here told that this second beast "exercises all the power of the first beast."

It seems to us so difficult to imagine our precious United States of America exercising such power. And yet there is the prophecy staring us in the face. When she repudiates her principles, she wonąt be our United States any more. She'll be the dragon's.

Maybe you remember saying the pledge of allegiance when you were a child. Do you recall how it went?

"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which she stands; one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

And I want you to know today that the principles in this pledge ring very true to me. How blessed our country has been when it has followed its founding principles. A Republic based upon fairness, justice, and liberty for all appeals to us. We want to sustain it. We gave our trust to a nation that would sustain the freedoms it promised us under its own Constitution. You know, in the center of the camp of Israel was God's law, enshrined within the ark. And nothing can really be compared to God's law. But in a civil sense, what document is more central to this free country than its constitution? No document is. None. And friends, if America had a most holy place or a most holy document it would have to be our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. I'm not calling it holy, friends, but oh how I love and respect this document, because it outlines the principles that I believe in. Listen to its first amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Pardon me if I digress one moment to make a point. You know that the Supreme Court of the United States has the final say in matters of interpreting the Constitution, and thus all Constitutional guarantees of rights, including our First Amendment rights. Have you ever heard of the Gobitis's? In 1935 in Lynn, Massachusetts, their boy, Carleton Nicholls, Jr. refused to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. His family were members of the group known as "Jehovah's Witnesses." Many JW's were outraged at this, for Carleton had refused on religious grounds. This boy was thrown out of school. When his father came to pick him up, he too refused to pledge allegiance, and was arrested for disturbing the peace. The leader of the witnesses made a national radio address crying fowl. Hearing the program, young William and Lillian Gobitis in Minersville, Pennsylvania, then refused to participate in the decreed flag salute. Legal action ensued which finally made its way to the Supreme Court.

Now. What do you think the outcome was?

The Supreme Court ruled, 8 to 1 that schools could indeed require children to take part in flag salutes. The Gobitis's lost. What's interesting, is that in 1942, just seven years later, the Supreme Court heard a similar case and changed its mind, voting 6 to 3 that they did not. So. What's my point?

Just this. We cannot count on the Supreme court upholding our Constitutional rights. And if it does, it could just as easily reverse them. What ought to be is not necessarily always what is. In fact, over and over again, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, and others have found their rights pressed into the ground and have had to try to defend them at the Supreme Court level. I'm not here today to agree or to disagree with the stand of the Jehovah's Witnesses on this point. There was probably some good in that flag salute, but if one dissents from it on religious grounds, I have to think that the constitution is on their side. I'm not here today to vindicate or to attack the Jehovah's Witnesses. As far as I can see, many sincere people are among them, even if many of their teachings do not appear to be sustained by the Bible. It took courage to stand up for what they have experienced. But persecution is not a wise basis upon which to lay a claim to truth. People may be persecuted for a right stand or a misguided one. It is still persecution.

Take note: our powerful nation will, after its shift to dragon-likeness, "exercise all the power of the first beast." May God help us all at that time.

Before Him

The next specification we find is that this power will be exercised "before him," that is, in the presence of the first beast. But Revelation 13 told us that this beast would receive a deadly wound. Yet it also stated that this deadly wound would be healed. So this beast, which had received such a wound, lives again, and at the time when the second beast--in dragon-likeness--has come into play. It exercises all the power of that first beast in his presence. In fact, it goes on to a mighty imposition upon God's people: "And causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." It goes on to enforce worship of the first beast!

Notice carefully this statement. The Bible says it enforces worship of the first beast. And there is a crucial matter. For the state to enforce the worship of the first beast can only mean that the Constitution's First Amendment will be repudiated, and that this nation will in fact ultimately make a law respecting an establishment of religion. Thus, the core principles of this government will be repudiated. The Constitution will be nullified. Freedom of religion in America will die. This is the final role that America will pursue in prophecy.

Does Great Wonders

This raises the question, how does it come to that? Consider with me then the next two verses, Revelation 13:13-14

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

He causes fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. We found on our first night that in the original Bible showdown between Elijah and the Baal prophets on Mount Carmel, fire coming down was the evidence that Elijah was the true prophet sent by God. But we see in Revelation 13 that the fire coming down in the end-time is a demonic miracle, a lie from the father of lies, a satanic deception. Shall we doubt that this end-time reverse-Mount Carmel will be used to "verify" the "authority" of a false Elijah, a false-prophet that will claim to represent God's will? No. Through a deception, our nation will be led to view the pronouncements of this end-time false prophet as the authoritative pronouncements of God.

How these pronouncements will be treated is not in question. How does a nation founded on representational government speak? In the United States, the speaking of the nation comes through its legislative bodies and its judicial authorities. The Congress of our country and its Supreme Court have the final say. The foundational principles upon which are nation was built will be set aside as she turns and her speaking becomes dragonic. She will develop a spirit of intolerance and persecution never before seen in our lifetime. The authority of this nation will be exercised in enforcing some observance, the compliance with which will be an act of worship of the first beast, the Papacy.

But those who founded our nation sought to guard against the use of the state's power by any church. History has shown over and over again that when that happens, inevitably persecution follows. The principles of our government are so plainly fleshed out that their violation will be a flagrant breach of what this country has stood for.

The Scripture says that an image to the beast will be made. This speaks of what the second beast will do in regard to the first beast. The first beast is the Papacy. When the early church corrupted herself by departing from God's law and ways, she left behind the Holy Spirit. She lost her power. But still she existed, and still she sought to control the consciences of men. Her only recourse was to power, the power of secular governments. If she did that, and this is an image to her, then in order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must come to control the power of the civil government so that the authority of the state can be employed by the church to enforce what it demands.

America, a "Protestant" nation, will follow the steps of Rome by forming an alliance with the state, so arranged that she will be enabled to use the powers of the state to overrule freedom of religion. As the churches in America are falling away from their historic belief in separation of church and state, they are even now preparing the way for our nation to make an image to the beast. When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon common points of doctrine, shall influence the state to enforce their pronouncements and to go along with the beliefs that they want to promote, then Protestant America will have formed an image to the Roman Catholic Church. Once this is done, the outcome is inevitable. Persecution of those who refuse to comply will be upon us. The "image to the beast" represents, in this prophecy, that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the state's power to enforce their teachings.

Gives Life to the Image of the Beast

So. The United States of America, ruled, contrary to its historic principles, by a coalition of its churches, will use the government to enforce an agreed, common point of teaching, upon its citizens. The worship of the Papacy will be enforced. Life will be given to the image of the beast. The dragon-phase of the second beast will blossom into being, and it will have power to give breath to the image of the beast--to make it speak, so that it will cause everyone refusing to go along with the new national program--everyone refusing to worship itself--to be killed. A universal death decree will go out. The image of the beast will live.

Conclusion and Preview

You're going to hate me for this, but I am going to stop short right here. It is in our next meeting that we will explicitly identify the mark of the beast, and discuss the closing verses of Revelation chapter thirteen. But let me tell you, in our next meeting we are going to walk down through history together, and see this development occurring before our very eyes. We'll spend a brief time reviewing where we've been through this series, and especially tonight's meeting. Then we'll identify what the mark of the beast is. Then we'll walk down together through a fascinating event-line, from the founding of this nation into the dark fulfillment of its soon-to-come future. The next meeting, The Mark of the Beast, is essentially "America in Prophecy, Part II."

Now its time to pray, in more ways than one . . .

Larry Kirkpatrick, Last modified 30 June 2001