GEOgram - Power To Give Life To The Image Of The Beast?

GEOgram DailyNews Digest POWER TO GIVE LIFE ….To The Image Of The Beast? The title phrase, liftedfrom the book of Revelation, where we encounter the False Prophetwho had "power," with which he was able to "give life" tothe image of the beast, has generated some of the most fanciful interpretationsimaginable. As usual, the vast majority of explanations are in error, for the simplereason that most expositors fail to grasp the actual identity ofRevelation's second beast, the one who is specifically stated in the text to bethe "False Prophet." Thus, as in the casewith most of the key identities described throughout the major prophetic books(such as Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and others), if you misidentifythe key character, there is simply no avenue with which to accurately identifyhis actions, or even his agenda. Worse yet, the issue of identitygoes well beyond the rather superficial idea of naming this "FalseProphet," for by assigning his identity to a specific individual, thewannabe prophet will have already made a significant error. To approach this fromanother perspective, before we can even begin to approach an understanding ofjust how any man can supposedly "give life" to an image, weshould first establish if the party being described is even a man at all. One of the primaryfailings of prophecy students everywhere is the tendency to anthropomorphizehuge amounts of Scripture. This process, wherein the reader visualizes thedescriptions in physical terms -– illogically assuming that what is plainlydescribed as a "beast" must be a man –- is at the root of significantmisunderstanding. The issue is furthercompounded by the fact the False Prophet is associated with the creationof an "image" which is functioning in response to the existence ofthe first beast, the one whose "deadly wound" was healed. Since this"image" is at its most basic level a copy (anunderstanding derived from the underlying Greek word eikonos, where weget our word icon) of the first beast, if we get that beast'sidentity wrong, it is certain our understanding of the "image" willalso be inaccurate. Thus, a trueunderstanding of how any "prophet" (false or otherwise) can"give life" to a representation of the beast entity is guaranteed tobe elusive at best. However, trusting in the LORD that He has called thepresent writer to reveal the "deep things of God" (I Corinthians2:10), which can only be imparted through the Spirit of God, we press on in thepresent exposition. Having previouslyproduced multiple examinations which have broadly characterized the first beastas a composite version of the political kingdoms of man, and the secondbeast as organized religion at its most rudimentary level, we have alsorecognized the multi-layered identifications in these remarkable texts alsoallow additional identifications within various layers found in the imageryprovided. For instance, afactually rich cognizance of the historic characteristics seen in the lion,bear, and leopard components make the political layer of the identity ofthe first beast irrefutable. Thus, the colonial era and forward BritishCommonwealth (lion), the Bolshevik-Collectivist economic shift seen in theSoviet Union (bear), and the Industrial-Fascist, Nazi war economy (leopard),all ultimately assimilated by America (the diverse fourth beast of Daniel), isdifficult to refute, as America is, at least in this timeline, clearlythe powerhouse of the world in which we live. Simultaneously, theSingle-Source Scapegoaters (see the online essay SSSSSS found atChristianMediaResearch.com), who seek to limit the False Prophet's identity tothe Papacy, the Jews, the Illuminati, or some other entity the Dragon Spiritdrives them to oppose, are short-sighted at best, and dangerously deceived atworst. Some corporate cults,such as Seventh Day Adventism, have reversed and obscured the roles byerroneously making the False Prophet into America, which is clearly a politicalpower, thus completely nullifying the Scriptural intent of imagng a religious"False Prophet" as the second beast. These have so much historicanimosity towards the Vatican, they're willing to twist the Scriptures to makethe Papacy into the Antichrist, when Romanism is easily identified with thereligious beast. Recently, as Messianicand so called "Torah-Observant" groups (read Jewish Supremacists stillblasphemously peddling the chosen people based on race myth) have attempted toshift the first beast's identity to Islam, with the False Prophet roleallegedly fulfilled by the Islamic version of Jesus, whom the Moslems referenceas Isa. This "Islamic Antichrist" scenario has the phony Jesus as the"False Prophet," convincing the Christians to follow Islam, but thisis clearly an implausible scenario. There are other approaches which shift thevarious identities, but the point is, every religious system and institutionhas missed the truth, and it has direct bearing on how the "FalseProphet" is able to "give life" to the image of the beast. The problems inunderstanding these things are fundamental, in that the religiousorganizational structures not only cannot discern the truth of the identitiesof these entities, they further fail to perceive just how the Dragon's powerfunctions. This is because those who are in the world (and this includes allthe churches, cathedrals, mosques, synagogues, and temples) are unable to hearthe truth, though it be told them. The prophet Isaiah described it: "They that make agraven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable thingsshall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; thatthey may be ashamed" (Isaiah 44:9). We note the word vanity,in a Scriptural context is associated with foolishness, but in modern parlanceis all about self. This is where the power of the Dragonoriginates. A primary key is inrecognizing the first beast, commonly called the Antichrist, is not in collusionwith the False Prophet, he is in collision with the False Prophet,because they are rivals, as opposed to co-conspirators. Each seekstheir own will, and this is how the power of the Dragon is released. Few stop to questionjust why the Spirit which empowers the "False Prophet" causesthose who dwell on the earth to make the image, instead of simply"creating" this "image" himself. It is because theDragon power cannot animate the image unless it is brought into existence bythe people. Thus, the explanation actually turns on how this"power" to "give life" functions. Because the Devilfunctions through the power of self, it may be said his"power" is a form of Anti-Energy. He is Spiritually fueled throughthe processes associated with death, whereas the LORD is lifepersonified. This "death" produced by the Dragon is based onfollowing the desire of self, rather than the will of the LORD. In probing how this"self" power functions, we read how Satan pronounced the famous "Iwill" sequence, yet somehow it doesn't quite sink in. In thatnotorious passage, he asserts self above all else, six times: "I willascend into heaven, I will exalt MY throne above the stars ofGod: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides ofthe north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I willbe like the most High" (Isaiah 14:13). Satan gains power when thisinfernal Spiritual circuit "causes" others to do the same. This ishow the Antichrist and False Prophet beasts "receive" theirpower from the Dragon: "And the dragongave him his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Revelation 13:2). When the collective holdof unclean Spirits, which is described as the "False Prophet,"asserts its own agenda, it brings about conflict with the self directed clusterof unclean Spirits referenced as the "Antichrist" beast. Thecollision of self propelled will creates a Spiritual maelstrom, and the Devil'spower grows through that other-worldly inferno. This may be seen inliterally thousands of interactions which are occurring at every momentin our modern world. For example, a significant Satan energizing Spiritual stormis presently underway in America as the US Catholic Bishops (one aspect of the"False Prophet" beast) are asserting their doctrinal agendaconcerning reproductive rights in direct opposition to the Obamacare doctrine,which seeks to place temporal authority over American's bodies in the hands of thefederal government (one aspect of the "Antichrist" beast). The conflict not onlyempowers the Devil, it "causes" both factions to become more deeplyentangled in Satan's grip, for they are moving in his dark power as theycontinue their respective agendas. It's useful to think of it asSpiritual quicksand, for the more they struggle, the deeper into the demonicthey will sink. To continue thatanalogy, the only power which can rescue anyone mired in either faction is thelifeline which comes from above, and that is JESUS CHRIST Himself. The supernatural physicsinvolved in this are discernible only using the lamp of the LORD's Word.However, as the "fireworks" in the realm of forever physics continueto be ignited, we occasionally gain a glimpse into the explosive power in thematerial world. Many may remember the photographs of one of the 911 buildingson fire, in which numerous people claimed they saw a demonic, laughing face inthe massive flames. Admittedly a fantastic claim, such things have beenperiodically seen throughout the age. Earlier, we connectedthe second commandment in the Mosaic law, to this subject. There, the LORDdecrees that those who dwell on the Earth are forbidden to make any graven"image," or any "likeness" of God, or the things of heaven.The forming of the Image of the Beast clearly violates this most basicof principles, and Revelation shows that it is through the process of deceivingthose who dwell on the Earth that this religious power "causes" theearth dwellers to make an "Image" of the beast. In a New Testamentcontext, that "image" is not engraved, nor is it painted in themodern pixels which animate the media of television, or any other physicalformation. The "image" is the so called "church" itself,and in the process of creating a collective instrumentality of how the earthdwellers project the existence of, and their adoration of God, they areactually making a religious copy of the Antichrist beast. They are alsoworshiping the Dragon.. "…and that man ofsin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himselfabove all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sittethin the temple of God [the assembled Image of the Beast], shewing himself thathe is God" (II Thessalonians 2:3,4) In our nextinstallment, we will probe even deeper into how the nefarious evil which isobtained by the "False Prophet" from the Dragon, is able to impartthat same energy (read "life") into the Image of the Beast, once"he" has deceived those who dwell on the earth into creating thatimage. --James Lloyd The GEOgramis published by GEO, which is one part of the larger Christian Mediaministry. A lot of people are trying to stop us from what we’re doing in BibleProphecy, so if you’d like to read the continuation of the present writing, wewould love to send it to you -- but we need to hear from you, as there are fartoo many people out there to continually send it on an unsolicited basis. 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