ANTICHRIST & FALSE PROPHET Study of Revelation Continued REVELATION 13.1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. 13.2 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. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 13.3 One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. -WEB Bible. REVELATION 13.11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. 13.12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. -WEB Bible. The dragon, who is called Satan, calls for two of his cronies to come help him. The one who comes from the sea is commonly known as the Antichrist. The one who rises from the land is known as the False Prophet. These two entities are portrayed as beasts or monsters because they are evil to the core. The heads and the horns on the beasts represent human rulers who align themselves with the Antichrist and give him backing. Satan will give all his power to the two beasts. Never before has there been such a mighty collaboration between demonic powers and mankind. Together, they will forcibly establish a new world order, and destroy all opposition to it. For more information about the two beasts, read Revelation 13. The book of Revelation doesn’t discuss specific politics of the End Times very much, but the book of Daniel and other Old Testament prophets do. • Daniel described the resurrection of the Roman empire, which has been fulfilled with the formation of the European Union. Rome needed to be reunited in order to fulfill prophecies of Christ’s return. • Daniel described the rise of the Antichrist, the atrocities that he would commit, and the kingdoms that would support him. • The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah predicted the destruction of Damascus, which hasn’t happened yet: but the civil war in Syria bears watching. Damascus is the oldest continually-occupied city on earth. These prophetic clues – and many others – are further evidence that we need to be observant of the “signs of the times.” Jesus told his disciples that people should take notice of the times they live in, and pay attention. Jesus wanted his disciples to be spiritually awake and aware. In fact, Jesus seemed to think that such “signs” should be obvious to anyone. He had sharp words for the religious leaders: Luke 12:56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don't interpret this time? Matthew 16:3-4 In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times! An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed. If we want to avoid the end times deceptions that Jesus warned us about, we must be aware of what the Bible says. That doesn’t mean we must understand all of it, but we should know what’s in our Bible, and be watchful. The Bible is our only guidebook through the perils that will finish this world. IMAGE CREDITS: Images of Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet; generated by SeaArt.ai and edited by C.A. Stevens This study of Revelation will continue next Thursday.

 

LOVE OF HOSPITALITY

 

LOVE OF HOSPITALITY Continue in brotherly love. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.  Hebrews 13:1-2 Father Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent, perhaps drowsy in the heat of the day. Suddenly, he noticed three men standing nearby, seemingly in need of help. Many travelers had likely come to his door seeking assistance, and he had often given freely. Though the heat was intense and he may have been disappointed in the past by those who received his hospitality, he knew it was better to be disappointed than to miss the opportunity to show kindness. So, Abraham sprang to his feet, called Sarah to help, and together they served the three men. How grateful he must have been that he welcomed them, for two were angels, and the third was the Son of God! In our busy lives, it is not always easy to offer hospitality to strangers. But there is also a hospitality of the heart, where we open ourselves to hear someone’s story of sorrow. Many of us don’t realize how much it helps others simply to have someone listen to their burdens. It means so much to have a hospitable heart, a listening ear, and room in our minds to hear the stories of pain, sorrow, and loneliness that people long to share. Even if we cannot say much, our hearts can be like inns—places of shelter and warmth for weary souls. In welcoming and caring for others, we may find that we are serving our Lord Himself, who said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40 By F.B. Meyer

 

GOD FINISHED HIS WORK

 

GOD FINISHED HIS WORK The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not abandon the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8 What a comfort it is to know that the Lord, who has begun a good work in us, will continue to carry it out to completion! He is deeply concerned with everything that pertains to us, watching over and preserving what is good in us until it reaches perfection. This is something we could never achieve on our own. We fail daily, and it is only by the Lord’s help that we have come this far. Without Him, our past experiences and efforts would amount to nothing, and we would be lost. But we can be confident that the Lord will continue to bless us, perfecting our faith, love, character, and life’s work. He will do this because He has begun this work in us, and He never leaves a work unfinished. This is not just for His glory, but it is also in His very nature to complete what He starts. Despite the forces that may conspire against us, whether from our own sinful nature, the world, or the devil, we can trust in His promise. The Lord will perfect that which concerns us, and we will have every reason to praise Him forever. May His gracious work make progress in our lives today! By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

PREPARING HIS HEROES

 

PREPARING HIS HEROES And when the people of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer...who delivered them, even Othniel...Caleb's younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Judges 3:9-10 God is preparing His heroes; and when opportunity comes, He can fit them into their place in a moment, and the world will wonder where they came from! Let the Holy Ghost prepare you, dear friend, by the discipline of life; and when the last finishing touch has been given to the marble, it will be easy for God to put it on the pedestal, and fit it into its niche. There is a day coming when, like Othniel, we, too, will rule and reign with Christ in His kingdom. But before that glorious day comes, we must let God prepare us, amid the trials and victories of our present life; the significance of which we little dream. By A. B. Simpson Human strength and human greatness Spring not from life’s sunny side, Heroes must be more than driftwood Floating on a waveless tide.

 

HE REMEMBERS HIS COVENANT FOREVER

 

HE REMEMBERS HIS COVENANT FOREVER He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded to Israel as an everlasting covenant. Psalm 105:8-10 So long as you struggle under law (that is, by your own effort) sin will have dominion over you. But the moment you step from under the shadow of the law of Moses (religious rules and regulations), and throw yourself upon the simple grace of Christ (His free and absolute gift of righteousness.) And take Jesus to be your righteousness as He has pledged Himself to be And believe that He is able to keep you in spite of everything that ever can be against you: the struggle is practically over! It is in the grace of Christ that we find His perfect will and peace! Beloved, do you really know and believe that this is the very promise of the Gospel? This grace is the very essence of the new covenant! Christ pledges Himself, to put His righteousness in your heart, so you will be able to live as Jesus taught us! God promised Abraham that He would grant us deliverance from the enemy of our souls! God promised freedom from all the spiritual forces that hate us: so we might serve Him without fear, in righteousness and holiness before Him all the days of our lives. God has sworn to do this for you, through Christ who fulfilled all religious requirements on our behalf. And He is faithful, that promised. Trust Him ever. By A.B. Simpson