Is this not an extremely important topic since the False Prophet will lead MANY to worship the Beast and it's Image?
If we stick only to what's written in scripture and throw out all the traditional teachings of man, we will by the grace of our Father get an awesome revelation.
"The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life"
Anyone can read the "letter" of the Revelation of Jesus Christ...and be deceived, be wrong and amazingly be very confident in their misunderstanding! It's when we study the WHOLE of scripture and compare verse to verse, type to type and shadow to shadow will the truth become evident.
Jesus usually taught in parables so that "seeing they may not see and hearing they may not hear". The entire Book of Revelation is a parable proven by the way the Lord uses the imagery of the stars in His hand and the lamp stands....He explains what these represent giving us a clue that what follows is hidden wisdom that can only be revealed through revelation (spirit) and not intellectual effort. (letter)
In order to adequately shine the light of truth on the False Prophet we MUST use a lot of scriptures. Please be patient with me as I only want to be led of the Lord in this study and share these incredible revelations with those of you who love truth.
Since we are reading a parable we must not get stuck on the letter which killeth, right? But it's only through the imagery that the Lord uses will we be able to understand what He is revealing to us. Let's start with the description of the False Prophet beast, yes, beast.....in Revelation 13.
Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (obviously not literal)
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed.
This is the foundational verse we will start with which gives us some very important characteristics of this "beast".
1. It comes out of the earth (not from God-not of the Spirit but of Flesh like Cain's offering which was of the Earth and unacceptable to God)
2. It has 2 horns (horns all through scripture represent "power or authority" and this beast has two distinct divisions of power)
3. like unto a lamb (A false prophet must be deceptive and look like the real thing-wolves in sheep's clothing-appearing as ministers of Jesus Christ-the LAMB)
Here's scriptural proof:
2Cor. 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.
It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
4. Speaks as a dragon (forked tongue speech-lies-untruths-half-truths-false doctrines-Satan speaking through them to deceive)
5.Exercises the authority of the first beast (as I will prove later in this study, the first beast ratifies the authority of the False Prophet to have dominion over the people of the earth)
6.And he maketh the earth and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed. (the mission of the False prophet is to deceive the earth dwellers into compliance to the first Beast-as Jesus said plainly that "the very elect would be deceived IF it were possible".)
So is this False Prophet some clever man with gifted speech? It says, "He" as in a single male human doesn't it? Hasn't most if not all the prophecy teachers stated that this is a person? That's the LETTER, friends. Remember, this is a parable not to be read only in the natural but in the Spirit.
What I'm about to share with you is very difficult for many to receive because they have been conditioned by false teaching for years, but if you love the truth no matter where it may lead, you won't be deceived by the traditions of men. Here's the best way I know to break through the fog of misinterpretation of not only the False Prophet character but ALL the characters in the Revelation of Jesus Christ:
QUESTION- Is the Whore of Babylon who rides the 7 headed-10 horned Beast a single woman? A real person? A drunken harlot? That's the LETTER which KILLS......most prophecy teachers readily admit that the Whore is a type of a GROUP of people in the apostate "church". I agree...."She" is a corporate entity of all who follow false religion and hate the real born again Christians to death.
Here is scriptural proof:
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.
Rev 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.
Notice-ALL that had been slain upon the earth.
QUESTION- Who was the first person slain upon the earth? ABEL! This harlot is ether VERY OLD or "she" is a type-a shadow-of all those who attempt to approach God on their own terms as Cain did (false religion) and after being rejected by God they become jealous of the true people of God and try to kill them. Just like the Jews did to Jesus and the disciples-just like Jezebel tried to do to Elijah- just like Herodias did to John the Baptist...and on and on.....
SO- What if.....ALL the characters of Revelation are also corporate and not singular people?
It's obvious that the BEAST isn't a "man" as a singular person.
Scriptural proof:
Rev 17:9 Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth: (this is NOT a man....it says so right here)
Rev 17:10 and they are seven kings; (again...how can this be a "man" when it says 7 kings...giving us the interpretation of the letter plainly) the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.
Why have so many taught incorrectly that the Beast is a charismatic leader that will arise from the Middle East or whatever? That's false. Just as the Harlot is a group, so is the Beast a corporate entity....so is the FALSE PROPHET a corporate entity as well.
Hold on....I will prove this without a doubt as we go forward.
In the next post I will discuss:
What is a "beast" according to the types in scripture? (Daniel's vision of the 4 beasts)
What are the 2 horns? (1 Kings 18)
What are we hearing in the Christian churches today that expose the False Prophet and it's hidden agenda? (Daniel 3- "The Herald")
Pray and ask Him to confirm this teaching to you.....He will.
Blessings in Jesus!
Brother Jon