Beast of the Earth

Revelation 13:11, 13-17
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth.

And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Governing God,
There is no authority except that which You have established. All the rulers of this world, both good and evil, report to You. As instruments in Your holy hand, their primary purpose is to fulfill the prophesies written in Your Word, preparing the way for Christ’s remarkable return. Not only will the world be duped by a phony politician posing as the Prince of Peace, but also by a persuasive preacher who will profess to be filled with Your power.

Coming up from a hole in the ground, this beast will resemble a marionette. The political figure will pull his strings to manipulate his movements. As they mysteriously perform amazing acts, the majority will be mesmerized. Vibrantly animated, the ventriloquist will make his pastoral puppet tell amusing stories to captivate the minds of his listeners. Stoned on stimulation, the spectators will be giddy on this great god of entertainment, spending billions of dollars on his impressive show. With ever-increasing fame and fortune, his power will grow.

The strange thing is that his power will be inherently evil. In cahoots, the prominent politician and the popular preacher will establish a slick financial system forcing everyone to be stamped with a secret seal in order to survive. The sleeping church will be seduced by its promised success and subtly buy into Satan’s scheme.

Please dear Lord, give me wisdom to do what’s right while the rest of the world is falling for a fabulous false teacher. I want to know You, fear You, and worship You far above the great god of entertainment, the beast of the under ground, who threatens to lead me astray and kill my Spirit. This beast who is one dollar and eleven cents short of being complete is simply setting the stage for Your gallant grand entrance. Blessed Assurance! Amen.

Living in a society stoned on stimulation, it’s easy to fall for false teachers who are fabulously entertaining. Be careful to check everything you hear against God’s Word. The Bible makes it clear that as we getter closer to the visible return of Christ, there will be an increase in false teaching.

Revelation 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.