Wrath Of The Lamb: The Revelation Of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 13:

Overview to the First Beast of Revelation: When studying to identify the Beasts of Revelation, it is important to remember the true teachings of Jesus while doing so. God does not love kings, queens, emperors, presidents, the powerful, the rich, the self-righteous, etc... - any more or less than He loves you and I. His only special interest in them is to see that they do not persecute and oppress those less fortunate than they are.

The unit of measure for self-exaltation is money. From money comes wealth, power, and worldly opportunity. Money also opens the door to the basest temptations.

    "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10-11 KJV)

As the Bible makes clear throughout, God deplores the actions of people who exalt themselves above other people. In God's eyes we are all equal as His creations. He views the world in terms of spirituality, not according to man-made economic or political borders.

Prior to reading this chapter it is suggested that you read the pages on this Web site entitled "The Abomination of Desolation" and "Daniel And Revelation: Guides To Biblical Truths".

    "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." (Revelation 13:1 KJV)

    Like the Fourth Beast of Daniel Chapter Seven, this First Beast of Revelation is an imaginary entity that cannot exist - yet does exist - yet does not. But man made it exist anyway by portaying Jesus Christ as a Beast who supported any other government than the Brotherhood of God.

    • I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up: This man-made First Beast, the Roman Catholic Church, grew out of the sea of unbelief, the paganism of the Roman Empire, about three hundred years after Jesus was crucified.

    • Seven heads: Representing the Seven Churches, the heads identify Jesus' Spiritual Kingdom of Heaven, which the Church specifically claimed to reign over by naming the Pope as the 'Vicar of Christ' on earth.

    • Ten horns: The ten horns, like the horns of the Beast of Daniel Chapter Seven, represent the Ten Commandments.

    • And upon his horns ten crowns: Only Jesus, whom this Beast blasphemously claims authority from, has 'overcome' (Revelation 17:12-14) the Ten Commandments by overcoming sin and dying for our sins.

    • Upon his heads the name of blasphemy: Again, by claiming that the Pope was the "Vicar of Christ" on earth, the Church claimed to reign over the Seven Churches, Jesus' Kingdom of Heaven. Yet the Church acted against all beliefs for the purposes of gaining wealth and power by conquest, oppression, and forced conversion.

    "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." (Revelation 13:2 KJV)

    • Like unto a leopard... the feet of a bear... the mouth of a lion: These carnivorous animal attributes are a combination of the attributes of the three beasts rendered in Daniel Chapter Seven. Although the Roman Catholic Church claimed to be authorized by Jesus Christ, the men in charge of it actually imported an eclectic mixture of pagan and Old Testament traditions into its doctrines.

    • The dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority: The true source of the Beast's authority for claiming God's involvement in the acquisition of wealth, oppression, and conquest: The men who created the doctrines of the early Christian Church, were influenced by the vanity of self-exaltation born of Lucifer.

    "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." (Revelation 13:3 KJV)

    • One of his heads as it were wounded to death: The wound is the result of the Crusades launched by the Church against Islam in 1096 AD. Muslims were taken completely by surprise by the First Crusade. Far from being an evil army of heathen bent on the destruction of Christianity at the time, Muslims across the Middle East were fragmented by Crusades, and it took over 50 years for them to regroup.

    • And his deadly wound was healed: Jerusalem was finally reconquered by Saladin in the year 1187 AD. Although there were further "Crusades" for several hundred years, Muslims were able to thwart all of them eventually.

    • All the world wondered after the beast: The Church was something to wonder at. It preached the peace of God and His Christ, but it dealt in oppression.

    "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." (Revelation 13:4-6 KJV)

    • They worshipped the dragon which gave [it] power: The power of this Beast came from men overcome by the original sin of Lucifer - self-exaltation. By believing they were given power from God to change His Laws to suit their ambitions, they accepted the power of Lucifer instead.

    • Who is like unto the Beast? Who is able to make war with him? The effect of governments allying themselves with the Church, and vice versa, was that the Catholic Church, this alliance of Church and State claiming God as its authority, was to create of itself an Religious Empire, invincible by warfare between nations.

    • A mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: The Roman Catholic Church does not obey Jesus if His teachings are overruled by their theologians or traditions. Nor does it obey Him if a Vatican Council decides they want to do something else. Still, the Church blasphemously claims Jesus as its authority for what it does.

    • Power was given to him to continue forty and two months: Three and one half years, but actually meaning until the Second Coming of Jesus. See the Prophetic Time Chart for an explanation of the interpretation of the three and one half year prophetic time period in this chapter.

    • And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, To blaspheme His name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven: The tabernacle was where sacrificial ceremonies were performed, ceremonies that represented Jesus' sacrifice and the Plan of Salvation. Catholicism makes the sacrifice of Christ moot, and teaches that a believer receives salvation through the Church, rather than through his or her own personal relationship with the Savior. The Church also blasphemed those in heaven by changing the Ten Commandments.

        "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:18 KJV)

    "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:7-8 KJV)

    • Given unto him to make war with the saints, and overcome them: and Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations: People wanting to be Christians were forced into Catholicism or persecuted. The Church was practically the only option prior to the Reformation. The colonialism of the nations the Church was allied with spread Catholicism around the world.

    • All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him: The Roman Catholic Church was an organization that had turned from God. What was worshipped was its Power and wealth, which became the god of Church leaders.

      Remember, lest through all this disparagement of Catholicism it be forgotten, the Beast would represent the unholy alliance of Any Christian Church allied with State while claiming authority from God. More on this with the next Beast...

Characteristics of the First Beast, the State merged with Religion:

  • Ten horns with crowns: The Catholic Church identified with Jesus, who 'overcame' the Ten Commandments.

  • Seven heads, upon its heads the name of blasphemy: The Church claimed dominion over Jesus' Spiritual Kingdom (the Seven Churches).

  • One of his heads as wounded to death: The Church initiated and financed the Crusades against Islam in order to recapture what it saw as Christian holy places.

  • Like unto a Leopard, Lion, and Bear: The Church contained elements of paganism (idolatry, image worship), pharisaism, and legalism.

  • Power comes from the Dragon: The Catholic Church exercised lordship over God's people. A perusal of the four Gospels tells us that men having power over men comes exclusively from Lucifer.

  • Undefeatable in war: The Church created an Invisible Empire by allying itself with all Christian States, and actually controlling many. But in war the Church was unaffected no matter which nation won or lost.

  • Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: The Church changed God's Law, changed the meaning of Scripture, and claimed God's authority for doing both.

  • Beast to make war with the saints, and overcome them: Church used its 'authority' to force conversion to Catholicism and persecute what it termed 'heresies'.

  • Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations: As an Invisible Empire, the Church's influence was spread as the influence of nations whom it allied itself to spread - usually through violent conquest.

  • All that dwell upon the earth worship the Beast: Power and wealth became the god of Church leaders. Because it claimed to be the conduit of the salvation of Jesus it was worshipped by Christians, and it worshipped by those whose main interest was also wealth and power.

    "If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." (Revelation 13:9-10 KJV)

    • He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: The Catholic Church forced people to follow its moral doctrine, and so today the Church is forced to follow the moral doctrine of Government, its membership now being disenfranchised throughout "democratic" countries like the U.S.A, and its children taught sectarian beliefs.

    • He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword: The Church used the sword of the Bible to convert people to the false doctrines it created, and so today people are using the sword of the Bible to chasten the Church with what the Bible really says. Soon Jesus Himself will complete the job.

      Here is the patience and the faith of the saints: Even with all of this persecution, those who follow Jesus, Catholics or non-Catholics will, in the end, be with our Shepherd under His Government of Love.

    "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." (Revelation 13:11-12 KJV)

    • I beheld another beast coming out the earth: This Beast is much different from the first, as it comes out of the earth rather than the sea, which is the prophetic way of saying it comes from people with a belief in God.

    • Whereas the First Beast began as an existing pagan State the merged with the Christian religion, the Second Beast began with persecuted Christians who founded a State - the United States of America. How the United States became the Beast is related below:

    • And he had two horns like a lamb: The two horns represent the Two Commandments of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, on which He said that all of God's Law is based:

        "...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

      Two horns like a Lamb indicate that this Beast's character was initially closer to that of Jesus, yet it still spake as a dragon, meaning it was still directed by man. This Beast grew after the Protestant Reformation inspired the beliefs that would found new Christian denominations, new beliefs based more on Scripture which made the character of this Beast closer to the teachings of Jesus.

      The Reformation was driven by courageous reformers who came from Catholicism, men like Martin Luther and John Calvin, who, though imperfect like the rest of us, studied the scriptures carefully and created new doctrines based on divine grace through faith. These doctrines were considerably closer to actual Biblical teachings than Catholicism could allow because of its acceptance of tradition as affirming truth.

      Here are some of the changes taught by the Reformers:

      • The Bible Only As Spiritual Authority: Whereas the Catholic Church claimed to have the authority to modify and invent Biblical doctrine, the reformed Christians recognized the Bible alone as the sole source of doctrinal authority. The reformers encouraged Bible study, and recognized that people, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, were best able to interpret God's wishes for them personally. Under Catholicism, the Bible had been written in Latin and read to believers only by the clergy.

      • Salvation Only Through Christ: Reformers taught correctly that salvation was not dependent on the Church - an organization of man - but rather was obtained through the person of Jesus Christ. They believed that Jesus, by His death on the cross, caused the salvation of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

      • Salvation By Faith In God's Grace, Not Works: The Reformers initially taught that through faith alone one could be called to salvation through a belief in Jesus. Good works were not sufficient for salvation.

      Combined, these three doctrines did teach that one's relationship with God was personal to each individual rather than dependent on the Church. This was a radical departure from the teachings of Catholicism, which claimed to act as intermediary between God and His people. The doctrines of the Reformers were closer to the ideal of the Kingdom of Heaven.

      The reformed ideas of Christianity were better, yet inevitably remained the same regarding the perceived necessity of a civil government to actually enforce order among God's people.

      But there was little choice in a sinful world: Our earth is not yet made up of people who follow God's Law perfectly. Consequently a real need for civil government, and a certain administrative hierarchy for church organizations themselves, still existed.

      Protestants had a difficult time dealing with civil government in Europe, because most European governments were allied with the Catholic Church - or the Anglican Church. Governments allied with both of these religions persecuted reformed Christians.

      So much so that a small group of Puritans, whose doctrines tried to bridge the gap between Catholicism and the ideas of the Reformers, set sail for another land in order to practice their beliefs in freedom.

      From these and other idealistic colonists, most of whom were seeking religious freedom, grew the idea of creating a democratic government which would enable them protect their rights to worship as they pleased.

      Birth of the Second Beast: The United States of America was founded by Christians who desired to establish personal liberty and the free pursuit of happiness for its citizens. An attempt was made to separate religion from civil government, but it was as impossible to do then as it is now.

      For example, consider Thomas Jefferson's proposed Great Seal for the U.S., a depiction of the Children of Israel crossing the Red Sea with the Egyptians in hot pursuit:

      REBELLION TO TYRANTS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD. Yet Thomas Jefferson is considered to be a champion of the ideal of separation of church and state. He coined the phrase: "wall of separation between church and state" that has since been used in Supreme Court decisions.

      This Great Seal motto of his shows that Christians, just like devout believers of any other religion, just can't keep their beliefs out of civil government - because their beliefs are the foundations of their lives.

      Catholicism had shown that civil government could successfully be allied with one religion as long as God and the people were ignored.

      However, the task of allowing people freedom of religion under civil government - including being free to have no religion at all - was impossible.

      For people to have true Liberty, everyone must respect - or love - everyone else. The deeply held beliefs of religion are extremely divisive. In the case of an evangelical religion, where adherents believe that others must believe like they do in order to be saved, extreme divisions develop, and the love and respect that are necessary among different religions and denominations to maintain true Liberty evaporate.

      As Jefferson no doubt understood, the complete separation of church and state was made impossible by the teachings of Jesus - and by the epistles of the Apostles. From both would eventually be born more than 2,000 Christian denominations.

      Nevertheless, the attempt was made, and the Second Beast was born. The U.S.A. was the first nation to attempt complete separation of church and state. But references to God were unavoidable. The final form of the Great Seal still invoked God's approval, thus creating a divine covenant between the U.S.A. and the Creator:
       

       
      In Revelation this Second Beast is later likened by John to a False Prophet (Revelation 16:13, 19:20), because it claimed that men could live in peace under a government elected by themselves. The assumption was made at the time that men would generally remain as law-abiding and moral as they were when the country was founded.

      So this time it was the Church that voluntarily merged itself into a State, a State it attempted to keep secular and free of religious influence.

      However, in reality - because the Constitution could not prevent religious people themselves from participating in government - the United States developed into a nation whose leaders once again used God as their authority for every action they took for or against their own people, and for or against the people of other nations and religions.

      This religious trend received a big boost during the American Civil War. The abolitionists that opposed slavery were mainly Christians - as were most slave holders in the South. The name of God was invoked liberally by both sides in political speeches, marching songs, and public prayer. For the first time, the motto "In God We Trust" appeared on coins - copper pennies.

      So the Second Beast of Revelation, the False Prophet who prophesied that peace would come if men could only rule themselves, this time represented an ungodly Alliance of Church and the Democratic State. Like the First Beast, this Beast once again claims the authority of God.

      The biggest difference between the Second Beast and the First Beast (besides appearances) is that under 'democracy' allied with reformed churches, God's people themselves chose both the men who would administrate the government and the men that would administrate their churches. So Instead of consisting of kings and popes, bishops and priests who are allied with government that oppresses God's people, this Beast consists of presidents and church administrators, ministers and pastors who eventually ally themselves with the U.S. government - and end up doing the same thing.

      It's all very confusing, this idea of trying use God's name while at the same time attempting to separate God from His people who live in the state.

      However, for a nation that does not keep God's Law, and which allows inequality - that is, allows humans to be exalted over other humans - for a nation like that to use God's name at all is blasphemy, pure and simple.

    • And he spake as a dragon: Making laws, taking taxes, making war, without the True Authority that this Beast claims gives power to it. Its authority to persecute and make war actually comes from Lucifer.

    • Causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast: Today the media of the United States, being much to lazy or preoccupied to investigate and understand the fragmented behemoth that the Christian religion has become, has created the phenomenon of the Catholic Church (the First Beast) as the leader of Christianity. When any major event occurs, it is the Vatican provides the so-called "Christian viewpoint" on that event. To the media of the world, Christianity is de-facto led by the Pope, when Christianity needs to be mentioned at all in the media.

      Protestant Christians also worship the first Beast when they keep for their day of rest the day of the week that Catholicism replaced God's Sabbath with: Sunday.

    "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men..." (Revelation 13:13 KJV)

    • And he doeth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven: This verse accomplishes the setting of a time frame of the mid-twentieth century for the following actions of the second Beast, or False Prophet.

      Secondly, this verse positively identifies the United States as the nation that first tested, then used, atomic and nuclear weapons.

      Such weapons do not explode when they hit the ground, rather they are detonated while still thousands of feet in the air in order to maximize the destruction caused by the blast effect of the fireball.

    "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." (Revelation 13:14 KJV)

    • Saying to them that dwell on the earth: Again, those that dwell on land or on the earth in prophecy are people who believe in God, as opposed those who dwell in the sea. So the 'image to the beast' was to be be built by religious people.

    • That they should make an image to the beast: The creation of the Image To The First Beast began around the end of World War II in 1945 when communism became the new threat against American democracy.

      • Step 1 - The U.S. legislates the use of God's name as its Authority:

        Soon after the war, the United States found itself suddenly thrust into the position of superpower, with the Soviet Union, behaving more and more belligerently, following close behind. The Soviet communist system was atheistic and had banned religion in the Soviet Union. The Cold War began, and the fear of communism swept the country:

        • In 1954 the phrase "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance.

        • In 1955 Congress passed a law requiring the words "In God We Trust" to appear on all United States currency - coins and paper money.

        • In 1956, by an Act of Congress, the official motto of the United States was changed from "E Pluribus Unum" to "In God We Trust".

        • Also in 1956, the phrase "So help me God" was added to the end of the oaths of office taken by federal justices and judges.

        The United States, intentionally or not, now represented itself as God's agent on earth. "In God We Trust" means that the U.S. claims to look to God for guidance, implying that U.S. policies are of a divine nature.

      • Step 2 - The U.S. Government purges itself of God's influence:

        At the same time that the U.S. Congress was publicly anointing America as the new 'Vicar of Christ' with no objection from Catholic leadership, the United States Supreme Court was busy litigating the separation from America of the basic morality in which people who follow God believe.

        The United States was founded by men of religion who understood the Liberty granted to man under God. The assumption was made that men would always share their same basic morals and their sense of right and wrong.

        Freedom of religion was the most important founding principle of the U.S.A., because religion had been shown in the past to be a harsh dictator when politically empowered:

          "Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one-half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth." -- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1781-82

        What the founders did not foresee was the creation of the religion of popular Fundamentalist Atheism, consisting of atheists with no tolerance whatsoever for other religions, and whose morals fluctuate with the perceived necessities of their current desires.

        Thus "Freedom of religion" in the United States has been interpreted by these atheistic believers as "freedom from religion", and in the process they have created perhaps the most intolerant religion of all: Orthodox Atheism. Being a minority, the chosen tool of atheistic reform became the Supreme Court of the United States.

        First, the Supreme Court took it upon itself to contradict God's definition of the sacredness of life:

        • Roe v. Wade (1973), The Court held that a woman's right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

        Next the Supreme Court took it upon itself to erase God from government services entirely. The Court decided that completely removing the rights of traditional religious families within their own public school system was preferable to structuring laws that protected the rights of all believers and non-believers by promoting inclusiveness and tolerance:

        • McCollum v. Board of Education (1948), The Court found religious instruction in public schools unconstitutional.

        • Engel v. Vitale (1962), The Court found school prayer unconstitutional.

        • Stone v. Graham (1980), The Court found the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools unconstitutional.

        • Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) The Court found that a state law requiring equal treatment for creationism and evolution was unconstitutional.

        The end result was the complete removal of teachings and morals that originate in traditional religion from the American Federal Justice System and the Public Education System.

        The Supreme Court now ruled over religious freedoms, not the legislature. By the 1980s devout believers in the God of any traditional religion no longer had the political power necessary within American democracy to address the moral issues that affected their lives and the lives of their families.

      While traditional religious teachings and morals were now removed, the government's blasphemous use God's name legislated in Step 1 remained - America still proclaimed itself to be a Christian nation, the leader of the free world.

      Presidents still swore "so help me, God" at the end of their inaugural speeches, they still invoked God's blessing when they went to war, and every speech and state of the union message ended with the words, "May God Bless America".

      The Image to the First Beast was now complete, all it needed was life.

    "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." (Revelation 13:15 KJV)

      He had power to give life unto the image of the beast: By 1980 all of the elements necessary for recognizing the "Image to the First Beast" were in place. All it needed now was the breath of life. Here begins the saddest chapter of Christian history.

      • Step 3: Apostate American Christianity achieves political power:

        In order to win the presidency in 1980 the Republican had appealed to conservative American Christians, many of whom were members of a new political organization opposed to abortion called the Moral Majority. Consequently the Republicans added to their party platform a promise to call for a constitutional amendment banning abortion.

        Such an amendment clearly based on the desires of the religious would be impossible in a democracy, for an amendment based on the moral teachings of religion would turn the United States into a theocratic tyranny. Nevertheless, the Republican promise to call for such an amendment remained part of the party's platform. Millions of Christians who felt abortion was wrong were led to that party's banner.

        By 1992 the Republican Party, now very much under the ongoing influence of similar conservative Christian organizations, such as the Christian Coalition, had developed into the political party of choice for wealthy to middle-class conservative Christians.

        But the platform of the activist organizations like the Christian Coalition was anything but Christ-like. Nearly all were purely political organizations that witnessed Christianity to the entire world as abusive, miserly, intolerant, and racist.

        Far from ministering to the world and spreading the Gospel as Christ commanded, the goal of organizations like the Christian Coalition was to protect the wealth, property, racial opinions, and self-righteousness of their members.

        Because of their focus on financial and tax issues, the conservative Christian movement also received support from the traditional Republican constituency of large corporations and the wealthy.

        To accomplish their agenda of providing muscle for Republican politicians who promised help, the leaders of these organizations played on the fears of disenfranchised American Christians, much like the Nazi Party took advantage of the political malaise and selfishness of professed Christians in Germany during the 1930s.

        Below are listed a few of the accomplishments of Conservative Christian political groups working through the Republican party over the last twenty-one years:

        • 1976: Re-institution of the death penalty in nearly all states.

        • 1984: The closing of most State Hospitals for the mentally handicapped due to Federal budget cuts.

        • 1993: The defeat of a universal health care proposal that would have extended health care insurance to low income and poor Americans.

        • 1996: The reform of the welfare system into an oppressive and de-humanizing system of begging.

        • The ongoing attempts at the dismantling of affirmative action programs which are hypocritically claimed to be racist towards white people.

        • Continuous opposition to any meaningful rise in the minimum wage that would allow low income families to stay together.

        • The creation of school vouchers that allow middle to upper class Christians to send their kids to private schools - thereby racial avoiding integration and participation in improving public education.

        • The abolition of the estate tax, now allowing the wealthy to avoid paying taxes on their estates - thus also discouraging donations to churches from their estate.

        All of the above accomplishments resulted in the lowering of taxes for the rich, yet they also made life much more difficult for the poor.

      • Step 4 - Mainstream Christianity accepts thirty pieces of silver:

        All of the above - from the political transformation of Christianity to a religion of aggressive political activism acting in the interests of the wealthy while oppressing the poor, to transformation of the United States itself into a nation dominated politically by the narrow vision of apostate religionists - was aided and abetted by mainstream Christian denominations throughout the United States.

        Methodists, Latter-Day Saints, Presbyterians, Baptists, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, Christian Scientists - all organized Christian denominations have approved of the blasphemous use of God's name, the corruption of His Law, and the theft of His Son's Identity by their silence.

        They have neither protested their own members' political plight, nor the corruption of the true character of Jesus that has taken place over the last 24 years.

        Why? Because they are paid by the government not to protest.

        Today, most of these denominations are now large corporations themselves, operated on a purely business basis. Consequently all of them benefit by the transition from "Christian charity and love" to "Christian self-interest and greed".

        Their status as non-profit, tax-exempt corporations has embroiled them with a United States Government that is fast becoming an Anti-Christ.

        They are losing members, and the members that remain are giving less and less because of the anti-charity, anti-compassion, anti-Christian doctrines that have suddenly been raised as the ensign of 'Patriotic Americans'.

        Many conservative Christians worship the United States more than God - many are worship the United States even as God - when they support the oppression of Islamic Fundamentalism. By doing so, they are giving the U.S.A. the political power to oppress and overcome all opposition to the view that the American democracy of capitalistic materialism and is not central to Christian teachings.

        Mainstream Christian denominations continue indicating - by their silence - that they have just as much interest in the apostatized Gospel of Personal Profit as the false 'Christians' of conservative politics do.

        Thus has the Church of Laodicea, organized Christianity - the Harlot Babylon, given life to the Image of the Beast.
         

Characteristics of the Image to the First Beast, Religion merged with the State:

  • Ten horns with crowns: The United States Justice System has also 'overcome' the Ten Commandments, in the process creating a kingdom of violence and aggression. Christian Babylon went along.

  • Seven heads, upon its heads the name of blasphemy: The United States has removed the religious rights of all seven religions represented by the Seven Golden Candlesticks of Revelation - but each has accepted the motto "In God We Trust". Christian Babylon went along.

  • One of his heads as wounded to death: Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been crusading (yes, that's the correct word as used also by Pope Urban II in 1095 when he called for war) against Islam by attempting to 'convert' Islamic nations to the same type of democracy that has failed religious believers here in America.

    But the Quran is very specific: Unlike Christians, Muslims have an obligation to fight in order to defend their religion. The current war on terrorism is unwinnable and is serving only to profit large corporations. The only way to bring democracy to the Apostate Muslims who want it is to use oppression, assassination, and genocide against Islamic Fundamentalists. Christian Babylon goes along.

  • Like unto a Leopard, Lion, and Bear: The United States, while acting in God's name, encourages idolatry, pharisaism, and legalism. Take idolatry, for example:

    • 30,000 people every year are literally sacrificed to the god of the automobile.

    • 100,000 people are sacrificed every year so that health care corporations can turn a profit by hiring the untrained and unfit to fill profession health care positions. All of these deaths are due to medical mistakes and are thus avoidable, but the U.S. government accepts them as the price of 'doing business' in Health Care.

    • To date approximately 30,000,000 people have been aborted as sacrifices to the American god of sexual freedom.

    • Christian Babylon goes along.

  • Power comes from the Dragon: With no rights to representation that can address moral issues, with a government in power who is determined to oppress the poor, the United States is oppressing the God's people. That is the power that only Lucifer wields. Christian Babylon goes along.

  • Undefeatable in war: Today the United States is the only superpower with enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth, and still the only one that has demonstrated its willingness to use them. Christian Babylon goes along.

  • Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: The United States has completely abrogated God's Ten Commandment Law, the Supreme Court has spoken churlishly against His people's beliefs. As so-called 'Christians', many of its politicians continually blaspheme God by claiming to act under His blessing. Christian Babylon goes along.

  • Beast to make war with the saints, and overcome them: The United States and the Supreme Court have removed representative political power from the religious, and made issues of morality the jurisdiction of the Justice System. Christian Babylon went along.

  • Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations: As the sole world superpower that has now demonstrated the willingness to wage offensive war, the United States uses its economic and military power to force its version of capitalism on other nations. Christian Babylon goes along.

  • All that dwell upon the earth worship the Beast: Power, wealth, and material goods have become the gods of the United States. Nearly all the resources of the American economic system are dedicated to inspire covetousness and idol worship among its people. This preponderance of material goods has caused nearly every people on earth to envy, or worship, the 'American Way of Life'.

    Christian Babylon worships it also.
     

       

    • As many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed: 'Killed' by conversion to Christ as they reject the Beast, as will be shown in Chapter Seventeen.

      These will become virgins, undefiled by women (the churches of Babylon).

    "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." (Revelation 13:16-17 KJV)

    Consider Jesus' words to the Pharisees when they asked:

      "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." (Luke 20:22-25 KJV)
       


       

    • To receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

      • As noted above, in 1955 an Act of Congress required that the phrase "In God We Trust" appear on all U.S. currency - from that point on, requiring anyone buying anything to have the blasphemous Mark of the Beast in their right hand.

      • In 1956 another Act of Congress made "In God We Trust" the national motto of the United States - thus requiring that all citizens, as taught in schools from childhood, have the Mark of the Beast '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:

      • In order to buy anything in the United States a person must have U.S. currency - or a bank account or credit card that represent U.S. currency. All U.S. currency has has the mark "In God We Trust".

      • By the same token, in order to sell anything, a person must accept U.S. currency with that mark.

      • Of course, if you are a business you must use your Federal Tax ID Number to buy wholesale, and then to pay taxes on what you sell.

      • If you are an authorized agent of an organized "Christian" denomination that accepts U.S. Government subsidies in the form of tax exemptions in exchange for your silence on moral issues, you will need your Federal Employer Identification Number in order to save your blood money when you buy something.

      • Today in the United States if you have no money whatsoever, and nothing that you can sell or to pawn in order to get money, and everybody around you is a conservative Christian political activist who feels you would waste the money they might give you, you only have one choice: Take your number of the Beast's name, your Social Security Number, and head down to apply for welfare. If you are approved, with the currency you get you can now buy you something to sell.

      • If you are poor and hungry, have no money, are not exempt from taxes, and are not eligible to receive welfare, you can buy food using only the name of the Beast:

    "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." (Revelation 13:18 KJV)

      Here is wisdom... Six hundred threescore and six... the number of a man: John refers us to the fate of King Solomon, the parallel for the apostate Beast the United States has become today.

        "Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country." (1 Kings 10:14-15 KJV)

      Solomon's fall from supreme wisdom into the covetousness of idolatry is recorded in the Bible. Praised by the peoples and rulers of surrounding nations for his wisdom and his wealth, he began to focus on outdoing all other kingdoms by ambitiously improving upon the opulence and grandeur of his own kingdom. To do so, Solomon imposed levys and taxes upon his own people, created alliances through marriage to idolatrous wives, and exacted tribute from other governments in exchange for peace.

      The end result of Solomon's apostasy was devastating for Israel. His kingdom fell into idolatry. Because of the oppression they suffered under his rule, 10 tribes of Israel revolted and were destroyed by neighboring nations, their people scattered throughout the world in the process. By the time Solomon woke up to his errors and repented, it was too late for Israel. The die had been cast.

      Like Solomon, the traditional religions of the United States have imperceptibly slipped into idolatry. They worship the power and grandeur of the state rather than the One who Has blessed them more than others to begin with. They display flags and support war against God's poor. Patriotism has replaced compassion, covetousness and greed have replaced hope and charity.

      The organized Christian religions of the United States have stolen the Identity of the Son of God, blaspheming Him before the entire world under the flag of apostate America as it wages offensive "Christian" war against poor nations.

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