July 18: PROPHETIC PARALLEL #9

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Revelation 13:4

Both Revelation 13 and Daniel 11:40-12:3 predict the setting up of a false system of worship. Hardly anyone would knowingly worship the dragon, yet he readily accepts worship “by proxy” from anyone who believes false doctrines over Biblical ones. When he gave authority to the beast, a series of changes was set in motion. Emperor Constantine was a shrewd politician. After declaring himself a Christian, he maintained affiliations with the pagan temples and creatively wove pagan rites into Christianity while offering his protection to Christians and a promise of peace in exchange for compromise on their part. This mixing of the two resulted in the formation of the Universal Roman Church which came to be known as the Roman Catholic Church. When Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330AD, the bishop of Rome (later called the pope) stepped into the power vacuum. He was on his own in Italy from this point forward, steadily increasing his influence and importance. The exercise of his religious power was backed politically and militarily. Millions who did not go along with compromises to the pure and simple Christianity they had been taught were snuffed out.

And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. Daniel 11:45

Daniel’s description of the false system of worship contains the goal of the dragon. Satan craves the worship that is due to God (Matthew 4:9; Luke 4:7). The word tents is also correctly translated tabernacles. It is the Hebrew word meaning place of meeting for worship. The meeting places for false worship are extensions of his [jewel encrusted, earthly] palace. The glorious holy mountain is an explicit reference to the heavenly dwelling place of God (see Psalm 48:1,2,11; 125:1; Isaiah 2:2,3; 56:7,13; 65:11; Joel 2:1,32; 3:17; Micah 4:1,2,7; Matthew 6:9; Hebrews 9:24; Revelation 21:10). The word seas symbolizes peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages (Revelation 17:15). By placing his false system of worship between the worshipers (seas) and heaven (the glorious holy mountain) Satan’s goal is to intercept worship for himself; he will take it any way he can get it! Daniel prophesied of this aspect of the false system earlier: And out of one of [the four winds of heaven] came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host… (Daniel 8:9-11a – see also Ephesians 6:12)  

Paul addressed the church in Corinth with pleadings, due to their lack of discernment between pagan practices and the simplicity of life in Christ. False teachers had already appeared on the scene and worked feverishly to stir up the people against Paul. They accused him of being dishonest, proud, unimpressive in appearance and speech, and unqualified in general. Satan can always find front men to do his dirty work. Paul wrote: For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2-3