July 3, 2022
another beast coming up out of the earth . . . Revelation 13:11 (continued from yesterday)
The earth beast has its origin beyond Daniel’s vision, which is limited to the beasts from the sea (or old world—the multitudes surrounding the Mediterranean Sea) beginning with Babylon, then on to Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. These are framed in Daniel 2 (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream) and repeated with more detail in chapter 7 and subsequent chapters of Daniel. The new, young nation arising out of the earth has high, lofty ideals imbedded into its founding principles. At its inception, in a world where most citizens were taxed to support a state-endorsed religion and religious dissidents were cruelly oppressed, our fledgling nation stood apart as the standard-bearer of freedom. A pillar of the Christian faith is that worship of the one true God is done without coercion of any kind.
You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgements, which if a man does, he shall live by them. Leviticus 18:5
This verse, along with countless others, conveys clearly that God leaves the choice up to each individual whether or not to keep [His] statutes and judgements.
Our nation has not been a perfect fulfillment of its lamblike founding principles, yet it has often been viewed by the rest of the world as a bright beacon in a world of tyranny. Among the valuable characteristics our nation is known for, in addition to being a champion of religious liberty, are principles of free speech, freedom of the press, and free markets. Also associated with a fulfillment of the horns of a lamb has been the spirit of championing the “underdog” while protecting individual rights of citizens from encroachment by the government.
But there is an elephant in the room! Or is it a dragon? Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. Revelation 13:11
Those last five words present a jolting contrast to the picture of the lamb given just before. But Jesus, in His vision given to John, tells us that the United States will start off like a lamb, but it will eventually speak and act like a dragon.
The dragon is clearly identified as Satan, himself (see Revelation 12:9), who has always desired worship and adoration due only to God. He exposed his true motives when he told Jesus to “fall down and worship me” (see Matthew 4:9 & Luke 4:7).
In these last days, every “tool” in Satan’s toolbox of coercive and deceptive measures will be used against the people of God. Beloved, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. He will not only guide you safely all the way Home, but He will speak through you to bring others to Himself!
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you will also bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.” John 15:26-16:1