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 Sermon on Revelation 13

America

By Brian Pepper

At the time when the ten horned beast received its deadly wound another power was to arise. This beast seems at first to be totally different from the other.

Revelation 13:11 says, "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."

You will remember that the first beast came up from the "sea”. But St John saw this New Power coming up from “the earth”.

The sea is a prophetic symbol for "peoples and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15 says, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”: which was a true picture of Europe where the Papal Beast arose.

But the “earth” represents something the very opposite: not a crowded country of different nations, but a sparsely populated country. And where was there such a place? It certainly was not in Europe.


The Great Reformation

Let us go back a little, in which Martin Luther played such an important part; it was far reaching in its effects. It was the Reformation that gave birth to two Great Principles: religious freedom and political freedom.

That fact is stated in Revelation 12:16. "And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”

The Church was in the hands of a persecuting power and the dragon sent forth a great flood, hoping to drown the truth. But the Earth came to the rescue the church. The protest of the princes of Germany at the Diet of Spires was like a pebble thrown into a lake. A wave started and the circles widened until their effect was felt far and wide.


A Beast Coming Out of the Earth

John had another and more definite view of the help given by the Earth. Turning from the sea, from which he saw the great and terrible beast arise, with its seven heads and ten horns and the names of blasphemy, he saw another beast moving into prominence.

Revelation 13:11 says, “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.” 

It was at the same time that the papal power was being led into captivity, that the prophet saw this new power “coming up.” 

Papal Rome sprang into existence in the midst of many peoples. It arose in the boundaries of the old Roman Empire.

Revelation 13:1 says, “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.” 


A Lamb Like Beast

The beast of Revelation 13 arose from the sea. But the second beast arose in a new country away from all strife, outside of the European darkness and it was brought into existence by God Himself at the very time it was most needed: to give relief to the persecuted, to enable men and women to study their Bibles in peace and security.

Yes, it was in America that the oppressed had freedom of worship, the right to educate their children according to their ideas of God. That is why the prophecy says in Revelation 13:11, “ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb...." And true to the prophecy this happened.  

A century and a half before this time the Pilgrim Fathers had landed on the shores of America and colonies began to spring up. By 1776 these colonies were ready to sever connection with the mother country. They won the revolutionary war and laid the foundation of a completely new nation.


Birth of the Nation

In 1789 the Constitution was framed and ratified. In the same year the French Revolution broke out causing an upheaval not only in France, but throughout Europe. During this time the ten horned beast received its deadly wound in 1798, right at the very time the Lamblike beast was “coming up.”

John Wesley, interpreting this prophecy of Revelation 13, writing about 1754 said, “He is not yet come, though he cannot be far off, for he is to appear at the end of the forty two months of the first beast." Explanatory notes upon the New Testament 17th Ed p.704.


Beast Had Two Horns

We have already discovered that Horns represent power. And this new beast has two horns, lamblike horns. In the Book of Revelation Christ is presented as the Lamb.

Revelation 5:6 says, “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” 


Civil and Religious Liberty

For this new nation to be Christ-like means that it is a Christian nation. Those two horns represent the two great principles upon which the government of America was established: civil and religious liberty.  

This statement of J.A. Bingham makes this clear, "The object of those who first sought this shore was found what the world had not seen for ages, viz, a church without a pope, and a state without a king.” 

In the Constitution of the United States is written these great principles. "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust under the United States." “Congress shall make no law respecting any establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” First Amendment United States Constitution, "The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of government.” Article 4 Section 4.

America indeed came up at the right time and in the right way, and has fulfilled this part of the prophecy alright.
 

From Lamb to a Dragon Beast 

But the prophecy goes on to say that America would not always be a peace loving nation. Revelation 13:11 says, “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.” 

You see a big change is coming; from Lamb to Dragon; from a Christian nation to an atheistic power under Satan’s control; from one who offered shelter to the persecuted to become the persecutor.

Listen to this. Revelation 13:12 says, “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.”

There is a very sound reason why these two beasts are in the same chapter. They both do the same work, they both exist together.

Revelation 17:8 says, “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” 

The American beast arose as the Papal beast received his deadly wound. That is the beast that was. Then he recovered from the deadly wound and is now coming back into tremendous power.
 

Beast Performs Miracles

The second beast, that is apostate Protestantism, performs miracles in the presence of the first beast, Catholicism; so that the whole world is deceived into making an image to the first beast whose deadly wound is healed; And that the second beast compels the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast.

Revelation 13:12 says, “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.” 

The dragon is the controlling power of both these beasts and gives them his spirit, power and authority. The dragon and the two beasts of Revelation 13 are the most prominent of all the enemies of God and His people.


The False Prophet 

In Revelation 19:20 the two horned beast is identified as the false prophet: “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” 

Inasmuch as the false prophet and the beast work hand in hand, both in this passage of Scripture and in Revelation chapter 13 where the beast and the two horned beast are featured: this is a main point of identification. 

Also the false prophet is mentioned as a miracle worker. Revelation 13:14 says, “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.” 

In verse 13 we are told that the false prophet performs great wonders. He even makes fire come down from heaven. As a true prophet performs miracles before God in order to convince men of the fact that he is genuine; so this false prophet performs counterfeit miracles before the great antichrist to deceive the inhabitants of the earth. He is called a prophet because his activities are chiefly religious.

At the beginning of this century Roman Catholicism in North America was regarded as a mission project supported by gifts outside the nation. However today, more money pours into Rome’s coffers from the U.S.A. than from all other sources put together.


Image of the Beast

An image is not the exact thing but is something that look or acts the same. Everyone have heard this saying "You are the image of your father." One thing is sure, and that is you are not your father but closely resemble him.

The papal beast came into existence as a result of the "falling away" or great apostasy in the early church.

The image to the beast is formed when the apostate protestants succeed in uniting with the state. This was prophesied way back in the Old Testament in Isaiah 4:1. "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” 

Isaiah is describing the conditions of the Churches in these last days.


Church Symbolised as a Woman

In the Book of Revelation the church is symbolized by a woman. The true church a pure woman clothed in righteousness; the apostate church portrayed as a harlot clothed in purple and scarlet. Revelation 17:5 says,” And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 

The seven women who take hold of the one man are these daughters of the old harlot mother. They take the name of Christ, they call themselves Christian but prefer to eat their own bread. That is, they reject the bread of life, the Bible teachings, and instead substitute their own traditions, their own doctrines and man made ideas. They wear their own apparel instead of the perfect robe of Christ’s righteousness. And that is a perfect picture of the religious trend today.


Trend Toward State Religion

The growing demand for a Union of Churches of the U.S.A; the activity of Moral Majority for political as well as religious ends, is growing more insistent as the apostasy increases. To bring about this union the "National Reform Association”, the “Lord’s Day Alliance”, the “Federal Council of Churches of America”, and other national and international organizations have been formed.

Tremendous strides have been made toward the the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the false prophet and the image to the beast. The union of the protestant churches of America is practically an assured fact.

As soon as the State yields to the pressure and begins to advance the interests of the Protestant church then the image of the beast will be formed and will become an active persecuting power.

Dr R.H. Martin, one of the leaders of the 'National Reform Association’ declared that their program “will bring the nation to accept the will of Christ in all that it does so that the ideals of Christ can be written down in the law of the land and a national confession of faith made." There it is! Can’t you see it? State religion.


Why State Religion?

I could back that up with statement after statement. Why do they want to get State backing? The Bible tells you why. Revelation 13:15 says, “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.” 

That is clear enough. They want power in order to force people to worship  the way they want them to worship.

Verse 16 says, “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:” 
Verse 17 says, “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.”


Enforcing Sunday Worship 

It is the mark of the beast or of Papal Rome that is enforced by false Protestantism who make it the mark of their own religion.

Now what is it that the Roman Catholic church has given to the world that all the world has accepted? Do you know what it is? Why, it is Sunday keeping. It is recognized by every country of the world and that goes for Australia as well.

If they got out those old Sunday laws and started to enforce them you would be surprised just what you could not do on Sunday.

Dr Harry Bolby, secretary of the 'Lord's Day Alliance’ said this, "Everybody knows what would happen to any man showing disrespect for the American flag, and we mean to put the American Christian Sabbath upon exactly the same basis as the American flag."

Did you get that clearly? You can see that they mean business. There is no question about this. The Rev J.W. Foster said, “…even know we hang a man for murder for violating the sixth commandment, and I believe that those who persist in violating God's Sabbath (Sunday) should be put to death."

There you are! So called men of God are saying the very thing that God said they would, and more than that, would do it in these last days.

A minister in Philadelphia said, "I pray to see the day when all people will be driven to the church to worship as they should on Sunday."


Who to Worship?

The issue in the coming crisis is clear. The great question is, will we obey and worship the Papacy and its Protestant image, or the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It was Woodrow Wilson, President of the U.S.A., who made this statement, "I would sooner perish in a cause that will triumph than triumph in a cause that will perish.”

Here is the promise of God. Revelation 3:10 says, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” 

What a wonderful assurance of protection to His people. God says that things will look grim. They will seem desperate but when God makes a promise He always fulfills that promise. So take heart and let God carry out His promises.

 

  Sermons
The Bible in Song Sermons category is expected to be enlarged over time as hard copy sermon notes are scanned, typed and edited in webpage format. Visit Sermons Page for the complete list of sermons and Bible Commentaries
 

 
  PDF Sermon Files
Click image for sample. The Complete Sermon Collection is available at the Store Page. It includes 169 sermons which are listed on the Sermons Page, plus several audio visual sermonettes and a number of incomplete sermons. Original typed sermon notes have been scanned in PDF files on a DVD.

 

 
  PDF Revelation Files
Easy access to all the uploaded Revelation Bible Commentaries written by Brian Pepper. Also a CD of the complete Book of Revelation consisting of 22 PDF files scanned from original typed documents. These files can be downloaded by Adobe Acrobat to view on computer screen, or printed in booklet or other format.

 

 
  SDA Prophecy Chart
Bible in Song Sermons and Commentaries pages have exposed flaws in the "2300 day" prophecy chart most notably used by Seventh-day Adventists. Seventh-day Adventists in their biblical interpretation have favored the tradition of their founding fathers over Scripture and the "divine revelation" of their own prophet Ellen White. Read more.

 

 
 
  Testimonials
Thank you for posting some of (Brian Pepper's) sermons. It's like reading the very words Jesus has spoken to me and is a great encouragement. I cannot say that about many Pastors but I can say that about (Pr Pepper). Thank you. Robert @yeshuaskingdom.org (USA) ... more testimonials.

 

 
 

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