Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Thursday, October 1, 2015

Special Note:

My friends, I must admit that this devotional thought has been the most complex I have undertaken in this series, and it’s not because the content is unclear. It’s actually easier to accurately trace than the seven trumpets. One reason writing a devotional such as this is complex is because it has such overwhelming implications, that nobody in this world, whether religious, irreligious, or otherwise (whatever that means) can afford to miss it. There is a built-in flaw in attempting to present the issues of Revelation 13 in a devotional format, especially when you have a technical mind like mine. I believe it is necessary to substantiate every claim we make here, yet since this is not a Bible study format, and entire books have been dedicated to this subject for the purpose of clarity; I thought it necessary to direct you to some incredible outside resources to provide such clarity. While I have begun writing on the subject, it is best that I give you a synopsis of the subject matter with the hopes that you will refer to the resources provided for full substantiation of the claims I will make as a matter of fact. Once I have given the synopsis of the text, please be certain to read it in its entirety below.

Thanks much for your patience, and prayerful consideration of this vital subject.

Resources:

Let me provide five great resources for unpacking Revelation 13 below:

1.http://revelationmystery.com/

2.Terrible Beast’s Horns in Daniel 7 by Amazing Discoveries: http://amazingdiscoveries.org/S-deception_end-time_Antichrist_horns_kingdom_Rome

3.The Beast of Revelation 13, Parts 1-3 by Amazing Facts: http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/media/e/6766/t/the-beast-of-revelation-13--pt-1

4.Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith: http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Revelation-Uriah-Smith-ebook/dp/B0086NEVSA/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443634587&sr=1-5

5.The United States in the Light of Prophecy Or, an Exposition of Rev. 13:11-17: http://www.amazon.com/United-States-Light-Prophecy-Exposition-ebook/dp/B00AQN1IPW/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443634643&sr=1-3

Synopsis:

Through the use of several, easily applied symbols from Daniel 7, and well-documented history, the Lord communicated an astounding vision to His servant John.

Following the successive world empires accurately prophesied to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and pagan Rome), another unusual power arose from among the populace—papal Rome. She was unusual in the sense that she had both religious and political authority. Through an incredible saga of events, papal Rome blasphemously made amendments to the Ten Commandment Law, making adjustments to God’s command to refrain from worshiping idols, and His command to keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath. Further flexing her purported ecclesiastical authority, papal Rome welcomed all seekers to confess even their secret sins to equally sinful priests so the priests could mediate their absolution, even though the Bible says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6). And remarkably, this power martyred thousands of God’s people who refused to bow to their dogma above the Bible’s clear teachings, for exactly 1,260 long years. It was a time of trouble on a level the world had never before seen. It seemed that nobody could end this onslaught.

But the Lord was good to His people. In the year 1798, Napoleon’s general Berthier marched into Rome with his troops and arrested the Pope, thereby ending that 1,260 year nightmare. The papacy had suffered a deadly wound.

However, in another twist nobody may have expected, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini coordinated what is called the Lateran Treaty of 1929, wherein the Kingdom of Italy agreed to give financial support to the papacy...