Satan and His Two Stooges
2 Thessalonians 2
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Satan is a master imitator. His ability to deceive such a multitude is in his imitation. The most powerful is this final hour when he imitates the Trinity of God. While many Pentecostal church leaders are embracing the “Jesus Only” deception, Satan must be shouting with glee. His false trinity will be a master stroke. Each of the three will duplicate almost every act in the Bible. The Antichrist will even imitate a death stroke on himself and return with a greater deception. The doctrine of “Jesus Only” is certainly far removed from the Biblical text yet a large company is embracing this farfetched concept. I have never met a “Jesus Only” person whom I could reason with from the Bible. It is pure deception.
The Bible records Satan’s two stooges in Revelation chapter thirteen. The first is of the Antichrist. “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) Second is of the False Anointing imitating the Holy Ghost. “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) Listen to this powerful discussion.
The consummate evil. A man so vile that his is called a beast and has for a name “blasphemy.” He is seen on earth hurling blasphemies against God on His Heavenly throne and angrily hurling the same at the saints already among the Raptured. He receives his power—inherent ability—his seat—political religions—and his great authority—permission—from the Dragon or Satan. Everything that he is, Satan equips him to be. The Bible describes only one type of person who can withstand his design, blinding deception or convincing leadership. John the Revelator said, “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 13:8).
Please read carefully John’s full description of this evil genius. “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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 13:1-10).
Several things are extremely important concerning these scripture. John is on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea—the great sea—where he is exiled to Patmos Island and sees this beast of a man arise from that same sea. As Daniel, Isaiah, Micah, etc before him, John identified this man as a Middle Easterner coming to power where in the same region all prior world empires previously existed. This Beast and his kingdom are the ultimate expression of all previous human kingdoms. For that reason, this beast was like a leopard—Grecian–his feet were as of a bear—Medo-Persians—and his mouth was like a lion—Babylon. Daniel gave this same description in chapter 7 except the order was reversed. (We will discuss this later in the article.)
Nebuchanezzar’s dream was similar. The great image he saw stood on its feet and progressed downward. No part of these kingdoms has ceased to exist; although they have regressed in value (gold, silver, brass, iron, clays mingled with iron), and increased in fragility. Babylon has exported its vile paganism to every corner of the globe and is today more influential that ever. Worldwide religion is pure paganism. The Medes and Persians have existed in different political forms and under varying names, and exist today as Iran. The Grecian Kingdom was most noted for its intellectualism. One has only to read of Greek art, law, literature and architecture, etc. to see the endless presence of this World Empire. It was striking to see the mayor of Athens, Greece walking through the battle zones of Bagdad, Iraq. Greece in an extremely reduced form exists today as a sovereign nation. The last great kingdom in this dream embodies all the viciousness, wealth, paganism, lust, greed and filth of every part, past and present of the Babylonians, Media-Persians, Grecians and Romans all under the control of the ultimate Beast of Despot and Dictator.
Satan Chooses His Man
Prophetic history has not chosen this man; he will be the personal choice of Satan himself. Satan has his children; his chosen family just as God called the Jews; he will use them until he manifests the “man of perdition” to give the world his own “possessed” messiah. Worldwide signs and Biblical fulfillment would suggest that Satan’s children have already produced this individual and his is being readied for his fateful hours a although he were a Jesus in Nazareth waiting for a John to baptize him. “Son of Perdition” was the term used by Apostle Paul (ll Thessalonians 2:3) in warning that Jesus Christ could not establish His kingdom until Satan had a chance to produce a counterfeit to the Master. These words, “son of perdition” clearly establish that he will be prepared for this hour by evil design with utmost precision and Luciferian skill.
1 John 4
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
The worldwide rise of Satanism, occultic activity and New Age networking is no accident. Satan has been given space by the Eternal God to prepare his last effort. He failed in the past but this time he plans for it to be different. This counterfeit master must be able to convince the world that he is the real deliverer, and that his god is the god of gods. He must be the best Satan and all his demonic family can produce, train and empower. “And all the world wondered after the beast” (Revelation 13:3). The Word of God is clear; Satan chooses and gives him all his characteristics, intelligence and authority. He is Satan’s man/god just as Jesus Christ is the Father’s God/Man.
Satan’s Millennium Denies Final, Catastrophic Judgment
It’s amazing to hear clergymen of the Evangelical and Charismatic ranks join the New Agers in calling for a “New Millennium” or “Crystal Kingdom” on the earth. Pat Robertson’s book—The New Millennium, Megatrends of the 90’s—was described in his magazine with these words, “So, be forewarned, if you’ve already bought your Rapture robe, you probably won’t want to buy this book.” (The Christian American, January/February 1991, page 11.) Pat is quoted as saying, “Christianity will flourish worldwide in the Millennium” (Ibid.) When you deny the Rapture and make no provision for the total judgment of this wicked world, how do you promise a “Christian Millennium?” (My remarks are not a judgment of Rev. Robertson’s personal faith, but rather his apparent “Kingdom Dominion Theology.”)
Satanically inspired “New Agers” and “Trilateralist Politicals” are saying basically the same. Jose Arguelles has announced, “The Crystal Kingdom on the Earth” to begin no later than December 21, 2012. (The Crystal Papers, Jose Argelles.) (Read carefully the article by Dr. D.L. Cuddy on page 2.) Political talk of a “New World Order” is engineered by the Dragon as he manipulates mankind in preparation for the Antichrist. You must understand that all of this represents the elaborate design of Lucifer with his determination to create his millennium ruled by himself and his “Unholy Trinity.”
The only thing this world is about to face is the final judgment. The Rapture is hated because it removes the “Holiness Crowd” from judgment danger and fixes the ginning of the darkest hour of God’s wrath know to man. Jesus Christ, Himself, described this hour, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:21-24). Nothing reveals the ruthlessness of Lucifer more than his use of the church and clergymen to prepare for his short last rule over humankind.
Daniel’s Description Of Satan’s Last Fling
The book of Daniel is Revelation’s First Testament companion. Every truth in these two books synchronizes perfectly. The thirteenth chapter of Revelation describes the Antichrist with the words, “Leopard, Bear, and Lion all blended into an indescribable final Beast.” This is reversed in Daniel because he spoke prophetically before the facts, while John sees the view historically, after the facts. Here’s how Daniel describes the scene. “Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns” (Daniel 7:2-7).
Again, the last four major World Kingdoms are beautifully pictured. In prophecy the first kingdom, Babylon, was politically in its death throes when Daniel received his vision. The next two are clearly the Medo-Persian and Grecian kingdoms followed by the Roman kingdom. The Roman Era is the mystery kingdom existing in Christ’s day, but surviving the centuries in broken form to emerge as the final political arm of Lucifer. This kingdom is not just the European Common Market. That represents parts of the old Roman era but still clearly in a broken and imperfect form. The Dragon, Antichrist, and False Prophet (unholy trinity) will solidify the final stage—not appearing from a final stage of government, but creating their own.
John in the Book of Revelation (the unveiling or making manifest) painted a clear scene of this emerging “One World Order” that completes the Roman period. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13). The final ten kings which fulfill the ten toes of Daniel 2 (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream), and the ten horns of Daniel 7 (Beast with ten horns) are not an existing political entity when the Antichrist appears. They have no kingdom or authority until they receive it from this final world leader. The Holy Scripture clearly states, “which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” It’s important that we do not look to any existing political order or form as the fulfillment of the Roman World Empire. Once the Antichrist is on the scene, he will perfect that final stage of human governments
Revelation 19
20 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.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Each of the first three of the last World Empires existed in different from and for considerable time until they finally centered in Babylon. It was at this point that they fulfilled the Biblical requirement to be a world kingdom of prophecy. Babylon is the acceptable capital for a “One World Government” controlled by Satan.
Reverend G.H. Lang clarified this subject half of a century ago. “Babylon had existed since the days of Nimrod (Gen 10:10), but the ups and downs of that state during those fifteen hundred years do not matter prophetically. It was when Nebuchadnezzar made Babylong th ecentre of a world empire that the first kingdom of prophecy arose. The Medes and Persians had had an almost equally long history, but that is of no account prophetically. It was when Cyrus made Babylong the center of his rule that the second kingdom of prophecy appeared. The Grecian states had been fighting, developing, colonizing for long centuries before Alexander, but prophecy takes no account of this also. It simply doesn’t matter. It was when Alexander made Babylon his world-centre that the third kingdom of prophecy became present. It is thus with the fourth empire, as might surely be expected. The mutations of its long course are of small concern prophetically. The divine interpretation and the profound interest concentrate on the closing days, when Antichrist will make Babylon his capital.” (The Histories And Prophecies Of Daniel, G.H. Lang, 1st edition 1940, quoted from first edition Conley & Schoettle, edition 1985, page 29.)
The Roman Period will be prophetically complete when Babylon becomes its center. Until then it is only iron or iron and clay awaiting the Gold of Babylon to elevate it to Biblical fulfillment. It’s interesting to note that the German leaders, especially Hitler, had already decided to make Babylon their headquarters when their conquest was finished. They spoke of the Third Reich Kingdom lasting a thousand years.
Antichrist And Ultimate Religious Blasphemy
Nothing that the Antichrist does is more significant than his effort to duplicate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the Dragon and his two beasts, the Antichrist and the False Prophet, are finished with their religious deception and their fringed presentation of Biblical Christianity, multiplied millions will be deceived beyond imagination. John describes it as the following, “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). The master imitator will present Biblical and Christ-like imitations, religious experiences, supernatural miracles, and “double talk” theology with convincing skills. “The world wondered after the beast.”
He will have the ability to exalt and magnify himself above every god, except Jehovah God but will be able to speak marvelous things against Him. The Hebrew word for “marvelous” means to accomplish things beyond the bounds of human powers or expectation. Here are Daniel’s words, “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done” (Daniel 11:36).
This beast of Satan will be an apostate with a family background of either the Jewish or Christian faith. Some of Satan’s vilest work has been with individuals from a Biblical heritage. Karl Marx, Charles Darwin and Carl Jung are excellent examples. Daniel speaks to this fact. “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all” (Daniel 11:37).
The prophet, Ezekiel, spoke pointedly to the same subject. “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him” (Ezekiel 21:25-27). This great prophetic statement confirms the words of Daniel. Ezekiel adds a clear statement that this false prince will be disposed and the true king, “Whose right it is” will be given the kingdom.
The force of this new religion that blasphemes everything in the Holy Scripture is filling religious circles presently. Charismatic television ministers are leading personalities in this new deception. It looks real to undiscerning souls; it offers the perceived “power of God” and it titillates the flesh. Daniel called this explosion of religious titillation and fleshy emotions, “the god of forces.” “But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain” (Daniel 11:38-39).
This Beast from Hell with his false prophet—religious leader—will cause apostate church people to exclaim that the great revival is finally here. Already religious leaders who have rejected the Rapture and The Great Tribulation judgment, along with the separated holiness lifestyle, are predicting a revival so great that the ballgames and sports events will be closed. They speak of an awakening that sweeps the world into Christianity. This cannot happen unless God suspends His infallible World and changes the course of our present direction.
Great Demon Powers To Aid Satan
Immediately after the Rapture of the Bride of Christ, a war will occur in the heavens. Michael and his angels cast Lucifer and his angels down to the earth. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:7-9, 12).
2 Peter 2
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
There is literally an innumerable company of angels and one-third of them have joined Satan. They have had some limited access to the earth since their fall. Now they are cast out of the second heavens and restricted in their presence and activity to the earth. John said, “Woe to the inhibitors of the earth.” Not only does Satan have his “unholy trinity,” he has a multitude of powerful angels who are at his command. They are not limited to a bodily space nor the natural laws of the earth. They are as powerful as the holy angles, but totally debased and bent on destruction. Their service is to the Antichrist even as holy angels serve Jesus Christ.
The Antichrist will also have help from hell. These are angels and fallen men who have been locked up in the region of the damned. Jude 6 states, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 1:6). In the original Greek word “reserved” means “to guard; to keep the eye on; to prevent from escaping.” There is a company of fallen angles who are so vile and abhorrent that God will not loose them in the earth before the Rapture. At the “judgment of the great day”, which is the Tribulation period, God will loose them. They will unleash such filth, perversion, and ungodliness greater than men now can imagine.
They have had centuries to fester in their hatred for God and His Christ-centered kingdom. It is their battle to break the hold of the great God, Jehovah, and enthrone their god, Lucifer. No energy must be spared or wasted. John describes this company. “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone” (Revelation 9:1-3, 6-11, 15-17).
Here are two groups of darkened spirits and depraved human souls. The first company is unnumbered, but the second is 200 million. They are the servants of the Antichrist and join in a worldwide attack. The Beast from Hell will man an army with destructive power. The world will become a wilderness.
Isaiah describes what will result from this legion of evil led by Satan’s messiah, the Antichrist. “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously” (Isaiah 24:17-23).
The Beast From Hell
Surely, such a picture is enough to warm the wicked and to excite the righteous. The great God does not send this dragon because he desires our destruction. Rather, wickedness is released to expose its vilest nature and to finish forever the debased schemes of godless men. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is waiting to fill the earth as water cover the sea. Satan’s last hour is the prelude of a cloudless eternity. Every believer ought to rejoice as the judgments near. The old saying is fitting, “The darkest hour is just before the dawn.”