The Coming and Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ: The Apostasy, Part 7

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THE APOSTASY
In league with this first beast will be a second, viewed in Revelation 13, as having two horns like a lamb, but speaking as a dragon. This is antichrist, the false messiah, a mimicry of the true Lamb of God, combining, in his own person, power in the land of Israel (being accepted as their prince by the mass of Jews), the head of Jewish apostasy (Rev. 13:11-1811And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And 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. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And 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. 15And 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. 16And 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: 17And 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. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:11‑18)), and also exercising all the power of the first beast before him. Arch-leader too of the apostasy of Christendom, he denies the Father and the Son (1 John 2:2222Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)). Men in that day will be so deluded that they will worship the dragon, who gives the beast his power; also the beast, saying, “Who is like unto the beast?”; and also the antichrist, who sits in the temple of God, and shows that he is God (2 Thess. 2:44Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4)).
In addition to this, the wicked one leads men to make an image to the beast; and he has “power to give life (or breath) 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. 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; 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” (Rev. 13:14-1714And 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. 15And 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. 16And 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: 17And 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. (Revelation 13:14‑17)). Some will be so bold-faced in their wickedness that they receive the mark in their foreheads, willingly and openly owning the beast; others who receive it in their right hand, which would be more secret, can show on whose side they are if necessary. Those who refuse the mark and will not bow down to and worship the image of the beast are prohibited from buying or selling, and must in consequence pass through terrible sufferings, many being martyred.
There will be a terrible hour of temptation, not only for Judah, but for the whole world (Rev. 3:1010Because 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. (Revelation 3:10)), to try them that dwell on the earth. These latter are a special class, mentioned many times in the Revelation, termed variously in our translation “inhabiters of,” or “dwellers on the earth,” a class whose hearts are fully set on the earth and earthly things, to the exclusion of the claims of God.
Towards the closing hour of this awful scene that we have been tracing, the evil system that is viewed in the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of Revelation as a woman, and also as a city, whose name is “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth,” receives the cup of judgment from God. This represents ecclesiastical corruption— Rome, the mother and center, enriched by unholy traffic and intimacy with the worldly powers. The beast and ten horns or kings, that is, the civil power, after supporting her for a time (for she is seen riding upon the beast), at last hate her, and are the instruments in God’s hand of her judgment (Rev. 17:3,16-183So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3)
16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:16‑18)). Kings, merchants, shipmasters, traders, sailors, bewail her fall (Rev. 18).
In comparing Revelation 17:11And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (Revelation 17:1) with Revelation 21:99And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9), we find the prophet in the former passage invited to come and see her judgment, and he is carried in the spirit into the wilderness; in the latter passage to come and see the bride, the Lamb’s wife, and he is carried in the spirit to a great and high mountain. There is shown to him the Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
(Continued and to be Continued).