Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

August 14, 2011

Volume 10 Number 16

The Image to the Beast

Some ask, "How can I avoid worshipping the "Image of the Beast" that is described in the Book of Revelation?" Also called the "Image to the Beast," it will either represent or be dedicated to a powerful end-time ruler who, powered by the Dragon (Satan), will be worshipped as God:

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? -Revelation 13

A miracle-working conspirator in the end-time deception will order (or has ordered) the production of the "Image." He will deceive and/or coerce people throughout the world to worship the idol, whether male or female, which "miraculously" comes to life and speaks to them!

14 And deceives 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.

15 And he had power to give life to 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. -Revelation 13

The Bible clearly and repeatedly answers the question by expressly forbidding us from making images that we bow before or worship as idols:

4 You shall not make to you any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: -Exodus 20

4 Turn you not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Yahweh your God. -Leviticus 19

1 You shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down to it: for I am Yahweh your God. -Leviticus 26

16 Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, -Deuteronomy 4

23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which Yahweh your God has forbidden you. -Deuteronomy 4

8 You shall not make you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: -Deuteronomy 5

22 Neither shall you set you up any image; which Yahweh your God hates. -Deuteronomy 16

Such images corrupt our hearts, bring curses upon us, and become deceiving snares:

12 And Yahweh said to me, Arise, get you down quickly from here; for your people which you have brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they have quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image. -Deuteronomy 9

15 Cursed is the man that makes any graven or molten image, an abomination unto Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. -Deuteronomy 27

36 And they served their idols: which were a snare to them. -Psalms 106

Nevertheless, rebellious hearts set up such images, which serve as an integral part of their worship practices:

4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. -Psalms 115

17 And you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them: -Deuteronomy 29

30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. -Judges 18

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. -1 Kings 21

18 And they left the house of Yahweh God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. -2 Chronicles 24

12 For they served idols, whereof Yahweh had said to them, You shall not do this thing. -2 Kings 17

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. -Romans 1

Many become enraged when we tell them that God cannot be worshipped as an idol that is made with hands. Paul witnessed this among the Ephesians:

27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nothing; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana Artemis should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.

28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana Artemis of the Ephesians. -Acts 19

Those that worship images as idols are really worshipping them as "gods," which are called "devils." These are the spirits of demons:

26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but Yahweh made the heavens. -1 Chronicles 26

19 What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?

20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. -1 Corinthians 10

Yahweh’s people earnestly resist the worship of images:

18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up. -Daniel 3

4 But what says the answer of God Yahweh to him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. -Romans 11

Images of idols do not belong among Yahweh’s people:

30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. -Leviticus 26

12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. -1 Kings 15

24 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Yahweh. -2 Kings 23

15 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of Yahweh, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. -2 Chronicles 33

18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. -Isaiah 2

Bowing before any image prepares us to worship the Beast and his Image and to receive the judgment that follows:

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. -Revelation 14

2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. -Revelation 16

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked 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. -Revelation 19

Nevertheless, some will not follow after the Beast. The people of God will repent from idol worship:

23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. -Ezekiel 37

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. -Revelation 15

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yahshua, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years. -Revelation 20

We will not worship the Beast nor his Image if we keep the commandments of God and stand firm in our faith that Yahshua (Jesus) is the only Savior:

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yahshua. -Revelation 14

John closed his first epistle with a firm warning:

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. -1 John 5

 

 

 

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