"If Anyone Has An Ear, Let Him Hear" (continued)
You know, beloved, because of the world spirit which has been allowed to prevail in the church, it has been the history of most of what is called "Christianity" to follow after that which is sensational, to follow after that which has a show of authority and power, to follow after that which is successful, because these things seem to have life in them. But in truth, it is only the counterfeit of the One Who is Real Life and Power and Authority. And only those who have an ear to hear, only those "in the Spirit," only those who have allowed the way of the Cross in their lives will be able to calculate the number of the beast. Only those who have the work of the Cross in their lives will be able to discern that which is truly the Resurrection Life, and the Resurrection Power of the Lord Jesus Christ. So for those who have an ear to hear, the Holy Spirit clearly and purposefully reveals this deadly strategy of satan to counterfeit the Cross, and the Resurrection of the True Lamb of God. The Holy Spirit does this as He inspires John to use the following phrase to describe the deadly wound of this beast: "as having been slain" (Revelation 13:3). Although the King James Version, and some other translations of the Bible, do not make the phrase clear enough for us, it should read: "as having been slain," or "as if it had been slain") Does this sound familiar? Well, it is familiar because, in Revelation 5:6, the Holy Spirit also uses this phrase "as having been slain" to describe the True Lamb of God: "as though it had been slain".
In the Greek, these two phrases in Revelation 5:6 and 13:3, are very similar as to their wording, there are just slight differences in grammar, but there the similarity ends. And that is because one phrase refers to the True Lamb of God, and the other one refers to the counterfeit lamb of satan For in Revelation five, we find the Lamb of God as it had been slain, we find the Lamb, Who bears the wounds of the Cross in His Glorified Body, standing in the midst of the Throne where He Reigns in Absolute Sovereignty forever and forever. However, in Revelation thirteen, we find that the beast, the counterfeit lamb, who is merely an agent of satan, is completely bound to the earthly, to the temporary realm; and that is because this bestial lamb receives his power, his throne, and his authority from the dragon. This means that the power of this counterfeit lamb, the power of that which is antichrist, is limited.
"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he (the dragon) stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea ... and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority" (Revelation 12:17; 13:1, 2.)
The dragon, that ancient serpent, called the devil, and satan: "stood upon the sand of the sea" (Revelation 13:1). Please note that the King James Version, and some other translations, lead us to believe that it was John that was standing on the sands of the sea; but the words, "I stood" should read "he stood." Therefore, it was the dragon, the serpent of old, who is called the devil, and satan, that "stood on the sand of the sea." We all know that the sand of the sea is forever moving and shifting. Consequently, the Holy Spirit is instructing us that the dragon's stand is temporary, "he hath but a short time" (Revelation 12:12): - his power is limited! His throne is unstable! His authority is short lived!
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 32 - "He That Hath Understanding, Let Him Calculate the Number of the Beast")
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