Click anywhere on the writing in this box for a small portion of this study which I feel could pertain to this presidential election year, 2008. We're hearing a lot about voting, mortgages, the raising of taxes, and spreading the wealth around. Of which, the Bible has something to say.

The Second Beast

For there to be a second beast, there must also be a first. Both are well described in the Bible. The first appears in Revelation 13:1 and the second in Revelation 13:11. The term beast is used in Revelation but actually both have been around for a long long time. Just what are these beast? I believe the first to be a power, (or government), structure and the head, (or ruler), of that power structure is the second beast.

Rev 13:1 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.

Rev 13:11 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.

Note in Rev 13:1 we have the basic description of that power structure, (beast no. one). Then in Rev 13:11 a brief description of it's leader, (or beast No. two). I believe beast no. one to be the world's governing system that's in place today, September, 2008. Note I said world's system. A combination of all the countries systems coming together as one. Naturally it has to have a leader, (beast no. two). Revelation 13:2 thru 10 gives a little more description of the system, (beast no. one). and Revelation 13:12 thru 18 gives greater description of the actions of it's leader, (beast no. two). It appears that from 13:1 thru 10, the leader isn't actually present, but's in charge from some distance. I guess we could call him an absentee owner. In verses 11 thru 18 he's actually present and conducting business in a very personal way.

Remember, I said this had been around for a long long time. Nothing new. Only new to the earth as we know the earth now. The next two verses describe the same system, but there's a slight difference in the power structure. You can probably pick up on it real quick. It's Satan's first attempt to overthrow God. Note it takes place in Heaven while chapter 13 takes place on earth as we know it now.

Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Note in Revelation 12:3 there are seven crowns upon the seven heads, while in Revelation 13:1 there are ten crowns on the ten horns. The dragon, (Satan), was unsuccessful in his first attempt, but he's coming again to try his modified power structure. I think having ten crowns this time means he's delegating more authority to those under him. A little more effort and just maybe he'll overcome this time. Just who are wearing these ten crowns?

Rev 17:12 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.

Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Where did these come from? How did they get here?

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Rev 12:9 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.

I think ten of these angels are the ten kings. They're all a bunch of losers. Just look in Revelation 17:14 above. For them to make war with the Lamb, (Jesus Christ), they must already be here when Jesus returns. This agrees with 2 Thessalonians 2:1 thru 2:4.

2 Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2 Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2 Th 2:4 Who 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.

The son of perdition, I believe to be just another one of Satan's names. See Revelation 12:9 above.

Let's examine a little more detail of the first beast, which is the power system of the second beast.

The First Beast:
Rev 13:2 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.

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered[1] after the beast.

1 "WONDERED": 2296. thaumazo, thou-mad'-zo; from G2295; to wonder; by impl. to admire:--admire, have in admiration, marvel, wonder.

Rev 13:4 And they worshipped[1] 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?

1 "WORSHIPPED": 4352. proskuneo, pros-koo-neh'-o; from G4314 and a prob. der. of G2965 (mean. to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (lit. or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):--worship.

When everyone's in agreement, (especially to the point of worshipping Satan, (more like licking his hand), who then is going to make war? Can't you just visualize this? Not just worshipping Satan, but to the point of acting like a dog licking the hands of it's master. It's going to be a sickening site, people, your friends, neighbors, and mine, doing this. You know what? This is just what Satan wants. To be worshiped and in this fashion. He even tried to get Jesus, (God in the flesh), to do it! Now that's ambition! It happened while tempting Jesus in the wilderness.

Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him, {Jesus}, up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Luke 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

I'm sure this character knows that all belongs to God, (Jesus), already.

Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth[1] speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

1 "MOUTH": 4750. stoma, stom'-a; prob. strengthened from a presumed der. of the base of G5114; the mouth (as if a gash in the face); by impl. language (and its relations); fig. an opening (in the earth); spec. the front or edge (of a weapon):--edge, face, mouth.

Just who gave him his power? I'm sure God to gave Satan enough power to do his job. It's pretty obvious his weapon is his mouth.

Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Rev 13:7 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.

Note, this power was given to him............ God is in complete control.

Rev 13:8 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.

Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Rev 13:10 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.

Now, the description of Ole pretty boy showing up on the scene. Gotta patch up his government that's been in the hands of mere flesh men so far. But remember Revelation 12:7 thru 9 above? He really doesn't want to come here. He's got it made in Heaven. Michael has to kick him and his crud, (angels), out.

The second beast:
Rev 13:11 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[1].

1 "DRAGON": 1404. drakon, drak'-own; prob. from an alt. form of derkomai (to look); a fabulous kind of serpent (perh. as supposed to fascinate):--dragon

The reason he spoke as a dragon, is because he is the dragon. Satan himself.

What are they going to be doing as soon as they arrive?

Rev 12:12 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.

Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

The Man Child????? ..... Jesus.

Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

Remember Strong's definition of the word mouth? Yeah that's his weapon alright.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The only religion in the world that has the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Christian religion. I figure he has the others already. The chart below gives the current population and religion percentage numbers. Current being September, 2008.

If you fall in the 33 percent, Satan's after you.

Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth[1] all the power of the first beast before[2] him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

1 "EXERCISETH": 4160. poieo, poy-eh'-o; appar. a prol. from of an obsol. prim.; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):--abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield. Comp. G4238.

2 "BEFORE": 1799. enopion, en-o'-pee-on; neut. of a comp. of G1722 and a der. of G3700; in the face of (lit. or fig.):--before, in the presence (sight) of, to.

Satan will go about this with great speed. Fulfilling this prophecy without delay. Remember, he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders[1], so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight[2] of men,

1 "WONDERS": 4592. semeion, say-mi'-on; neut. of a presumed der. of the base of G4591; an indication, espec. cer. or supernat.:--miracle, sign, token, wonder.

See Job 1:16 where God allowed Satan to tempt Job. His miracles will be so spectacular he will convince all but the very elect.

Job 1:16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Note, in Job, people thought it was God who brought down the fire. Here in Revelation people will think so too. Other than Elijah, Satan is the only entity God has allowed to do this before. I'll add the two stories of Elijah just so you can see that it was actually God that brought down the fire and not Elijah.

Story 1. Elijah talking:
1 Ki 18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

1 Ki 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Story 2:
2 Ki 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

2 Ki 1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

2 Ki 1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

2 Ki 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

2 Ki 1:14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

2 Ki 1:15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

Rev 13:14 And 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[2] to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

2 "IMAGE": 1504. eikon, i-kone'; from G1503; a likeness, i.e. (lit.) statute, profile, or (fig.) representation, resemblance:--image.

People are not too hard to deceive. Just think about the people around you. Even yourself. I'll bet you've been deceived, and it probably wasn't too hard. On a large, worldwide scale, just remember the Y2K scandal. His miracles will be even more convincing. People are quick to leave God and go worship something or someone else. Remember Moses went upon Mount Sinai for forty days and nights. There received the ten commandments in stone. Before that time was over, the people below, (whom had witnessed all sorts of miracles from the True and Living God), started worshiping another image. A molten calf. When this wonder boy shows up, it wont take that long to start worshiping him and his system.

2 Th 2:8 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:

2 Th 2:9 Even him, {the him being Jesus}, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

With all that's going on today, and today being September, 2008, wars, rumors of wars, economic breakdown, shortage of energy, great earthquakes, and weather patterns of massive destruction, with his supernatural abilities, (or outright miracles), he'll convince the whole world including lots of those claiming to be Christian, that he's the Messiah.

With the shortage of energy such a huge concern, wouldn't it be something if he just very simply instructed us how to solve it. Remember the fire, (or lightning), he brings down from heaven? What if. ..... Just what if.... he demonstrated to us how to harness the power of lightening. Store all that energy. I've been told there's enough energy in one bolt of lightening to power the city of New York for more than one year. There are some 16 million lightning storms in the world each year. And just haw many lightning bolts are in one storm? I think that would be enough to cure the energy crises.

I think of the increase of earth's population and how food could become a very critical issue. We do have to eat you know. My mind goes back to The Old Testament scriptures that to me, demonstrates some people that had supernatural farming and horticultural capabilities. Moses had sent spies into Canaan. they returned with good news and bad. The good news was......

Num 13:23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

Can you imagine a cluster of grapes so huge that it took two men to carry it?

Now for the bad news:

Num 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Num 13:32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

Num 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Now these were huge men, (giants). Were they left over from the time of Noah's flood, or another occurrence of the same? It appears to me that they at least had some super intelligence, at least great knowledge in the raising of grapes. A cluster so huge that it took two men to carry. I think with knowledge as such, Satan, (the second beast), could assure us there would be no shortage of food under his rule. Imagine, all the food we could possibly want and more energy than we could ever consume.

Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

We as a people are already genetically altering vegetables and animals for consumption. Just imagine what we could do with just a little supernatural help. I'm just putting my thoughts in writing.

Los Angeles Times Staff Writers Karen Kaplan and Thomas H. Maugh
September 19, 2008:

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday opened the way for a bevy of genetically engineered salmon, cows and other animals to leap from the laboratory to the marketplace.

Rev 13:15 And 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.

Heal that deadly wound. Put that square peg in that round hole? Should be killed? Kinda reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Dan 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

Dan 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Rev 13:16 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:

What's in your forehead? Your brain. When this time rolls around, you'd better use it.

Rev 13:17 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 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count[1] the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

1 "COUNT" 5585. psephizo, psay-fid'-zo; from G5586; to use pebbles in enumeration, i.e. (gen.) to compute:--count.
5586. psephos, psay'-fos; from the same as G5584; a pebble (as worn smooth by handling), i.e. (by impl. of use as a counter or ballot) a verdict (of acquittal) or ticket (of admission); a vote:--stone, voice.

When this time comes around, who will you be voting for? .... Currently, in 2008, in fun people are saying one of our presidential candidates is the Messiah, he'll part the waters, and save the earth. Some say he's the antichrist. He's neither, but, God does send us types. ......Wake up America!!!

You want it all? Everything? He's got it. Just vote for him, when he comes on the scene. Of course that means you've rejected Jesus.

Revelation chapter eighteen holds more information about his government, his economic plan, his beast system, and it's destruction. Read it closely. Following it will be the same system he had before, when God sentenced him to death. Compare the two. I think you'll understand it to be so.

Back to the first beast. The system:
Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory

Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon[1] the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

1 "BABYLON": 897. Babulon, bab-oo-lone'; of Heb. or. [H894]; Babylon, the capital of Chaldaea (lit. or fig. [as a type of tyranny]):--Babylon.

894. Babel, baw-bel'; from H1101; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Bab. empire:--Babel, Babylon.

Babylon, (or Babel, the end time confusion), is done away with.

Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed[1] rich through the abundance[2] of her delicacies[3].

1 "WAXED": 4147. plouteo, ploo-teh'-o; from G4148; to be (or become) wealthy (lit. or fig.):--be increased with goods, (be made, wax) rich.

2 "ABUNDANCE": 1411. dunamis, doo'-nam-is; from G1410; force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl. a miracle itself):--ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

3 "DELICACIES": 4764. strenos, stray'-nos; akin to G4731; a "straining", "strenuousness" or "strength", i.e. (fig.) luxury (voluptuousness):--delicacy.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

If (my people), is part of the church, which I believe to be, then this proves that the church is still here, right up to the very end of this flesh age. Not taken out, (raptured). If you aren't really thinking for yourself, you'll want to join this church, the world church, his church. It has everything.

God had some more to say about this through Jeremiah:
Jer 51:6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.

Jer 51:45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.

Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Rev 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

Isa 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

Hab 2:16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial, (or a broad shallow cup), upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

Rev 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail[1] her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

1 "BEWAIL": 2799. klaio, klah'-yo; of uncert. affin.; to sob, i.e. wail aloud (whereas G1145 is rather to cry silently):--bewail. weep.

Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Souls of men? Is Satan trying to sell, or get something, that don't belong to him? Can he buy your soul? He's in the buying and selling business.

This verse is God talking:
Ezek 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Rev 18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Rev 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Rev 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness[1]! for in one hour is she made desolate.

1 "COSTLINESS": 5094. timiotes, tim-ee-ot'-ace; from G5093; expensiveness, i.e. (by impl.) magnificence:--costliness.

Rev 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Look at the next two verses written in the Old Testament:

Jer 51:63 And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:

Jer 51:64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

Rev 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

Rev 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries[1] were all nations deceived.

1 "SORCERIES": 5331. pharmakeia, far-mak-i'-ah; from G5332; medication ("pharmacy"), i.e. (by extens.) magic (lit. or fig.):--sorcery, witchcraft. .................... Lots of drugs in the world today. Both legal and illegal.

Another prophecy of this is Jeremiah:

Jer 25:10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

Rev 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Now for the system he, (Satan), had before:

A brief description of it was mention above in Revelation 12:4 and 5. A more detailed account is in Ezekiel chapter 28. Before we look there, let's look at some other scriptures that states there's nothing new. All that is, or will be, has already been.

Eccl 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Eccl 1:10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old[1] time, which was before us.

1 "OLD": 5769. 'owlam, o-lawm'; or 'olam, o-lawm'; from H5956; prop. concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; gen. time out of mind (past or fut.), i.e. (practically) eternity; freq. adv. (espec. with prep. pref.) always:--always (-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, [n-]) ever (-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end). Comp. H5331, H5703.

Eccl 1:11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

Keep in mind the meaning of the word old above. For I believe what is written in Ezekiel 28 took place in an age of time before the one we're in now.

Ezek 28:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

Ezek 28:2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus[1], Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

1 "TYRUS": 6865. Tsor, tsore; or Tsowr, tsore; the same as H6864; a rock; Tsor, a place in Pal.:--Tyre, Tyrus.

Deu 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

Notice the little r in their rock and the Big R in our Rock.

2 Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2 Th 2:4 Who 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.

Ezek 28:3 Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:

Satan's very smart. Has lot's of wisdom.

Ezek 28:4 With thy wisdom and with thine understanding[1] thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

1 "UNDERSTANDING": 8394. tabuwn, taw-boon'; and (fem.) tebuwnah, teb-oo-naw'; or ` towbunah, to-boo-naw'; from H995; intelligence; by impl. an argument; by extens. caprice:--discretion, reason, skilfulness, understanding, wisdom.

He's very materialistic!

Ezek 28:5 By thy great[1] wisdom and by thy traffic[2] hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:

1 "GREAT": 7230. rob, robe; from H7231; abundance (in any respect):--abundance (-antly), all, X common [sort], excellent, great (-ly, -ness, number), huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty (-ifully), X very [age].

2 "TRAFFIC": 7404. rekullah, rek-ool-law'; fem. pass. part. of H7402; trade (as peddled):--merchandise, traffic.

Economy. That's one of the things Satan's really good at. Remember the great economy in Revelation's chapter 18? The present and future economy. The current being September, 2008.

Ezek 28:6 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;

He really thinks a lot of himself.

Ezek 28:7 Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.

Ezek 28:8 They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.

Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Read all of Isaiah 14. It tells of this same character. There his name is Lucifer.

Ezek 28:9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.

Ezek 28:10 Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezek 28:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ezek 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

It appears he was promoted from prince to king. See where I get the nickname Ole pretty boy.

Ezek 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Note, he wasn't born. He was created.

Ezek 31:8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

Ezek 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth[1]; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

1 "COVERETH": 5526. cakak, saw-kak'; or sakak (Exod. 33:22), saw-kak'; a prim. root; prop. to entwine as a screen; by impl. to fence in, cover over, (fig.) protect:--cover, defence, defend, hedge in, join together, set, shut up.

A protecting angel? This must have been in the first earth and heavenly age.

Ezek 28:15 Thou wast perfect[1] in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

1 "PERFECT": 8549. tamiym, taw-meem'; from H8552; entire (lit., fig. or mor.); also (as noun) integrity, truth:--without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.

It's hard to imagine the devil being a good ole boy at one time.

Ezek 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise[1] they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

By the multitude of thy merchandise? See, I told you the economy is one of Satan's main games. It's repeated in this chapter, I feel for emphasis.

Ezek 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness[1]: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

1 "BRIGHTNESS": 3314. yiph'ah, yif-aw'; from H3313; splendor or (fig.) beauty:--brightness.

Ezek 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries[1] by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

1 "SANCTUARIES": 4720. miqdash, mik-dawsh'; or miqqedash (Exod. 15 : 17), mik-ked-awsh'; from H6942; a consecrated thing or place, espec. a palace, sanctuary (whether of Jehovah or of idols) or asylum:--chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary.

Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God will bring forth a fire from the midst of Satan, it shall devour him, and bring him to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. The death of Satan described in such a way, so we in the flesh can understand it. Satan is not flesh, and neither shall we be at this time, so the fire must be some kind of supernatural likeness, capable of destroying souls etc.

Ezek 28:19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished[1] at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

1 "ASTONISHED": 8074. shamem, shaw-mame'; a prim. root; to stun (or intrans. grow numb), i.e. devastate or (fig.) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense):--make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish (-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate (-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.

Yeah, those, (Christians), that follow Satan in the end time, are sure going to grow numb, and feel stunned, when they find they worshiped the wrong Christ. They were part of the five foolish virgins. Knew just enough of God's word to make it to about the eleventh hour, but fell away to the wrong one, in Satan's hour.

I tend to think about 33 percent of the world population, (Christians), are the only ones that might have a struggle making up their minds whether or not to vote for this character, when he appears. The rest of the world will be tickled to death. I mean literally tickled to death. Tickled at his arrival and his miracles, but they wont be so tickled when they follow him into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Remember I stated that some Christians may have a struggle during this time? My reason for that statement I get from the next few verses.

Mark 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Mark 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Mark 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

When people start telling you this, ignore what they say.

Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs[1] and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

1 "SIGNS": 4592. semeion, say-mi'-on; neut. of a presumed der. of the base of G4591; an indication, espec. cer. or supernat.:--miracle, sign, token, wonder.

A false Christ capable of doing miracles? Sounds like Ole Pretty Boy to me.

Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mark 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

In the very first paragraph I stated who and what I thought the first and second beast are. "I believe the first to be a power, (or government), structure and the head, (or ruler), of that power structure is the second beast". There are some verses from Daniel, which to me, gives much support for my belief. First I want to repeat four verses from earlier in this study.

Remember the second beast tells the people on earth that they should make and image to the first beast?

Rev 13:14 And 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.

Rev 13:15 And 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.

Heal that deadly wound. Put that square peg in that round hole? Should be killed? Kinda reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Dan 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

Dan 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Now on with those verses from Daniel.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a troubling dream. God through Daniel is about to give the interpretation.

Dan 2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation.

Dan 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.

Dan 2:26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

Dan 2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;

Dan 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

Remember, the king had demanded the impossible. Not only interpret the dream, but Daniel had to tell him what he had dreamed. Daniel first describes the dream and then gives the interpretation.

Dan 2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

Dan 2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

Dan 2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

Dan 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

Dan 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

The end of Daniel describing the dream and now the interpretation.

Dan 2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

Dan 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

Jesus is not only a King of Kings, but Lord of Lords.
Rev 19:16 And he, (the He being Jesus, my words), hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Dan 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

Dan 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

Dan 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

Dan 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle[1] themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

1 "MINGLE": 6151. 'arab, (Chald.), ar-ab'; corresp. to H6148; to commingle:--mingle (self), mix.
6148. 'arab, aw-rab'; a prim. root; to braid, i.e. intermix; techn. to traffic (as if by barter); alo to give or be security (as a kind of exchange):--engage, (inter-) meddle (with), mingle (self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be (-come, put in) surety, undertake.

We're sure hearing a lot about mortgages as of late. This month being September 2008. Wake up America. Maybe I should say, "Wake up Christians"

Something else we're hearing a lot of now, (September 2008), is taxes. The raising of taxes. Yeah, this presidential election year, one of the candidates, if elected, is going to be a raiser of taxes. His theme is hope. He even wrote a book about it, (Audacity of Hope). Think maybe the Bible has anything to say about this? Read carefully the next two verses, Daniel 11:20 and Daniel 11:21. Most Bible scholars claim the vial person in Daniel 11:21 to be the antichrist. Just prior to that vile person, comes the raiser of taxes. Carefully examine these verses along with Strong's definitions of some of the words.

Dan 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed[1], neither in anger, nor in battle.

1 "DESTROYED": 7665. shabar, shaw-bar'; a prim. root; to burst (lit. or fig.):--break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken ([-hearted]), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt, quench, X quite, tear, view [by mistake for H7663]

H7663. sabar, saw-bar'; erroneously shabar (Neh. 2:13, H15), shaw-bar'; a prim. root; to scrutinize; by impl. (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience):--hope, tarry, view, wait.

Check other scriptures in the Bible for the words destroy and destroyed. You'll find that here it doesn't have the same meaning and certainly not our modern day meaning.

Spreading the wealth around:
Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably[1], and obtain the kingdom by flatteries[2].

1 "PEACEABLY": 7962. shalvah, shal-vaw'; from H7951; security (genuine or false):--abundance, peace (-ably), prosperity, quietness.

2 "FLATTERIES": 2519. chalaqlaqqah, khal-ak-lak-kaw'; by redupl. from H2505; prop. something very smooth; i.e. a treacherous spot; fig. blandishment:--flattery, slippery.

2505. chalaq, khaw-lak'; a prim. root; to be smooth (fig.); by impl. (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate:--deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, (have, im-) part (-ner), take away a portion, receive, separate self, (be) smooth (-er).

Dan 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

Dan 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

Dan 11:24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter[1] among them the prey[2], and spoil[3], and riches[4]: yea, and he shall forecast his devices[5] against the strong holds, even for a time.

We're hearing a lot about spreading the wealth around. Dispersing the wealth? Having all, or most everyone  on the same level. No bills, etc.??? Just accept his system. Note the meanings of these words.

1 "SCATTER": 967. bazar, baw-zar'; a prim. root; to disperse:--scatter. .....  Spread the wealth around??? Dispersing the wealth?

2 "PREY": 961. bizzah, biz-zaw'; fem. of H957; booty:--prey, spoil.

3 "SPOIL": 7998. shalal, shaw-lawl'; from H7997; booty:--prey, spoil.

4 "RICHES": 7399. rekuwsh, rek-oosh'; or rekush, rek-oosh'; from pass. part. of H7408; property (as gathered):--good, riches, substance.

5 "DEVICES": 4284. machashabah, makh-ash-aw-baw'; or machashebeth, makh-ash-eh'-beth; from H2803; a contrivance, i.e. (concr.) a texture, machine, or (abstr.) intention, plan (whether bad, a plot; or good, advice):--cunning (work), curious work, device (-sed), imagination, invented, means, purpose, thought.

He has a purpose alright. .....

Again, Maybe I should say, "Wake up Christians"

In the above verse one can tell that the Bible is not talking of iron and clay, but of people. Who is this that mixes with the seed of men?

Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

Gen 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break[1] in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

In the days of these kings? Toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, (from verse 41 above)? How many toes are on a person's feet? Ten. We know that this dream was about the latter days, so these kings are in the latter days. Lets' look again in Revelations.

Rev 17:12 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.

Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

I insert the next two verses to show that God uses symbolism. Saying one thing to represent another. As the ten horns are ten kings in Revelation 17:12, the toes in Daniel 2:41 are the ten kings in Daniel 2:44. Both Daniel and Revelations are describing the same kings present at the return of Christ. They are leaders in Satan's, (the second beast's), ruling party, which is the first beast.

Hosea 12:10 (God talking). I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes[1], by the ministry of the prophets.

1 "SIMILITUDES": 1819. damah, daw-maw'; a prim. root; to compare; by impl. to resemble, liken, consider:--compare, devise, (be) like (-n), mean, think, use similitudes.

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Dan 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Who or what is the second beast of Revelation? I believe it to be both the antichrist and Ole Pretty Boy himself, Satan, who has many names. One for each role he plays. This role is much too big for him to allow anyone else to play. Not even his kings or angels.

Ole Pretty Boy and his power structure is talked of more in the book of Daniel. He's described as a king of fierce countenance.

Dan 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

What can we as Christians do in order to prepare for this? Read! Read! Read with understanding!

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

See Rev. 12:7-9 where Michael and his angel stand up.

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Rev 12:9 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.

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro[1], and knowledge shall be increased.

1 "FRO": 7751. shuwt, shoot; a prim. root; prop. to push forth; (but used only fig.) to lash, i.e. (the sea with oars) to row; by impl. to travel:--go (about, through, to and fro), mariner, rower, run to and fro.
Some scholars say that this word can mean apostatize. This would be more in line with 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

Dan 12:5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

Dan 12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter[1] the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Note, it doesn't state to scatter the holy people, but to scatter their power. Note the different meanings of the word scatter???.......

1 "SCATTER": 5310. naphats, naw-fats'; a prim. root; to dash to pieces, or scatter:--be beaten in sunder, break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread, scatter.

This will happen to the power of the holy people, (or God's people), not the actual people.

Dan 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Words are closed till when? The end.

Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Only at the very end will anyone understand and then only the wise. Think about the ten virgins. Five wise and five foolish.

Again, what can we as Christians do in order to prepare for this? Read! Read! Read with understanding! Be prepared. Be prepared for what? God is calling out a people to make a stand at this time.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked[1]

2 "WICKED": 4190. poneros, pon-ay-ros'; from a der. of G4192; hurtful, i.e. evil (prop. in effect or influence, and thus differing from G2556, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from G4550, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); fig. calamitous; also (pass.) ill, i.e. diseased; but espec. (mor.) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous; neut. (sing.) mischief, malice, or (plur.) guilt; masc. (sing.) the devil, or (plur.) sinners:--bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked (-ness). See also G4191.

What kind of stand? Jesus was asked what it was going to be like at his second coming. Read all of Mark 13, Matthew 24, and Luke 21, for the three accounts.

Mark 13:9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Mark 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

The Gospel, directly from the HOLY SPIRIT, through you? Yeah, that's what it says. What a stand! Bold and defiant in the face of Satan, his angels, and the whole world.

Old Testament prophecy of this:
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

Joel 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Joel 2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

True men and women of God, get ready to make a stand.

Our Proud United States Marines have a motto, "Semper Fi" The full name is Semper Fidelis." It's Latin for "Always faithful." That's what God wants. For us to be faithful to Him. I don't think that's asking too much. After all according to the next two verses Jesus is Faithful and True to us.

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

The next two verses in red is Jesus describing earthly conditions immediately before his return. Pay close attention to the meanings of the [numbered] words. There are two more verses inserted from the Old Testament. I used these verses to end another Bible Study of mine called Ten Virgins. You may want to check that study also. Like this one it has much end time prophecy.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress[1] of nations[2], with perplexity[3]; the sea and the waves roaring;

Note the meaning of the word perplexity. Sure fits today. September, 2008. Read 2 Chronicles chapter 20, for a good story about being perplexed.

1 "DISTRESS": 4928. sunoche, soon-okh-ay'; from G4912; restraint, i.e. (fig.) anxiety:--anguish, distress.

2 "NATIONS": 1484. ethnos, eth'-nos; prob. from G1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; spec. a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by impl. pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

3 "PERPLEXITY": 640. aporia, ap-or-ee'-a; from the same as G639; a (state of) quandary:--perplexity.
639. aporeo, ap-or-eh'-o; from a comp. of G1 (as a neg. particle) and the base of G4198; to have no way out, i.e. be at a loss (mentally):--(stand in) doubt, be perplexed.

Isa 22:5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

Micah 7:4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

Mark 13:8 For nation[1] shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

1 "NATION": 1484. ethnos, eth'-nos; prob. from G1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; spec. a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by impl. pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

With all that's going on now, September, 2008, aren’t people beginning to feel a little perplexed? Wars, rumors of wars, terrorism, and economic meltdown. Kinda like there's no way out? At a loss mentally? Standing in doubt? .....Wake up America! ..........  "Wake up Christians"

November 4th. 2008. 11:55pm:

After viewing the election results and lying in bed thinking, a portion of the Bible came to my mind. The little short book of Habakkuk. I thought it appropriate for me to add a few verses to this study. I recommend you read the entire book. It only has three chapters and contains end time prophecy.

Hab 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously[1]: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

1 "MARVELLOUSLY": 8539. tamahh, taw-mah'; a prim. root; to be in consternation:--be amazed, be astonished, marvel (-lously), wonder. ....... Webster's definition of consternation is, "terrify, great fear, or shock".

Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Acts 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Thanks, for allowing me, to share this with you. Remember, to always, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

In His Word,
Art Porter

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