Today’s message summary of April 26, 2015 from Pastor Gus Brown:
The last days will be much like the days of Noah.
Matthew 24:37-38
As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.
The second beast in Revelation has to have a society in which he can direct his work–a culture in which he can develop his style of life. Men are already programmed to worship something.
Revelation 13:13-18
He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. He deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. He was permitted to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he requires everyone–small and great, rich and poor, free and slave–to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name. Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God.
The second beast is going to have control of and be able to offer the following (Revelation 13:14-16):
- All financial institutions
- Employment (payroll)
- Payments
- Retirement income
- Loans, mortgages and automobile financing
- All commerce worldwide
People who accept the mark are offered:
- Protection (at least initially)
- Meeting one’s material needs
- A part of a worldwide family that is able to enjoy life without fear of punishment for the sin that is committed
- Acceptance of the first beast (religion) and the second beast (political power)
There is a philosophy that exists today–separation of church and state–that has been accepted today as being necessary. This system is not found within the constitution; however, the End Times will reflect a merging of religion and political power with the emergence of the two beasts.
Noah is not found in Revelation, yet these times are described as those similar to the days of Noah. How close will these times be to those of Noah?
Noah’s great grandson is Nimrod. Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, was the queen of Babylon (Assyria).
Look at Nimrod and Semiramis. Semiramis is not mentioned in the bible, but she is referenced in history. Both are associated with the land of Shinar.
Genesis 10:8-10
Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth. He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord.” His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
1 Chronicles 1:10
Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first to become a great warrior on earth.
Genesis 11:1-8
At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary. As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let us make oven-fired bricks.” They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, “If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city.
Babylon is the capital of Assyria. The land of Babylonia has the Hebrew name: Shinar.
Astrology traces its origin to Nimrod. Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, came to be called the “Supreme one–the Priestess” (Jeremiah 7:18) and was known as the “Queen of Heaven” (Jeremiah 44:15-23).
Revelation 16:19
The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; He gave her the cup filled with the wine of His fierce anger.
Revelation 17:1-6, 13-16
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality. So he carried me away in the Spirit to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile and with the impurities of her prostitution. On her forehead a cryptic name was written:
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.
Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
He also said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.
Our country is moving quickly towards all of these immoral acts described here. We are conditioned to the point where these things are no longer bothering people, and for many, they are more than willing to act these things out.
Babylon will have both the political influence (Nimrod) and the religious influence (Semiramis). Semiramis has many different names all throughout history, but the concept of the beast’s rule with the merger of religion and political rule is the same.
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