MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Book of Revelation: Chapter Thirteen
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Let us bow our heads; If we need to use the Recovery Procedure as found in 1 John 1:9, let us do so at this time that we might be in fellowship. (pause) Father, we thank you for the privilege and opportunity to study your word and for the freedom that you have provided for us here in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.A.; furthermore, we express our appreciation to God the Holy Spirit who will enlighten us regarding the message this evening. We as priests pray this through the person of our Lord Christ Jesus, our High Priest, Amen.
Isaiah 53:3, "Despised [hated by the religious unbeliever] and forsaken by men [by his loved ones], a man of adversities [sorrows, sadness, pain, pressures: seeing the gospel rejected, the ordeal of being betrayed by friends, being the object of hatred, jealousy, and murder lust] and knowing catastrophe [the grief and mental anguish of knowing that Jerusalem would be destroyed and that all those who would reject Him would go to the Lake of Fire forever]; And like one from whom men hide their face [like a leper: Leviticus 13:45], He was despised and we did not esteem [no value was placed on] Him."
The Gentile dictator of the Revived Roman Empire (Revelation 13:1-10)
Revelation 13:1
Then, I [John] saw [a vision] the beast-dictator [the gentile, bestial dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] ascending from [filled the void left from a worldwide lack of truth] the sea [of nations of the old Roman Empire] having ten horns [originally, the beast-dictator was a part of this confederation, the 10 nations of the Revived Roman Empire of the first half of the Tribulation], and seven heads [three leaders of nations had to be conquered; the remaining seven leaders of these nations then submitted]; this means [this is one of the 17 different uses of the Greek word kai] that on its ten horns [representing ten powerful nations] were ten crowns [kings representing the original ten nation-confederation of the Revived Roman Empire], and over its heads [these kings] the name blasphemy [the seven remaining kings of the Revived Roman Empire in the last half of the Tribulation will submit to this beast-dictator who will also gain authority over ecumenical religion by the middle of the Tribulation.].
Καὶ εἶδον ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον, ἔχον κέρατα δέκα καὶ κεφαλὰς ἑπτά, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ δέκα διαδήµατα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ ὄνοµα βλασφηµίας.
This dictator is called in the Greek θηρίον, a beast. He will have a soul like a man-eater. He will have no virtue, empathy, concern, kindness, appreciation, and no integrity. He will be a complete criminal with no authority orientation, a soul completely scarred over, and subsequently completely controlled by his sinful lusts and will have turned himself totally over to Satan to do Satan’s bidding.
A related passage: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-11, “And so now you know the one who restrains [the Holy Spirit restrains evil in the Church Age] so that he [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] may be revealed in his own dispensation [in the Tribulation and not before]. (7) For the Mystery of Lawlessness [already people have made deals with Satan] is already operational only he [the Holy Spirit] who now restrains [will continue that ministry] until he [the Holy Spirit] is taken out of the way [at the Rapture]. (8) And then [after the Rapture] the lawless one [the dictator of the revived Roman Empire] will be revealed, whom the Lord shall destroy with the breath of His mouth [the least power of God] in fact he [the Lord Jesus Christ] shall neutralize him by the very appearance of His coming [2nd Advent], (9) [The dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] whose presence [in history] shall be according to the modus operandi of Satan with all power and by means of supernatural signs [extra natural phenomena in the spiritual realm like healing] even lying wonders [propaganda]. (10) and by means of all deception of unrighteousness [This dictator is a pathological liar who has a ministry of disinformation and will deceive both unbelievers and some believers] to those who are being destroyed [ruined: If you do not possess truth, you will be deceived, ruined and destroyed.] because they did not receive the love for the truth [These unbelievers reject God at God Consciousness or at Gospel hearing or both; believers reject truth as related to their spiritual lives], in order that they might be delivered [from delusion, from destruction, from catastrophe]. (11) And so, for this reason, God will send them [unbelievers of the Tribulation] the modus operandi of delusion [from black-out and scar tissue of the soul; strong delusion among the masses produces a power to be exploited by demagogues] so that they should believe the lie [the propaganda of the Dictator of the Revived Roman Empire will take advantage of the strong delusion of the masses],”
The dictator of the Revived Roman Empire will be a criminal of criminals
All criminality is acquired through arrogance. No one is born with a genetic tendency toward crime. It is all a matter of arrogance; e.g., authority arrogance, mental attitude arrogance, self-righteous arrogance, sexual arrogance, the arrogance of unhappiness, and above all, psychopathic arrogance. All criminals are such because of their own volition, because they have made a decision to be a criminal. Environment is not the issue in criminality. The environment does not mold the criminal, rather the criminal molds the environment. Honor and integrity can belong to all, not just to one social caste. There may be 8 siblings from a very poor home. Seven become wonderful responsible citizens while one becomes a criminal. Criminals are criminals not because of their environment, but because they will to be so.
Criminality actually begins with rejection of authority in the home. Rejection of parental authority eventually results in the rejection of all legitimate authority including God’s Laws of Establishment, and therefore the criminal is totally disoriented to life. He seeks to superimpose his authority on society. In arrogance, he gives lip service to the authority he encounters, but in his soul, he despises any and all authority except his own. A law-abiding citizen may be irresponsible without being a criminal, but all criminals are irresponsible all the time.
The criminal lives inside the Cosmic System. He is totally preoccupied with himself. He is hypersensitive about himself and insensitive toward others. Strangely enough, he is very self-righteous, and filled with self-justification regarding his criminal deeds. For example, it happens many times in prison riots during which criminals will kill other criminals. When asked why they killed another criminal, they will answer because the other criminal deserved to die. He raped and killed children whereas I merely raped and killed adults for I would never touch a child.
The criminal is a bored person. He wants excitement and proof of his power. In fact, the criminal's desire for excitement is so great that he becomes jaded without constant stimulation from excitement. To the criminal, living without excitement is a put-down. Therefore, the criminal requires constant stimulation related to his crimes, sex, torture, alcohol, or drugs, making others afraid of him. Eventually, only extreme criminal activity related to torture, rape, and murder is satisfactory as an antidote to his boredom.
All liars are not criminals, but all criminals are liars. For the criminal, lying is a way of life. Therefore, the criminal becomes a pathological liar. Habitual deceit and lying is the criminal's total disregard for the truth in any form. Lying is the criminal's standard way of dealing with the world, a part of criminal manipulation.
The criminal is saturated with a lust pattern of arrogance. He has sexual lust, killer lust, power lust, approbation lust, money lust, stimulation lust requiring extensive use of drugs or alcohol, cruelty lust from which comes torture and abuse of others, as well as homicide. From his arrogant preoccupation with self, the criminal is involved in a lust pattern from which it is almost impossible to break away.
Revelation 13:2
Furthermore, the beast [the dictator of the revived Roman Empire] which I [John] saw was like a leopard [like Alexander the Great who rapidly conquered and formed the Macedonian Empire] his rapid conquest will be accomplished in a year or two so that he will be in complete control by the middle of the Tribulation], and his feet were like the feet of a bear [like the Persians who were pro-Semitic, he also was initially] and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion [a reference to the Chaldeans who conquered the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C.]. And the dragon [Satan] gave to him his power and his throne and great authority [to be the ruler of the Revived Roman Empire and the leader of ecumenical religion, he had to be promoted by Satan and as such he is now totally Satan’s man].
καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδον ἦν ὅµοιον παρδάλει, καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου, καὶ τὸ στόµα αὐτοῦ ὡς στόµα λέοντος. καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν δύναµιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξουσίαν µεγάλην.
Documentation: explaining chronologically the leopard, bear, lion and the fourth national beast.
Daniel 7:1-8, “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the summary of it. (2) Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven [the rise and fall of empires under the principle that the Lord controls history] were stirring up the great sea [a reference to the peoples and nations of the world; also found in Revelation 13:1]. (3) And four great beasts [empires] were coming up from the sea [of Gentile Nations], different from one another [an idiom for explaining that they followed each other historically]. (4) The first [the Chaldean Empire established by Nabopolassar, but reached its peak under the great king, Nebuchadnezzar] was like a lion [speed, great power and destructibility] and had the wings of an eagle [The Chaldeans under Nabopolassar came into prominence very quickly because they were warlike and helped to bring down the Assyrian Empire in 612 B.C. In 605 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar’s son defeated the Egyptians at the Battle of Carchemish.]. I kept looking until its wings were plucked [Nebuchadnezzar’s madness and the palace revolution], and it was lifted up from the ground [the mental recovery and restoration of Nebuchadnezzar] and made to stand on two feet like a man [Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion as a believer]; a human mind also was given to it [He became even a greater ruler from learning God’s word]. (5) And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear [the Median-Persian Empire]. And it was raised up on one side [the Persians dominated the Medes], and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth [the story of Cyrus the Great who conquered the three ribs namely the Medes, the Lydians and the Chaldeans]; and thus, they said to it [the bear], 'Arise, devour much meat!' [the expansion of the Persian Empire in 25 Years from India on the east to the Aegean Sea in the west, to the Persian Gulf in the south and Egypt to the southwest]. (6) After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard [Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire which he conquered in 12 years], which had on its back four wings of a bird [the first wing: the conquest of Asia Minor, the second wing: the conquest of the Mediterranean world namely Cilicia, Syria, Tyre at that time an island and Egypt, the third was the conquest of Persian’s eastern empire including Mesopotamia; the fourth wing: Parthia, Bactria, Sogdiana, the Hindu Kush and northern India] the beast also had four heads [after the death of Alexander in 323 B.C., there were four Hellenistic Monarchies: Seleucus who ruled from India to Palestine, Ptolemy who formed the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cassander who ruled Macedonia and Lysimachus who set up a kingdom including Asia Minor, Thrace and Armenia.] and dominion was given to it [the Hellenistic Monarchies until conquered by the Romans]. (7) After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast [the Roman Empire and the first Gentile Client Nation to God], terrible [described a terrible event which happened when SPQR was a republic at which time, the Roman citizens were driven off of their farms by Hannibal and into the gates of Rome] and dreadful [the conquest of the Mediterranean from 264, the first Punic War to 146 B.C. the destruction of Carthage. In this same year, Rome also defeated Corinth, the Achaean League and the Greek monarchies as well; Rome became an empire and the Mediterranean became a Roman lake.] and extremely strong [the transition from the Republic to the Monarchy]; and it had large iron teeth [Rome became very powerful starting in 146 B.C. at the fall of Carthage to 49 B.C. when Caesar became the ruler]. It devoured and crushed and trampled down with its feet the remainder [the extension of the Roman Empire], and it was different from [unique among] all the beasts that were before it [in that it was the greatest empire of the ancient world because it became the first Gentile Client Nation to God and the most prosperous empire in history], and [the transition from the Roman Empire to the Revived Roman Empire] it had ten horns [the ten nation confederation in the first part of the Tribulation]. (8) While I was contemplating the horns [the ten nation-confederation], behold, another horn, a little one [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire is called a ‘little horn’ as compared to a nation], came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it [This dictator decisively defeated three of the nations.]; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man [great perceptive ability; undoubtedly a genius] and a mouth speaking eloquently [Satan will pick an very intelligent person with the ability to lie eloquently].”
Revelation 13:3
And [I saw] one of its heads [one of the kings namely the beast dictator], as he had been wounded to the point of death [this beast dictator was fatally wounded at some point] nevertheless his mortal wound was healed [It was a supernatural recovery which implied that he was more than a mere mortal and so could not be killed. Satan was setting him up to be worshipped.]. And the entire world was amazed [regarding the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire due to his recovery from a mortal wound, his power and ability in the field of super natural phenomena] and followed the beast-dictator [total admiration for this god-like creature].
καὶ µίαν ἐκ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐσφαγµένην εἰς θάνατον, καὶ ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη. καὶ ἐθαυµάσθη ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου,
Revelation 13:4
Furthermore, they worshipped the dragon [Satan] because he gave absolute power [both power and authority] to the beast-dictator, also they worshipped the beast-dictator; and they said, "Who is like the beast-dictator and who is able to make war against him [People without truth worship power and since this beast-dictator has been given so much power, he became the object of their worship.]?"
καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ δράκοντι ὅτι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῷ θηρίῳ, καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θηρίῳ λέγοντες, Τίς ὅµοιος τῷ θηρίῳ, καὶ τίς δύναται πολεµῆσαι µετí αὐτοῦ;
Here we have people worshipping a creature. The first creature they worship is Satan himself who is called the dragon who has tremendous power. Then, they worship the person to whom he gives that power. This is misdirected worship for the true basis of worship must be truth, Bible doctrine. When you worship power instead of truth then you are in trouble.
A few points regarding true worship in the Church Age:
1. Spiritual worship is rational worship. Therefore, the emotionalism of tongues and other forms of emotional revolt are excluded.
2. Basically, worship includes certain functions: singing, praying, giving, the intake of doctrine, and the communion service. Each facet of worship demands two things: the Filling of the Holy Spirit and the residence of Bible doctrine in the soul. Always, it is doctrine and the Spirit.
3. Therefore, singing must be related to doctrine and executed under the Filling of the Spirit.
4. Therefore, prayer must conform to doctrine and be executed in the Filling of the Spirit.
5. Therefore, giving must be motivated from doctrine resident in the soul and the Filling of the Spirit.
6. Therefore, perception of doctrine, the most important and basic facet of worship, demands the Filling of the Spirit.
7. Therefore, the communion service is a ritual which has no meaning apart from doctrine resident in the soul. Hence, a worship function which is impossible apart from the Filling of the Spirit.
Revelation 13:5
Furthermore, there was given to him [by Satan] a mouth [eloquence] speaking arrogant words [of evil regarding people and life] and blasphemies [giving out false information about God]; also, there was given to him authority [power] to function [for] 42 months [the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation].
Καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στόµα λαλοῦν µεγάλα καὶ βλασφηµίας, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ποιῆσαι µῆνας τεσσαράκοντα δύο.
The authority of this beast-dictator is not from God, but from Satan.
All legitimate authority is delegated authority from God:
A few points for clarification:
1. Governmental authority does not derive its power from the people; the power is derived from God.
2. Whether hereditary kings or rulers in a republic their authority has one source namely the integrity of God.
3. What God has ordained the believer has no right to contradict.
4. All rulers at all levels are responsible to God for any abuse of their authority.
5. This is why God permitted the Russian revolution of 1917 because the Romanov rulers abused their God-given authority.
6. God does not sponsor revolution, but God permits revolution as the natural historical result where authority is abused without check. Revolution does not occur when it normally would because there is a pivot large enough to offset such a catastrophe.
7. The rise of Adolf Hitler combines an abuse of authority in Germany followed the usurpation of authority by the League of Nations.
8. However, when civil power contradicts the Word of God, it subverts and denies the very source of its own authority.
9. Human arrogance and rejection of authority leads to anarchy. Human power in anarchy leads to despotism and tyranny.
10. The elevation of establishment and morality in compliance with the Laws of Divine Establishment via the intake of truth will accomplish more than revolution ever could, no matter how justifiable the revolution appears to be.
11. While military victory provides freedom for a nation that adheres to truth, establishment authority in obedience to the Laws of Divine Establishment maintains that freedom so that evangelization and spiritual growth can easily function within the national entity.
A few statements regarding authority:
1. The actual existence of civil authority with delegated civil power is an ordinance of divine establishment. It is not a social contract and it is not designed to solve social problems. It is designed to enforce those laws which deal with freedom, privacy, and property.
2. ‘Vox populi, vox dei’ (The voice of the people is the voice of God) is a farce. The voice of the people is not the voice of God. The voice of the people is the sum total of the function of their old sin natures in the field of arrogance, self-centeredness, selfishness and self-righteousness. In fact, vox populi est vox et praeterea nihil (the voice of the people is a voice and nothing more).
3. Hence, the ideal form of government is the existence of civil power compatible with human freedom in the divine institutions, free from Satanic good and evil.
4. Power and authority must reside in the divine institutions and not a power seized by an administrator for personal aggrandizement.
5. The royal family honor code includes duty to state or nation, patriotism as opposed to internationalism.
6. Two erroneous extremes of Christianity: 1. The state should be subordinated to the church which is erroneous. 2. The church should be subordinated to the state which is also wrong. The correct view is separation of church and state.
7. However, the government has the responsibility to protect the church in its civil rights, while the church sustains the state by the formation of a pivot of mature believers. For example, Paul himself was protected by Roman authority from Jewish legalism.
Revelation 13:6
And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His person and His tabernacle [by having his statue placed in the Holy of Holies] and those who dwell in heaven [A reference to Moses and Elijah who came from heaven to function as heralds of Christ during the second half of the Tribulation. This could also include many of the great Old Testament believers dwelling in heaven in interim bodies].
καὶ ἤνοιξεν τὸ στόµα αὐτοῦ εἰς βλασφηµίας πρὸς τὸν θεόν, βλασφηµῆσαι τὸ ὄνοµα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ σκηνοῦντας.
Revelation 13:7
Furthermore, power [the religious power of ecumenical religion] was given to him [the dictator of the revived Roman Empire] to make war against the saints [believers in last half of the Tribulation] and to overcome them [in the last half of the Tribulation]; and authority was given to him over every tribe [a reference to Jews in Israel and throughout the world] and [all the] people [citizens of the Revived Roman Empire] and [all the] languages [a reference to foreigners living outside the Revived Roman Empire] and [all the] nations [Gentile nations influenced by ecumenical religion]. [His political power was primarily in the Revived Roman Empire, whereas his religious power was worldwide.]
καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι πόλεµον µετὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτούς, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος.
Revelation 13:8
In fact all [Jewish unbelievers in last half of Tribulation] who live in the land [of Israel] will worship him [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire as the ruler of ecumenical religion], everyone whose name has not been written [as it appears in heaven for their names were blotted-out at death] in the book of life [the registry of everyone who has believed in Christ during his life on earth] belonging to the Lamb [Jesus Christ who provided His saving work on the Cross] who has been slain [put into operation in the Divine Decree] from the foundation of the cosmos [Satan’s world system came into operation after mankind sinned and consequently lost rulership of the world. Jesus did not have to be slain until the fall of mankind. Although the cross was always in the Divine Decree, it was put into operation at this point].
καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὗ οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνοµα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου τοῦ ἐσφαγµένου ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσµου.
Revelation 13:9
If anyone [a reference to Christians] has an ear [the potential for learning Bible doctrine and functioning in the system] let him hear. [You will then develop a sense of destiny which includes being law abiding. If on the other hand, you should fail, then as an example of failure, you just might enter into a lifestyle of unlawful violence as will the future dictator of the Revived Roman Empire.]
Εἴ τις ἔχει οὖς ἀκουσάτω.
Revelation 13:10
If anyone [in contrast to the verse above, whether he be gangster, political criminal, a warlord, terrorist, mercenary, religious fanatic etc.] leads others into captivity by unlawful use of violence [to deprive them of freedom, privacy and property], and it is true, he will go into captivity [those who resort to unlawful use of violence become the victims of violence.] If anyone shall kill unlawfully with the sword [the famous sword of the Romans: short with a sharp point and a double edge], and it is true, he must be killed by the sword [capital punishment]. Under these circumstances [adverb used as an idiom], it [a personal sense of destiny/spiritual self-esteem] is the steadfastness [perseverance from staying power in the soul] and the doctrine belonging to the saints.
εἴ τις εἰς αἰχµαλωσίαν, εἰς αἰχµαλωσίαν ὑπάγει· εἴ τις ἐν µαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι, αὐτὸν ἐν µαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι. Ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑποµονὴ καὶ ἡ πίστις τῶν ἁγίων.
In verse 9, we saw the mandate to continue the spiritual advance, the momentum in the spiritual life. Make good decisions from functioning under God’s power system and as a result develop a personal sense of destiny. Now what happens if one fails to do this? There is the loss of a personal sense of destiny through the function of violence.
It includes any form of violence, criminal action, which enslaves, imprisons, destroys the freedom, the property, the life of others. This can be construed as enslavement, false imprisonment, being held as hostages by terrorist groups. It can include religious or political groups who seize for the exploitation of their political or religious activities. People who use violence to advance themselves have lost control of their own lives; they have no personal sense of destiny, no confidence in God, no courage toward man and circumstances.
Violence never solves problems. Mercenaries use violence not as a representative of their own nation but for profit or plunder, for the sheer love of killing. There is a form of arrogance which derives pleasure from the use of violence to bully, to intimidate, to control others apart from establishment authority.
While the first conditional clause deprives others of freedom and property the second conditional clause uses violence to deprive people of their lives. Note the word “deprive” in contrast to the word “defend”. We do have the right to defend our freedom, our property and our lives. This is why we have both law enforcement and the military establishment to defend our freedom from both domestic and foreign violence. The principle: violence deprives, freedom defends.
Murder:
Definition and Description.
1. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being with malice aforethought, expressed or implied by the motivation of arrogance inside the Cosmic System. The motivation comes from mental attitude sins, such as self-righteous arrogance, conspiracy arrogance, criminal arrogance, crusader arrogance, political arrogance, the arrogance of ignorance, the arrogance of unhappiness, or iconoclastic arrogance.
2. Hence, murder is both a sin and a crime related to cosmic involvement, and is often manifested in religion. For example, all religions of the ancient world used human sacrifice.
3. Murder is the major attack on freedom and self-determination as a human issue in the angelic conflict. Murder is the invention of Satan and he is the motivator of murder via his Cosmic System. Murder is Satan’s genius to invent a system to attack freedom and self-determination.
4. All killing is not murder. Capital punishment is taught in Romans 13:4, “For he [the governmental authority] is a minister of God to you for the purpose of good [use your freedom to advance to maturity under the plan of God]. But if you do evil [the criminal] keep on being afraid for he does not wear the sword for nothing [the sword was used in the ancient world for capital punishment of crime]; for you see he is a minister of God for the purpose of divine wrath to him who practices the evil.”
Genesis 9:5-6, “Surely, I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. (6) Whoever sheds man's blood, by man [as a governmental function] his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.”
(1) Animals that kill people as well as humans that kill people are to be executed. We are responsible for any decision we make to murder someone else. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man [justice] his blood shall be shed [capital punishment].”
(2) Man has the right to slaughter animals for food, Genesis 9:3-4, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant [as I did in the Prediluvian Period]. (4) Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood [because the death of an animal was caused by the shedding of his blood and so used as a representative analogy to the cross].” However, this does not give man the right to slaughter people. Man, namely Cain learned to kill man, namely Abel by watching Abel kill animals.
(3) Capital punishment must be the result of due process of law, Numbers 35:30, “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” There must be two eyewitnesses. Homicide is first degree murder and must be punished by death, Numbers 35:15-18, “These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there [murder through negligence]. (16) But if he struck him down [this passage is not dealing with self-defense but intentionally murdering] with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. (17) If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. (18) Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death [these last three illustration are discussing 1st degree murder].” Leviticus 24:17, “If a man [intentionally] takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.”
Another area of legitimate killing is in battle. The soldier represents his country while functioning impersonally and professionally. It makes no difference who the object is (Christian or otherwise), you do your job and kill impersonally, not emotionally. A soldier functions impersonally and professionally to preserve the freedom of his nation, Joshua 6:21, “They utterly destroyed everything in the city [of Jericho], both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. [Today, we only kill the soldier who is trying to kill us; we do not kill civilians and animals if we can help it. These people in Jericho were so evil that the Lord commanded their complete extermination. This would exclude those from babyhood to God-consciousness; these were taken directly to heaven since they had not rejected Christ and were not evil. For them, cursing was turned to blessing]”
5. Israel, as the first client nation, was commanded to be prepared for war. Much of the establishment truth found in the Bible is first mentioned in relation to Israel. The bona fide modus operandi of warfare is declared in Ecclesiastes 3:8b, “There is a time for war and a time for peace.” If you don’t make time for war by being prepared, then there will never be peace.
6. Our Lord’s rebuke to Peter in the garden was a warning against capital punishment because of criminal action (Peter’s action as a civilian), not a warning about military killing. Matthew 26:52, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Return your sword to its scabbard, for all who draw the sword [in crime], shall die by the sword [in capital punishment].’”
7. Killing in battle is not murder. Psalm 144:1, “Blessed be the Lord who trains my hands [a reference to David] for war and my fingers for battle.” 2 Samuel 22:35, “He [the Lord] trains my hands for battle.”
8. Jesus Christ Himself holds the record for killing in battle in Isaiah 37:36, when He killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. However, our Lord will break His own record at the Second Advent when He returns to terminate the Armageddon campaign. Revelation 19:11, “Then [the first day of the 2nd Advent of Christ] I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who is mounted upon it is called, ‘Faithful and True’; and with justice He will judge and He will make war.” Revelation 19:15, “And a sharp broadsword proceeds from His mouth, in order that with it, He might destroy the nations [attacking Israel], then He will rule them with an iron scepter [in the Millennium]; prior to this He treads the wine press of the wine of wrath [found in Revelation 14:20], even the anger of God, the Omnipotent One.”
9. God is the source of some wars. 1 Chronicles 5:18-22, “The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, consisting of valiant men, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow and were skillful in battle, were 44,760, who went to war. (19) They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. (20) They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him [the Faith-rest Drill]. (21) They [the Jews] took away their cattle: their 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys; and 100,000 men. (22) For many fell-slain, because the war was of God. And they settled in their place until the exile.”
The Origin of Murder
1. John 8:43-44, “Why do you not understand what I am teaching you? It is because you cannot hear My word. [They were in the Cosmic System and refused to listen to what He said because it condemned them.] (44) You are from your father the devil, and the policies of your father the devil you wish to accomplish. He was a murderer from the beginning; furthermore, he [Satan] does not stand in the truth, because there is no doctrine in him. Whenever he communicates the lie, he speaks from his own person, for he is a liar and the father of it [the lie].” Those who reject truth are easily motivated to murder.
2. 1 John 3:12, “Not as Cain who was motivated from that evil one [Satan] and consequently, he murdered his brother [Abel] with a sacrificial knife. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds [based on moral self-righteousness] were evil, but the deeds of his brother were honorable [based on his fellowship with the Lord].”
Genesis 4:1-8 gives the historical account of the first murderer. “Now Adam had intercourse with his wife, Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, I have acquired a man from the Lord. (2) Again, she gave birth to his brother, Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks [a shepherd], but Cain was a tiller of the ground [a farmer]. (3) In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord a bloodless sacrifice [an offering] of the produce of the ground [he was working for salvation], (4) and Abel [meaning: nothingness, vapor, vanity] brought of the firstlings of his sheep and of their best [fat] portions [representing Christ and his future work on the cross]. Therefore, the Lord approved of Abel and his offering [because it represented the worship of a believer which worship most likely took place east of the Garden of Eden where the two cherubs were stationed, one representing righteousness and the other justice as similar concept to the cherubs over the Ark], (5) but of Cain and his offering he did not approve [because it represented the religious work of an unbeliever; no excuse since most farmers have some livestock and Cain could have had a small flock of sheep]. So, Cain was extremely angry [at God for not accepting his human work], and his face [fell] became contorted [an idiom for the outer expression of anger]. (6) The Lord said [the following question from the Lord is designed to awaken Cain to his situation] to Cain, "Why are you angry [a manifestation of his arrogance and jealousy], and why has your face become contorted [the face undergoes a tremendous change when anger is expressed overtly; it contorts in anger]? (7) If you do what is right [to respond to grace: believe in Christ and grow spiritually], will it not be to you a source of contentment [uplifting of the face, the antithesis of the face falling, contorting]? However, if you do not do what is right [by continuous rejection of Christ as savior], the sin bearer [the Lord Jesus Christ as the sin offering] is crouching [or lying] at the door [explained in the following sentence]. Therefore, to you [Cain] is His desire [the Lord desires to save Cain just as He saved Abel]. Therefore, you [Cain] will rule [as the eldest son] over him [Abel his brother; if Cain should become a believer, he would have had the rulership over Abel and the rest of the family; However, if he should not become a believer, he will not receive the rulership for the rulership would be passed-on to Abel; another reason why Cain decided to murder Abel.]. (8) Cain said to Abel his brother, ‘Let us go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain rose, attacked his brother Abel, and killed him.” [The lust of the sin nature is stronger than the family bond.]
Murder, violence, and terror always occurs when man becomes involved in the Cosmic System.
1. “The way of Cain” is the pattern for murder, violence, and terrorism. Jude 10-11, “But these men [these apostates of Jude 8 are contrasted with the humility of Michael] malign the things which they do not understand [everything connected with the truth]; and the things which they know by instinct [like animals], like unreasoning creatures [subjective and controlled by their emotions], by these things [subjectivity] they are corrupted [receive depravity from the destruction of the stream of consciousness]. (11) Woe [interjection of denunciation] to them [the apostates] for they have gone the way of Cain [self-righteousness, legalism, approbation lust, jealousy and murder] and for money they have rushed headlong [with reckless abandonment] into the deceit of Balaam [lust for money deceives] and perished in the rebellion of Korah [because of power and approbation-lust, they, the apostates rejected bona fide authority and suffered the consequences].”
2. The rise of crime and violence indicates national degeneration and the approach of historical catastrophe in the form of the fifth cycle of discipline for the Southern Kingdom as per Jeremiah 4:31, “For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, saying, ‘Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers.’”
3. Murder is always preceded by the mental attitude sin of arrogance. Romans 1:29, “Having been filled with all unrighteousness [lack of integrity] evil, greed, malice, full of jealousy, murder, strife, conspiracy, deceit, slanderers...”
The root of all crime is sin. Many secular studies of criminal behavior place the blame on the criminal’s upbringing and environment. These studies tend to be very subjective, emphasizing the criminal’s point of view. When a criminal is asked “Why do you commit crime?” they will naturally blame their family, their schooling (or lack of it), their peers, the church or the government. However, the criminal’s actions, and their refusal to take responsibility for their actions is a result of the sin of arrogance.
Because of his arrogance the criminal has rejected all delegated authority from God, beginning with his parents' authority in childhood and ultimately becoming disorientated to all authority in life. A more objective study of criminal behavior found that “over half the criminals (of the case-study group) come from stable families in which the parents have lived together, have raised the children, and have experienced the usual tensions in living… …Many of the criminals, when children, rejected the people who attempted to show them affection and stabilize their homes.” (The Criminal Personality, Yokelson and Saminov; Vol. I, 119-120)
4. When a client-nation is in a decline, crime along with murder increases dramatically. Hosea 4:1-2, “Hear the Word of the Lord, you citizens of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land [the Northern Kingdom] because there is no truth [no doctrine is being taught and learned], and there is no grace being applied [there was no appreciation and response to the love of God], and there is no knowledge of God in the land. (2) Instead, there is lying, deception, murder, stealing, and they break in to commit rape. Therefore, blood touches blood [crime was out of control].”
Murder is the only overt sin listed in the classification of the seven worst sins, Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things which the Lord hates; in fact, seven are an abomination to His soul. (17) A proud look [the arrogance-complex: bitterness, jealousy, vindictiveness, implacability, hatred, self-pity, etc.], a lying tongue [a malicious gossip and slanderer], hands that shed innocent blood [murderer], (18), a right lobe that devises evil conspiracies, feet that run rapidly to evil [refers to criminality, destruction of property and life in the name of some crusade.], (19), A false witness who utters lies [a perjurer], he who sows discord [strife] between the brethren.”
Believers in the cosmic system are capable of murder
1. David murdered in 2 Samuel 12:9. Murder is a sin parlayed into evil through the interlock of the cosmic systems. Murder is therefore prohibited, Exodus 20:13, “You will not murder”
2. 1 Peter 4:15, “By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a doer of evil, or one who sticks his nose in the affairs of others.”
3. 1 John 3:15, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer. And you know that not every mental murderer has eternal life in him [not all mental murderers have eternal life, but the majority do].” Believers commit the majority of mental murders and mental murders are the majority of all types of murders combined.
Where guilt is established, the penalty for murder is death, Genesis 9:6, “Whosoever sheds man's blood, by man [a function of good government] his blood will be shed. For in the shadow image of God, man [the soul of man] was made. Romans 13:4, “For he [the governmental authority] is a minister of God to you for the purpose of good [use your freedom to advance to maturity under the plan of God]. But if you do evil [the criminal] keep on being afraid for he does not wear the sword for nothing [the sword was used in the ancient world by government for capital punishment of crime]; for you see he is a minister of God for the purpose of divine wrath to him who practices the evil.” Numbers 35:30-31, “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. (31) Moreover, you shall not take ransom [a financial payment in lieu of the payment of death] for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.” Matthew 26:52, “Then Jesus said to him, “Put up your sword again into its place; for all who take up the sword [in criminality] shall perish with a sword.”
Taken from the verse 10 above, “It [a personal sense of destiny/spiritual self-esteem] is the steadfastness [perseverance from staying power in the soul]”
Personal Sense of Destiny/Spiritual Self-Esteem:
The Christian must advance in his spiritual warfare with a two-column advance. One column is the doctrinal column formed and maintained via the daily perception of God’s Word. The other column is formed through our knowledge, appreciation and love for the members of the Trinity and for the humanity of Christ.
In the final phase of one’s personal sense of destiny, there remains two strategic objectives namely occupation with Christ and having passed Evidence Testing, Maximum Glorification of God. At that point, the Christian will receive the fullness (the Greek word being pleroma) of blessing from God. So, when one glorifies God to the maximum, he receives the Fullness of Blessing from God.
Spiritual Self-Esteem takes shape in the soul as the Christian becomes grace and doctrinally oriented. Relating this to the 10 Problem Solving Devices, this development would begin at the 6th problem solving device and increases as the Christian progresses into spiritual adulthood and peaks out at occupation with Christ.
Spiritual Self-Esteem is based on confidence, self-worth and one’s status as a member of the royal family of God. Self-esteem is confidence in what one knows, and in one’s ability to put that knowledge into operation. What has been a characteristic of a few great leaders in history is now available to each of us as believers. It is confidence in God, confidence in the Word of God metabolized in your soul and circulating in your stream of consciousness, not a confidence based on one’s human intelligence, education, family tree achievement or success. Self-esteem is also ones estimated worth or value. Since spiritual assets have the highest value and worth, the more spiritual assets that the believer is able to acquire and put into operation, the greater becomes his estimation of self. Since this self-estimation is not based on human merit or abilities, but rather grace acquired assets and abilities, it does not produce arrogance.
In the status of spiritual self-esteem at the 6th Problem Solving Device, the Christian loves himself because in his soul exists grace and doctrinal orientation, the faith-rest Drill, understanding and appreciation for the Filling of the Holy Spirit and knowledge regarding the Recovery Procedure and as he advances in the spiritual life, his spiritual self-esteem will be enhanced by his love for God, his unconditional love for all people and his happiness and occupation with Christ. He loves his own person because he is a member of the Royal Family of God, a royal priest and an ambassador for Christ.
Human self-esteem many times is related to arrogance manifested in a superiority complex. On the other hand, spiritual self-esteem is never related to arrogance. The more the Christian functions consistently in fellowship with God, the more his spiritual esteem flourishes. On the other hand, if he starts spending too much time out of fellowship pursuing the lusts of the sin nature, his spiritual esteem that he once possessed will begin to diminish and eventually completely disappear. Once obtained, spiritual self-esteem must be maintained by continuous intake and application of God’s Word.
Scriptures pertaining to this subject:
Proverbs 19:8, “He who gets wisdom, keeps loving his own soul; He who guards understanding shall find the absolute good [spiritual prosperity].”
Jesus answered, ‘The most important one is this, “Listen O’ Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is unique [adverbial form of the Greek word heis: unique since he is both God and Man], and you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart [the mentality of the soul where metabolized doctrine resides], and with all your soul [the entire soul] and with all of your understanding [of doctrine] and with all your strength [virtue] The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [Old Testament form of spiritual self-esteem]. (Mark 12:29-31; a quote from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; Leviticus 19:18)”
1 Thessalonians 5:8, “Since we are of the day, let us obtain spiritual self-esteem [the Greek word nepho] after we have put on the breastplate of doctrine and love and as a helmet, the confidence in doctrine.” The Greek word nepho means to be self-controlled, to be well balanced, freedom from excess compassion, rashness and confusion, the honor of individual worth, a serious regulation of the powers a person has been given (the two power options).
This Gentile dictator should not be confused with the Jewish dictator, (Revelation 13:11-19)
Revelation 13:11
Then, I saw another [of the same kind] beast-dictator [Jewish] who rises to power from the land [of Israel]; and he had two horns [representing his civil and religious power] like a lamb [a false messiah], but he kept speaking [eloquently] like the dragon [like Satan since he is demon possessed].
Καὶ εἶδον ἄλλο θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ εἶχεν κέρατα δύο ὅµοια ἀρνίῳ, καὶ ἐλάλει ὡς δράκων.
He is a political and religious genius (the two horns) who communicates the ideas of Satan. Genesis 49:16-18, “Dan shall rule his people [in the Tribulation] as one of the tribes of Israel. (17) Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels [Israel in the Tribulation] so that his rider falls backward [the persecution of the Jewish believers in the 2nd half of the Tribulation]. (18) I [Jacob speaking for Jewish believers] wait for your deliverance [at the 2nd Advent], O Lord.”
Revelation 13:12
In fact, he exercises [perfective present] all the authority of the first beast-dictator [the Gentile dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] on his behalf [of the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire]. Then, [after making the treaty with the dictator of Revived Roman Empire], he forces the land [the state of Israel] and those who reside in it [the citizens] to worship the first beast-dictator [of the Revived Roman Empire], whose fatal wound was healed [though the dictator of the Revived Roman had been fatally wounded, he recovered miraculously].
καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πρώτου θηρίου πᾶσαν ποιεῖ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ποιεῖ τὴν γῆν καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κατοικοῦντας ἵνα προσκυνήσουσιν τὸ θηρίον τὸ πρῶτον, οὗ ἐθεραπεύθη ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ.
The dictator of Israel will have a military/economic and religious treaty with the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire. After making this treaty with the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire, the dictator of Israel will feel secure from the other military/economic blocks. For example, because of this treaty with the King of the West, he believes that he will be able to defend against the Arab coalition and the King of the North.
Revelation 13:13
Furthermore, he [the dictator of Israel] performed great signs [under the power of Satan so that the citizens of Israel will think that he is the Messiah], for example, he may even cause fire to come down from the sky to the earth [an illustration of his miracles] in the presence of the people [the Jewish citizens].
καὶ ποιεῖ σηµεῖα µεγάλα, ἵνα καὶ πῦρ ποιῇ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνειν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
Revelation 13:14
And so that he [the Jewish dictator] might deceive the residents of the land [of Israel], because of the miraculous signs which were given to him [the dictator of Israel] in the presence of the beast-dictator [Satan honors the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire as the leader of world ecumenical religion], and he [the dictator of Israel] keeps urging the residents of the land [of Israel] to manufacture [the constative aorist tense gathers together his many speeches] an idol to that beast-dictator who had the death stroke of the sword [was fatally wounded] and has come to life [recovered from this fatal wound].
καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς διὰ τὰ σηµεῖα ἃ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θηρίου, λέγων τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ποιῆσαι εἰκόνα τῷ θηρίῳ ὃς ἔχει τὴν πληγὴν τῆς µαχαίρης καὶ ἔζησεν.
It took a miraculous event to get the Jews to abandon their traditional Judaism. (The Jews seek signs; the Greeks seek wisdom.) This urging to idolatry exposed the dictator as a false messiah. Idolatry is always related to demon possession and influence of the unbeliever and demon influence only of the believer. Idolatry amalgamates moral degeneracy with immoral degeneracy. Once the two have been amalgamated, it establishes a dictatorship as organized evil.
Revelation 13:15
Then, it was given to him [the Jewish dictator] the power to provide a [demon] spirit for the idol of the beast-dictator so that the image of the beast-dictator might even speak [the function of a ventriloquist demon], and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast-dictator to be put to death [an excuse to murder those who refuse to worship this idol].
καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ δοῦναι πνεῦµα τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου, ἵνα καὶ λαλήσῃ ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ποιήσῃ ἵνα ὅσοι ἐὰν µὴ προσκυνήσωσιν τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἀποκτανθῶσιν.
People negative to truth are easily deceived. The demon in this passage is a ventriloquist-demon, one who controls the vocal cords of an unbeliever. The voice of this demon could be thrown out from the ground or in this case from the idol. The ventriloquist demon used in this operation will most likely function from the body of the dictator of Israel and will easily deceive the unbelieving Jewish citizens.
Revelation 13:16
Furthermore, he [the dictator of Israel] forces [causes] everyone, the small [with no power] and the great [with power], and the rich and the poor, and both the free and the slave in order that they [those involved in ecumenical religion] should provide them [the small, the great, the rich etc., the worshippers of the beast-dictator] a mark on their right hand [for the laymen] or on their forehead [those with political and ecumenical power].
καὶ ποιεῖ πάντας, τοὺς µικροὺς καὶ τοὺς µεγάλους, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ τοὺς πτωχούς, καὶ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους καὶ τοὺς δούλους, ἵνα δῶσιν αὐτοῖς χάραγµα ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν τῆς δεξιᾶς ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ µέτωπον αὐτῶν,
What we have here is the principle that “high-tech” has got an evil application, like most 20th century developments. It really isn’t the scientific development, it is the people who use it and apply it and, of course, we have an evil application of high technology in the last half of the Tribulation. That brings us now to the system of computerized tyranny. It should be noted that high technology is no better than the people that use it. Evil people using high technology come up with evil applications. High technology in the Tribulation is going to be the master system of enslaving most of the world. Most of the world are going to be slaves because they are under computerized tyranny. The system which will be described in the next two verses is tantamount to computerized control of the people of the world and the destruction of human privacy and the enslavement of the world in the Tribulation.
Revelation 13:17
And that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark [the general identification system], or the name of the beast-dictator [of the Revived Roman Empire; for the leaders and clergymen in the ecumenical system] or the number [666] of his name [this number is related to the computerized system].
καὶ ἵνα µή τις δύνηται ἀγοράσαι ἢ πωλῆσαι εἰ µὴ ὁ ἔχων τὸ χάραγµα, τὸ ὄνοµα τοῦ θηρίου ἢ τὸν ἀριθµὸν τοῦ ὀνόµατος αὐτοῦ.
This mark or identification card is necessary for social activity, business activity, religious activity, and even survival at that time. Since the ID card is so important, it is printed or engraved or somehow marked on the body of the individual. We should remember that religion [Christianity is not a religion] is always cruel; it is always vindictive toward those who reject it. Ecumenical religion of the Tribulation will be no exception.
Religion persecutes the nonconformist by starving him out. There is also, of course later on persecution, torture, and murder, but here we simply have the economic isolation of the nonconformist. There is no honor code in ecumenical religion, no virtue, no grace, no system of impersonal love toward all. Instead, there is demonism, terrorism, persecution and economic ostracism.
Revelation 13:18
Here is wisdom [application of Biblical truth to the situation]. He who has the ability to think let him compute the code-number of the beast-dictator, for it [six] is the number of mankind and his number is six hundred and sixty-six [man deified].
Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν· ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθµὸν τοῦ θηρίου, ἀριθµὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν· καὶ ὁ ἀριθµὸς αὐτοῦ ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ.
The believer must be cognizant of doctrine and inculcated with it in order to use his spiritual computer against the mechanical computer. In other words, understanding historical trends through the application of doctrine facilitates dealing with those trends. You anticipate the trend, you make your decision, and once you are under pressure you stand by your decision. The believer continues to have confidence in God, in God’s plan through the adverse or prosperous circumstances of history. As a matter of fact, historical adversity does not affect the plan of God for the believer, nor does it hinder divine blessing in time of great historical disaster.
Six is the number of mankind in Scripture. Six tripled is the deifying of man in Satan’s cosmic system. The deification is the ultimate arrogance of mankind. The code number 666 in the computer designates all those in the ecumenical system.
2 Thessalonians 2:4, “[the Son of Perdition, the Dictator of the Revived Roman Empire is the antecedent] who opposes [the Lord Jesus Christ] and exalts himself above every so-called god, or object of worship, so that he is installed in the Temple of God [the Jewish Temple in the middle of the Tribulation], proclaiming himself to be God.” This most powerful man in all of history as a political dictator, a religious leader, as a military genius and a miracle maker would be doomed to destruction.
He is called the Anti-Christ: The Greek preposition "anti" has a dual connotation: against or instead of. The first meaning of against is the meaning for the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire. He is in a state of total opposition to anything related to the Lord and the Lord’s plan. He is most likely Satan possessed (Satan indwelt the serpent in the Garden and this man. Satan only lowers himself to indwell when he considers it absolutely necessary to do so.]. Satan will offer this man great power and worldwide religious influence. This dictator will accept the Satanic proposition rejected by Jesus Christ in the great temptation of Matthew chapter four. As a result, the man of lawlessness becomes Satan’s chief agent in the world during the Tribulation.
As long as the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit operates during the Church Age the ‘man of lawlessness’ cannot exist. In other words, during the intensified stage of the angelic conflict, God the Holy Spirit restrains Satan from ever making this offer to anyone in the Church Age. So, this is an offer that Satan cannot make until the Church is removed from the earth. So, after the Rapture this restraint will be removed and ‘the man of lawlessness’ will be revealed.
He is opposed to everything found in the Divine Institutions such as the privacy, and self-determination of the individual, marriage, family life and nationalism. For example, since he is opposed to human freedom, he will use both his military and religious power to destroy the freedom of those who oppose him.
The Antichrist of the Revived Roman Empire in the Tribulation is one person, an unbeliever who sells himself out to the devil more than any other person. Therefore, he becomes very evil which requires six titles to explain. He is the Beast out of the Sea of nations as per Revelation 13:1-8). He is also the leader of ecumenical religion in the Tribulation as such has his statue placed in the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem that he might be worshipped as god as per Matthew 24:15, “Therefore, when you see the Detestable Idol [the Abomination of Desolation, an idol of the image of the dictator of the revived Roman Empire being placed in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem] which was communicated by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (let the reader who understands take action and flee),” Revelation 17:1-4, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me [John], saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot [ecumenical religion of the Tribulation] who sits on many waters [multitudes of people throughout the world who have been converted to this religion], (2) with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. (3) And he carried me away in the Spirit into a desert; and I saw a woman [ecumenical religion] sitting on [gains influence and control over a great political system] a Scarlet Beast [dictator of the Revived Roman Empire], full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. (4) The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,” In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he is called “The Son of Perdition [the man doomed to destruction].” He is also called the “Little Horn” in Daniel 7:8, “While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another The Little Horn, came up among them, and three of the first horns [three nations of the Revived Roman Empire] were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes the eyes of a man [great perceptive ability; undoubtedly a genius] and a mouth speaking eloquently. He is also called, the Prince who shall come as per Daniel 9:26, “And after [the seven weeks] the threescore and two weeks [7 weeks plus 62 weeks equals 69 weeks] shall the Messiah be cut off [Christ will bear our sins on the cross followed by the Church Age interrupting the Age of Israel], and not for himself [but for our sins] and the people [SPQR: the historical Roman Empire] of The Prince Who Shall Come [dictator of the revived Roman Empire] the people SPQR shall destroy the city [Jerusalem] and the temple [in August of 70 A.D.]; and the end thereof shall be with a flood [the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was swiftly executed by the Romans in A.D. 70], furthermore even unto the end [of the Jewish Age which will occur at the 2nd Advent of Christ] there shall be war; desolations are decreed.”
The dictator of the Revived Roman Empire is not to be confused with the antichrist of Israel in the Tribulation. This Jewish dictator is also called an antichrist because he passes himself off as Christ (using anti to mean “instead of Christ”). He also has many titles such as Dan the Serpent as in Genesis 49:16-18, “The false prophet,” as in Revelation 20:10, “And the Devil who had deceived them, was thrown [culminative aorist] into the Lake of Fire and burning sulfur, where the beast [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] and The False Prophet [the false dictator and messiah of Israel] were. And they [the three just mentioned] will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” He is also called “The Willful King” as per Daniel 11:36-40, “And the king [the Jewish dictator] shall do according to his will [an absolute dictator]; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify [glorify] himself above every god [the true God and all the false gods of religion], furthermore, he will speak blasphemous things against the God [Lord Jesus Christ] of gods [ The ancient Hebrew language didn’t have a word for dictator. So, they used the word “god” which is used both for the false gods of religion and for dictators.]; consequently he [the Jewish dictator] shall prosper [be successful] until the indignation [Tribulation] has been completed; for that which is decreed [by God] will be accomplished [in time]. (37) Furthermore, he [the Jewish dictator] will not have any understanding of the God of his fathers, [namely the Lord Jesus Christ] nor have any desire for women [apparently homosexual], nor does he recognize any god [atheistic] for he will glorify himself above all. (38) In his status quo [as dictator of Israel], he will make a treaty with [give honor to] the dictator of fortified cities [The dictator of the revived Roman Empire is called the dictator of fortified cities because the Old Roman Empire was an empire of fortified cities.], even to a god [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire who deifies himself] whom his fathers did not know. He will make a treaty with gold, silver, precious stones and other precious commodities. (39) Consequently, he [the dictator of Israel] will construct a system of fortifications with the help of the foreign dictator [of the Revived Roman Empire]. To those who acknowledge him [Jewish dictator as messiah] he will enrich with great wealth; he will cause them [apostate Jews] to rule over many Jews. He will also distribute the land [of Israel] for a price [to the highest bidder]. (40) And at the time of the end [of the Jewish Age], the king of the south [the pan-Arabic block will start the war] shall make war against him [the Jewish dictator]; and the king of the north shall launch a blitzkrieg attack against him [dictator of Israel] with both chariots [armored divisions] and with horsemen [mechanized infantry], and with many ships [his navy will break out of the Black Sea]; and he [king of the north] will enter into many countries, and he will both overflow [conquer] and pass through them [establishes a line of communications and supply].” He is also called “The Beast out of the Land” as per Revelation 13:11, “Then, I saw another [of the same kind] beast-dictator [Jewish] who rises [to power] out from the land [of Israel]; and he had two horns [representing both his civil and his religious power] like a lamb [presenting himself as Christ], but he kept speaking [eloquently] like the dragon [since he will likely be demon possessed].”
Reviewing the translation of chapter 13:
Revelation 13:1
Then, I [John] saw [a vision] the beast-dictator [the gentile, bestial dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] ascending from [filled the void left from a worldwide lack of truth] the sea [of nations of the old Roman Empire] having ten horns [originally, the beast-dictator was a part of this confederation, the 10 nations of the Revived Roman Empire of the first half of the Tribulation], and seven heads [three leaders of nations had to be conquered; the remaining seven leaders of these nations then submitted]; this means [this is one of the 17 different uses of the Greek word kai] that on its ten horns [representing ten powerful nations] were ten crowns [kings representing the original ten nation-confederation of the Revived Roman Empire], and over its heads [these kings] the name blasphemy [the seven remaining kings of the Revived Roman Empire in the last half of the Tribulation will submit to this beast-dictator who will also gain authority over ecumenical religion by the middle of the Tribulation.].
Revelation 13:2
Furthermore, the beast [the dictator of the revived Roman Empire] which I [John] saw was like a leopard [like Alexander the Great who rapidly conquered and formed the Macedonian Empire] his rapid conquest will be accomplished in a year or two so that he will be in complete control by the middle of the Tribulation], and his feet were like the feet of a bear [like the Persians who were pro-Semitic, he also was initially] and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion [a reference to the Chaldeans who conquered the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C.]. And the dragon [Satan] gave to him his power and his throne and great authority [to be the ruler of the Revived Roman Empire and the leader of ecumenical religion, he had to be promoted by Satan and as such he is now totally Satan’s man].
Revelation 13:3
And [I saw] one of its heads [one of the kings namely the beast dictator], as he had been wounded to the point of death [this beast dictator was fatally wounded at some point] nevertheless his mortal wound was healed [It was a supernatural recovery which implied that he was more than a mere mortal and so could not be killed. Satan was setting him up to be worshipped.]. And the entire world was amazed [regarding the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire due to his recovery from a mortal wound, his power and ability in the field of super natural phenomena] and followed the beast-dictator [total admiration for this god-like creature].
Revelation 13:4
Furthermore, they worshipped the dragon [Satan] because he gave absolute power [both power and authority] to the beast-dictator, also they worshipped the beast-dictator; and they said, "Who is like the beast-dictator and who is able to make war against him [People without truth worship power and since this beast-dictator has been given so much power, he became the object of their worship.]?"
Revelation 13:5
Furthermore, there was given to him [by Satan] a mouth [eloquence] speaking arrogant words [of evil regarding people and life] and blasphemies [giving out false information about God]; also, there was given to him authority [power] to function [for] 42 months [the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation].
Revelation 13:6
And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His person and His tabernacle [by having his statue placed in the Holy of Holies] and those who dwell in heaven [A reference to Moses and Elijah who came from heaven to function as heralds of Christ during the second half of the Tribulation. This could also include many of the great Old Testament believers dwelling in heaven in interim bodies].
Revelation 13:7
Furthermore, power [the religious power of ecumenical religion] was given to him [the dictator of the revived Roman Empire] to make war against the saints [believers in last half of the Tribulation] and to overcome them [in the last half of the Tribulation]; and authority was given to him over every tribe [a reference to Jews in Israel and throughout the world] and [all the] people [citizens of the Revived Roman Empire] and [all the] languages [a reference to foreigners living outside the Revived Roman Empire] and [all the] nations [Gentile nations influenced by ecumenical religion]. [His political power was primarily in the Revived Roman Empire, whereas his religious power was worldwide.]
Revelation 13:8
In fact all [Jewish unbelievers in last half of Tribulation] who live in the land [of Israel] will worship him [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire as the ruler of ecumenical religion], everyone whose name has not been written [as it appears in heaven for their names were blotted-out at death] in the book of life [the registry of everyone who has believed in Christ during his life on earth] belonging to the Lamb [Jesus Christ who provided His saving work on the Cross] who has been slain [put into operation in the Divine Decree] from the foundation of the cosmos [Satan’s world system came into operation after mankind sinned and consequently lost rulership of the world. Jesus did not have to be slain until the fall of mankind. Although the cross was always in the Divine Decree, it was put into operation at this point].
Revelation 13:9
If anyone [a reference to Christians] has an ear [the potential for learning Bible doctrine and functioning in the system] let him hear. [You will then develop a sense of destiny which includes being law abiding. If on the other hand, you should fail, then as an example of failure, you just might enter into a lifestyle of unlawful violence as will the future dictator of the Revived Roman Empire.]
Revelation 13:10
If anyone [in contrast to the verse above, whether he be gangster, political criminal, a warlord, terrorist, mercenary, religious fanatic etc.] leads others into captivity by unlawful use of violence [to deprive them of freedom, privacy and property], and it is true, he will go into captivity [those who resort to unlawful use of violence become the victims of violence.] If anyone shall kill unlawfully with the sword [the famous sword of the Romans: short with a sharp point and a double edge], and it is true, he must be killed by the sword [capital punishment]. Under these circumstances [adverb used as an idiom], it [a personal sense of destiny/spiritual self-esteem] is the steadfastness [perseverance from staying power in the soul] and the doctrine belonging to the saints.
Revelation 13:11
Then, I saw another [of the same kind] beast-dictator [Jewish] who rises to power from the land [of Israel]; and he had two horns [representing his civil and religious power] like a lamb [a false messiah], but he kept speaking [eloquently] like the dragon [like Satan since he is demon possessed].
Revelation 13:12
In fact, he exercises [perfective present] all the authority of the first beast-dictator [the Gentile dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] on his behalf [of the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire]. Then, [after making the treaty with the dictator of Revived Roman Empire], he forces the land [the state of Israel] and those who reside in it [the citizens] to worship the first beast-dictator [of the Revived Roman Empire], whose fatal wound was healed [though the dictator of the Revived Roman had been fatally wounded, he recovered miraculously].
Revelation 13:13
Furthermore, he [the dictator of Israel] performed great signs [under the power of Satan so that the citizens of Israel will think that he is the Messiah], for example, he may even cause fire to come down from the sky to the earth [an illustration of his miracles] in the presence of the people [the Jewish citizens].
Revelation 13:14
And so that he [the Jewish dictator] might deceive the residents of the land [of Israel], because of the miraculous signs which were given to him [the dictator of Israel] in the presence of the beast-dictator [Satan honors the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire as the leader of world ecumenical religion], and he [the dictator of Israel] keeps urging the residents of the land [of Israel] to manufacture [the constative aorist tense gathers together his many speeches] an idol to that beast-dictator who had the death stroke of the sword [was fatally wounded] and has come to life [recovered from this fatal wound].
Revelation 13:15
Then, it was given to him [the Jewish dictator] the power to provide a [demon] spirit for the idol of the beast-dictator so that the image of the beast-dictator might even speak [the function of a ventriloquist demon], and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast-dictator to be put to death [an excuse to murder those who refuse to worship this idol].
Revelation 13:16
Furthermore, he [the dictator of Israel] forces [causes] everyone, the small [with no power] and the great [with power], and the rich and the poor, and both the free and the slave in order that they [those involved in ecumenical religion] should provide them [the small, the great, the rich etc., the worshippers of the beast-dictator] a mark on their right hand [for the laymen] or on their forehead [those with political and ecumenical power].
Revelation 13:17
And that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark [the general identification system], or the name of the beast-dictator [of the Revived Roman Empire; for the leaders and clergymen in the ecumenical system] or the number [666] of his name [this number is related to the computerized system].
Revelation 13:18
Here is wisdom [application of Biblical truth to the situation]. He who has the ability to think let him compute the code-number of the beast-dictator, for it [six] is the number of mankind and his number is six hundred and sixty-six [man deified].
