Okay, today now from Revelation
chapter 13, I'm taking the title for the message from verse 11.
Revelation 13 verse 11, And I beheld, I saw, I beheld another beast
coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb,
but he spake like the dragon. So the title of the message,
I thought of this title, The Lamb that Speaks Like the Dragon.
The Lamb that Speaks Like the Dragon. Now we know from reading
the Scripture, there is the true Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true Lamb of God. He is the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, as it says there in verse 8 of chapter
13. He's those whose names are not
written in the Book of Life. The Lamb slain, all shall worship
the beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life.
The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb of God
is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Remember, THE Lamb of God? Turn
back to Revelation chapter 5. Look at verse 5, Revelation 5,
5, And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not, Behold, the
lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed
to open the book, to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld
him low in the midst of the throne, in the midst of the four beasts,
that's the living creatures, symbolic of God's preachers,
and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns, that is, complete power. That word horn
is representing a power. having seven eyes, that is, he
has complete knowledge of all things, which are the seven Spirits
of God sent forth into all the earth. So there is that true
Lamb of God, right? John the Baptist said, behold
the Lamb of God that takes away our sin. What the true Lamb of
God speaks is the eternal will and Word of God in absolute truth. For as God, the Lord Jesus Christ,
as God, it is impossible for Him to lie. What He speaks? He speaks the truth. He speaks
the absolute truth all the time. The true Lamb of God has the
message of God. Listen to this scripture in John
12, 49. Our Lord said, for I have not
spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me, he hath given
me commandment what I should say and what I should speak. So the Lord Jesus Christ speaks
absolute truth that God gave him the word to speak. So he
speaks eternal will and word of God. And what he does is the
work of God in redeeming his people. Our Lord said this, My
meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His
work. And then upon Calvary's tree,
what did He say? It is finished. When He accomplished
our salvation, put away all our sin, by the sacrifice of Himself,
He sat down on the right hand of God, having completed our
salvation. So there is that true Lamb of
God. There is that true message of God. But there's also that
other lamb that parades as the truth who doesn't know anything
about the truth. There is also this other lamb
here with two horns, like a lamb, but he speaks and he has a message
as the dragon. Now this other lamb speaks nothing
but lies. He has a message of the great
red dragon. You remember who he is? right
across the page chapter 12 verse 9, this great red dragon as he
called in verse 2 of chapter 12, the old serpent called the
devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world, and was cast
out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." So there
is that other lamb that speaks nothing but lies, and he has
the message of Satan. Now remember what our Lord, I've
read this several times to you, in John chapter 8, our Lord said
to those most religious Pharisees, those most religious self-righteous
Jews, you remember what he said to them? He said, you are of
your father the devil and the lust of your father you will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning and he bowed not in
the truth because there's no truth in him. No truth in him. When he speaks, he speaks a lie,
for he speaks of his own, for he is a liar, and he is a father
of lies. So Satan cannot speak the absolute
truth, not consistently. Although he does quote scripture,
but he can't quote scripture consistently in the truth. This
lamb here that we read about, This beast who looks like a lamb,
the beast out of the earth, who speaks the message of Satan is
the Antichrist false prophet who has many messengers of lies
and deception and deceit. They are Antichrist preachers
in this world who parade around as angels of light, but they
are messengers of doom, deception, and darkness. dressed up to look
like the truth. They're not the messengers of
the Lamb of God. They're only imitators of the
devil, trying to deceive, and they take the truth, and make
it a lie. Remember what Satan said to Adam
and Eve, and to Eve, God said to Adam and Eve, in the day you
eat thereof, you'll die. What did Satan say? In the day
you eat, you shall not surely die. He added one word. And they
sinned against God, and we know the sad consequences of that.
plunged all men into sin. So John warns about this beast
out of the earth that looks like a lamb that has a message of
Satan. If you look back at John, 1st
John, this is 1st John, just back from the Revelation, 1st
John chapter 2. 1 John 2, verse 17, he said, And
the world passeth away in the lust thereof, but he that doeth
the will of God abideth forever. Little children, it is the last
time, as you've heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now there are
many antichrists, whereby you know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us, for they had
been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they
went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not
all of us. So there are many antichrists,
many antichrists. Now look at 1 John chapter 4
verse 1. 1 John chapter 4 verse 1, so there are many warnings
about these false prophets that look like the Lamb but have the
message of Satan. 1 John chapter 4 verse 1, Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they
are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the
world, many. Hereby we know the Spirit of
God, every spirit that confess that Jesus Christ is coming to
flesh, is of God and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus
Christ is coming to flesh is not of God. This is the spirit
of antichrist. Where have you heard that it
should come even now already? It's in the world. There are
many who are anti-gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The true Lamb
of God stands with and for His people. Look at Revelation 14
verse 1. Remember, Paul said, If God be
for us, who could be against us? Now, the true Lamb of God
stands with and for His people. Revelation 14, verse 1, And I
looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him the
hundred and forty-four thousand, having their Father's name written
in their forehead. Now there's a difference between
being sealed of God, with the seal of God in your forehead,
in your thoughts, your mind, and having the brand or the mark
of the beast on your head or in your hand. Big difference. The true Lamb stands with His
people and for His people, the false Lamb, the beast out of
the earth, the false lamb stands with Satan against God's people
and makes war against them. You remember in chapter 12, look
at verse 17. You remember what he did? The
dragon was wroth with the woman. The woman there is symbolic of
God's church and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of
the Lord Jesus Christ. So the antichrist beast this
beast out of the earth that looks like a lamb but speaks like the
dragon, he's a false prophet. He's anti-God, anti-gospel. These two beasts of the dragon
shall make war against the true Lamb of God and His people, but
we know the outcome of that war, don't we? Turn to Revelation
17, look at verse 14. Here's the outcome. Don't be
upset. We know the certain sure outcome of the dragon and the
beast and the false prophet, don't we? These shall make war
with the Lamb, Revelation 17, 14, and the Lamb shall overcome
them, for He is Lord of Lord and King of King, and they that
are with Him are called chosen, called, chosen and faithful. So, they
make war, but the Lamb shall overcome them. You remember in
Revelation chapter 12, look at verse 11. They overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb. That is the accuser of the brethren.
Talking about the great red dragon. Talking about his beast out of
the sea and the beast out of the earth. And the Lamb, the
false prophet, the Antichrist has the message of Satan. That's a long introduction, isn't
it? In this chapter, we have a description of Satan's two
agents, empowered by him, inspired by him, one beast out of the
sea, and that beast representing the ungodly civil governments
of our day, and they're all evil, including this government, and
the other beast out of the earth. Now, how do you say that all
governments are evil? Who are in government? offices,
evil men, sinful men, guilty men. One beast out of the sea,
the other beast out of the earth. The second beast cooperates fully
with the first. They're in league together to
destroy the influence of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
and to destroy those who would promote the gospel and preach
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Talking about secular
civil governments and the religious leaders of our day, today and
days past. They all gang up against the
Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that exactly what the Roman
government did? Pilate, Herod, The Jews and the
Gentiles, they all cooperated together to crucify the Lord
Jesus Christ, to persecute believers. Do you realize all but John of
all the apostles, with the exception of Judas who was a reprobate
from the beginning, but all the apostles with the exception of
John were all murdered? They were all murdered. Who murdered
them? mostly religious people, mostly
civil authorities, the Roman Empire. They took delight in
that. They're in league together to
deceive multitudes of sinners who have no mediator, no true
savior who is God, to defend them and to justify them. Now, we're no match for the enemies
of God's people. Our only hope is we have an advocate.
We have the mediators of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those without
Christ have a target on their head and on their heart. Satan
will shoot his arrow of deception, and they will end up with his
mark, or his brand, or his ownership on their head, that is, in their
thoughts, and in their hand, that is, they'll work his will.
This is the mark. of false free will works religion. That's what it's a mark of. Look
at verse 16, Revelation 13. He causes all, both small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark in
their hand or in their forehead. Everyone whose names are not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will
worship the beast and follow the beast and the false prophet
and the antichrist. Now, as we look at these verses,
remember, these things only exist by the permission and decree
of Almighty God. Satan is God's devil doing God's
will. One preacher of the past said
this, beyond the spear of God, Satan can do nothing. Beyond
the realm of God, Satan cannot do anything. When Satan came
against Job, He could not touch Job without God saying, okay,
he's in your hand. Could he? Satan even said, you
put a fence around him and I can't touch him. God said, okay, I'll
remove that and you can have him for a little while. Remember,
our Lord said to Peter, Satan has a desire to sift you like
wheat. But I pray for you that your faith fail not." So, remember,
as we read in Revelation 19 verse 6, remember the Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth. Satan and the demon and the dragon
and the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth,
they're not out of control. They're under God's control.
They're under God's dominion. Now, the beast out of the earth,
verse 11, represents a false prophet and is anti-Christ, works
religion, for that is where man-centered works religion originates. Man
was created out of the what? The earth. So man's religion
is the religion of works. There is a way that seems right
unto man, the end of that way is death. Paul calls those who
are anti-Christ. He calls them enemies of the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says this in Philippians 3,
Many walk, of whom I have told you often, now even tell you
weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose
end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is
their shame, who mine earthly things. The Apostle Paul in Galatians
chapter 1, he says this, this strong warning. Though we or
an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached, let him be, what? What's the word? Let
him be damned. Let him be accursed. John warns
us about these things. Paul warns us about these things. Peter warns us about these things. In the last day, there'll be
many false prophets. But we're surrounded by them.
Notice his appearance of this beast out of the earth. Seems
to be harmless. Looks even innocent. Looks even
Christ-like. A lamb with two horns. Two horns
like a lamb. Someone mentioned maybe even
would make a pet for a child. I mean, he looks like a harmless
little lamb. Remember our Lord said of those
False prophets in Matthew 7. He said, Beware of false prophets
which come unto you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, what
are they? Ravening wolves. Notice his message. He speaks
like the dragon. He may look like a lamb. But
he has a message of the dragon. You remember that message? Look
at Revelation 13, 5 and 6. For there was given unto him
a mouth speaking great things, blasphemies. And power was given
unto him to continue those 42 months. The time of the Lord's
first coming to his second coming. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy,
evil speaking against God. to blaspheme His name, His character,
His attributes, His tabernacle, His church, and them that dwell
in heaven, those that dwell in Christ. He's against us. He makes war against us. He speaks
the lie of Satan, dressed up and appearing to be as the truth,
masquerading as an angel of light. Now I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians
Can you find that? 2 Corinthians over here, Romans
1 and 2 Corinthians chapter 11. I've read this to you many times,
but it bears repeating. It bears warning us because we're
surrounded by this anti-Christ message in this world. 2 Corinthians chapter 11 says,
look, verse 3, By any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. For if he that
cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we've not preached, or another
spirit, which you've not received, or another gospel, which you
have not accepted, you might well bear with me." It's a better
translation. Now look at the same chapter,
2 Corinthians 11. 11 verse 13, he describes these
false preachers. For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ, and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of not darkness, an angel of light. Therefore,
it's no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves as
minister of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their
deeds." What is their ministry of righteousness? They preach
morality for salvation or the center of righteousness for acceptance
with God or the basis of being justified. Now, look at verse
12, Revelation 13 verse 12. And he exercises all the power
of the first beast before him, and causeth them that dwell on
the earth. That word cause here, he uses
several times. He causes them that dwell on
the earth, to dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose
deadly wound was healed, verse 13. And he doeth great wonders,
that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men. Now, these two beasts exercise
their power. They're in league with one another.
They cause many to worship the beast and to worship the devil. False prophets lead others to
worship false gods, idle gods. They preach a god of their imagination,
not the true and living God. They can never bring true conversion
or true salvation because they're not preaching the truth. It's
the truth that sets us free. Lies only increase bondage. These religious hucksters go
about to deceive many by their phony, fictitious miracles. Remember, we studied in the book
of John, it said of John the Baptist, it says of him that
he did no miracles. It was his message, not his miracles. His message was, behold the Lamb
of God. John did no miracle, but these
who parade around as angels of light, they deceived them that
dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power
to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on
the earth that they should make an image, an image, an idol to
the beast which had the wound by the sword. and did live. Now
here's an interesting scripture. Hold your place there and turn
to Matthew chapter 7. Remember our Lord said to those
Pharisees, Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, You remember those Pharisees,
they claimed to do many mighty works, remember? Matthew 7 verse
21, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name
we've cast out devils. And in thy name we've done many
wonderful works. That word wonderful, is the word
powerful. We've done many powerful works.
Well, that sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Lord, in your name,
we've done this, we've done many, we have done wonderful works.
What does the Lord say to them? And then I'll profess unto them,
I never knew you, depart from me, you that work iniquity. So beware of those who say, we
do miracles, we do wonderful things, we're doing the work
of God. Be careful. You see, it's not... And here's
a way we discern if they're sin of God or not. What's their message? I don't care what kind of miracles
they say that they do. They might call down fire from
heaven. What is their message? If their
message is salvation depends on you, False prophet. If they say salvation depends
all upon Christ and He accomplished salvation by Himself, with Himself,
with His own blood, that man is a sinner of God. Those who
make salvation an admission upon the sinner are not sinners of
God. That's the beast out of the earth that looks like a lamb,
but he has the lie of Satan. Verse 15, now watch this carefully,
verse 15, Revelation 13, 15. He had power. He had power to
give life, or to give breath, or seemingly so. He had power to give life unto
the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should
both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast, You're going to die. You're going to die if
you don't worship the image of the beast. Now, turn back to
John again. Look at John chapter 16. If you
don't get in line with the false prophet and the anti-Christ,
anti-gospel crowd, look at John 16 verse 1. These things, John 16, verse
1. Now look at this carefully. These things have I spoken unto
you, that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the
synagogue, gave the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will
think that he doeth God's service. These things will they do unto
you, because they know, because they have not known the Father,
nor me. So who is he talking about? Religious
men. False prophets, the Antichrist,
the beast out of the earth, they killed all God's apostles, didn't
they, with the exception of John? Our Lord said this in Matthew
24, 24. For there shall arise false christs,
false prophets, and they shall show great signs, insomuch that
if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect of God.
Many claim to worship, don't they, with Holy Ghost fire sent
down from heaven, speaking in tongues and acting like fools. We know they are not true prophets
of God because their message does not glorify Christ. It glorifies the flesh. glorifies the flesh alone. Now
many are deceived by the means of those phony pretended miracles.
Many are deceived. A counterfeit dollar is hard
to discern. I couldn't identify a counterfeit
bill, but those who are experts, those who are bankers, they can
look at it immediately and say, that's a phony. That's a phony.
Many make an image to the beast. Idolatry is full of visual aids,
statues, pictures, crosses, steeples, honoring holy days, and religious
ceremonies. The Apostle Paul says this to
the Galatians, but now after you have known God, or rather
are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and burgly
elements? Weren't you desired to be in bondage? He said, you
observe days, months, and times, and years. He said, I'm afraid
of you. lest I bestowed upon you labor
in vain." Now remember what our Lord said in Isaiah 45. He said, Assemble yourselves
and come, draw near together you that are escaped of the nation.
They have no knowledge that set up wood of their graven image,
and they pray unto a God that cannot save. They make an image,
And they pray and do an image, but an image cannot save. Our
Lord said, look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends of the
earth, I am God and there is none other. Those man-centered
religious organizations always set them up and say that salvation
is in their denomination, don't they? Man-centered, free will,
works religion, Organizations always set them up and say that
salvation is in their church, in their denomination. You join
us, or you're going to be condemned. Salvation's in our organization. Now, we know this. Salvation,
and one thing I know I've never said from this pulpit, and it
never has been said from this pulpit, that salvation is in
this church. Salvation's not in any church.
Salvation in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He that hath the
Son hath life. Those who are so deceived by
the lie of Satan will always persecute the way of free and
sovereign grace. Cain persecuted Abel. What did Cain bring? Cain had
the mark of the beast on his hand. He brought the works of
his hand. And he persecuted Abel. What
did Abel bring? the blood sacrifice, Christ.
Ishmael also persecuted Isaac. Grace and works cannot live together. Truth and air cannot walk together. All but the elect of God, look
at verse 16. Verse 16 says, He causes all. All but the elect of God will
worship and follow the beast. He causes all, both small, great,
rich, poor, free bond to receive that mark, the mark of the beast
in their right hand or in their forehead, that no man might can
buy, sell, save he that had the mark or name of the beast, or
the number of his name." Now let's look at this for just a
moment. There have been many wild and crazy ideas about this
666 and the mark of the beast and all these different things.
All but the elect of God will worship and follow the beast.
That's just so. It says there in verse 8 of chapter
13, All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, that is the
beast, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. All but the elect
will worship and follow the religion of the beast, will swallow and
believe his lie, receive his mark or his brand in their hand
or in their head, The head or the thoughts controlling the
hand, what they do. This mark or brand is a sign
of ownership. It means you belong to someone. Back years ago, slaves, when
slaves were traded, we had slavery in this country and many other
countries, slaves were branded. They were branded, showing ownership. You belong to this man. On the
cattle ranch where I worked out in Pinedale, Wyoming, I worked
on the cattle ranch out there back in the 60s, and the rancher,
he would always brand the calves so that we knew what calf belonged
to what ranch. For a person to receive this
mark symbolizes that they are in agreement to the Antichrist
system of works religion. and that they're opposed to the
free grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, they're opposed
to that, and promote the lie of Satan with your hands and
in your head, your thoughts, you think, your imagination is
thinking, well, I've got to be good, I've got to do this, I've
got to be moral, I've got to be righteous, and it comes out
in the works of the hand. Now, I've got written down here
Revelation 14 verse 9. Now, here's a sad end. Revelation 14 verse 9, what happened
to those who go after the free will works, religion, antichrist,
the message of Satan, the false prophet, those who worship the
beast, who worship man, man-centered religion, what will happen to
them? Revelation 14 verse 9, And the third angel followed
them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast
and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his
hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation,
and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence
of the holy angels, in the presence of the Lamb, the Lamb, And the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever. They have
no rest, day and night, who worship the beast and his image, who
receive the mark of his name." Now, I don't want anything to
do with false religion. Man-centered works religion.
Stay away from it. Don't listen to it. Don't attend.
that is promoted, man-centered works religion. Serious consequences, isn't it?
This mark or brand of the beast is God opposing, Christ rejecting,
church persecuting, spirit of anti-Christ, fault, free will,
works, religion. I know I'm repeating myself a
lot, but it needs to be said. There are many anti-Christ in
this world, not talking about a single person. Many are anti-God,
anti-gospel, anti-true Christ. All believers have been sealed
in their forehead forever. They cannot be deceived because
they refuse to be identified with those who carry the mark
of the beast. Works religion. There's a great difference between
having the mark of religion and being sealed of God. There's
a big difference between being religious or being in Christ. in Christ. All who will not cooperate
with the religion of the Antichrist and worship the beast will be
cast out. That's what it says in verse
17. No man can buy or sell except he that hath the mark or the
name of the beast or the number of his name. Now I take that
to mean a couple things. First, I take that to mean, before
our Lord returns, the religion of Antichrist, the false prophet,
and the beast, and his followers will be so widespread, with so
much influence, that it will be nearly impossible for those
who oppose false religion, the false religion of the beast,
to buy food or to find shelter. Now that day is coming. Peter
writes about it this way, or rather Paul, in the last days
perilous time shall come. He writes about it again in 1
Timothy 4, now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter
time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy,
having their conscience seared with a hot iron. But there's
something else here I want us to consider. Something else I
want us to consider on verse 17. No man can buy or sell, save
he that hath the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number
of his name. Something else here I want to
consider secondly. The true gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is not up for sale. It's not up for sale. You don't
buy and sell the gospel of Christ. The true gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is as free as the air you breathe, as the sunshine
that you enjoy. It's the free grace of God. We
are redeemed not with silver and gold, but with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God had given us freely, all
things were justified freely by His grace. Now give me two
examples here about buying and selling in religion. Remember
there is a man by the name of Simon Magus, we read about it
in Acts chapter 8, when he observed that the apostles had the gift
of the Holy Spirit or the gifts of the Spirit to give men certain
things. Simon Magus thought he could
buy that with money. He thought he could buy his way
in. You remember what Peter said
to him? Your heart's not right in the sight of God. Your heart's
not right in the sight of God. And then another example is this.
In Luke chapter 19, if you want to turn over there, you can.
In Luke chapter 19, when our Lord came to His temple there
in Jerusalem, Luke chapter 19, Verse 45, there was those religious
Jews in the temple, in the house of God, what were they doing?
Buying and selling. What did the Lord do? And He
went in, verse 45, and began to cast out them that sold therein,
and them that bought, saying unto them, It is written, My
house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made
it the den of thieves. He taught daily in the temple,
but the chief priests and scribes and the chief people sought to
destroy him." Now, who are those people? They're the beast out
of the earth. The chief priests and scribes
and the people sought to destroy him and could not find what they
might do for all people were attentive to hear him. So, the
Lord took those men who were buying and selling religious
things in the temple He cast them out. He turned over the
money, changed their tables. And the point I'm trying to make
here is salvation is free. It's the free grace of God. Our
Lord said this in Isaiah 55, Ho, everyone that's thirsty,
come eat to the waters. He that hath no money, come ye
buy and eat. No money! Come ye buy and eat
wine and milk without money and without price. You see what I'm
saying? The religion of man is works. Buy and sell, buy and sell, this
do, this do, this do. The religion of God, the gospel
of God is done. It's done. It's free. Don't bring
your money. It's free. So, you know, there
are countries right now, for example, Iran, Iraq, maybe India,
China. If you don't have the mark of
the beast of their government or their religion, you don't
do business in that country, do you? You being an open, avowed
believer of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in Iran or
China, what would they do to you? You'd be dead. They'd kill you. That's what
we read right here. They'd kill you. Now, let's quit with verse
18. Here is wisdom. Now, here is
wisdom. Wisdom is Christ. He made unto
us wisdom. Let him that hath understanding.
He's given us an understanding. Let's count the number of the
beast. Let's identify the number of the beast. Well, it's the
number of man out of the earth. Man was created out of the earth.
The beast and the false prophet represents false religion. For
the number of man, the number is 603 score and 6. 666. There's so much superstition
around this. There's so much superstition around the mark
of the beast. I would almost bet you, I looked this up, in
August 14, 1935, August 14, 1935, you know what
happened? I didn't know this either, but
I got thinking about this, about those, unless you have the mark
of the beast, you can't buy or sell. In 1935, they instituted
what we call social security. And think about this, I'm not
saying that this is what this is talking about, but I think
there's a spiritual, more of a spiritual meaning, but I'm
giving you this to think about. If you don't have the mark of
the government, a social security number, try to do business. You can't even get a credit card.
You can't even get a driver's license. You can't do anything
unless you have a number. A number that's issued by who?
The beast out of the sea, civil government. Now it's kind of
alarming, isn't it, when you think about it? And that is where
we live, and that's where we are. But more importantly, I
think the other thought there is about buying and selling religious
works. That's what men try to do. And
here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast with the number of man, six,
six, six. Now, don't be afraid of that
number. I remember over here when there used to be a lot of
mining equipment over here, there was some kind of a piece of equipment
over there. It had a big number branded on
it, 666. And one of the men that worked over there was very religious.
He was a religious preacher. And he said to me one day, I
can't wait till that thing, that piece of equipment gets out of
here. That number 666, it just got me scared to death. Men are
so superstitious. You don't need to be afraid of
that number 666. I had a preacher friend of mine
who went to some kind of a store and bought a few goods and the
clerk rang up the sale and it came up on the register, 666.
And the clerk said to my preacher friend, let me change that number.
You don't want to pay 666. He said, leave it as it is. I'm
not superstitious. Now here's the point. Here's
the comfort. Here's our comfort. Antichrist
religion is a failed system. It carries the number of man.
Man was created on the sixth day. Man is a failure. The number
of the beast is failure three times. Six, six, six. Fail, fail, fail. Six can never
be seven. Christ is always the perfection.
Everything about Him comes up seven. 777. Completeness. The beast, his
message, his adversaries, his people will all fail. False religion
will fail. To trust in the deeds of the
flesh will fail. Cursed be the man that trusteth
in man. The Lord Jesus Christ, He cannot
fail. He will not fail. You remember Revelation 6 verse
2, I pointed out, He went forth conquering and to conquer. We
are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. The Lord Jesus
Christ cannot fail. All that God has promised, it
will come to pass. I want you to read this with
me and then I'll quit. Revelation 15 verse 2. Here's
some comfort. Revelation 15 verse 2, And I
saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that
had gotten the victory over the beast, over his image, over the
mark, over the number of his name, stand upon the sea of glass,
having the hearts of God. And they sing the song of Moses,
the servant of God, The song of the Lamb sang great and marvelous
are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, thou
King of the Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,
and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy, for all
nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments
are made manifest." Here is wisdom. This is wisdom.