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Sprinkled or dunked? Required for infants, kids, teens or adults only? Performed before salvation, after salvation or is it the actual act of salvation? Baptism. One of the key ‘sacraments’ of most ‘Christian’ denominations, is fraught with disagreements. Who, what, when, how and even if followers are to be baptized is one of the major defining tenets that differentiates between the denominations. Who is in-line with God? Let’s sort this all out.
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Revelation Chapter 13 is arguably the best known piece of scripture in the Bible. This is the prophecy of the Mark of the Beast. We are going to focus on the last few verses to answer this question, but I encourage you to read the entire chapter for context.
To summarize, there is a dragon (lit. serpent) and a beast which she empowers. These two entities are the Whore and Beast of Revelation 17. Revelation Chapter 13 goes on to say there is ‘another’ beast. This beast is a magnification of the dragon mentioned before. It looks like a Lamb, speaks like a dragon, and causes all to worship the first beast. The first Beast is a governing or secular power, while the dragon-like second beast is a false religion. The false religion has the appearance of righteousness but is actually from Satan. Historically, this dynamic of religion empowering government has always existed, but not on a worldwide scale.
Now we are going to focus on the last few verses to determine how we will know if or when Revelation 13 is being fulfilled.
…And he (the first beast) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive their mark in their right hand, and in their foreheads: And that no one might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name (or authority) of the beast, and the number of their name.
Revelation 13:16-17
Jesus was a healer, he healed the sick, but not in the way most of the world has come to understand. Most believe Jesus was a ‘miracle’ worker; making the blind to physically see, the deaf to physically hear and the lame to physically walk again. Jesus did not heal anyone – physically that is. What other “healing” could this be?
…Q&A: “Jesus ‘Healed the Sick’, can he Cure Covid?”Read More »
No, it is not. But it is being used as a distraction and a vehicle to deceive and cause all to receive that ‘mark’. This goal has been in the process of being set up for a very long time. It is now becoming manifest in its fruition.
What does the Bible have to say about this mark, this number, this ‘beast’ and the consequences of receiving it?
…The word ‘purified’ here is baar in Hebrew and it means ‘to clarify’ or ‘to make bright’
The word ‘white’ here is laban in the Hebrew being the root word for ‘the Moon’ (labanah) which shines forth brightly with the white light of the Sun.
…A tyrant is a king or ruler who uses his power oppressively or unjustly. Any despotic person.
Tyranny is the arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of power; oppression
The tyrants in the earth are becoming plainly visible and God has every intention of intervening!
…Thus saith the LORD, “To Me belongs vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste… And He shall say, ‘Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted?'”
Deuteronomy 32:35-37
The Valley of Dry Bones is a reference to Ezekiel chapter 37 where we find him being carried away and set down in a valley filled with bones. They are a disconnected, dried up body whose bones are scattered, without life. Their hope is gone.
These ‘bones’ are the Body of Christ.
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