The Beast out of the Earth

Again, we are invited by this passage to wonder, “who or what is this 2nd beast.” And again, we ought to remember the original context of the readers of this book. To them, it is likely that this 2nd beast would have been leaders in Asia that enforced the practice of emperor worship. Taken together, the dragon, the first beast and the 2nd beast form a kind of false trinity, and this 2nd beast even has features like a lamb (like Jesus) but is truly connected to the dragon. All of this adds up to a warning to the church to stand on guard against false teaching that would lead them to worship anything or anyone other than Jesus.  

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REFLECTION

Truth vs Falsehood

by Tom Richards

In Revelation 13:11-18 we are introduced to the “Beast coming out of the earth” or the “beast of the land”. This completes the false “trinity” of the dragon, the beast of the sea, and the beast of the land. 

Many scholars think this beast represents false teachers and their human philosophies. The mission of this beast is to lead people away from trust in God and place their trust in human power, human philosophy, and human institutions. In simple terms it helps me to think of the “beast of the land” as Satan’s attempt to lead people away from the truth – targeting the church.

It is interesting to note that Jesus gives us a warning about this beast (false teachers) in Matthew. In Matthew 7:15 he says, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing (interesting that John tells us the beast of the land “had two horns like a lamb”), but inwardly they are ferocious wolves (interesting that John tells us the beast of the land “spoke like a dragon”). Matthew 24:24 he says, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Throughout history the church has been “attacked” by false prophets. In Ephesians chapter four Paul addresses this challenge in the early church, calling on the Ephesians to grow in their faith.  He wants them to know what they believe.  

Ephesians 4:14-15 gives the reason. "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” This is certainly timeless advice for Christians of all ages, including ours. 

May God help us to know the truth and remain faithful, despite the efforts of the “Beast coming out of the earth.”

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER

TUESDAY - TRUTH In the midst of all the messages being heard, pray for accurate information to drown out false reporting and click-bait tactics.