The Image to the Beast

The Rise of Protestantism

The Age of Sectism and Denominations

1530 A.D.

In 1530 A.D. marks the rise of Protestantism.  Over one hundred years before this date, while the sea of Rome was lashing her furious waves, there was a gleam of light here and there indicating that God was still on the Throne and there was a few Christians left.

Christ said the gates of hell would not prevail against his church he built in A.D. 33.  John Wycliffe, of a little band of people in England spoken of in history as the Waldenses, lifted a higher stand spiritual than Papal Rome.  It was he, who translated the Bible into the English language and circulated copies of the New Testament among many people.   And the foundation began to be laid to unvover the hidden Word that had been concealed from the people as nations for centuries past.

Fron England those writing were carried over in Bohemia, where they reached John Huss, who read them.  He began to preach against the vice and error of Romanism.  Huss was a priest in Rome.  The pope sent for him and advised that he refrain from giving his lectures from the Word.  Huss refused to hear the pope and was finally excommunicated from the church of Rome.  Huss continued to cry against the errors of Rome, and finally was burned at the stake by Romans because he preached the truth.  While they were burning Huss he told them they could roast a goose (Huss means goose in Bohemian) but in a hundred years God would raise up a swan that they would not roast or boil. 

Just one hundred years from this date, Martin Luther (Swan) was ordained priest in Roman Catholic Church in the year of 1507.  In 1509 he began to lecture on the holy scriptures.  The monks in Rome became uneasy about the truth Luther was bringing from the Word.  (It is that way now.)  But finally one day while Luther went to Rome to look after some disputes and matters pertaining to certain convents, here his soul was struck with shame when he saw the corruptness and immorality that was abounding among the clergy, from the lowest even to the Papacy itself.

Luther evidently possessed a deep sense of piety and purity.  As he was ascending those 28 steps of the Scala Scanta, or the Roman sacred stairway, said to have been brought from Pilate’s Judgment Hall to Rome, that the scripture impressed him, “The just shall live by faith.”  It came with new meaning and force.  More clearly than ever before could he see the contradiction between the external and the true Biblical doctrine of justification by faith.  This was the beginning of the mighty spiritual reformation.  God had spoken and Luther heard.

From this time Luther declared himself free from Romanism and he began and he began to preach justification by faith as taught by the Bible.  It was not a new doctrine, because Jesus of Galilee taught this doctrine, also the apostles.  Bit it had been covered up and hid under human rubbish in the apostasy and the dark ages.

This truth spread like wild fire, it soon was taught in Germany, England and other countries.  After Luther followed many reformers, until Germany and England stood up wholly Protestant, denying Rome as States ruling religion.  On Oct. 31, 1517, the two young monks, martin Luther and John Schneider nailed the ninety five Theses on the Roman Catholic Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, protesting the doctrines of the Catholic Church in the University of Wittenberg.  These Theses served as a spark to ignite the flame of truth of justification in 1530 that has been burning in hearts of the obedient since that day.

In a few years a dividing and competitive bitter spirit began to spring up among the reformers.  There is nothing than can kill a work of God, like when people who say they are saved, get bitter and get in fights with one another.  As God began to give light to different men, some people refuse to walk in that like given, other than the light from their favorite reformer.  They would only accept that light which came through their reformer.  Luther got some light, Calvin got some light and Zwingli got some light.

Some people had the spirit, I’ll take what Luther said, but I’m not interested in what Calvin said, ‘not considering what was bible”, but what did Luther say.  And this cause a party spirit.  Like the Church at Corinth.  1 Cor. 1:9-17

Organizations were built to promote the light of their reformers, but not only that, but to keep other light out.  This brought open division.  In many cases the reformers were not the one that stated the organization.  If you don’t see it the way I do, I’ll go and start another church.  Jesus never told anyone to go out and start another church.  But This was the general attitude of the prevailing day.

In a short time we see where these protester (Protestants) began to create the very system they came out of.  Their dogma and doctrines and sectarian spirit was like cars rolling off of an assembly line.  In the book of Revelation it is described This sytem as a Beast, They were no longer protesting the corrupt practices of Roman Catholicism, just were setting up corrupt practices among themselves.  See Rev.  13:11-18

Here we see where the the devil sends up another agent in beast form in opposition to the truth that was coming forth at this time by Luther and other Reformers, By taking on a beast like spirit it helped to bring about division amojng Christian people of the fifteenth century.

Rev. 13:11 says, “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.   This beast was christain like, because I it had two horns like a lamb,  but on the other hand, it was that same old Pagan Dragon spirit of unbelief, because it spoke like a dragon.  The two horn also denoted civil power and authority.  One horn was Germany and the other horn was England, the first two nations to stand against Rome and for Protestantism.

This beast is the symbol of the rise of man-rule churches, or denominationalism with its numerous creeds, sects and divisions.  The fact that this beast came from the earth, tell us that this system was of the earth, or from the earthly mind of people and not from God above. 

Rev. 13:12, tells us that “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  As we read earlier the beast whose deadly wound was healed, was Popery.  This Protestant system took on the same characteristics as the beast (Roman Catholicism) before him. 

Rev. 13:13, says “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.”

This beast had the power to deceive the masses, this was not the true power of God as we as true saints know it, or the power of the Holy Spirit like on the day of Pentecost, but a deceptive power.  Only a true Prophet came bring down the fire from Heaven, Elijah, the Prophet proved that, when he took on the false prophets of Jezebel.  To prove that this is not the true fire of God,  verses 14 tells us that he was able to deceive them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;  Simon the sorcerer wanted this power, because he saw that by the laying on of hands many receive the Holy Ghost.  He thought that he could buy this power, but was grossly deceived.  Where there is true Power, there is a False power, Where there is the True Holy Spirit, there is a Counterfeit Spirit, where there is the True light of the Gospel, there is False Doctrine and Teaching, where there are True Spiritual Gifts, there are false gift spiritual Gifts, the bible says, Marvel not for Satan has transformed himself as an Angel of light. 

In Revelation 13:14, the bible continues to say that this beast had power to do miracles, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the would by a sword, and did live.  In other words lets be like Popery and Roman Catholicism, for it was Popery that had been wounded, and whose deadly wound was healed.

The Beast Worshippers

Rev. 13:15, tells us that “And 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 should be killed.”

This is a direct prophecy of the persecution at this time and perhps in days after this period.  Just like Rome said be a Catholic or die,  the Protestant did the same thing.  As a matter of fact The church in England said if you didn’t worship their way, you got your head cut off, this was one of little lamb horns on the beast.  This was one of the reasons why many fled to America to escape the persecution of the Church of England.  And the Sect of Lutheran did the same thing also.  These were the two horns on the beast that came up from the earth.

The bible says in Revelation 13:16, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a make in the right hand, or in their foreheads.  Some may say what is the mark of the beast.  First of all a mark is what denotes a particular thing.  Many things in life have marks to distinguish their brand or goods, even humans have what we call birth marks or identifying marks.  Spiritually speaking the mark of the beast is; A Beast Name, A Beast Doctrine, and A Beast Spirit.

Rev. 13:17 says, “And that no might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  You cannot receive their right hand of fellowship unless you receive their teaching in your knowledge (forehead), or where there sect name.

Rev. 13:18, tells us that, Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number are 666.  The lettering on the Pope’s crown VICARIUS FILLI DEI in Roman calculation add up to the number 666.

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