The Binding and loosing of the Dragon

[Jude3b]

In the book of Revelation, three antichrist religions are brought to view. They are symbolized by a "Dragon" (Rev. 12:3; 13:2;20:2); The symbol of a "Beast" (Rev. 13:1-8; 14:9-11); and the "image of the false prophet" (Rev. 13:11-18; 14:9-11; 19:20). While John, "in the spirit," was in heaven, he there saw these symbols of things that were to take place upon the earth in reality (Rev 4:1,2; 12;1,3,7). Any thoughts or opinions on these three antichrist religions/systems?

[Lion]

Jude, I have made an extensive study of the symbols of Revelation, and I will be happy to help you in your study. Do you mind?

It begins, strangely enough, in the book of Daniel. Daniel 7 gives an outline of world history, from 600 BC to the coming of Christ and beyond. I won’t bother with more than an outline of the prophecy, because I want to show how Daniel and the Revelation tie together.

Daniel 7 says he saw a stormy sea and four great beasts of prey came up out of the sea. Rev 17:15 says waters represent nations, so winds must be wars.

The first was a lion with eagle’s wings. That represented Babylon,605-536 BC.

The bear was Medo-Persia 536-331 BC.

The leopard with four heads and four wings was Grecia. Speed was indicated by the four wings of Alexander’s 3-1/2 year war to overcome Persia. His empire was divided into four parts. 331-168 BC.

The fourth animal couldn’t name he could only describe it and tell what it did. It was a terrible beast. It was Rome. Rome never fell in any single battle It just fell apart at tha seams. We say Rome lasted from 168BC untol about AD476. The ten horns which were the divisions that Rome broke up into. While he watched a small horn uprooted three of the ten horns and grew fat. It had human appearing eyes and a mouth that spoke great boasts. There was a judgment scene where the judge condemned the little horn to be burned up.

In Revelation 12 we find a pure woman (the church of God) about to give birth to the savior. She has an enemy, a seven headed monster, who wants to devour her child as soon as it was born (remember Herod, who killed all the male children under 2 in Bethlehem?)

The seven headed monster is identified as the devil and Satan, There was war in meaven and a third of the angels were cast out with Satan. Satan goes to war with the remainder of the faithful who keep the commandments of God.

There is a scene where the serpent spues water as a flood to carry the woman away in the flood. but the earth helped the woman and swallowed up the flood. Some commenators say the earth helped by the discovery of new lands. Remember the pilgrin fathers who fled from persecution?

Chapter 13 (NASB) begins with the dragon standing on the seashore. He sees another seven headed monster rising out of the sea. (Remember the definition of water = nations)

Rev. 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

Remember the beasts of Daniel 7? The beast had the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion? That is why we started with Daniel 7.

But what did the dragon who is the devil and Satan do? And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. So satan is the power behind whoever this power is. It temains for us to find out who this power is. Fortunately we are not left without some clues.

Rev. 13:3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.

The papacy ruled supreme for 1260 years. from

ad 538 until 1798. The French Revolution stirred up to much hatred for the papacy that Napoleon decided tt do something about it.

On Feb 20, 1798, the French general Bertheir marched on Rome and exiled the pope to Valence, France. He tookover 200 wagon loads of gold, jewels and art objects to france That wasn’t all. When the pope died a new pope was elected. He proceeded to excomunicate Napoleon, who sent general Radet to Rome to take the pope to exile in
france. By 1815 the pope had lost three states in Italy and his territory was reduced to the Vatican.

And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
Rev. 13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”
Rev. 13:5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

Rev. 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

The deadly wound was heaed in 1929 whan the vatican was given the status of an independent nation, with the vatican as its territory.

Currently all the world is paying attention to the papacy these days, as never before in history.

John sees a beast coming up out of the earth. All the other animals came out of the sea which means nations, peoples and languages. Evidently earth means absence of any form of government. There is only one nation that answers that description, The United States of America. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. How does a dragon speak? He is a devil.

This nation started out like gentle lamb, but in the last few years we have seen a radical change. Since the terrorist attacks there has been a decided change in the attitude of the people. We have decided to rid the world of terrorist threat.who knows where it will lead? It seems more and more and more like a fight between Chrisianity and Islam. It didnt start out that way, but it turned out that way.

This nation does some amazing things. Did the bombs on Hiroshima quailfy as fire from the heavens in the sight of men?

But there is something more omenous than that. I don’t know how it will work out but the prophecy states;

Rev. 13:16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
Rev. 13:17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This is in contrast to the seal of God of Rev 7. Anyway the result will be te earth will be divided into two sides, the mark of the,beast versus te seal of God.

Rev 14 to,17 are a connected series. Rev 14 shows a victory scene, with the saints with the father’s name in their foreheads. Then three angels appear with warnings to worship the creator, warning that Babylon is fallen, and against the mark of the beast, with the threat of the seven last plagues.

Rev 15 and 16 are the poring out of the plagues. following which there is no one left alive on planet earth. All the saints are in heaven and the wicked are all dead. you may have heard the expression “My hands are tied,” meaning someone cannot do something because 0f previous commitents. Satan is bound by a chain of crcumstances. There is no one alive to tempt. Rev 20 paints the scene.

Rev. 20:4 ¶ Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev. 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

The saints are given judgment,for a thousand years, after which the wicked,are raised and satan has people he can tempt. All the wicked who have ever lived. even those who were before the flood are there and Satan decieves them to think they can take the New Jerusalem by storm, but fire comes down and burns them up.

Mal. 4:1 ¶ “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”
Mal. 4:2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
Mal. 4:3 “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts.

[spiritmech]

In the book of Revelation, three antichrist religions are brought to view. They are symbolized by a "Dragon" (Rev. 12:3; 13:2;20:2); The symbol of a "Beast" (Rev. 13:1-8; 14:9-11); and the "image of the false prophet" (Rev. 13:11-18; 14:9-11; 19:20). While John, "in the spirit," was in heaven, he there saw these symbols of things that were to take place upon the earth in reality (Rev 4:1,2; 12;1,3,7). Any thoughts or opinions on these three antichrist religions/systems?

Why do you consider them religions? They could be any number of things. A single religion, or they could be people. You need to establish why/how you get from A to B before asking what we think about B.

sm

[ross3421]

In the book of Revelation, three antichrist religions are brought to view. They are symbolized by a "Dragon" (Rev. 12:3; 13:2;20:2); The symbol of a "Beast" (Rev. 13:1-8; 14:9-11); and the "image of the false prophet" (Rev. 13:11-18; 14:9-11; 19:20). While John, "in the spirit," was in heaven, he there saw these symbols of things that were to take place upon the earth in reality (Rev 4:1,2; 12;1,3,7). Any thoughts or opinions on these three antichrist religions/systems?

Jude,

I agree with the previous post. Furthermore what we see in Revelation concerning the Dragon, Beast, False Prophet is the unholy trininty.

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Here we see the unholy trinity; Dragon, beast, false prophet. This mirrors the holy trinity; Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

Note only one is a "man".....

father the devil

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

son of perdition

2th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

spirit of wickedness

1jo 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against * flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

A misconception is that Babylon is a "religious system". Babylon is a counterfeit system of the Kingdom of God as the false prophet claims not to be a world dictator but the most high.

In Christ, Mark.

[Ted]

Mark,

In general, you have spoken well.

Jude,

You need to do some basic homework. Where in the OT do the elements of the beast come from? Lion has noted that they are the four beasts in Daniel 7. And those beasts have specific interpretations, given to Daniel by the angel.

Now, in Revelation those four beasts get rolled into one. That takes the original meanings of four, and combines them into one. If you look at those meanings, you will be on the right road to understand the beast symbol. If you ignore them, you are completely missing the meaning that is presented.

I will stop here for a bit and allow you to do your homework.

Ted

[Just The Facts]

Hi

the only thing that is a religion is the Whore. A women is a symbol of a religious system in scripture.

Scripture is clear Beasts are kingdoms.

The Dragon is the Devil as Stated so plainly in Rev 12:

[Lion]

Just the facts said
the only thing that is a religion is the Whore. A women is a symbol of a religious system in scripture.

Scripture is clear Beasts are kingdoms.

The Dragon is the Devil as Stated so plainly in Rev 12:
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Lion
how true. But what caused the dragon to be bound?

Rev. 20:1 ¶ Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
Rev. 20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
Rev. 20:3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

The preceeding chapters list the seven last plagues, following which there is not a living person left on planet earth. The dragon is bound by a chain of circumstances because there is no one left to tempt. The second resurrection allows him to tempt again .

Rev. 20:7 ¶ When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
Rev. 20:8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
Rev. 20:9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.