- Revelation 13:11 "And I saw another beast ascending up from the earth, and it had two horns, like a lamb; and it spake as a dragon."
This beast is characterized as a beast that has two horns
like a LAMB [
'looks like' the Lamb of God - i.e. - looks Christian],
BUT it spake
as a DRAGON [but it
'spake' as that old serpent, the
DRAGON, called the devil, and Satan (Revelation 13:11, 12:9)].
This
"beast" professes to be the true representative of
the Lamb of God in the world. It pretends to be meek like a lamb, and professes to holy and godly, but it spake
AS A DRAGON.
What does this
"religious beast" who masquerades as Christ's kingdom use to perpetuate its fear doctrines and dogma? It uses the bible - a book compiled by fallible men to control mankind!
They even
swear on the bible with their
"right hand" and memorize it
"in their foreheads."
- "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads." (Revelation 13:16)
The bible is used and misused to control the flocks of 38,000 denominations - who
ALL think they know the truth. The bible, because of so many different interpretations and countless different
'WINDS (spirits) of doctrine,' has been used
(and misused) to rule and
kill more people than anything or anyone in human history, and it is still being used by the nations who worship it to go to war and
kill.
- "For the letter kills, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6)
Millions of people claim:
'the bible says this' -
'the bible says that.' 'The bible speaks of this,' 'the bible speaks of that.'
- "He was then permitted to give life to this image so that it could SPEAK." (Revelation 13:15)
According to mainstream Christianity, anyone who doesn't believe in the bible
will be killed (
annihilated) or
eternally tormented!
- "Then the image of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must be killed." (Revelation 13:15)
Man's number is
6 (created on
Day 6, appointed to labor
6 days, etc).
The bible is composed of
66 books - composed and assembled to control
mankind (
6).
- "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 is 666." (Revelation 13:18)
The
ONLY Word of God is
the LIVING Word,
Jesus Christ within, who has
written His laws in our minds and on our hearts. For Christians the Bible is
USEFUL for knowing of Christ and how to validate Him and instruction in righteousness. However, it is only the infallible word of God for
BIBLEians -
NOT CHRISTians.
By elevating the words written
"in ink" to the status of
Christ Himself (the Spirit of Truth
WITHIN), one is worshiping
"an image" of God, but it is
NOT GOD, nor is it the Word of God!
Only Christ has that status! This is the
"mark of the beast."
Birdsong could you introduce yourself please in the intro section. Thanks.
Sounds like Quakerism. :Chinscratch:
Some do elevate bible translations to "infallible and inerrant" status. My dad, a Southern Baptist preacher, did that, saying that God protected his word from human errors. I don't subscribe to that concept because I know of no scriptural basis for it. However, I do not believe that, if one believes a bible translation is "infallible and inerrant" or is THE word of God, that he has received the mark of the beast. Frankly, I have never known of anyone who actually worships a bible translation, however, IMO these KJV-ONLY folks may come close.
Quote from: jbertonbounds on April 09, 2013, 07:08:59 PM
Some do elevate bible translations to "infallible and inerrant" status. My dad, a Southern Baptist preacher, did that, saying that God protected his word from human errors. I don't subscribe to that concept because I know of no scriptural basis for it. However, I do not believe that, if one believes a bible translation is "infallible and inerrant" or is THE word of God, that he has received the mark of the beast. Frankly, I have never known of anyone who actually worships a bible translation, however, IMO these KJV-ONLY folks may come close.
Yeah, I don't know of anyone who worships their Bible either, and I've been around thousands and thousands of mainstream Christians from many denominations. I agree, I don't think we have the perfect translation. Here's how I've come to understand it; God has given us just what we have at present, for His own good reasons. Also, that God has protected His Word,
within all the things we have at our disposal (different translations, oldest manuscripts, etc). It's in there, with His help, wisdom, discernment; the Holy Spirit leading, translating, interpreting - confirming or leading in a little different direction - His Word(s) can be "searched out" of what we have been given. God does not lie, and one of the things that confirms the above view for me is, He said He'd preserve His Word for us; He also said it's His prerogative to hide a matter, but to our benefit to search out a matter Proverbs 25:2. I do believe some translations are improving, but still it seems good to check several different ones at times.
As far as the mark of the beast? I don't believe that has anything to do with the Words God breathed to us. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Tim. 3:16
Quote from: jabcat on April 10, 2013, 12:17:14 AM
He said He'd preserve His Word for us
Jabcat, can you give me the scripture reference for this? I had stated that I knew of no scripture that said God protected his word, so I would like to study this further.
I'll look j. On the other hand, please take into account the other (balanced/inclusive) thoughts re: no certain translation, etc., and that I believe His Word is WITHIN the various things we've been given, but it needs to be searched out and Spirit revealed. I have something work-related to do for 5 -6 minutes, will get back ASAP. Thanks, James.
While I'm waiting for this call to come through, one thought that quickly occurs is "My Word [logos] is forever established in the heavens". It's in Psalms.
What you've done is send me on a very interesting and intrigueing search j., thank you! :dsunny:
I'm finding some really awesome scriptures, that really, will entail more searching and prayerful thought - including looking at their contexts and what some certain specific words mean, which I have not yet done. I'll list some scriptures in a little bit, without a lot of comment - I think they open up several possibilities of study.
If this goes very much further into "off-topic", I'll split this off into its own thread.
(*Not just to you j., to all - including me. Let's please explore this with the idea in mind that we'll need to avoid outright textual criticism, i.e., within the boundaries as laid out in the TM Scripture Expectations. We won't go down a slippery slope of "the scriptures aren't true, inspired, are just man's thoughts, etc." Any of that will need to be short-circuited. That said, I think exploring what the scriptures say about themselves and God's thoughts/expressions in total [IMO, including Jesus the Word made flesh, all of it being the logos of God], can be very enlightening and encouraging. Thanks!)
Some of these may be talking about Jesus the Word made flesh, God's thoughts, intentions, things He's provided written. I haven't searched it all out, but they're obviously great scrips. There are also a couple of little commentaries included that I found useful. Enjoy and be blessed!
2 Thessalonians, the Bible reads: ".that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified."
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Ps 138:2)
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add you not unto his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6)
"You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2)
For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev. 22:18-19)
"Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said unto him, If You be the Son of God, cast Yourself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning You: and in their hands they shall bear You up, lest at any time You dash Your foot against a stone." (Matt 4:5-6)
In this example Satan omitted the phrase, "to keep You in all Your ways," demonstrating that the devil is so audacious that he dares to subtract from God's word when face to face with their author! This, right after being informed that man lives by "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."! If Satan is so bold as to lie to God incarnate, how much more when faced with the likes of fallible men? The devil attacks the Lord's words by using one of his most potent weapons - doubt. He didn't start off by brazenly denying God's words, but rather by attempting to undermine Eve's confidence in them. – Chris Long
1 PETER 1:23 -- "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever."
1 PETER 1:25 -- "But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
Hebrews 2:3 instructs us that the gospel "at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him."
MATTHEW 24:35 – "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
ISAIAH 40:8 -- "The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
ISAIAH 59:21 -- "As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord; My spirit that is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever."
PSALM 119:152 -- "Concerning your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them for ever."
Psalm 12:6-7 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation for ever."
PSALM 33:11 -- "The counsel of the Lord stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations."
Psalm 33:11 says God's thoughts would not be lost but rather would stand to all generations, and we know from passages such as 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 that these divine thoughts have been expressed through divinely-chosen words. "Which things also we speak, NOT IN THE WORDS which man's wisdom teacheth, BUT WHICH the Holy Ghost teacheth..."
All scripture is God-breathed..2 Tim. 3:16
"Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read" —Isaiah 34:16, KJV
WOW! Thanks Jabcat. Looks like this is going to be a much deeper and more involved study than I had realized. I'm glad this came up.
Yes, I agree, we need to be careful not to open a can of worms concerning the accuracy/errancy of modern translations.
Perhaps this certainly should be a new thread. I can go ahead and start a new thread, and open it by quoting your last post of the scripture references, if you wish.
:thumbsup: