Revelation 13: 11-18

The earth beast will also employ great miracles and signs in its efforts to deceive many into worshiping the sea beast. So much so, that the world will be persuaded into making an image of the sea beast. As worship is the key issue in the dragon’s battle strategy – in fact is his need and desire – the image will bring religion to the fore. The image to the sea beast, then, is another character introduced in the cosmic drama.

The function and activities of the sea beast’s image will be history repeating itself. The world-wide image will consist of civil/religious power based on the same principles used by the sea beast to enforce worship of its religion. The principles by which the first beast operated were the use of its secular arm to support and push its religious dogma.

That means the earth beast, in telling the world to make an image to the sea beast, will itself reject and turn away from its own principles of religious freedom. Again, like the sea beast, the image will be a united church and state. The church will then prevail upon the state to enforce its religious views.

The earth beast making this happen is why it speaks like a dragon.

A nation speaks through the laws that it enacts. That’s how the earth beast will give breath and life to the image, allowing it to speak. These will be religious laws that the image speaks; laws that will be forcefully prosecuted against those who don’t agree and go along. The legislation will endorse killing the faithful remnant who maintain their loyalty to God and His commandments.

The circumstances that will cause the two-horned lamb to begin speaking like the dragon can only come about due to some horrific tragedy. We can see the brewing of those circumstances now. At some point, terrorism will produce a cataclysmic attack. It may be nuclear, chemical, biological or some combination. Financial chaos will ensue.

For answers, and out of desperation, fear, and hope; most of the world will seek God. Unity will be called for and thought to be found in a one-world government and one-world religion. So world-wide chaos will be the opening for the earth beast to push the agenda of the sea beast.

The earth beast will cause all, except the remnant, to worship the image. To distinguish the two groups, Satan again will mimic the Lord. God’s people, showing they belong to Him, are sealed on their foreheads (mental and heartfelt assent). Satan, through the sea beast’s image, will also causes his people to be sealed, so to speak, by marking them on the forehead (mental assent) plus the hand (labor or action that goes along to get along).

If one doesn’t have the mark of the sea beast, or the number of his name, somehow that person will not be able to buy nor sell. This will probably be brought about through surveillance and financial sanctions of some kind.