roaring of Satan’s implacable religious wrath operating through the false prophet. This religious beast comes out of the earth, wrote John. He is the head of an earthly religious system. He is the head, not of a divinely revealed religion, but of a man made, earthly (not heavenly), religious system. An amalgamation of the ethnic religions with apostate Christianity is being seriously attemped today. Recently the Associated Press under a New York date line said: “Christian leaders in far-flung Mohammedan areas called today for a new spirit of respect and friend ship between the two faiths. “The plea came from what was probably the most widely representative church conference ever held on the subject. “Delegates from 32 church bodies in 20 countries with large Moslem populations joined in expressing hope for increased spiritual and intellectual intercourse between Christian and Islamic forces. “We wish to relate the Christian message constructively to Islamic thought and experience and to enter as fully as we may into areas of mutual practical concern, the message said. “It also urged Christians in the Middle East to ‘play a full part in national self-fulfillment’ and expressed gratitude for the extent of tolerance they have received as a religious minority.” A surface interpretation of this action could make us feel, that here was a noble gesture of tolerance and brotherhood. But its danger is seen in the constantly appearing pattern of religious integration, the amalga mation of God and Dagon. Many rationalistic Christian leaders are planning the creation of a world religion in which will be combined what they say is the “best” of Buddhism, Mohammedanism, Confuscianism, Zoroastri anism, etc., with parts of Christianity. Christ, Buddha, Confucius and Mohammed will all be placed on the same level or obliterated together. The new ethnic faith will be an inoffensive world religion that everyone can accept. This is what the false prophet will rule, and what he will offer to the Anti-Christ as part of a united world effort for peace. The first beast (out of the sea) will capitalize, on the ever-growing “One World” philosophy. The present United Nations Council could easily develop into a splendid forum for this Satan-controlled man with his “mouth speaking great things (his power of speech, uttering boastful and blasphemous words).” He certainly could “open his mouth in blasphemy against God,” and (continued on page 28)
Anti-Christ, the Nations, the Church & Israel (cont.) There were seven heads and ten horns on the non descript beast of Revelation 13, and the sum of all the heads and horns of the preceding beasts. These “heads of authority” and “horns of power” correspond to the dragon (Satan) of Revelation 12:3. Plainly the beast (Anti-Christ) is a complete replica in human form of Satan himself. Of this tremendous fact, the aforemen tioned Sauer writes: “The first Beast of Revelation 13 is—• the exact reproduction of the Dragon—and it becomes plain that the entire development (of the Kingdom of Anti-Christ) was controlled by the ‘God of this World.’ The Dragon stands behind the whole labyrinth of human affairs.” Surely, in the bringing into being of this evil trinity comes the fulfillment of Satan’s promise given at the race’s beginning, “ye shall be as God.” However, it turns out that it is the Anti-Christ, the embodiment of all men’s evil, that is like Satan—the god of this world-order! Through the centuries there have been many types of the Anti-Christ; for example, the Roman Emperors— Caligula, and Nero the terrible, who because of his ter rible persecutions, was by the early Christian thought to be the prophesied wicked one. Napoleon in his day was called Anti-Christ because of his absolute rule. All these were but types. Twenty-five years ago Benito Mussolini arose in Italy under the banner of Fascism and for a while acted like the beast who is to come. But the time was not ripe. The Duce named his organization the “Facisti” from its emblem, the battle axe and bundle of beating rods, that symbolized the order, authority, and power in ancient Rome. In 1922 Mussolini was made Premier of Italy by the King and soon became a dictator of all the policies of government. He established a censorship over the press and all news sent out of Italy; by a decree of July 1924 he abolished even nominal liberty of opinion. Mussolini was not the beast, but when the Anti-Christ appears he will work in much the same way that Musso lini did. II Duce concluded a concordat with the Pope, and like the coming beast became nationally powerful thereby. The classic (and Biblical) type of Anti-Christ is Antiochus Epiphanes whose terrible persecutions were directed against God-fearing Jews. He was a Syrian who conquered Judea in 198 B.C. This was under the third world empire. Ancient Jewish expositors catalogue him as the “little horn” of Daniel 8:9,23. Many Christian prophetic teachers concur in this interpretation. He profaned the temple (some say by offering a sow upon the altar), and thereby became the foreshadowing of the beast of Daniel 7:8 who rises out of the Satanic ten kingdom empire of Anti-Christ. But the true Anti-Christ has not yet appeared on the world scene, because the complete ripeness of human evil is not yet here, though its approach seems imminent. Revelation 13:11 records that John beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and He spake as a dragon. This is the religious head that is obedient to Anti-Christ. The lamb has always been a religious symbol, and is the chief animal for blood sacrifice. When Jesus was introduced to the world by John, he presented Him in His sacrificial aspect, saying: “Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” Therefore, the beast out of the earth, which the banished apostle saw, is a religious leader, but his speech is not that of God or Christ or the Holy Spirit. “He had the voice of a dragon,” literally, “roared, like a dragon,” and it is the
Dr. William Ward Ayer, Bible teacher, author and radio preacher, is the former pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, New York City. He was one of the speakers this year during the Toney Memorial Bible Conference.
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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