Breaking the Chains
Page 41
A third beast is mentioned in Revelation. It has horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. The Lamb is one of the titles used for Jesus in this work. Dragon is a title used to describe the primary enemy of Jesus and his followers. Evidently, this beast will resemble Jesus but will be deceitful in its language. Later in revelation this beast is referred to as the false prophet who deceived those who worshipped the image of the beast. He is responsible for causing the world to worship the image of the beast with the head wound. This individual's message to the world is: make an image to the beast. It is asserted that this beast does great wonders; for instance, he has power to give life to the image of the beast. However, the most important wonder mentioned is the beast's ability to make fire from heaven visible to onlookers. It is this wonder that is used to deceive the world. By this wonder the world is deceived into thinking of the third beast as being like Jesus (the Lamb).
Beast number three is like a lamb. It resembles Jesus. As the beast is like Jesus it must appear in history after Jesus. There is only one individual connected with early Christians who was involved in an event during which light from heaven is reputed to have been seen by onlookers. Paul is that individual. In one account of his conversion the light Paul sees in the sky shines on the people with him. This account of Paul's conversion allowed the author of Revelation to conclude Paul was a fake.
Heavenly light (or fire) is a major theme of Revelation. However, 'the light from heaven experience' spoken of in Revelation is very different from the experience associated with Paul. Individuals who undergo this experience receive a new name. This name is the new name of Jesus. It is the name of his God. It is the name of New Jerusalem. Recipients of the light from heaven feed from the tree of life. They eat hidden manner. As they cannot be hurt by the second death they live forever. Recipients of the light become immortal. Two kinds of light are mentioned: white light and rainbow light. References to white light include the white stone which has a new name written in it, and the white raiment (in which the saints are clothed). References to rainbow light include New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, the throne of God, and the morning star that Jesus promises to give to some of his followers. In this tradition 'the light from heaven experience' is a private matter. It is hidden. Only the recipient is aware of the event. The light from heaven is visible to the recipient but not visible to onlookers or bystanders. It shines within.
In Revelation Jesus identifies himself as the morning star. The seven stars of the seven churches mentioned early in Revelation are angels. Angels are supernatural beings. What is suggested are star-shaped angels (Star-Spirits). Paul told his followers to have nothing to do with Star-Spirits. By telling his followers to have nothing to do with Star-Sprits Paul was (knowingly or unknowingly) warning them against involvement with Jesus (the morning star).
The third beast can also be identified by its message to the world. Its message is: build an image to the beast with the wound. Israel is the beast with the wound that should have killed it (as a country). The message of the third beast is build an image of Israel. Only Paul had this message. In his letter to the Galatians Paul calls his followers the 'Israel of God.' Paul's church is the image of the beast. It is an image of Israel. Through his church Paul has deceived the Christian world. He has led his followers astray. Many Christians accept Paul's authority because of his conversion experience. New Testament traditions have it that during this event Jesus appeared to Paul as a very strong and powerful light in the sky. It was like the sun at midday. This powerful light shone on the people with Paul. New Testament accounts of Paul's light from heaven experience, which is supposed to be an appearance of Jesus, do not agree with Revelation's description of what should happen when Jesus appears as light from heaven. In Revelation when Jesus appears, he does so as the morning star. He does not appear as a very strong or blinding light in the sky. The author of Revelation has Jesus identify himself as the morning star, and he has Jesus promise to give some people the morning star. What is being said is: Jesus will, in the shape of a star, appear to some of his followers.
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