In studying verses in the Bible that speak of how the “beast” will ultimately be accepted as “god,” I’ve been struck by the flurry of developments wherein the governments of the world are claiming dominion over things that clearly belong to the LORD. This is a significant fulfillment of Bible prophecy; yet many believers don’t connect such government intrusion with the relevant Biblical prophecy.

Scripture tells us how the end times world order will be characterized by a massive political power (the first “beast” of Revelation that rises up out of the sea), and an all encompassing religious power (the second “beast” that rises up out of the earth). Both are detailed in chapter 13 of the last book of the Bible:

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his ten crowns…And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” (Revelation 13:2, 11).

Government Manifests Itself As God

The first beast, the emerging world government, and its various national and international branches, continues to seek to show itself to be “god” through its claim that it “owns” the air, the land, the seas, the water, and everything else. This is clearly an encroachment on the exclusive rights of the LORD, but it fulfills the prophecy of two “beasts” that are to rise up and cause the world to obey their agenda.
Although `pop’ religious tradition has taught millions that the “Antichrist” will help the Jewish people build a temple through a supposed treaty (and then enter into that temple and declare himself to be “god”), that fiction grossly distorts what the Scriptures actually say. The key text in this is found in II Thessalonians 2 where we learn that when that “man of sin” is revealed, he

“….opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (II Thessalonians 2:3-5).

Notice how the verse doesn’t say he will be elevated above God Himself, but above “all that is called” God – a hint that there is something else going on here. When he is installed in the “temple” he doesn’t become God, he is simply seen “as” God, or functioning in a god-like capacity. This understanding is confirmed when the verse concludes by telling us that by performing in this fashion, he will be “shewing” or `proving’ to all the world that he is God – and yet we know that the beast can never be God. What’s really going on here?

Readers will remember the Old Testament passage describing Lucifer’s fall, as he says “I will be like the most high” – as opposed to `I will be the most high.’ This is because Lucifer can never actually be God – so he seeks to convince the creation that he is god by seizing authority over the things of God.
This is why, incidentally, that Jesus said Satan “savourest not the things that be of God” (Matthew 16:23). Lucifer isn’t concerned with the “things” of God, nor does he reverence or honour them; he manipulates and uses them to seek his own egocentric agenda of self-glorification. But what are the “things” of God?

The Earth Is the Lord’s, And The Fullness Thereof

This marvelous Psalm (Chapter 24 verse 1), tells us that God owns everything. Of course, Genesis also tells us that He made everything, and John tells us that JESUS CHRIST, as the only begotten Son of God, is the one that performed the creative work:

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3).

The Psalmist writes of God and tells us “the sea is his, and he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” (Psalm 95:5).

Genesis tells us He made the air in the “firmament,” and he made the trees, the grass, and the vegetation that generates the oxygen we breathe (Genesis 1:11,12). The Bible tells us that God “gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons….” (Acts 14:17). God made all the streams, rivers, and springs, and He is one that “sendeth waters upon the fields.” (Job 5:10). Even “the silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8).

Thus, because the prophets tell us the “beast” government will elevate the Antichrist onto the throne of the world, we would expect to see the governments of the world seek to take authority over the “things” of God – in order that the final leader may “show” himself to be like God. And that is precisely what is occurring.

The Government Says They Own The Air

Although American Christian leaders rarely address the issue, the numerous alphabet agencies in the federal government of the United States, as well as international associations created by treaties between nations, already claim they own the “things” of God – including the very air.

For example, in the transportation field, one cannot fly through the air unless they are properly licensed by the FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration), and each nation has its own “airspace” which they claim they own. There is also an international (read global) version of this authority created through the enactment of treaties that claim power over anyone flying through the air. While it is obvious some form of order (such as air traffic control systems) is needed to avoid dangerous and potentially chaotic conditions in the sky, that’s not the point. The fact is, the governments of the world have assumed they own the sky.

In communications, the situation is similar as the FCC (the Federal Communications Commission) will not allow anyone to broadcast or send transmissions (such as radio signals) back and forth any appreciable distance without paying exorbitant “licensing” or legal fees in order to be “qualified” so they can be granted “permission” to use the “air.” Furthermore, there are international governing bodies, such as the WARC (the World Administrative Radio Conference) and the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) that claim authority over the air on a planetary basis.

A great insight into the truth of prophecy was gained by a precious few when radio technology advanced to such a degree that low cost broadcasting became available under a system called Low Power FM (LPFM). This was about to open the door to thousands of new Christian radio stations to preach the Gospel on a very local level – but the effort to ban legal LPFM was spearheaded by the trade association of the Christian broadcasters of America -- so they could protect the `turf’ of their million dollar corporations.

This amazing situation was another manifestation of Revelation’s second beast (organized religion) the one that had “two horns like a lamb” (a symbol of Christianity); the same beast that tells the people not to follow the great commission and preach the Gospel, but to obey the dictates of the first beast – the government. It is self evident that organized religion (including the so-called “Christian” power structure) supports the government and teaches the people to obey the government – even when the souls of men are at stake.

The Government Says They Own The Seas

Recently, we learned that the United States Senate was considering giving up American sovereignty over the oceans to the United Nations. As incredible as it sounds, under something called The Law of the Sea Treaty (with the very appropriate acronym of LOST), the world governing body known as the United Nations is to be given authority over the oceans of the world.

Many Republicans and Democrats have urged ratification of the international treaty, which will give the UN dominion over 70 percent of the earth’s surface – to say nothing of the natural resources involved. This is not a joke, for the original LOST treaty was actually signed while Bill Clinton was in office, but the Senate failed to ratify the treaty.

The oil industry is very interested in seeing this treaty enacted because it benefits the huge multi-national energy corporations that back the present Republican dominated government. Furthermore, as the present occupants of the White House all come from the oil industry, it should have surprised no one that former oil industry executive (and George Bush’s Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice has urged the LOST treaty be approved. This will give the United Nations the power to tax the seas.

The Government Says They Own The Rain

Here in the Northwest where Christian Media is located, we frequently get a lot of rainfall; thus we weren’t surprised to hear the residents of Washington are now being confronted by a Senate bill requiring anyone collecting rainwater on their property to get a permit from the government!

As laughable as this sounds, this absurd situation should not be taken lightly, for regional and local governments already require permits for just about everything else, including fences, pets, vehicles, trash disposal, and much much more. If this crazy effort to claim they have the authority to tax the rain is ever approved, the government would then need to have `rainwater police’ to be sure their statutes are being enforced.

Here in Oregon, we already have equally oppressive laws in force as it’s even illegal to cut a dead tree for firewood just to keep warm without government permission – and of course there is a fee involved. However, the corrupt and greedy leaders of government that play-god here in Oregon has gone even further.

They’re now proposing a new tax they call a mileage fee. In addition to the gas tax and the multitude of vehicle taxes, they want to charge people for every mile they travel. Using wireless radio technology (with a another licensing fee paid for using the air, of course) the Road User Fee Task Force (RUFTF) is attempting to pass legislation charging people a per mile fee for traveling in Oregon. It’s unclear whether or not the fee will also apply to joggers, bicyclists, or those that walk for exercise.

Grass, Herbs, Water, And Computers

Although GOD made the grass, we actually have laws on the books here in the West which mandate which type of grass may be grown on a person’s lawn. Meanwhile, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently “redefinded” numerous natural herbs as “drugs” which now require FDA approval to distribute. An even larger threat is already scheduled to become law this August.

The Codex Alimentarius is a global treaty that regulates everything from vitamins to herbs. If you drink dandelion tea, use a natural herbal compound for regularity, or take minerals for your health, the new Codex has already been given global authority over these things. Thus, the United Nations associated treaty grants the global government of the UN control over practically anything that grows out of the ground.

On a similar front, in what has been dubbed the “water wars,” corporations and governments are vying for control of fresh drinking water sources around the world. In Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, powerful forces are clashing for control of a dwindling water supply. Water wars and disputes over rivers and streams are presently raging from places as divers as Tasmania and Ethiopia, to Pakistan and Israel. Many have predicted that water will likely be the catalyst for a final showdown that will produce a horrifying war in the Middle East – where the water is already very scarce.

Meanwhile, the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) continues to issue documents detailing the globalist momentum that is building toward pulling control of the Internet away from the United States, and placing it in the hands of the UN. To put it bluntly, an oppressive world government is coming at us like a hurricane. Thus, the “beast” that Daniel described as “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly….[which] devoured and broke in pieces” (Daniel 7:7) anything in its way is already in power.

Showing Himself To Be God

Although there is an individual man that is to fulfill the prophecies of the Antichrist, the Scriptures indicate the “beast” government will precede his inauguration. The second beast of Revelation (the religious “beast”) is similar, for although there is an individual False Prophet, he is also to be preceded by the “beast” church.

Even as the government of the beast seeks to “show” him to be god by controlling the water, the air, the seas, and the earth (domains which clearly belong to GOD), the False Prophet uses his religious authority to “cause the earth and them which dwell therein to worship [read obey] the first beast before him…” (Revelation 13:12). Thus, whenever church leaders misquote Romans 13 and tell us we are supposed to obey the evil governments of our time, they are manifesting themselves as emissaries of the False Prophet.

That crucial text in II Thessalonians 2 applies here, for as the beast government ascends to power, the text tells us that “man of sin…[will] sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (II Thessalonians 2:4). The false prophets in the “Christian” church refuse to teach the people the “temple” mentioned is the same Greek word Paul used when he said our bodies are the “temple of God.” (I Corinthians 3:16). It’s also the same word Jesus used when He motioned to Himself and said “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).

Indeed, when the devil tempted Christ, and “set him on a pinnacle of the temple” (Luke 4:9), it is a different word that is used for “temple” – and that word always means a building; whereas the “temple” the beast will “sit” in, is the spiritual temple of the church. Thus, the installation of the Spirit of Antichrist in the church has already occurred – but God has promised He will preserve a remnant that has ears to hear the truth. To put it another way, you should look very closely at this, for it is much later than you think.
 

-- James Lloyd