The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Antichrist, The False Prophet, and the Image, continued

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, He, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. (Revelation 14:9,10—NIV)

Because of the signs he [the False Prophet] was given power to do on behalf of the first beast [Antichrist], he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast [the Antichrist] who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (Revelation 13:14—NIV)

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:1—NIV)

God made man in His own image. Man has made another image and this he worships. The image is gold, or money.

It is my opinion that the Image of the Antichrist is money. Already, as we see from the newspapers, money is the principal concern of the established nations and the emerging nations.

Money is so much a part of our life in America it is difficult to imagine that any culture could not have the acquisition of money as its first concern. However many smaller nations and tribes, such as some of the tribes of the American Indians, had many values ahead of the acquisition of money, or wampum.

From Balaam to Ananias and Sapphira the Bible warns us about the deceitfulness of riches. Paul told us the love of money is the root of all evil. Jesus compared money with God, telling us we had to choose between serving money and serving God.

When we leave this world and enter the spirit realm we will see that money no longer has significance. There will be industry of all kinds in the ages and worlds of the future but the economy of none of them will be based on money. Whatever people accomplish will be given to whoever has need freely and happily. The curse of money will be lifted.

The present world is a probationary period to see what is in the heart of each individual. God is not certain what is in our heart until He tests us. One of our tests has to do with the use of money.

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 8:2—NIV)

"To test you in order to know what was in your heart."

You can speculate about Divine omniscience all you want to. The fact remains God is not certain what is in our heart until He tests us. This is the reason for the present miserable cage in which we live, called the world.

Money is the Image of Antichrist. By means of money the self-willed, self-guided person can be independent of God.

To be continued.