Wounded Warriors: The Lamb Above, and The Beast Below

Moses and the elders of the newborn nation of Israel saw Him on top of Mt. Sinai (Ex. 24:9-11); Isaiah later beheld His glory during a time of national crisis (Isa. 6; Jn. 12:37-41); John and the other apostles were eye-witnesses to His majesty as well (Matt. 17:1-13; Jn. 1:14, 18; 2 Cor. 12:1-4; 2 Pet. 1:16). And, now, we who are alive at the end of the age await our turn to see Him as He is, so that we may also become like Him in glory (Php. 3:20-21; Col. 1:27; 1 Jn. 3:2).

Why is the hope described by Paul in Titus 2:13 so blessed? Read on, because the "blessed hope" is connected to "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." All right, that sounds good. But a sincere believer might be asking, "Now that we see the signs of God's day of judgment fast approaching, does this mean my hope is less-than-blessed in some way?" By no means! Part of your pre-trib privilege is seeing Jesus first, ahead of the rest of the world:

...[t]hose who believe without seeing are blessed" (Jn. 20:29).

And Peter echoes:

"You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy..." (1 Pet. 1:8). 

Rejoice, brother. Be blessed, sister. Your help is on the way. Your Savior is coming, and He is coming to rescue you from His own wrath reserved for an unbelieving world (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10).


The Last Will Be First

The Bible is full of paradoxes. As defined by Oxford Dictionaries, a paradox is: a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true. Jesus revealed to His disciples many paradoxical statements that went against popular belief, and it was these hard-to-stomach truths that caused many to trust in Him and others to walk away from Him entirely (Jn. 6:60-69).

In a previous post Gary wrote about one particular paradox that relates to the resurrection and rapture of the Church (see here). The gospel writers record Jesus saying, "The last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matt. 19:30; 20:16; Mk. 10:31; Lk. 13:30). In a surprising turn of events, it will be the Gentile-dominant body of Christ who will see Jesus first; then, at last, the remnant of Israel and the rest of the world will see Him...much to the dismay of many who have already taken the mark of the Beast.

A foolish nation is taken first (Deut. 32:21; Isa. 66:7-8). It's God's gracious gift to an undeserving people but a blasphemous thought to the self-righteous Pharisee. It might sound too-good-to-be-true at times, but, regardless of our wavering opinions, those of us in the body of Christ will have the unique blessing of beholding the Lamb in heaven while the nations of the earth fawn over their own "savior" below.

And now that everything is coming down to the wire, the people of earth must choose between the Lamb and the Beast. These two figures will face-off during the final showdown, and to a deceived and unsuspecting world, the Beast will seem like a sure-thing. Vegas will bet money on him...if Sin City is still around by Armageddon.

Who is the ultimate champion of the world? To answer that question, we must understand a related paradox to "the last will be first," namely, the least will be greatest (c.f. Matt. 23:11; Lk. 9:48). The Beast along with all the armies of the world will assemble together to prevent Jesus from taking Jerusalem. But all the aircraft carriers, cruise missiles, super-soldiers and stealth bombers in the world can't stop the Christ and His armies. In the eyes of the world, it will be the greatest upset of all-time.

I've always appreciated a good underdog victory in a lopsided match-up, so let's get to it and size-up the competition. After examining the pre-game stats for the Lamb and the Beast, you'll find some interesting comparisons, but one monumental difference: The Lamb is truly the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). Sorry, Ali.


A Shock and Awe Campaign

I'll start with, perhaps, the most explicit Old Testament profile of the Lamb found in Isaiah 52–53 (for a more cryptic preview of the identity of the Lamb, see my previous post "A Closer Look at Genesis 3–4"). This section of the Hebrew Bible is so immense and spectacular in its description of the Messiah, many Jews have been persuaded to reconsider their prior misunderstanding and animosity toward "He-who-shall-not-be-named" and those who follow Him. For example, check out the "Isaiah 53" website here.

This is one of those instances where you should imagine there are no chapter divisions in your Bible, because Isaiah 52 and 53 were originally written without a break or pause between them. Note: There were no chapter divisions in the original autographs of Scripture...there were also no punctuation marks, either. Chapter and verse numbers, paragraph breaks, and other explanatory marks were added in down through the centuries by scribes and editors.

The picture presented in Isaiah 52–53 illustrates the aforementioned paradox: The last will be first/the least will be greatest. Jesus is the #1 Stunner. The nations will be in utter shock and dismay when they see the Lamb who was slain—a wrathful, warrior Lamb, mind you, and one who is King of kings, and Lord of lords!

Note how Isaiah emphasizes "seeing the LORD." This is a concept relevant to us now [we see Him by faith, positively speaking]; however, at the end of the age, the eyes of the whole world see Him manifest in resplendent glory [an event that will be positive for some, but a real big negative for His enemies]. The following Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB (emphasis mine):

Isa. 52:6 — Yahweh is fed up with His name being blasphemed among the nations as a result of Israel's disobedience to Him. Once He has had enough, He is going to show up in a big way to put an end to the mockery, "...therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am."

Isa. 52:8 — "Listen! Your watchmen...will see with their own eyes when the LORD restores Zion."

Isa. 52:10 — "The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God."

Now let's switch gears for a moment to answer this question: When the Suffering Servant of Yahweh appears in glory, does He sprinkle, or does He startle the nations?

Well, when you survey the English translations of Isaiah 52:15, you'll discover a strong difference of opinion. For example:

1) KJV —  "So shall he sprinkle many nations..."

2) NRSV — "So he shall startle many nations..."

Translators who see a priestly function in this context have no problem with "sprinkle." There are other texts to support this idea: Ex. 29:21; Lev. 5:9; 8:11, 30, etc. However, this might be a case of scribal error, when at some point during the transmission of the text, a scribe may have written down another word that phonetically resembled the original. There is ample evidence to support an emendation of the MT (Masoretic Text) to better fit the surrounding context—the "shock and awe" campaign of a slain Lamb who rises from the dead and reappears in glory before a stunned worldwide audience.

Evidence #1: See the NET Bible's explanation of the Hebrew text (note #27).

Evidence #2: See the Greek translation of Isaiah that supports the "shock and awe" view. Here is the Septuagint's rendering of Isaiah 52:15:

Thus shall many nations wonder at him; and kings shall keep their mouths shut: for they to whom no report was brought concerning him, shall see; and they who have not heard, shall consider" (Brenton LXX).

The Greek word translated "wonder" is thaumazo (Strong's #2296), a verb that also means "to amaze, astonish, marvel, admire, etc." I wonder where else this word is found? Oh yeah, check out Revelation 13:3:

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered [thaumazo] after the beast" (KJV).

And also Revelation 17:8:

The beast you saw was once alive but isn't now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed [thaumazo] at the reappearance of this beast who had died" (NLT).

Keep these passages from Revelation in mind, we're going to revisit them later. For now, these comparisons between the Lamb and the Beast are striking. As we see from the Greek cited above, the world will be awestruck [thaumazoed] by the sight of the Beast—the one who had been slain but resurrected to life, and the people on earth will worship Him and take His mark. Similarly, the Lamb who was slain and risen from the dead will come again to startle [thaumazo]—shake, rattle and roll—the whole world in order to take His rightful place as King among the nations (Pss. 2; 110; Rev. 19:11-16).

Before we move on, there are two more passages in Isaiah 53 that I would like to bring to your attention. First, there is Isaiah 53:7:

And because he was afflicted, he does not open his mouth; like a sheep is led to slaughter [Grk. sphago], and like a lamb is voiceless before the one who shears it, so he does not open his mouth" (Lexham English Septuaguint).

Second, there is Isaiah 53:11:

Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities" (NRSV).

From Isaiah 53:7 we discover an amazing description of the Messiah given 700 years before His arrival: He is described as a Lamb who will be slain. As we will see from the apostle John's vision in Revelation, the Beast will be a parody of the Lamb.

Isaiah 53:11 reveals another startling detail about the Lamb who will be slain for the sins of the world: He will see light! That's another way of saying He will rise from the darkness of the grave (Isa. 53:9) in order to see the light of day again. This parallels Isaiah 53:10, "...He will see [Heb. ra'ah] His offspring [lit. seed], He will prolong His days..." Isaiah 53:11 is also great reminder to carefully investigate all sources before determining the correct translation. The Masoretic Text (MT) does not have "light," and merely reads "He will see out of His anguish." Yet, when you look at the Greek (LXX) and the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), they both have "He will see light."


To Be, and Not to Be, and To Be Once More

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John weaves in subtle connections between the Lamb and the Beast in order to highlight their similarities; however, the beloved disciple never leaves us with any doubt as to who might be the greatest and true King of the world. Right from the outset, he let's us know that Jesus is coming and every eye will see the true "ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:6-7) and "the Alpha and Omega...the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8).

Let's compare and contrast the thoroughly Semitic phrasing of Rev. 1:8 and Rev. 17:8:

The Lamb

Who is...because He is the eternal God, not created (Jn. 1:1, 3; 8:58)

Who was...because He is God who took on flesh and died for our sins (Jn. 1:14, 29; 19:30)

Who is to come...because He has already risen from the dead and will return to the earth (Rev. 1:18; 19:11)

The Beast

Who was...because He is a created being, not the eternal God  (Dan. 11:37; 2 Thess. 2:4, 8)

Who is not...because He died in the past and remains confined until his time (2 Thess. 2:7-9; Rev. 13:3; 17:8)

Who will be present again...because He will be resurrected in the future to rule briefly (Rev. 13:3-8; 17:12-13)

Having previously examined the victorious, slain Lamb of Isaiah 52–53, let's return to Revelation 13 to see how John further confirms the nature of the Beast as a counterfeit Christ.

1) Wounded — The Lamb and the Beast are both described as wounded warriors. However, the truth beneath the surface reveals a night and day contrast: The Lamb's wound(s) bring life and healing to the saints (Isa. 53:5); the Beast's wound, when healed, brings death and destruction to the saints (Rev. 13:3, 7-10, 14).

2) Slain — The Lamb and the Beast both die a violent death. The Lamb's death was a pure, sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of mankind (Isa. 53:5-6, 10-12); the Beast, who is also called the 'lawless one' (2 Thess. 2:8), was slain by the sword, which means he likely died unwillingly and non-sacrificially in battle (Rev. 13:14). The comparison/contrast is further accentuated within chapter 13 itself: The Beast is described as, translated literally, "slain [Grk. sphago] to death" (Rev. 13:3); the Book of Life belongs to the Lamb "who was slain [Grk. sphago]..." (Rev. 13:8; c.f. Isa. 53:7).

3) Resurrected — The Lamb and the Beast both rise from the dead in order to rule the nations. The Lamb, who is the Psalm 2 Christ, rises from the dead to inherit the nations and establish an everlasting kingdom along with His seed (Isa. 53:10-12); the Beast, the Antichrist and ultimate Seed of the Serpent, rises from the dead [the abyss, Rev. 11:7; 17:8] to rule the nations for a mere three and a half years (Rev. 13:5-8, 12-18).

Ok, so as a result of comparing Scripture with Scripture, we see that the Beast mimics Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. But now you may be wondering: What about the Incarnation? Yes, good question. The Beast's beginnings are mysterious, indeed, but there are several clues throughout Scripture and other extra-biblical writings that shed light on his identity.

In the closing paragraphs of a previous article entitled "The Coming U.F.O. Disclosure," I addressed the need for the prophecy community to re-examine the nature of the Antichrist. I believe many of us have been expecting a current politician or world ruler to be the man of lawlessness. That's understandable given the other typological fulfillments in the past: Hitler, Domitian, Antiochus Epiphanes IV, Pharaoh, etc.

That being said. It's time to take a look at the Beast from John's perspective one more time. Here is Revelation 17:8-11:

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss and go to destruction. Those who live on the earth whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will be astounded [thaumazoed] when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again. Here is the mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. The beast that was and is not, is himself the eighth, yet is of the seven and goes to destruction" (HCSB, emphasis mine).

Instead of trying to identify the seven mountains as successive world empires like Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, etc. Let's try a different approach. John says that the seven heads/mountains are "...also seven kings [Grk. basileus]." Five individual kings at some point in recorded history have died; one king lived during John's day [Domitian]; one king was yet to come from John's standpoint—possibly Hitler; and, finally, the Beast of the Tribulation is the eighth and last king, "yet is of the seven." In other words, the Antichrist of the future is one of the seven dead kings who had ruled in the past!

Whoa. Let's revisit some ground covered earlier. Recall that the Beast is said to have been killed by the sword, but by the power of the Dragon, he comes to life again (Rev. 13:2-4, 14). Upon further investigation, the Beast is no ordinary man who is currently alive today (as of the date that this article is posted!). On the contrary, this ruler who rises in the future and thaumazoes the whole world is the stuff of legend and lore.

A common misconception, promoted innocently enough by the Left Behind series, is that the Antichrist will be wounded or killed during the Tribulation. If we challenge this assumption and look at what Revelation 17:8-11 plainly reveals, the Beast is not killed during the Tribulation and subsequently healed by a miracle. Rather, he has already been killed, possibly thousands of years in the past, and is currently being restrained in the abyss until the appointed time in the future when he will be released to indwell his body again (c.f. Rev. 9:11).

For a deeper study into the identity of the Beast, I highly recommend reading Peter Goodgame's book, The Second Coming of the Antichrist. He argues well for Nimrod being the prime candidate—the first of the seven kings of Rev. 17:10, who will, ironically, be the last. The first will be last.

Check out a selected study from Goodgame's Giza Discovery series here. *Disclaimer: In the event that you peruse the rest of his website, I do not endorse his unorthodox, suspiciously universalistic interpretation of Acts 3:21. When it comes to the Antichrist, however, I think he has found his niche. Test all things (1 Thess. 5:21).

For anyone who is savvy with Stellarium or any other astronomy program, I would be curious to know what all is going on with the constellation Orion, between 2017—2024. Apparently, there is a strong connection between Nimrod, a mighty hunter (Gen. 10:8-9), and the famous constellation mentioned in the Scriptures (Amos 5:8; Job 9:9; 38:31). The LXX has Nimrod listed as a giant [gigas] twice in Gen. 10:8-9 (c.f. Gen. 6:4) and singles out Orion in Isa. 13:10 as "going dark" during the Day of the LORD. The Liddell-Scott Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon which surveys ancient Greek literature for Bible study says this about Orion: "...[he is] one of the giants, a mighty hunter, loved by Aurora, slain by Artemis [from Homer's Odyssey, pg. 907, emphasis mine].

*Also, I saw this piece of news today (8/10/17) from the Independent headlined, "Mysterious Egyptian Pharaoh May Have Had Oldest Case of Gigantism." Things that make you go, hmmm...


Only the Lamb is Worthy

As we draw closer to the Revelation 12 alignment this Fall, it seems best to conclude this post with a glimpse of our blessed hope. Remember, those of us who are members of Christ's body are not waiting for the Antichrist, we are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ (Php. 3:20; 1 Thess. 1:10)! 

Therefore, we should dwell upon a vision already revealed to us for just such an occasion during these days of anticipation and expectancy. Here is Revelation 5:11-12:

Then I looked, and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures, and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice, 'The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (HCSB, emphasis mine).

Can you picture this scene in your mind? That's where we'll be soon. Right there by the Lamb, praising Him and singing a new song with all the redeemed from every tribe and language, people and nation (Rev. 5:9). It will not be a place of boasting in our own accomplishments, but one of casting crowns and bowing before the only One who is worthy to receive praise and worship (Rev. 4:10; 5:14).

That which is seen as "weak" in the eyes of the world will ultimately triumph and prevail over "the strong" and "mighty" on the earth. The last will be first, and the first will be last.

Of all the names for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the one that will shock and startle the world is arnion. The first time we encounter this term in Revelation is chapter 5, verse 6:

Then I saw one like a slaughtered Lamb [Grk. arnion] standing between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders..." (HCSB).

In the previous verse, the Lamb who was slain is also "the Lion from the tribe of Judah" and "the Root of David," and the only One who is worthy to open the seven-sealed scroll—the title deed to repossess the earth and claim what rightfully belongs to Yahweh alone (c.f. Jer. 32).

Not even the mightiest of angels could step up to answer the call (Rev. 5:2-3). Yet, in a clever literary contrast, John shows us that the One who is worthy to take the scroll from the Father and keep humanity's hope alive is...a little Lamb. The word arnion [little lamb] is a diminutive form of aren (Lk. 10:3) and used 29 times in Revelation and once in John's gospel (Jn. 21:15). See the list of every usage of this word in the New Testament here.

The apostle appears to use this diminutive term throughout Revelation to intentionally enhance the paradox: the last will be first. It is the little Lamb, who has nail-pierced hands and feet and a wound in His side (Jn. 20:27), who conquers the "great" Beasts of the world (Rev. 13:11-14). And you, brothers and sisters in Christ, are also conquerors with the Lamb!

When the Day of the LORD begins in earnest, the Beast and his government will prosper for a time and appear to have finally solved the pesky problem of "the Jews" and "the Christians." Those who submit to the Beast's authority and take His mark will think they are on the winning side, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?" (Rev. 13:4).

After all, the deceived inhabitants of the earth may also think to themselves, "If Jesus is more powerful than the Beast, why are all of His followers being scattered, arrested, and killed?" Human reason says that those who trust in the Lamb are ignorant and foolish. But God's word tells us that those who follow the Lamb are called, chosen, and faithful (Rev. 17:14). The last will be first.

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