Exposing the Counterfeit Three Fold Enemy
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Introduction
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16
The prophet John saw and describes a vivid vision of the dragon, beast and false prophet. This three fold union will play a crucial role in the end time events guided and inspired by devils. It is therefore pertinent for God’s people to understand and expose their counterfeit work. We are admonished by the apostle Paul in Ephesians to have no fellowship with these powers of darkness and to reprove them.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5
But first, we must understand the true Powers working for the redemption of mankind.
The Father exalts Christ, the Son
Christ was exalted of the Father;
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5
The Counterfeit
The dragon gives its seat and authority to the beast. In a primary sense, the dragon is Satan himself. Secondarily, the dragon is the civil powers ruling nations also depicted as the ten kings in Revelation 17.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Revelation 13
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. Revelation 17
Christ veiled His Divinity with Flesh
Christ veiled His Divinity with flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us and we are redeemed.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8
The Counterfeit
Similarly, Satan veils his character of pride and self worship also viewed as paganism with an appearance of religion in order to deceive mankind.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who 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. 2 Thessalonians 2
This man of sin who is “in the place”of Christ (anti-Christ) is one of Satan’s masterpiece of deception and has the character and mind of his father, as expressed in Isaiah 14.
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? Isaiah 14
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5
Please review the study below to see how Satan developed the man of sin.
The Two Horned Beast of Revelation 13 counterfeits the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Power behind God’s signs and wonders and is also in charge of administering God’s seal upon His people who are divorcing themselves from iniquity which is sin.
36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. Acts 7
Pharaoh’s magicians realized they were dealing with a higher power, the finger of God, when they failed to counterfeit the plague of lice.
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Exodus 8
Christ used the finger of God to cast out devils as recorded in Luke 11. Matthew 12 also tells us He cast out devils by the spirit of God. Combining this understanding tells us that the finger of God is the Spirit of God.
20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: Luke 11
28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. Matthew 12
It is the same Spirit that wrote the ten commandments according to Exodus 8 and also that will write the law in our hearts as per the new covenant in Hebrews 8.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. Exodus 31
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Hebrews 8
The Counterfeit
11 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. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16
The two horned power does not act for himself but represents the first beast before him. He draws the earth to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. We note here that this beast is also the false prophet which mimics the prophetic role of the Spirit, “He will shew you things to come”.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
This beast does great signs and wonders. In Egypt, God did great signs and wonders by the Finger of God which is the Spirit of God. While God’s Spirit does signs and wonders to liberate God’s people, recreate and restore them to the image of God, this beast does these signs and wonders to lead them to make an image to the beast that was wounded.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: Revelation 13
Satan uses the two horned beast to counterfeit the work of the Spirit and administer or seal the wicked with his mark. This beast causes all to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads.
Conclusion
As predicted by the prophet Isaiah (“I will be like the Most High”), Satan works through the medium of the dragon, beast and false prophet, to counterfeit the work of the Father, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. While the Godhead works in union and in oneness to redeem mankind and restore him to the image of God, Satan’s ultimate goal is to deceive and lead man to destruction. However, the scriptures lay bare his plan and are given for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come!