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Jack Van Impe Ministries
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each day on our A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE Revelation 13: 8 - 18 Verse 8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The true believers of the Tribulation hour will have nothing to do with this satanic monster, even though they will not be able to buy or sell without his approval (chapter 13, verse 17). Their love for Christ will mean more than life, shelter, and food. They will love Christ to the end, for John declares, I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and l saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (chapter 20, verse 4). Is the Tribulation hour approaching? Will a demon-possessed or devil-incarnate human claim deity and be accepted as world leader and be worshipped as God? I believe so. Why? Henry Spaak, a spokesman for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) in Brussels, Belgium, headquarters for the Common Market, made a profound statement relevant to that organization's goals and operations a few years ago. He said, "We do not want another committee. We have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of the people and lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he God or devil, we will accept him." Mr. Spaak, your wish will soon become a reality! The life-and-death matter of verses 1 through 8 is so important that God repeats the warning He so often presented to the seven churches. Verse 9: If any man have an ear, let him hear. Beware! Take heed! Think seriously! Why? Verse 10: He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. This is the exact caution Paul stressed in Galatians 6:7: For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Verse 11: And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb [identifying him with Christianity], and he spake as a drag on [tying him in with Satan]. Verses 11 through 18 introduce us to the second beast (the religious fake, or false prophet) who is the third member of the satanic trinity. The devil imitates the Father, the Antichrist imitates the Son, and the false prophet imitates the Holy Spirit. This religious hypocrite fulfills the prediction of the Saviour who said in Matthew 24:24, For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Verse 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. Clearly, the power of the false prophet is in the realm of religion. He is coequal in power with the Antichrist. One heads up the secular world, while the other controls the religious scene. These two work closely together. The Antichrist shares his authority with the false prophet, protecting him and his religious colossus in return for a promise of loyalty and devotion. Thus, as head of the world church, the false prophet sees to it that the Antichrist-who was wounded and resurrected-is worshipped. What a team! This second beast is also one of the greatest miracle workers in history. Verse 13: And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. These great wonders are called lying wonders in 2 Thessalonians 2:9. They are not magical, "sleight of hand" manipulations, but the result of supernatural power from the dragon that enables these men to even produce fire. Since God often revealed himself by fire (see Genesis 19:24, Leviticus 10:1, 2, and 1 Kings 18:38), the false prophet also uses fire. Satan shares his supernatural power for one reason: Verse 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. The sole purpose of all these miracles is to prepare the people for idolatry. The false prophet actually entices mankind to build the greatest statue in history in the very image of the Antichrist. This monstrosity will be erected in Jerusalem and will be placed in the Jewish Temple. Such a blasphemous act is against the city conscience and is forbidden by the second commandment (see Exodus 20:4). This is why the image is such an obnoxious, hateful, and abominable thing and is labeled the abomination of desolation by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15. Verse 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. Since the image is able to speak, it might well be the ultimate achievement of our present-day computer systems, already capable of conducting intelligent conversations. Professor Seymour Wolfson, of Wayne State University in Detroit, is an expert in the field of computers. He states: "Already there is a report of computer systems that have the storage capability of ten trillion human beings." Personally, I believe that the Antichrist will enslave and control earth's four billion inhabitants through such an all-knowing, monstrous computer. Such a system is absolutely essential to his having all the facts on every member of the human race at his fingertips. As a result, he will, with unerring precision, be able to know who receives his orders, obeys his commands, and honors his laws. His computer will also tell him who earth's rebels are! Verse 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: Verse 17: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Verse 18: Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. As we have seen, the Antichrist will undoubtedly use a computer to enslave earth's population during the Tribulation hour. Also we discover that he will effect and maintain this control through commerce- the buying and selling of products. In order to make his plan operable, the Antichrist will also introduce an international identification system in the form of a mark (possibly a laser tattoo) placed in the right hand or forehead of every individual participant. Without this mark, no man-no man-will be permitted to purchase or sell even the smallest item of merchandise. According to verses 17 and 18, this identification mark will be-or will include as a prefix-the digits "666." The use of "666" as a prefix appears most plausible, as this is the only way one person could be differentiated from another. If all numbers were identical, mass confusion would ensue. Therefore, prefixes preceding the "666" or using the "666" as the prefix code are essential for marketing purposes. With specific reference to verse 18, one should be aware of the fact that there have always been, and always will be, individuals who claim to know the identity of the Antichrist. They take the number "666" and, through all kinds of mathematical formulations, attempt to come to a conclusion. Their efforts, however, can amount to no more than mere speculation because we cannot know who the Antichrist is until he arrives on the scene, and he cannot arrive until the Church is raptured. Still, God's Word admonishes the Christian to be wise (see Matthew 10:16) and watchful (see Matthew 24:42), especially as the day of Christ's return approaches (see Hebrews 10:25). As shocking as the information presented in this chapter may seem, such a day is at hand. A cashless, checkless society is in the planning stages and a number of countries are already experimenting. To be sure, "It's later than you think!" The reign of the Antichrist is upon the horizon. This new Hitler, with a monstrous computer which will enslave millions, may soon control the earth. Unbeliever, Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6). CHANGED LIVES-one at a time God bless you all at JVI ministries. My wife and I watch you every Sunday morning while we're getting ready for church. I'm glued to the TV during the whole show. Your messages are so important and up to date on world events that I'm waking up every day anticipating Jesus' return. Thank you for helping me live each day with the good news that I belong to God. Kirk
Dr. Jack Van Impe, I am writing you to thank you for always having such a great program on television. My name is Kenneth, I am 19 years old and have been enjoying your television show for years. I always have a huge sense of pride when I pray that prayer at the end of your show. I got put in a wheelchair at the age of 8, and knowing that God and the Lord Jesus Christ are always watching over me has kept me from giving up on life. I know things happen for a reason and that God has a plan for me in life, so I keep my faith and watching you and your wife on television is always enjoyable. Thank you for coming into my home every week and preaching the Word of God. Watching you has gotten me ready for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus and it will be a wondrous time, again thank you and God bless you. Kenneth HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS Beyond
the Grave In this exciting video Dr. Jack Van Impe answers questions such as:
Discover the truth about your future life after death - as well as the truth about the future foretold for all in Bible prophecy!
The
Protestant Purgatory Recently Dr. Van Impe was shocked to discover a book describing a type of Protestant purgatory that superseded anything ever taught by the Catholic Church. This doctrine has been proclaimed for over 100 years and promoted by 300 famous Protestant leaders and theologians. The punishment Protestants supposedly experience is far greater and longer then the Catholic description of such a place.
Dr. Van Impe deals with this seldom discussed subject within the rank of Protestantism and then moves ahead with the accurate Biblical truth regarding the Bema Seat Judgment for rewards and crowns. WE ACCEPT PRAYER REQUESTS HERE We receive prayer requests from far and wide via the mail, fax, phone, email and now through the prayer section of our website. FEEDBACK: Please help us with your valuable input. Let us know if you enjoyed this electronic newsletter. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! CONTACT INFORMATION: E-MAIL: jvimi@jvim.com PHONE: (248) 852-5225 (8am-4:30pm Eastern Time) FAX: (248) 852-2692 MAIL: Jack Van Impe Ministries JVIM FAMILY OF WEBSITES: JVIM PROPHECY
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