The Wounded Head of Revelation 13:3

Bible Prophecy
The Mark of the Beast

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 "The Mark of the BEAST" 

Revelation 13

By Ezra Celestin

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (Revelation 13:3, Revision of 1960) Before continuing, take time to pray for understanding of the Word. It is at these little junctures that the enemy of our souls throws in different points of view and confusion to muddle your understanding.

Do not make the mistake of confusing the Roman Empire with the Roman Catholic Church. Do not give in to the idea of Rome in its two stages “Pagan Rome and Papal Rome.” Do not make the mistake of associating General Berthier taking the pope captive in 1798 as the wounding of the head.

 During the French revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Italy in 1796 and occupied Ancona and Loreto. Pope Pius VI asked for peace, which was granted on February 19, 1797, at Tolentino. On February 10, 1798, General Berthier led his army into Rome unopposed and declared it a Roman republic on February 15, 1798. He demanded that Pope Pius VI renounce his authority as temporal or political leader of Italy. Pope Pius VI refused to renounce his authority. For this refusal he was taken prisoner on February 20, 1798.

 These and many other points of views must be unlearned. One of the heads on the beast is the Christian head or in other words Christianity. The other six heads from Islam to Shinto remained intact, unchanged from their creed and dogmas, but the Christian head changed its creed and dogmas, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils and departing from the faith. Therefore, let us focus our attention on Christianity, the Christian head.

Understand that the church built on Christ by the apostles is the same church that apostatized so badly, known today as the Roman Catholic Church, the papacy, the papal power, or the Roman Catholic system.

Understand that God, looking down on the apostate church, the church built on Christ, had this to say:

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)

Therefore, let us examine how the church got to that stage where God had to call his people out of her, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” We shall also examine where we are today in light of the prophecy of Revelation 13:3: “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed.”

The Early Christian Church

It is not as if the early church did not have warnings of this great apostasy taking place within the church. Repeatedly the apostles warned the early church that the antichrist is working even now within the church. The apostles warned the church that as they approached the period called the last days, there would be a falling away from truth by the church. The church would give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and they would depart from the faith.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. (1 Timothy 4:1 KJV)

The apostles told the early church that they were already in the period called the last days, and they were to be vigilant because there were many antichrists already among them.

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18, Revision of 1960).

The apostles gave the early church specific instructions, letting them know that the spirit of antichrist was already at work among them in the church. They were to differentiate between the spirit of God and the spirit of the devil. They were to know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:3–6, Revision of 1960)

The apostles made every effort to differentiate the children of the devil from the children of God and the children of darkness from the children of light.

Observe how they used the terms darkness and light to represent people. “Ye were sometimes darkness,” they told the church. “Now ye are light in the Lord, walk as children of light.” They were establishing a marked difference between truth and error. Light dispels darkness, and truth destroys error. The church built on Christ was admonished not to allow anyone to deceive them with smooth talking and creative interpretations of the Word that sounded logical because God is not a God of human logic.

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:5–8 KJV)

Again, see how the apostles took the time to counsel the early church on the seduction that was taking place in the church at that time.

Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. (1 John 2:24–26 KJV).

Observe the tenor of Paul as he wrote this epistle to the church in Thessalonica. There was a dispute in the church that indicated the return of Christ in the cloud of heaven with power and great glory was at hand. This dispute was so intense that the church was shaking at the seams. As word reached Paul and the other apostles of the intense disputation taking place in the early church, they thought it best to write II Thessalonians 2 to encourage and strengthen the church.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (II Thessalonians 2:1 KJV)

They told the early church not to allow any man to deceive them by any means. They informed the early church that Christ would not come before the church fell into a great apostasy. They clearly explained to the early church that the church would embrace the doctrines of devils and oppose all the doctrines of God. The early church would have a man sitting in the temple of God, saying that he was God and demanding worship. The apostles told the early church not to allow this apostasy to trouble them because this iniquity was already at work, but they should know and understand that he would be taken out of the way. They told the brethren, “Do not forget we told you so before it happened, so when it takes place you will have known that he (the man of sin) will at the appointed time will come to his end unto the end.” (II Thessalonians 2:5)

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; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (II Thessalonians 2:3–7 KJV)

Bible Prophecy
The Mark of the Beast

This book is a great gift item. Give it out to friends and to people whom you are witnessing too.