Animals, Colors, Metals, Numbers and Signs in Scripture.

Seven - Completion

Complete Deception

In the book of Revelation we read of a seven headed ten horn dragon: Rev. 12:3 "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads."  This dragon is further identified as the devil and a great deceiver: Rev. 12:9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."  Certain animals are devourers and destroyers.  A dragon is such an animal.  Satan is also compared to a roaring lion in 1 Pet. 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 

Please notice that the description of the dragon includes that he "deceiveth the whole world."  Satan is a deceiver.  He is not what he appears to be.  In other words, he appears to be something he is not.  The fact that he wears seven crowns on his seven heads indicates that he is seeking glory and to reign as a king.  One of the greatest deceptions of Satan is his religious deception.  To deceive someone is to fool them into believing that something or someone is actually something or someone else. 

The greatest number of times the word deceive is used in the New Testament it is speaking of fooling someone into believing that someone is Christ who really is not Christ:

    1.  Mat 24:4 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

    2.  Mat 24:11 "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

    3.  Mat 24:24 "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

    4.  Mark 13:5 "And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

    5.  Luke 21:8 "And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them."

    6.  Rom 16:18 "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

    7.  Eph 4:14 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

To deceive someone, the deception must look enough like the real that both the real and the false will not be easily distinguished by the ignorant.

Often times in the scriptures we read about the kingdom of God.  Satan also has a kingdom and it bears his image: Rev. 13:1 "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 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."  Just as the dragon had seven heads and ten horns, so the beast that rose up out of the sea of humanity also had seven heads and ten horns.  It bore the image of the dragon who gave it its power, and seat, and great authority. 

The beast is identified as a multinational secular kingdom composed of many nations.  Rev. 17:10 "And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space."  By examining the description given to us of the beast, we find in the scriptures there have been six heads of the beast so far.  These heads are Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persian Empire, Greece, and Rome.  At the time of the writing of Revelations the first five kingdoms had fallen.  Rome was at that time occupying its headship.  One head is yet future.  Revelation Chapter 20 tells us that Satan will go about deceiving the nations once again to from the seventh head of the beast shortly before the great white throne judgment.  These multinational secular kingdoms are Satan's imitation of the Kingdom of God. 

In addition, Satan has an imitation of the Lord's church.  She is described in Rev. 17:3, "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."  This mother of harlots and abominations of the earth is best known as Juadaism.  The harlot daughters are described in Is. 4:1 "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."  These seven women have their own false doctrine (bread) and wear the garment of self-righteousness rather than the imputed righteousness of Christ.

In continuation of the deception, Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light: 2 Cor. 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."  Thus, the ministers of Satan appear as though they are the ministers of Christ.  They preach another gospel, which Paul affirms is not another: Gal. 1:6 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

In addition, there is an image in this deception.  The image is made to appear as though it is Christ.  Rev. 13:13 "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."  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.  This image is antichrist.  The word antichrist means one in the place of Christ.  (1 John 2:18 KJV)  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.

The great deception is that the vast majority of the so-called Christian religious world uses the name Christ and have an image in their mind of who Christ is.  The fact is that the image in their mind does not match up with the description of Christ given in the scriptures.  The image in their mind is antichrist and is based on the false doctrines that they have been taught. 

The seven-headed ten-horned dragon, the seven-headed ten-horned beast, Mystery Babylon and her harlot daughters, the ministry of Satan, the false gospel, and the false image or antichrist is all a part of the complete deception of Satan.