It is no hidden secret that Satan the devil is being worshiped just as God is worshiped, and even more than God for this matter. Because the apostle John wrote saying; “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they (all the world) worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
Since we now have a clearer, and better understanding of the meaning of the different symbols mentioned in the book of revelation, let us now translate this passage, for a better understanding, to see the profoundness of this message.
What is observed in this passage is that, the apostle John in a vision saw himself standing on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (kingdom), rising up out of multitudes of peoples, nations, and languages, having seven heads ( revivals), and ten horns ( nations), and on the heads of these nations ten crowns (signifying the sovereignty of these nations), and on the heads of these nations a blasphemous name. (Now please note that blasphemy, is directed only against the true Eternal God. It is to speak about God or His sacred things with abuse or contempt. It is any speech or action that is contemptuous of something deemed sacred).
Now the beast (kingdom) which John saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. (the leopard depicts the swiftness of the kingdom of the Grecian Macedonian Empire, the feet of the bear depicts the Persian Empire, and the mouth of the lion depicts the Chaldean or the Babylonian Empire.
Therefore, the fourth beast ( kingdom), which is the Roman Empire, has the characteristics of all the three previous kingdoms. It was different from all the kingdoms (beasts) that were before it, and it had ten nations (horns). Now Satan (the dragon), gave this kingdom, his power, his throne, and great authority. And John saw one of the revivals (heads) of this kingdom, as if it had been mortally wounded (weak and feeble), and his deadly wound was healed (he revived and became strong again). And all the world marveled and followed the beast (the Roman Empire). So they (meaning the whole world), worshiped the devil (dragon) who gave authority to the kingdom (beast); and they worshiped the kingdom (beast) saying; “Who is like the Roman Empire? Who is able to make war with him?”
So it is no secret that the whole world is worshiping the devil. But how was this made possible?
The first thing one has to consider is the fact that, there is first and foremost, a rationale, or a logical reason for worship, and this rationale is substantiated by observing the day on which the event occurs. It is not simply a matter of singing, praising, praying, because you believe in a higher power. Worship is an expression of one's appreciation and gratitude, giving reverence and respect to God, for who He is, and what He has done.
Take example of the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and the angels, of whom it is said; “ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: " You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."
Also, “When He (the Lamb) had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: " You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.'
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: " Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5: 8-12).
The rationale for their worship, is because the Lord created all things, and by His will they exist and were created, and the Lamb's worthiness to take up the scroll, and to open its seals, because He was slain, and have redeemed them to God.
Our rationale for worshiping God here on earth, it is because of He being God, and the things He did for the salvation of mankind, as explained in the proclamation of one of the three angels which reads; “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth --- to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people --- saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water" (Revelation 14:6-7).
Now the symbol which is affiliated with the worship of the Eternal God, is the specific day on which the event transpired, and they are being celebrated as commemorations.
But what is the rationale for worshiping Satan? There is absolutely no rationale for Satan to be worshiped, and by the whole world for that matter. So in his subtlety, he chose the day which reflects his former glory, when he was known as Lucifer the son of the morning, when he used to illuminate the earth with his beauty. As it is written; “ How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ' I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12- 14).'
It has always been Satan's ambition to “sit on the mount of the congregation” and to be worshiped as god. So he chose Sunday, which most people now refer to as the “Lord's day.” In fact it is said by the authorities who worship on Sundays, that one of the reasons why they choose Sunday above Saturday, it is because of the day of the sun, and this is what we read;+
“SUN-WORSHIP AND THE ORIGIN OF SUNDAY” Chapter 8 by Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University” which states; “…Though Christ is often referred to by earlier Fathers as "True Light" and "Sun of Justices"83 no deliberate attempt was made prior to Eusebius to justify Sunday observance by means of the symbology of the day of the Sun. On the other hand Eusebius several times refers explicitly to the motifs of the light, of the sun and of the day of the Sun, to explain the substitution of the Christian Sunday for the Jewish Sabbath.’
“For example, in his Commentary on Psalm 91 he writes: "The Logos has transferred by the New Alliance the celebration of the Sabbath to the rising of the light. He has given us a type of the true rest in the saving day of the Lord, the first day of light. . . . In this day of light, first day and true day of the sun, when we gather after the interval of six days, we celebrate the holy and spiritual Sabbaths. . . . All things whatsoever that were prescribed for the Sabbath, we have transferred them to the Lord’s day, as being more authoritative and more highly regarded and first in rank, and more honorable than the Jewish Sabbath. In fact, it is on this day of the creation of the world that God said: ‘Let there be light and there was light.’ It is also on this day that the Sun of Justice has risen for our souls."
Satan is being worshiped by having a counterfeit to all that is worshiped. For example; God is worshiped on the seventh day of the week (Saturday), because the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Satan counterfeited it by instituting Sunday to honor and glorify him in his former glory, and he used the beast power, the Roman Empire, and a universal church to accomplish his objective, which is to worship him as god.
For it is written; “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot (False church) who sits on many waters (Peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues), with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk (deceived) with the wine (doctrine) of her fornication (political and religious intimate relationship)" (Revelation 17:1-2).
The crux of the matter is, the Roman Empire, is the fourth beast or kingdom, mentioned in the book of Revelation 13, by the apostle John, and by Daniel in the book of Daniel chapter seven, which corresponds with the two legs ,with two feet, and ten toes, of the great image seen by king Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter two. This kingdom we are told ascended from the bottomless pit, denoting that it ascended from the domain of Satan, and Satan the dragon, gave this kingdom his power, his throne, and great authority.
Therefore, since it is the Roman Empire, who, in collaboration with this universal church that changed the Lord's day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, hence the reason why they (all who dwell on the earth) worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And therefore; “ All who dwell on the earth will worship him (the kingdom being controlled by the universal church), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
The bottom line is, we are all free moral agents, and therefore have the prerogative to choose whether we want to worship the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water,, and has sanctified, and made holy the seventh day of the week in honor of the work of creation which He has done; Or, The choice to worship Satan the dragon, who instituted Sunday, the first day of the week, to honor him, and reflecting on his former glory, when he used to be the son of the morning, and illuminated the earth with his splendor. The choice is ours.
This however does not mean that all worship festivals that falls on a Sunday is of the devil. Because God has ordained annual festivals, with specific dates, and will in some instances fall on a Sunday. As a matter of fact, there are two of God's festivals that are designated to to fall on a Sunday, and they are;
- The feast of first fruits
Which is the Sunday that falls during the days of Unleavened Bread, the day on which the Lord presented Himself to the Father on our behalf after His resurrection, known as the “Wave Sheaf offering”, And this is what is written concerning this offering; “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” The day after the Sabbath is obviously Sunday (Leviticus 23: 10-11).
- The Feast of Pentecost
The day on which the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, fifty (50) days after the feast of first fruits, or the wave sheaf offering; and the beginning of the new testament church. And this is what we find written in the scriptures; “'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:15-16).
So it was no co-incidence that the disciples we are told, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
Therefore, there is absolutely no justification to even suggest, that these events are the rationale for changing the Lord's seventh day Sabbath to Satan's Sunday Sabbath; because these two events which are designated to be celebrated on a Sunday, were observed simultaneously with the seventh Sabbath, and are all part and parcel of the Lord's Feasts, which honors Him as the Lord.
Truly, God has overlooked these times of ignorance, but now commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness, by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.
Copyright © 2014 by Lucius Joseph
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