2023/08/07

103. "The Beast" and the "False Prophet" Part 2

As we have discussed, "the beast" in the Book of Revelation is man's accidental information (cf. Blog № 4) likened to "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan" (Revelation 20:2) transformed into "knowledge" in a person by taken in by the person. This "knowledge" becomes "words" through the person as its medium. That is the "false prophet." These "words" are built up in a person's mind into a solid memory with seemingly feasible images. The behaviour of the "false prophet," the human "knowledge" that has become the "words" through a person as its medium, was indeed for Jesus, in whom the Word, the divine knowledge, became a man, what "An enemy has done" (Matthew 13:28) in the "parable of the weeds." 

That is, "[W]hile men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away" (Matthew 13:25). So, as we examined last time, "the kings of the earth with their armies" (Revelation 19:19) had become "those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image" (Revelation 19:20) while they were alive. Taking in man’s accidental information and having the "knowledge" of the beast, they made it into "words" and acted out the behaviour of the "false prophet." 

In the parable of the weeds, when the servants said, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?" (Matthew 13:28), the householder said, "No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them" (Matthew 13:29). The concern the householder shows here suggests that the "field" in Jesus' commentary, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one" (Matthew 13:37-38), refers to the memory of a person. The fact that Jesus says that "the weeds are the sons of the evil one" and also says that "the enemy who sowed them is the devil" (Matthew 13:39) shows that the "weeds" refers to man’s accidental information. If one takes it, makes it one's own "knowledge," and then puts it into "words," a "false prophet" will emerge. 

The believer who hears the Word can acknowledge the existence of the "false prophet" in his own memory. He can distinguish it from himself, the hearer of the Word. Jesus' experience in the wilderness before he began his public ministry tells us that Jesus, who was divine yet human, also had a memory of man’s accidental information. However, Jesus called it Satan and distinguished it perfectly from himself, the Word (cf. Matthew 4:1-11). Now, amid the complex social structures, we must discriminate the inner "false prophet" from ourselves, who hear the Word, just as Jesus did in the wilderness. To this end, acquiring the worldview of Jesus Christ is essential. The training of Revelation, which is within the New Testament and closely linked to the Gospel, makes it possible. That is because the Word is made alive by the Holy Spirit.

To be continued.

Maria K. M.