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Emotions are powerful forces which we face every day. They mold and shape our lives, some times for the good, other times for the worse. Most definitely, one of the strongest forces which we face in life is that of jealousy. Knowing how it plays out in human life, it is an amazing thing to find it so strongly evidenced in the Lord. Without equivocation, He plainly stated His feelings in the matter when He declared that He is a ìjealous God.î Ex. 20:5 To further express His exceedingly strong feelings in the matter the Lord said that His name is Jealous. Ex. 34:14 In Him, it is a righteous jealousy motivated by the magnitude of His great love. For, the greatest of all love is revealed in the Lord Jesus. John 15:13
The worship of idols or images, whether as a picture, a carving, or a person is an abomination before the Lord. Modern day humanity has a multitude of items which are openly declared to be idols. While it may seem insignificant, things of this nature are but foreshadows of that which is to come. The antichrist will be the idol of all idols, the greatest, the most popular of them all. The following is a quote from Ben Stein made on CBS. ìWhere did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.î Today people, dress like, act like, speak like and proclaim their love and awe of idols from every avenue of life. Lives are patterned much to their detriment, after these whom they love and adore.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the image of the antichrist is the ability of the false prophet to give life (pneuma, breath or a spirit) to the image. Thus, the image will have the ability to declare the greatness of the antichrist and demand that the image be worshipped. Those who refuse will then be killed. Rev. 13:15 There was an interesting article in the news the other day where scientist are become concerned that robots will one day become smarter than men and take over running the earth. That there are believers in the tribulation is evidenced by a group who stand before the Lord having fully resisted all attempts to get them to worship the person of the antichrist or his image. Rev. 15:2 The paid a price for their resistance and refusal but the reward was eternal and everlasting. They are graciously received into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus and are granted to sit on thrones because of their spiritual bravery. Rev. 20:4 We face the image of jealousy in the end of the age . Eze. 8:3.