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The woman of Revelation twelve is wearing a diadem of twelve stars. Twelve is the number of divine government. Jesus chose twelve disciples to follow Him with the ultimate purpose of the twelve guiding the church under the anointing of the Spirit. Of these twelve, Jesus said that one was of the devil. John 6:70 This was not circumstantial but a deliberate act of the Lord. There is a dual lesson to be learned here. There always will be the strange seed, false seed sown among the wheat, especially so, in the end of the age. Judas foreshadowed the coming antichrist who will be the leading tare among the sheep. Jesus said; ìthe harvest is the end of the world.î Mt. 13:39 At one time he will have been a star in the crown of the woman but by the time of Revelation twelve, he will have been removed from his office and replaced, even as it was with Judas.
A counterfeit in order to be received must appear to be as authentic as the real thing, the real person or the original. It is no wonder then that we find Bible history speaking of a created being named Lucifer (brightness or the morning star) who obviously was a being of extreme beauty and light before the throne of the Lord. He is also called ìson of the morning.î Isa. 14:12 Because of his desire to control the stars (the people) of the Lord he was cast down to hell, the side of the pit. Isa. 14:13-14 As the eternal Word, Jesus was present and saw the whole transaction as it played out in heaven, for He said: ìI beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.î Luke 10:18 It has been stated that history repeats itself and it surely does in this case.
The antichrist, the counterpart will transform or present himself as being an apostle of Christ. 2 Cor. 11:13 This is no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14 Foolish deceptions are easily discerned but clever and unscrupulous individuals are working get rich quick scams every hour of the day on people world wide. Most unfortunately, what is true in the secular world is also true in the spiritual world. This is an age of strong and devious deceptions. There is nothing more deceptive than a misinterpretation of the Word. In my life time, I am 91, I have seen intelligent ministers of the gospel, write foolish books naming the antichrist. They have named most every world ruler (including several of our presidents) as well as the head of every religious organization as the antichrist, but they all pass on and become mere history, both subject and writer. The antichrist, like Judas will have a leading part in the last day church from which the Bride of Christ will be formed. Strangely, he will fit a most unique spiritual condition. The light which is in him, is darkness, gross, total darkness. Mt. 6:23.