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There is an interesting correlation between Exe 32 and Rev 13 that I wanted to share with everyone here today. Exe 32 tells us (you will remember) of the events when Moses descended the mountain after receiving the tablets from God to find the Israelite's worshiping a golden calf.

Exe 32:4 "Then he took the gold from them, and he formed it with an engraving tool and made it into a statue of a calf. They began to say: “This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt.”

What is interesting about this event in Exe 32 are the parallels with the account recorded for us in Rev 13. Here we see a two horned beast, worshiped by God's people, which brings about their downfall as having the mark in the first bowl;

Rev 13:11 "Then I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, but it began speaking like a dragon."

Rev 16:2 "The first one went off and poured out his bowl on the earth. And a hurtful and malignant ulcer afflicted the people who had the mark of the wild beast and who were worshipping its image."

We also have many more connections between these two chapters, so let's explore them...

What about the "gold" the calf is made up of in Exe 32, does it have a parallel in Rev 13? In fact it does:

Rev 13:18 "This is where it calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number, and its number is 666."

Notice the 666 in Rev 13 takes us to Solomon and his gathering of gold beyond what was directed by Jehovah, in connection with his false worship that he allowed to seep in, influenced by his foreign wives.

1Kin 10:14 "And the weight of the gold that came to Solʹo·mon in one year amounted to 666 talents of gold,"

So we see, a worship of a gold two horned calf in Exe 32 that matches the worship of a two horned wild beast in Rev 13, that is associated with the gold that Solomon gathered in defiance to Jehovah.

Rev 13:15 "And it was permitted to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who refuse to worship the image of the wild beast."

Instead we are admonished by our Lord not to buy gold offered by the wild beast of Rev 13, but rather gold from him;

Rev 3:18 "I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich,"

Another parallel between these two events are engravings by Jehovah. One, the tablets given to Moses to take to the people;

Ex 32:16 "The tablets were the workmanship of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets."

Second, in the time of the end, a final fulfillment of Joshua in scripture is given a stone engraved by Jehovah, along with the other of the two witnesses Zerubbabel to bring Gods proclamations to the entire combined Israelite of God, making up all mankind that worship him;

Zech 3:9 "See the stone that I have set before Joshua! On the one stone are seven eyes; and I am engraving an inscription on it,"

Now, once Moses of old, and Joshua of the end come to Gods people with these stones engraved by Jehovah, they both see the destruction of those worshiping the beasts, and ultimately the beast itself;

Exe 32:20 "He took the calf that they had made and he burned it with fire and crushed it into powder;"

Rev 8:7 "The first one blew his trumpet. And there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green vegetation was burned up."

Rev 13:13 "And it performs great signs, even making fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind."

As well the waters themselves do not escape;

Exe 32:20b "then he scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it."

Rev 8:10 "The third angel blew his trumpet. And a great star burning like a lamp fell from heaven, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is Wormwood. And a third of the waters turned into wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because these had been made bitter."

The actions of those claiming to represent Jehovah in the time of the end are extensively recorded for us throughout the old and new testaments, and represent what has occurred many times in the history of Gods people, for once their hearts desired to serve Jehovah, they then became complacent waiting and began to set up their own objects of worship, and begin making their own rules for themselves.

Exe 32:21-23 "And Moses said to Aaron: “What did this people do to you that you have brought a great sin upon them?” Aaron replied: “Do not be enraged, my lord. You well know that the people are inclined to do evil. So they said to me, ‘Make for us a god who will go ahead of us, for we do not know what has happened to this Moses, the man who led us up out of the land of Egypt."

Luk 12:45,46 "But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming, and starts to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and at an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones."

The response of Moses and Arron at Sinai after seeing the degradation of actions by the Israelite's closely matches the response directed to be taken by Joshua in the time of the end, along with those with him;

Exe 32:26,27 "Then Moses took his position in the gate of the camp and said: “Who is on Jehovah’s side? Come to me!" And all the Levites gathered around him. He now said to them: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘Each of you must fasten on his sword and pass through all the camp from gate to gate, killing his brother, his neighbor, and his close companion.’”

Eze 9:5-7 "And to the others he said in my hearing: “Go through the city after him and strike. Do not let your eye feel sorry, and do not feel any compassion. Old man, young man, virgin, little child, and women you should kill off completely. But do not go near to any man on whom there is the mark. You should start from my sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were in front of the house. Then he said to them: “Defile the house and fill the courtyards with the slain. Go!” So they went out and struck down people in the city."

I intend this post to stand as a reminder, to me, to you, that we should be careful about justifying our lack of drive in our worship, and a complacency that leads us to make our own rules as to what's okay in our service of Gods righteous kingdom. This post stands as a brotherly public service message, and timely reminder to stand firm, hold to the faith, and do not tire out, for our Lord is close at the door... (1Cor 15:58)

 

It has become my belief there is no way to confirm the identity of the wild beast in Rev 13 without further fulfillment however, it is a pretty safe bet to see the beast as a governmental agency of some kind. Once we see events start to unfold we will be able to finish off the puzzle.

I see all of the chronology, but to name identifying members goes beyond what we currently have... IMO