Mouth of the Beast, Mouth of the Lamb 12.11.06 (first “space” meeting)
3 Frames
1. I see a beast with great iron teeth.
Biblical Context
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Dan 7:7 – 8) Cf. Ps 37:12
This beast is the representation of the power of Satan in opposition to the saints. Compare Dan 11:32ff, he seduces with flattery and seeks to lead aside the saints, whom God purifies. Revelation 13:6 -7 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling = tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.
Meaning for Today
The haughty and arrogant spirit that speaks “great things” has entered into the dwelling place of God. It has uttered blasphemies against the people of God, even through the mouths of pastors. It has sought great things “for itself” (Jer 45:4 – 5 Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”’)
2. I see a temple with animal figures on its wall.
Biblical Context
7 And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig in the wall.” So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. 9 And he said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house ofIsrael. 11 And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house ofIsrael, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house ofIsraelare doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” (Ezek 8:7 -12)
The beasts are unclean, probably Egyptian deities of animals like jackals, ibis etc. Compare Romans1:22, idolatry is an attempt to erase the visibility of the divine nature in man that leads him to worship the true God.
Meaning for Today
The powers of evil are seeking to defile the most holy place = church (1 Cor3:16;6:19; Eph2:19- 22). This they cannot effectively do, because they are only able to attack it externally, they can only “write on the wall” as it were. Their presence is only external, superficial, temporary, because only “the word of Christ” (Col 3:16 – 17 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. cf. Eph 5:18- 21) can be internalised in the holy of holies.
SPEAK ONLY CHRIST’S WORDS TO ONE ANOTHER. Speak only the words that come out of the mouth of the slain humble Lamb whose teeth are never bared against the other lambs (a ridiculous image).
3. I receive the word, “Tobias”
Biblical Context
Tobiah is the Ammonite enemy of the rebuilding of the temple who continually speaks against the project as it is being conducted by Nehemiah (Neh 2:10; 19; 4:3, 7; 6:1, 12, 14, 17, 19; 13:4, 5, 7, 8). He does not oppose the rebuilding as such, but his exclusion from it. Through a priest relative he even seeks “a chamber in the courts of the house of God.” (Neh 13:7). N.b. the location of the chamber is the storehouse for the tithes.
The priests knew that the law forbade their participation in the “assembly” = qahal = ekklesia = church. 3 “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out ofEgypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. 6 You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.” (Deut 23:3- 6). The Ammonite represents the fruit of an incestuous relationship i.e. against the divine order, but this is not the reason given for exclusion, it is their opposition to God’s movement of his people fromEgypt toCanaan, bondage to promise.
Meaning for Today
God is restoring his temple and we are not to be distracted by alliances, however seemingly friendly, from this task. What he is restoring is too great to be laid down, even for a moment. The Ammonite can not be trusted.
6:1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. (Neh 6:1- 4)