Worship of the image of the beast

This kingdom’s glory in man is expressed finally in the worship of the image of the beast. The false and apostatizing church leads the world to make an image to the beast, because he is uniting humanity as one. And in that, which is the very height of her whoredom, what calls itself church will lead men into idolatry – the idolizing of man himself.

The text adds that the second beast will give life unto the image of the beast, that it should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship…the beast should be killed (Revelation 13:15). There have been many interpretations of this image as well. Some have said that with modern technology this image will be some sort of super robot. Others have said that with demonic powers this image will actually come to life. Others have said that this image is not a literal statue but refers to the way that the Antichrist will be set up as a god in the minds of men on this earth. The image is something that they set up in their own mind. They view the Antichrist as a god in their mind. They set him up as an idol, so much do they honour him. And the text is making a point to say that this is no different from the pagan idolatry that has always been on the earth. Only the idol is now a man – the Antichrist.

Herman Hoeksema says that the image of this beast – the image that is being talked about here – cannot be definitely explained at this point in history, and that maybe we won't understand it until the very end. I confess that in the short period between Herman Hoeksema’s day and mine, I can make no advancement on what he said. I tend to agree with the fact that it is an image set up in men's mind, but I am not going to be dogmatic about that. And that is okay. The main point here is that man will express what is the full flowering of man’s depravity: That he will worship man in all the earth. All the earth united to the exalting of man and his depravity. The number of the beast is the number of man: 666.¹

Cory Griess