I see what you’re saying (regarding the 3 beast of Rev. 13), & thanks for explaining it - what I don’t see, is the relevance of this to Jeremiah 10 (and tree worship).
I believe it is relevant because ‘thou shall not’ and trees lead to very bad endings.
1 Adam and Eve were told to not eat from the tree – they were exiled from the garden.
2 Elijah prophesied against Ahab and Jezebel for bringing tree worship into the temple – they died.
3 Jeremiah prophesied against tree worship in Northern Israel – they were overthrown and sent into captivity.
To review the 3 beast of Rev. 13 . . .
the 1st beast is an ‘it’, not a ‘him’; and that ‘it’ is the worshiping of self above God. The 2nd beast is false teachers that preach the message of fulfill self and that God loves everyone and that you don’t have to do anything to accept Christ.
Turning to the 3rd beast of Rev. 13 . . . .
Genesis 11:1,4 --The whole earth was of one language and one speech – they said let us build us a city and a tower and let us make us a name
- language - Hebrew: sepheth - lip or- boundary line.
- speech - Hebrew: dabar - arrangement; spoken commandment
city and tower - considered a sovereign kingdom with its own boundary and law (commandment/instruction) (called a mountain)
- name - Hebrew: shem - authority; honor; fame
Genesis 2:16 17 – of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat - But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it.
Genesis 3:1,5 – The serpent was more subtil than any beast – (the serpent said) in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and “ye shalt be as gods” –
The sin of the harlot (self-worship) started with Eve and the original beast (the serpent). He ruled Eve and Adam by causing them to move the boundary of God (thou shalt) taking in forbidden boundary (thou shalt not). This established a new law of self-esteem (pride). Eve, the original harlot (idolator), rode upon the beast (serpent), polluting the people (Adam). After the flood, Nimrod reinstituted, at Babel (Babylon), the rebellion of Eden, setting up a new boundary (city and tower), and a new commandment (name or authority). Pride (let us make a name) is the foundation of “all” idolatry (spiritual harlotry) that has polluted the world for all time. It is the system of self-worship. (Repent means to turn from self to God). Babel began a series of “world order” beast (ruling) systems (Dan. 2:31-45; 7:3-7). These empires, (beasts) ruled all the civilized world and fell as one conquered the other (Babylon, Persia/Medes, Greece, Rome. etc). America has dispensed with icon (statue) worship and retained the “self-esteem” (pride) system of Rome/Babylon and is polluting the world with it. Babylon fell once as a literal empire never to rise again (Jer. 51:26). The second time she will fall as a wicked idolatrous religious system of “self-esteem” and “pride”. (Babylon is fallen, is fallen - Rev. 18:2).
I’ve attempted to clearly outline what the 3 beast of Revelation 13 look like – because Christians are commanded to be on alert for such signs.
I Thess. 5:2, 4, 6 – For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night – But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief. – Therefore let us not sleep (spiritually) as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
- watch - Greek: gregoreuo - keep awake; stand alert or watch.
