Image of the god of this world hinges on the terrestrial ecosystems.

Isaiah 44:15-17

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

In the verses of this post, what is being burned is the same wood that came from the trees that the Israelites were using to carve idols, as described in the post on Isaiah 44:13- 14.

“Then it will be for a man to burn, for he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire. And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image.” Isaiah 44:15-16

“…it will be for a man to burn…” refers to the trees being cut down to carve idols, as quoted, “He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak; he secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.” Isaiah 44:14 Then it will be for a man to burn.

By the Spirit of the Lord, Isaiah is saying that the idols made with the wood of trees had no more worth as a god than the wood of the same trees used as firewood. From the wood of the trees, some of it was used for what is very important to sustain life, warmth and cooking. Especially thousands of years ago, fire was essential for staying alive and firewood fueled the fire. With the same wood used for firewood, a god was made and people were serving that piece of carved wood. They would literally bow down in submission to it.

The culture we live in today are literally doing the same thing. They have made a god of the trees and forests all around the world in the name of saving the planet. Conservation of the earth is the agenda of the global culture and promoted through the “Sustainable Development Goals” of the United Nations. At the same time, those resources of the earth are essential to maintain life of every person in every city around the world.

The goal of making the environment a god for all the population of the world to bow to is to sustain life far into the future. In order for that to happen, there has to be limits placed on consuming resources and placing limits on what businesses can produce. In doing that, the abundance in the environment becomes much more important than the abundance among the people [and the size of the population itself]. As service to the environment grows greater and greater, service to human beings become less and less. That is what is meant by “…promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems…” and “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” from goals 15 and 12 as seen in the image below.

The image below shows goal number 15 and 12 of the 17 “Sustainable Development Goals”.

Today’s culture celebrates the agenda of the global social network and the promise of the equitable distribution of resources. They feel warm in their comradery and rejoice in the fire created by their protests and riots to demand conformity to the global agenda. They proclaim in their attitude, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire. And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image.“

As followers of Jesus Christ, we pattern our life after His, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, and this is spoken of Him, “He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.” Matthew 12:19 That is quoted from Isaiah 42:2.

Today, we see how centralized the economy is becoming, meaning that supply will be distributed to the people according to government “fiscal policy”. In my hometown, Kroger’s food store is using AI robots to manage inventory, click for a post on that. Data centers are also just about 20 miles from here. We can already see how those data centers will be used to collect information from inventory robots. With farming becoming more and more centralized, we can see how the farming data will also be stored in datacenters. In that light, we can see how all of that information will be brought together to determine what and how much of something will be supplied to any specific community. Farming data determines what is available for consumption and production, inventory data from stores will be used to determine an acceptable and sustainable rate of consumption, and then supply will be released according to what the government says is the right amount.

We are coming nearer and nearer to the day when no one will be able to buy and sell freely because the “god of trees” is more important than the Living God of human beings. Even today, the words of scarcity, inflation, and “affordability”, are firmly rooted into our vocabulary as a fact of life. “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelations 13:15-17

Click here for a post on the mark, name, number of the beast.
Click here for a post on the image of the beast.
Click here for post on the “number of the beast is the number of a person”.

Our Lord Jesus says, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

Today, the presence of the beast is already in the world and gives breath to the image of the beast to speak by speaking through people in every city around the world. The beast has power over physiology to give people what to say, do, think, and feel. By what people are given to say and do they are conformed to the number, name, mark of the beast. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:8

This present world system will be for the burning, as global warming is already in the world and is the Fourth Plague of Revelations 16:8-9. As the Holy Spirit speaks through the Apostle Peter, “…the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:10-13

“He falls down before it and worships it, prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” Isaiah 44:17

All the world bows to the beast [except we who live for Christ Jesus] that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel, and depends on it to deliver them as their god. However, Salvation is in the name of Jesus and no other, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, 
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come...
I am coming soon. 
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.’”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1