Not only money and the church go hand in hand, but also propaganda and manipulation. The NT warns of the seduction of the Antichrist. Strangely enough, this term Antichrist no longer appears in the text of the last book of the Bible. At least not in my translations of the Bible. Instead, there is talk of a great dragon, who is also referred to as the old serpent or devil (Satan). At the beginning of chapter 13, the figure of the beast hostile to God is described, which rises from the sea and receives all power from the dragon. The dragon that has fallen to earth gives the beast authority. What is striking about this beast is a mortal wound on one of its heads, which has been healed. The beast speaks great words and blasphemies and insults God and his people. Nevertheless, the dragon and the beast are worshiped, but only by people who are not registered in the Book of Life.

From the middle of chapter 13, a second beast appears, this time from the earth, which is referred to later in the text as the false prophet. This beast has two horns like a lamb, and no other details are given about its appearance. This beast speaks like a dragon and receives the authority of the beast with the death wound. When exercising power, this second beast stands before the eyes of the first beast.

The second beast is a symbol for propaganda by false prophets from various areas, such as politics, business, and the church. For example, there are people in a church who claim to serve God but, in reality, do not align themselves with his standards. All such people are vassals of the devil and convey false facts and values—worldly values such as success, status, and prosperity. This works perfectly in a society characterized by capitalism. The propaganda leads humanity to erect a statue in honor of the beast from the sea and to worship it. This statue has been given a spirit so that it can speak. Is there artificial intelligence behind the spirit? The animal becomes the model for all those who worship success, capital, and consumption. The beast controls trade—only those who have certain marks or the number 666 can buy and sell in its name.