The Mark Of The Beast

THE MARK OF THE BEAST

TEXT: Revelation 13:11-18

Revelation 13:11-18 (KJV) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. [12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. [13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, [14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. [15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. [16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: [17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. [18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

I. INTRODUCTION—ANOTHER BEAST RISING

A. Looking Back to Look Forward

-Over the last several weeks we have traveled through some very weighty and provoking Scriptural matters. We have walked through the Olivet Discourse from the area of Mark 13. The particular words of Mark 13 are echoed in two other Gospels—Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

-There have been times that we have seen that Matthew 24 is concerned with the overall landscape of the world and the destruction in Luke 21 is more focused on Jerusalem. We have also visited the various judgments that the book of Revelation brings to bear through the seals, the trumpets, and finally the bowl judgments.

• The wars

• The famines

• The death

• The martyrs

• The earthquakes

• The darkness

• The hail and fire mingled with blood

• The poisoned waters

• The demonic spirits creating horror

• The sores like boils on the bodies of the population of the earth

-There has been a sobriety, a seriousness, a somber spirit, an earnestness, and a sincerity that has visited all of us as we beheld from the accuracy and authority of Scripture what is to take place on this earth. There has been an awareness from all of us that it would appear that we are drawing closer and closer to the final plans the Lord has in mind for the earth and for the church.

-Instead of fear, worry, dread, and apprehension gaining a foothold in our minds, I believe the prophecy preaching should inspire a closer walk with the Lord instead of handwringing.

-We visit one more area of the Scriptures before moving on to other matters. We have seen the impact of the anti-Christ and what he desires to do in the earth. This abomination of desolation will literally blaspheme God in all that he does until the Lord finally descends on the day of the Lord for a final battle with him.

B. A Wild Beast—The False Prophet—Who He Is—Revelation 13:11

Revelation 13:11 (KJV) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

-There is a dragon and a first beast that appears early in Revelation 13. We can see the devil working with and through three distinct characters in the end time:

• The Beast—The nations that are under the system of the Antichrist

• The Anti-Christ (The Dragon)—The literal incarnation of the devil

• The False Prophet—The one who promotes the power and worship of the Antichrist.

-Suffice it to say that this description is terribly over-simplified and many more details can be understood about the final players of the end time.

-But the second beast arises from the earth. The word for beast is θηρίον

(thērion) and literally gives the idea of a venomous beast, a monster, or a vicious, killing animal. It is the very same word that is used to describe the beast in Revelation 13:1. For all of those who think that the plan of the devil and the work of the world is good for them, it is nothing more than a killing beast that is bent on the eternal destruction of every person.