1. Last week we heard the sounding of the seventh trumpet. A a sign that the end of this present age is at hand. But before this event takes place, we looked at the woman and the dragon. We saw hpw the woman represents the church - both in the OT and the NT. And the dragon is Satan. And we saw how there were three battles that have and are taking place. One between Satan and the OT church in which he tried to stop Christ from being born and gaining victory over Satan through Christ’s death and resurrection. Another battle in heaven between Michael and Satan and their angels. In this spiritual battle Satan accuses those OT saints who are in heaven. Because Christ’s atonement had not been completed at that time, Satan says they ahve no right to be in heaven. And the third battle is Satan trying to take the NT church away from God. When that failed he makes war with the seed of the woman, the church, which means individual believers.
2. Today we are told how Satan makes this war with the saints, and with God and Christ. We will see how Satan attempts to establish his kingdom and boldly sets it up. In chapter 13 we have a picture of the anti-christian power and kingdom and its king.
3. First, John sees a beast coming out of the sea. Remember, its description is symbolic. It has seven heads and ten horns, each horn with a crown on it. On the heads were written names of blasphemy. It looks like a leopard, its feet are like those of a bear, and its mouth is a lion’s mouth. And one of the heads seemed to have a fatal wound which had been healed.
4. What does all this symbolism mean? What does the beast represent? Let me give you the answer and then explain how we get that answer. The beast is the symbol of a political government. More than that, a great world power and its government.
5. The beast comes out of the sea. In Rev. 17:15, where the passage is about this beast, we are told:
Rev 17:15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
This power comes up out of the nations.
6. And in Daniel 7, as we saw some time ago, we are presented with four beasts. These beasts also came up out of the sea. In Daniel, these beasts represented four empires in human history. These beasts were like a leopard, lion and bear and the fourth was described as frightening. The beast in our passage combines the characteristics of these four beasts. And so it represents a combination of the kingdoms of the earth, uniting together as a world power.
7. Vs. 2 makes it clear that this world power gets its power and throne and authority from Satan. Satan wants to establish his kingdom. He failed to do that when he tempted Jesus. Since the devil is spirit he needs a human or humans to take the position. That is why he offered the position to Jesus. And now he tries to give this to the beast or a world power.
8. And though that power is a kingdom, the nations, the power is concentrated in its governing head. We might say that this world power is the very incarnation of the devil. As Christ is the incarnation of God, we see how this beast is seen by many as the antichrist.
9. John tells us that the world was astonished at the beast and worshipped both the beast and Satan since he had given the beast its power. The antichrist will not come as a terrible power which will subject the people to suffering. He will be attractive and inspiring. It will be a wonderful time of peace for the world since all will be united. He will have control over the powers of nature, science, religion, worship and industry. It will be such a time as the earth has not seen before.
10.Vs. 4 - they also worshipped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
They will worship him in true gratitude.
10. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. His authority will be very strong and absolute. To go against him will not ne tolerated.
11. The beast is given authority for 42 months, the time of this present age. This means that after Christ’s resurrection this authority has begun but it is getting greater and will be at its strongest just before Christ returns.
12.
Rev 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
There will be one class of people who will refuse to put their trust in the beast. Those whose name has been written in the book of life. The church will still be on earth and it will refuse to worship the beast.
13. The beast is ant-God, ant-Christ and anti God’s people. As we saw, each of his even heads was inscribed with a blasphemous name. To blaspheme the name of God is to deny His name, His sovereignty , His power and His character. This world power will deny God and maintain that all in the world is the result of the power of man and the display of the glory of man. In fact this power is its own god. The beast is worshipped. This worldly kingdom, the ways of this kingdom are worshipped.
14. He will wage war against the saints and will conquer them. Does not mean all the saints will be killed. But it will require patient endurance and faithfulness.
15. Vs. 9 says that we must not resist if we are put into captivity. But it also reminds us that God is sovereign despite appearances. For the second part of the verse can be translated "anyone who kills with the sword, with the sword will be killed." Those who persecute us will have their day.
16. As we look at the world today, we can see how the ground work for a new world order is being laid. We see how the world worships itself and those who lead it. Give us prosperity and we will overlook you sinfulness, Bill. Those who profess Christ are being persecuted. The world denies the existence of the true God.
17. Let us look at the second part of chapter 13. John sees another beast, this one coming out of the earth. Instead of seeing this beast as something completely separate from the first beast, we will see how this beast, together with the first, form a complete picture of anti-christian power. The first beast is concerned with political power and the secomd with religious power.
18. This beast is not as terrifying as the first. It rises from the stable earth, not the stormy sea. And its appearance is not as horrible. He looked like a lamb. He had two horns like a lamb.
19. But when he spoke, he spoke like a dragon, like Satan. And he stood in close relation with the first beast.
Rev 13:12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
20. He was given power to do great signs and with them he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He made sure the beast was worshipped. He made man build an image of the beast which can be worshipped. And those who worship were given a mark. Wthout this mark they cannot buy and sell. The first beast exercises his power and works through the second beast.
21. What does this second beast represent? It is not a king or worldly power. His power is not by commands but by persuasion. He wins the hearts of man by his miraculous signs, which he performs before all to see.
22. Who is the beast? He is a false prophet
Rev 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
23. As a false prophet, he does not speak the truth. His prophecy comes from the devil. But he is not one single person. He represents all the power of false philosophy and science and religion combined. At the end time it will be a combination of all religions and beliefs that all can agree on. It reminds us of the new age movement which does not deny religions and sciences and philosophies but combines them into one overall belief. It will dictate though and creeds and beliefs. While it will preach tolerance it will be intolerant of those who oppose them.
24. This may well be the greatest battle we fight today as a church. Without and within the church there are those who say that Christ is but one way to God rather than the only way. This deception is all working toward the worship of Satan, although people may not realize it.
25. People will be deceived by the power of the beast. He will breathe life into the image of the first beast. That could be literal or it could mean that through the false prophet, the first beast is able to speak.
26. But w need to be careful. Many people look for the supernatural and when something supernatural occurs it must be from God. This is not so. Our following God is not based on signs and miracles. That is why Jesus downplayed His miracles and told people not to tell others that they were healed. Many followed Jesus because of His miracles but they some left Him.
27. Satan will use both political and religious forces working together to make an attempt to set up a permanent kingdom on earth. They will seem to be successful in this. But it will fall short.
28. This is seen by the number of the false prophet. It's number is 666. Remember 7 is a number of completeness, God creation and rest. 6 falls short. The attempts by Satan will come close to succeeding but they will not. 6 is also man’s number, not God’s. Man will fall short in seeking to glorify himself. Satan will use our pride in our power to extend his kingdom.
29. But it will all fail. Glory be to God.
