“The Tribulation”
(Part V)
Did you ever have something happen that you just didn’t understand? We all have.
Illustration: Terrie’s spooky phone call.
John had the same experience while he was at Patmos receiving the revelation.
John was given visions but he wasn’t given names or exact details.
This morning we look at the Antichrist.
The streets of our country are in turmoil; the universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting; Communist are seeking to destroy our country, and the Republic is in danger, yes, danger from within and without. We need law and order!! Without law and order our nation can’t survive!!
Can anyone tell me who spoke those words? Adolf Hitler way back in 1932.
We know from history books and from some eyewitnesses just how evil Hitler was.
Yet to hear those words one would think that he wanted a change for the protection and better life style of all people.
He convinced millions that his way was the way to go but the longer he stayed in power the worse he got.
Some thought that at the time that Hitler could possibly be the Antichrist.
There were others before Hitler that thought that it was Caesar and as time goes on people will speculate as to whom it will be.
Many questions are being asked today; is the Antichrist alive, is the time ripe for his appearance, who is this Antichrist that will be able to convince the world that he is the ultimate peacemaker?
The 13th chapter of Revelation hints at the answers to some of these questions but John also reveals that there will actually be two Antichrists.
The Antichrist is called by many names in the Bible:
Isaiah 14:4 calls him the King of Babylon.
Daniel 7:8 refers to him as Little Horn.
In II Thessalonians 2:3 he is described as the Man of sin and the Son of Perdition.
I John 2:18 calls him what he is and that is the Antichrist.
Revelation 13 Read verses 1-10
With all the different names and ways to describe this evil person in verse 1 John calls him what he is and that is “The Beast”.
He calls him this because that is what he is like.
He is ruthless and his true nature will be seen in the last 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation.
John describes the Antichrist as rising out of the sea so does that mean he will come from the ocean? No, I don’t believe so.
If you refer back to Isaiah 57:20 God speaks of the wicked being like a troubled sea.
Illustration: Calm and rough waters.
So for the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation the Antichrist will be the calm and ever loving person but the final 3-1/2 years he will rise up to rule in a ruthless manner.
John says he had 10 horns with 10 crowns on the horns.
In the Bible horns almost always represented political power.
The beast’s 10 horns picture 10 nations that will form a confederacy, which the beast will rule during the Tribulation.
In the 7th chapter of Daniel we read of Daniel’s prophecy that 4 world empires would rise and fall, which were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, And Rome.
When God is about to bring an end to the world ten nations will emerge from the people of the 4th empire, which is Rome.
Seven will come in willingly and 3 will be brought in unwillingly.
This will be accomplished by the Antichrist who will become a virtual dictator.
In the last 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation God will allow Satan to give the Antichrist tremendous ability.
He will seemingly have the solution to many of the world’s problems and people will follow him by all his wonders.
Illustration: Closing ceremonies of the Olympic games.
Verse 4 talks about the fatal head wound that the beast will have but it will be healed.
There has been much speculation through the years as to what the wound will be and how it got there.
Probably the most popular theory is that it is a gunshot wound from an assassination attempt.
But what ever it is or what ever causes it, the fact that it was healed will be miraculous and will persuade the world to follow him.
Some have questioned if this person will know he is going to be the Antichrist before the start of the Tribulation.
I don’t think so. I believe he will be sincere in his attempt to do good and gain the respect of the world. But as soon as Satan takes over him he will have no choice.
That is when he will blaspheme God and he will kill many of the Tribulation saints.
That is why John says in verse ten that people will suffer and die for their faith.
Illustration: Men walk into church with machine guns.
Read verses 11-18
With all that we have been told about how evil the first Antichrist will be, the beast of the sea, Satan is not going to stop there.
He will raise another who is even more ruthless because he will enslave the minds and souls of men.
In verse 11 another means another of the same kind. This Antichrist will have the same powers show the same finesse and have the dynamic impact as the first.
The second beast we are told emerges from the earth or land. When the Bible uses the word land it usually refers to the land that belongs to Israel.
The first beast rules the ten nations but the second beast will yield religious power and for that reason he will also be called the false prophet.
Millions of people are going to fall for this deception and honestly believe this false prophet to be the Jewish Messiah.
The World Council of churches is already at work merging various religions together.
By the time the false prophet gets involved even liberal Jews will be ready to get involved.
When this religious merger is complete, Satan will have accomplished the most blasphemous act ever, which is the mocking of the Holy Trinity.
Satan will have his unholy trinity, which is: Antichrist one, Antichrist two, and the Demons.
In verses 12-16 we are told of seven things the false prophet does.
He exercises unlimited authority
He forces people to worship the first Antichrist
He performs great miracles
He deceives the population
He forces the people to worship an image in honor of the beast who was wounded
He kills everyone who won’t worship the beast
He forces everyone no matter what race or financial stats to accept the mark
Let’s read verse 18 again.
Through out history people have attempted to figure out what 666 means. They have often declared various things to be the mark of the beast:
1. Social Security numbers
2. Bar Codes on products, places & people
3. VISA cards
4. Jack Van Impe once declared that the beast will be using a vast computer network because "computer" (in English)figures to be "666."
How many of you have heard of these scares?
Illustration: Is the number a curse?
This will cause a mass hysteria where people end up fighting Social Security numbers, bar codes, Visa cards and computer networking because they believe that by blocking Satan’s use of these tools they can stop or delay the Tribulation.
Now there’s something wrong with that kind of reasoning.
Who is telling us that 666 is going to happen? God is!
What that means is - it’s going to happen. It’s part of His plan. You can’t stop it. You can’t delay it. It will happen.
Which means the only choice people will have is whether or not they decide to sell out their beliefs for financial security.
The problem is not with the mark. The problem is why people will wear the mark.
Look again at Revelation 13:16-17
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
They made their decision based on financial pressures.
Jesus said “Where your treasure is…”
So, if your treasure is tied up in the security of this world, Satan has you.
His mark is on us even now.
There are two ways to determine if you bear this mark:
1. Look at our checkbook. Are we more concerned about worldly possessions and financial gain than we are with building God’s Kingdom?
Now I am not saying that if a person is comfortable in life that they are wrong.
But each of us knows where are hearts are.
2. And look at how do we vote - what criteria do we use to select a political candidate.
I once talked to a man was discussing a politician who favored homosexuality and abortion.
I told him, as Christians, I couldn’t in good conscience vote for this man.
“Yes I know," he replied, "but I like his financial policies.”
I ask you this, what good are a politician’s financial policies if his Godly policies are wrong?
The mark of the beast is never far from us.
It’s another form of persecution that Satan will use against believers.
But you know something? Jesus warned us way back in Matthew about persecution.
Matthew 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Great is your reward in Heaven!!!!
Isn’t that a great promise that we have to look forward to?
Invitation
