If a person understands this chapter, then he will understand the great book of Revelation.
Today in this chapter we are going to be introduced to the anti-christ.
This chapter discusses two terrible rulers that are to arise in the end time, the antichrist and his cohort.
WHO IS HIS COHORT?
He is the world-wide religious leader who will help the antichrist gain and maintain control over the world.
Their rule will be vicious and cruel that the Scripture calls them beasts.
They will launch the most terrorizing holocaust ever witnessed by the world.
Literally millions of people will be slaughtered, not only in one or several nations but all over the world.
• The murder and evil will be so terrible that God just will not take the evil of man any longer.
• The antichrist will not only bring the world to the brink of disaster, he will cross the brink and cause the utter destruction of the world as we know it.
• Under the antichrist, the world will be utterly decimated and destroyed.
Today there is a great spiritual evil ?ghting to lead man away from God, struggling to get people to live ungodly and evil lives. But in the end time this spiritual evil—the dragon, that old serpent, the devil is going to be cast down to earth.
He will no longer have access to heaven to accuse the brethren, he is cast down to the earth and for seven years he will be in control.
When he is here, he knows that he has only a short time left before God dooms him for eternity. Therefore, he is going to unleash his wrath and fury beyond anything the world has ever known.
In the last days the devil is going to launch a campaign of evil and terror unparalleled in human history that it staggers the imagination.
How is Satan going to do this?
Through a world leader…a leader who will gain control of all the world.
WHO IS THIS LEADER?
The anti-christ. Satan is going to raise up a man who will be the very embodiment of evil--everything that Satan wants a man to be.
Let’s get a close look at this anti-christ from the scriptures.
• We must not forget the first three and a half years of the tribulation period will be a time of deception to win the hearts of the inhabiters on earth.
• The second half of the three and a half years will be known as the GREAT TRIBULATION.
In Revelation 13 we will be concentrating on the last three and a half of years of the tribulation period.
In these eighteen verses I have broken this chapter into three divisions, such as…
I. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ANTI CHRIST
Revelation 13:1-3 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
We see a lot of symbolism in this chapter, such as:
• Sand of the sea
• Beast rise up out of the sea
• Seven head
• Leopard
• Ten horns
• Ten crowns
• Bear
• Lion
We could spend a great deal of time speculating on this description but when it is all over with we will come up with this…THE ANTI-CHRIST IS ONE BAD, EVIL DUDE!!!
We live in the age where:
• United Nation would like for us to become one government. We call this globalism.
• We live in an age when they want to do away with borders.
• We live in an age where we only have one currency.
United States can not be found in the scriptures. It could be when at this time the United States will no longer exist.
One of the reason President Donald Trump is hated and despised because, I AM NOT THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD, I AM PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
Our age is getting ready for the anti-christ.
After all of this symbolism of the anti-christ we need to notice several things about the anti-christ, such as:
(1) And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
The Bible makes it clear that the dragon (Satan) gives Him his power and authority.
(2) And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed.
One of the beast's heads was seen as wounded to death, but healed. Will talk about that in the minute!!!
The head was restored and the world was in admiration; and they worship the dragon as giving the beast his power. Nothing in their eyes equals the beast on the earth.
(3) And all the world wondered after the beast.
We looked at THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
II. THE POWER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
As we study Revelation chapter 13 we have to remember how he deceived the inhabiters of the earth.
Rev. 13: 4-7 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The anti-christ will become the most popular politician that has ever existed…EVER!!!
He will become so powerful that the inhabiters of the world will say of him, Who is like unto the beast?
For the first three and a half years he will bring about a one world order.
They are right never has there been such a person on the face of the earth with such power.
The Bible tells us all the world will worship him. “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast.”
As we have looked in previous chapters and discovered the DRAGON is satan himself.
The devil has always wanted to be worshipped. During this time he will get his wish. Notice, the scriptures tells us, “And they worshipped the dragon (Satan).
In this fast pace world that we live in the devil has people so busy that they are not even aware today that Satanism is on the rise in the world today.
Did you know that Satanism today…
• They have their Bible
• They have their prayer that they pray, “Our father who are in hell”
• They have their temples
• They have become a recognized religion.
• They are filing for tax exemption as a religion.
Illus: Just this month, a member of the so-called Satanic Temple was allowed to make an opening prayer to Lucifer at a local council meeting in Alaska.
The Satanic Temple (TST) is a fairly new organization. Founded in 2013, they fight for political change by pointing out the seemingly preferential treatment Christianity enjoys in politics.
The Satanic Temple (One of many) has seven chapters in the USA and Europe, and claims a membership of 100,000.
One of the group's objectives is to implant Lucifer in the public school system by establishing afternoon clubs, which is response to a Supreme Court ruling allowing evangelical programs to operate in schools.
The Satanic temple also aims to place demonic books on the shelves in the libraries of public schools, as well as having satanic prayers recited at high school games.
It is, however, somewhat ironic that the Satanists’ intention is currently to get children to stop fearing hell, which runs counter to Christian teaching.
Make no mistakes about it, in this age when people have their eyes close to satanism, satanism is growing.
And when we get to the GREAT TRIBULATION, the Bible tells us concerning the anti-christ “And they worshipped the dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast.”
Notice, as the devil use his power to exalt the anti-christ the Bible tells us the response of the inhabiters of the world. “And they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Also notice….And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
This world in which we live we have had men who had the power of the tongue to persuade the masses.
Illus: For example, Adolf Hitler has now become synonymous with evil. What many often forget, however, is that Hitler was not only a cold blooded tyrant but that also a brilliant persuader of men. He personally oversaw the deaths of millions of people, including the near extermination of the Jewish race while maintaining the full support of the German people.
The entire German population was certainly not as heartless and cruel as Hitler was, so it stands to reason that Hitler must have been a masterful propagandist in order to persuade the Germans that his policies were necessary and just.
I mention that to only mention that the anti-christ will be the most persuasive speaker the world has ever heard.
• He will persuade millions and millions to follow him the first half of the tribulation period.
• The second half of the tribulation period he will demand the inhabiters of the earth to worship him.
The reason he was so persuasive was because the devil gave him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
And satan gave him power to make war on those who would not be persuaded by him.
Notice, And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev. 13:8-10, And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Notice, the only ones who will not worship him will be those who have their name in the book of life.
WHAT IS THE BOOK OF LIFE?
The book of life is A book which records the name of every believer.
Illus: It is the book we sing about in our churches, WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YOUNDER I WILL BE THERE!
It is the book of every human who God the Creator created. Those who fail to exercise faith prior to death are “blotted out” of the book. Being blotted out of this book results in spiritual death and eternal damnation because they would not come to Him for salvation.
We have looked at:
I.THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
II.THE POWER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
But now let us look at another evil power…
III. ANOTHER BEAST
Remember the first beast (anti-christ) came from the SEA, but this next evil force comes from the earth.
Remember satan copies the things of God, This is his un-holy trinity.
1) Dragon (Satan)
2) Beast (Anti-Christ)
3) Another beast (His un-holy spirit)
Rev. 13:11-18, 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. 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. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 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. 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. 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: 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. 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.
This chapter reveals two individuals the dragon (Satan) would use in carrying out his war against the people of God.
In the second part of the tribulation period he is no longer deceiving the inhabiters of the earth he is now using force to make them worship him.
John then saw the beast from the land, having two horns like a lamb and
speaking like a dragon. With the same authority as the first beast, this second beast causes all to worship the first beast by deceiving them with great signs.
• Calling fire down from heaven.
• Telling them to make an image to the first beast, he was given power to make the image speak and put to death those who would not worship it.
• This second beast also causes all to receive a mark on their right hands or on their forehead, without which they cannot buy or sell.
• John then adds a word of wisdom, in which he tells those with understanding to calculate the number of the beast, which is the number of a man.
The identity of the first beast from the sea becomes clearer when we get to chapter seventeen.
I agree with those who say this beast from the sea is the Roman Empire, personified in its persecuting emperors.
Illus: During the reign of the Papal Church of Rome, tens of millions of Christians were persecuted and killed because they refused to bow to the “authority” of the Papal church. This reign of terror lasted 1,260 years and was prophesied in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. This will happen again when the mark of Beast ( Roman Catholic church) is enforced.
This is the head that seem to be wounded to death but will be revived and become stronger than ever before.
The significance of 666 should not be underestimated, as John encourages those with understanding to calculate the number.
Since God’s Word gives us permission to speculate this we will do later.
Unfortunately, through many ingenuous ways people have come up with the number to represent just about anyone (e.g., the Pope, Hitler and etc).
Conclusion:
In Revelation 13 we have looked at…
I.THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
II.THE POWER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
III.ANOTHER BEAST
