Revelation Study Series 18a - God’s Mysterious Plan Fulfilled (Chapter 13a)
03.13.22
Message…
Revelation 13:1-9
1 Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.
2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
3 I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast.
4 They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
We are going to talk about the antichrist today.
There are many antichrists, we are specifically talking about the antichrist that will rise to power during the Great Tribulation.
Everyone has an opinion as to who the antichrist is.
There have been all kinds of guesses…Hitler, Obama, Gorbachev (former Soviet Union leader) or Putin (the current), the pope, Prince Charles, even Judas that betrayed Jesus…the list goes on and on.
We can’t be dogmatic about his identity. The Bible doesn’t give us his specific identity, however it does describe him, and events surrounding him.
Scripture says this of the term, “antichrist”...
2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Matthew 24:5
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
So, anyone who does not believe that Christ has come is an antichrist.
Anyone who claims to be Christ (other than Jesus), is a deceiver and antichrist.
Anyone who leads people away from Christ is an antichrist. ?(They are anti Christ)
There have been and are many antichrists in the world!
But, there will be a specific leader that will hold the title of “the antichrist”.
Revelation 13:1
Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.
In the OT, the book of Daniel is vital to helping us understand what John saw here in Revelation.
For the sake of time we can’t go through all of the supporting verses involved. I encourage you to read Daniel ch. 7-9, which will help your understanding of this.
In Daniel ch. 7, Daniel had a dream and he saw four huge beasts coming up out of a stormy sea.
Daniel 7:4-7; 17
4 The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind.
5 Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!”
6 Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.
7 Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.
…
Daniel 7:17
17 “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth.
Daniel 8:23-25
23 “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power.
24 he will become very strong, but not by his own power. he will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. he will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.
25 he will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. he will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.
(Daniel was seeing four kingdoms, and a “master of deception” ruler/leader who will come to power. This all relates to what John was seeing.)
Revelation 13:2
2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
For the identity of these beasts from what is written in Daniel and in Revelation, we know this…
“Lion” represents the past Babylonian empire
“Bear” represents the past Medo Persian empire
“Leopard” represents past, ancient Greece
“Fourth Beast” represents the past Roman empire, yet also leads to a future “Revived Roman Empire”...
“The term Revived Roman Empire (which is not used in Scripture) refers to a powerful government predicted in biblical prophecy. This regime will rise to power and dominate the world during the end times. According to various interpretations of the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Revived Roman Empire is either a generic world political system or a specific nation under a specific ruler. Various interpreters have centered this empire in Rome itself, in Turkey, or in the Middle East.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/Revived-Roman-Empire.html
Revelation 13:3
3 I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast.
If you have ever wondered why satan needs an antichrist…this verse answers that! It answers why satan desires, empowers, and establishes the antichrist.
satan attempts to counterfeit everything that God does.
The antichrist is satan’s counterfeit to the Son of God, and the resurrection of the Son of God! satan fakes the resurrection of the antichrist!
Revelation 13:4
4 They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
Jesus resurrected and many didn’t believe.
satan will give the appearance of death and resurrection to the antichrist and many will be deceived!
2 Thessalonians 2:3-12
3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.
4 he will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?
6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.
7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the One who is holding it back steps out of the way.
8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by the splendor of His coming.
9 This man will come to do the work of satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.
10 he will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.
11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.
12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.
What lie will they believe? A fake resurrection!
Revelation 13:5
5 Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.
he, the antichrist is around all seven years of the Great Tribulation, but things change half way through. his rise to power in bringing peace changes to what he really wants...
The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” Daniel 9:27
Revelation 13:6
And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering His name and His dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.
The antichrist will blaspheme anything, and everything that has to do with God. God’s authority, His worship, His created and redemptive work for those that believe and serve Him.
The antichrist is against all things of God and those who are of God!
he will work to move any and all away from the worship of God, to the worship of himself.
Revelation 13:7-9
7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.
8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.
9 Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.
10 Anyone who is destined for prison
will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
will die by the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.
During the Great Tribulation many who come to know Christ will be persecuted, imprisoned and killed for their belief.
Life Application:
There are two kinds of people…
-Those of the world (Their name is not, nor will ever be in the Lambs Book of Life)
-Those who belong to God (Their name is and forever will be written in the Lambs Book of Life)
Jesus wants you to hear and understand the Truth!
satan wants to deceive you into believing his lies!
Whom you choose to believe. What Truth or lie you follow will determine which one of the two people you are!
1 John 2:15-25
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.
16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you His Spirit, and all of you know the truth.
21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.
23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.
25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us.
Your life goal should be fellowship with the Son, and with the Father! ?(I told you before that your life goal should be to please Him! Add this to that!)
Relationship and Fellowship are different. Salvation brings you into a relationship. Fellowship is that ongoing faithfulness lived out.
“The word of the Gospel must not only be heard but be given a vital place in one's life. The message must continue to be active in the lives of all who have heard it. They must reflect on it and let it affect their lives.”
Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament
God’s Word and His fellowship with you is “vital”!
It must be “active”! Meaning you take it in and apply/use it!
It must “affect” our lives! It must change us! It must alter our decisions, our priorities, our desires. It must alter the very course of our lives!
You either “belong to the world”, or you “belong to the Lamb”!
Remaining faithful reveals who you really belong too!
