Seals and Trumpets and Bowls, Part Two
(Revelation 13-16)
Good morning. I’d like you to turn to Revelation 13, as we continue part two of a sermon I started last week on the seals, trmupets, and bowls judgments in Revelation 6-16. This morning, we are going to finish up by talking about the Beasts and the Bowls.
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles performed a live radio drama of The War of the Worlds. If you don’t know The War of the Worlds, it’s a novel written by HG Wells in the 19th century about a Martian invasion of Earth. And Orson Welles (no relation) thought it would be an entertaining Halloween program to imagine the invasion happening in 20th century America.
It was clearly introduced as fiction — but many people tuned in late.
And what they heard sounded real.
Breaking news bulletins. A reporter on the scene from a site in New Jersey where a flying saucer had landed. Scientists giving analysis. The other-worldly sounds of a Martian heat ray being deployed. Screaming. Sirens. Soldiers mobilizing. Entire towns being vaporized.
It was so convincing that people started fleeing their homes, calling police, even running into churches thinking the end of the world had come.
The problem wasn’t that Welles lied.
The problem was that the imitation sounded close enough to the truth that people couldn’t tell the difference.
That’s exactly what Revelation 13 warns us about:
a world that falls not for obvious evil, but for almost truth —
a counterfeit father, a counterfeit messiah, a counterfeit spirit.
The danger has never been outright lies. For the most part, we are smart enough to filter out the blatant lies. No, the danger has always been the counterfeit that seems plausible.
The truth is, Revelation doesn’t show us monsters to scare us—it shows us counterfeits so we won’t fall for them.
And that’s why we need these chapters.
• Not to make us anxious, but to make us alert.
• Not to make us fearful, but to make us faithful.
• Not to terrify the church, but to train the church.
So this morning, as we open God’s Word,
we aren’t studying symbols for curiosity’s sake—
we’re learning how to stand firm in a world full of imitation.
Would you stand with me for the reading of Scripture?
[Read Revelation 13:1-10]
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
[pray]
THE BEASTS: SATAN’S IMITATION OF GOD’S TRINITY (Revelation 13)
Revelation 13 is probably the most mysterious chapter in the whole Bible. Some of you may have come this morning hoping I’d finally tell you what 666 means. And we will get to that, I promise.
But before we talk about numbers, we need to see something bigger:
Satan’s imitation of the Holy Trinity.
God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Revelation 12–13 reveals an unholy trinity—the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the earth.
The dragon is easy to identify because Scripture identifies him for us:
Revelation 12:9 — “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world…”
So Satan’s counterfeit to God the Father is the dragon.
1. The First Beast — The Counterfeit Son (13:1–10)
Everything the first beast does mirrors what the Son of God does — but twisted and corrupted.
a. He receives authority from the dragon
Verse 2 says the dragon gives him “power and his throne and great authority.”
Just as Jesus receives all authority from the Father (John 5:22; Matt. 28:18),
the beast receives authority from the dragon.
b. He suffers a mortal wound and seems to rise again
Verse 3 describes a wound that appears fatal — and a recovery that astonishes the world.
This points to a political figure (horns symbolize political power). Maybe he will survive an assassination attempt. Or maybe he will be written off as politically DOA yet somehow revives. Whatever it is, the world will embrace him as the chosen one, and will worship him as a counterfeit Christ.
It’s a counterfeit resurrection.
A knockoff Easter.
A parody gospel.
Jesus truly died and truly rose.
The beast appears to die and appears to rise.
And the world responds with worship. Verse 4 says:
“Who is like the beast?”
Echoing the worship meant only for God (Exodus 15:11).
c. He claims authority over the nations
Just as the Messiah rules the nations (Psalm 2),
the beast claims global dominion.
But notice:
Verse 5 — “He was allowed to exercise authority for 42 months.”
Allowed. Permitted. Limited.
Three and a half years — roughly the length of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Roughly the length of a presidential term.
• The Antichrist’s ministry is temporary. Christ’s ministry is eternal.
• Evil has a countdown. Christ does not.
2. The Second Beast — The Counterfeit Spirit (13:11–18)
If the first beast imitates the Son,
the second beast imitates the Spirit.
Look at what he does:
a. He points people to the first beast
Verse 12: “It makes the earth… worship the first beast.”
That’s the Spirit’s role with Christ:
John 16:14 — “He will glorify Me.”
The true Spirit points to the true Christ.
The false spirit points to the false Christ.
The Holy Spirit leads believers into true worship (John 4:24).
The second beast leads people into idolatry.
c. He performs signs to authenticate the imitation
Verse 13: “It performs great signs… even making fire come down from heaven…”
Elijah brought down fire from heaven in 1 Kings 18. The Holy spirit came down as tongues of fire in Acts 2.
So the second beast mimics Elijah.
It mimics Pentecost.
It mimics the Spirit’s miracles.
But they confirm deception, not truth.
d. He marks the followers of the false Christ
Verses 16–18 describe the famous “mark of the beast,” 666.
The point is not to figure out the Antichrist’s area code
The point is allegiance.
So what does 666 mean?
I‘ve heard lots of different candidates in my lifetime.
• 666 was Reagan because his full name Ronald Wilson Reagan, each has six letters.
• 666 was Nero, because the mathematical values of the Hebrew characters making up Nero Ceasar was 666.
• 666 is a VISA card, because VI is 6 in Latin, zeta is the 6th letter in the Greek alphabet, and A is the 6th note in the diatonic scale.
But what it really means is that this unholy trinity of counterfeit father, counterfeit son, and counterfeit spirit falls short of the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
See, in Scripture, 7 is the number of completion. And six is one short of seven. It’s human power raised to its fullest, yet still falling short of divine perfection.
Six, not seven. Falling short, falling short, falling short.
A counterfeit holiness. A counterfeit sealing. A counterfeit conversion.
Because who seals believers in Scripture?
Ephesians 1:13 — “You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
The Spirit seals believers in Christ’s name. The false spirit seals unbelievers in the Antichrist’s name.
Revelation 13 is not about numerology, or barcodes, or microchips.
It’s about worship. It’s about allegiance. It’s about who you belong to.
Everyone worships something. Everyone bears a mark.
You will either be shaped by the kingdoms of this world, or sealed by the Lamb. Neutrality is not an option.
Let’s move on to Point 2: Heaven’s Answer to Hell’s Rage.
2. The Harvest – Heaven’s Answer to Hell’s Rage (Revelation 14)
Revelation turns our focus away from the beast and back to the Lamb. Verses 1-5 are a picture of One true King who never falls (14:1–5)
While the beasts demand worship on earth, heaven opens a new scene:
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb…” (v.1). The Lamb who was slain and now stands in victory.
With Him are the 144,000 — the faithful sealed people of God. This goes back to chapter 7.
The 144,000 sing “a new song” that no one else can learn.
It’s a contrast John wants us to see clearly: The beast marks people with his number.
The Lamb seals people with His name.
If you tune out everything else, hear this: Satan wants to use you. To steal, kill, and destroy you. Jesus loves you. He calls you by name.
This is heaven’s answer to the counterfeit trinity: the true Christ who desires a personal relationship with you, the antichrist seeks to use you as propaganda, as a voting block, as a statistic.
2. Three Angelic Messages — God warns before He judges (14:6–13)
After the Lamb’s song, John sees three angels flying overhead, each carrying a message that answers Satan’s lies. In verses 6-7, the first angel is dispatched to the people of every tribe and tongue and nation with an eternal gospel to proclaim:.
Even in the darkest hour of human history, God is still preaching the gospel.
And the angel’s message is simple:
“Fear God. Give Him glory. Worship Him…”
While the beasts demand worship on earth, heaven still calls people to the true worship of the true God.
b. The Second Angel: Babylon Will Fall (v. 8)
The second angel declares: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.”
Babylon is almost universally understood by scholars as being a reference to Rome. And in John’s world, Rome was the ultimate global superpower.
The second angel reminds us that every counterfeit kingdom collapses. Every false savior fails.
Every imitation ends in rubble.
What looks powerful in chapter 13—this antichrist that demands all political and religious authority and says no one can buy or sell unless they bow to me-- is exposed as a bad joke in chapter 14. Babylon is fallen.
In verses 9-13, Scripture tells us that for all those that do take the mark, the third angel comes with a warning:
There will be judgment for those who worship the beast. It will be an eternal judgment—the smoke of their torment will go up for ever and ever. It will be a conscious judgment—there will be no rest day or night.
It’s one of the most sobering warnings in Scripture.
But right in the middle of it comes the verse Revelation wants to tattoo on your heart:
“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. (v. 12)
Remember that this was originally written not to people who were anticipating some future apocalypse. These were believers who were experiencing brutal persecution every day (Nero). And God says to them,
“Don’t give up. Don’t bow down. Don’t fall for the imitation. Don’t fall for political answers to spiritual problems.
Stay faithful to Jesus.
He wins.”
Revelation isn’t trying to terrify the church — it’s trying to fortify the church.
3. Two Harvests (14:14–20)
The chapter ends with two powerful images: a harvest of grain and a harvest of grapes.
a. The Grain Harvest — The Redeemed (vv. 14–16)
John sees “one like a son of man” with a sickle in His hand. This is Jesus. And He gathers His people to Himself like wheat gathered into a barn.
It’s the harvest of salvation — the gathering of the faithful — the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made three different times in the gospel of John, that not one whom the Father has given the Son will be lost (see John 6:39, 10:28, 17:12).
b. The Grape Harvest — The Wicked (vv. 17–20)
Then comes a second harvest — a harvest of grapes thrown into “the great winepress of God’s wrath.”
It is vivid. It is sobering. It is holy.
And it reminds us of this truth:
The same sickle that separates the saints will strike down the sinners.
In other words:
• God will not forever tolerate evil.
• God will not forever allow the beast to deceive.
• God will not forever delay justice.
Mercy is long, but it is not endless.
Revelation 13 shows hell raging. Revelation 14 shows heaven answering.
• A raging beast. A reigning Lamb.
• A counterfeit kingdom. A conquering King.
• A false mark. A true seal.
• A deceptive message. An everlasting gospel.
• A temporary authority. An eternal throne.
• A coming judgment. A coming harvest.
Heaven always gets the last word.
So what does that mean for us?
It means you don’t panic. You don’t bow. You don’t run. You don’t give in to fear.
You endure. Because the Lamb stands on Mount Zion — and every beast eventually falls.
The Bowls – God’s Completion of Earth’s Corruption (Revelation 15–16)
• If the seals showed us that God’s Judgment is measured,
• and the trumpets showed us that His Judgmentis merciful,
• the bowls show us that God’s Judgment is complete.
Revelation 15: 1-4 follows the pattern we’ve already seen of “worship before wrath.” .
John sees seven angels holding the seven last plagues.
But before a single bowl is poured, a choir in heaven sings:
“The song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.”
The song of Moses celebrated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.
The song of the Lamb celebrates our deliverance from sin, Satan, and the world.
2. The Bowls Parallel the Plagues — But Without Restraint (16:1–16)
And I think the reason “The song of Moses” is mentioned is to drive home that the bowl judgments parallel the plagues in Exodus:
• Painful sores on those with the beast’s mark
• Seas and rivers turned to blood
• The sun scorching the earth
• Darkness on the beast’s kingdom
• The Euphrates drying up, preparing for Armageddon
It is Exodus intensified.
But here’s the key difference: these judgments are not partial. In the trumpets, a third of things were struck—a third of the sea, a third of the rivers, a third of the sun. That was mercy. That was warning. That was restraint.
But now the restraint is gone. The measure is full.
God’s patience has reached its perfect end.
This is not God losing His temper. This is God finishing His work.
3. “It Is Done” — The Final Word of Judgment (16:17–21)
When the seventh bowl is poured out, a voice from the throne declares: “It is done!” And heaven and earth respond:
• Lightning
• Thunder
• The greatest earthquake in human history
• Cities collapsing
• Islands fleeing
• Mountains disappearing
• Hundred-pound hailstones falling
Creation convulses because corruption is being purged.
[You ever had a stomach bug, where everything that was bad a nasty inside you just had to get out? It’s kind of the same thing.]
And that phrase — “It is done” — echoes another phrase spoken from another throne: “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
On the cross, Jesus finished the payment for sin. In Revelation 16, God finishes the punishment of sin.
One finishes redemption. The other finishes judgment. Both are necessary. Both are holy. Both are good.
God warns.
God waits.
God withholds.
God calls.
God pleads.
God shows patience at every step.
But when all His calls go unheeded and all His warnings go unanswered, justice moves from partial… to final.
If you are a believer, take comfort: Wrath is not your destiny.
God does not pour out the bowls on His people. He pours them out to protect His people. To purify creation. To prepare a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
And one day, we are going to stand with the angels and hear those awesome, terrible, triumphant words:
Conclusion / Invitation
Beloved, Evil has an expiration date. But the kingdom of Christ does not. And that’s why, at the end of all three cycles of judgment—the seals, the trumpets, the bowls— God’s people always wind up in the same place:
Standing with the Lamb.
Singing a new song.
Sealed by His name.
Home at last.
And that is our hope.
THE FINAL APPEAL — Before Mercy Closes, Come
But… if Revelation teaches us anything, it’s that God’s mercy is long— but it is not endless.
The seals whisper, “Wait a little longer.”
The trumpets shout, Turn before it’s too late.”
The bowls thunder, “It is done.”
There will come a day when the window of repentance closes, and neutrality will no longer be possible.
So hear this clearly: If you have been putting off surrendering your life to Jesus, don’t wait.
If you have been standing with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom,
don’t assume you have more time. If you have admired the Lamb but never been sealed by Him,
don’t walk out of here without Him.
If you have been drifting, wandering, compromising, sliding toward the imitation instead of standing with the truth
today is the day to return.
Because the same voice that declares over judgment, “It is done,” declared over your salvation, “It is finished.”
And the blood that satisfies justice is the same blood that secures mercy.
INVITATION — Come to the Lamb
So as we sing today…
• If you need salvation, come.
• If you need restoration, come.
• If you need endurance, come.
• If you need strength to resist the imitation and cling to the real, come.
• If you need to be sealed by the Lamb, come.
Don’t stand with the beast. Don’t wait for the bowls. Don’t stand undecided.
Stand with the Lamb. Sing the new song. Come home.
Because the One who wins in Revelation is the One who loves you today.
Come while the invitation still stands.
