The Beast From The Sea: A Portrait Of The Antichrist (Revelation 13:1-10)

Revelation 13 gives us the description and work of the prophesied Antichrist. The Bible describes this agent of Satan as "the man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and "the Son of Perdition". He will be the worst blasphemer, the worst hater of God, the worst dictator, the worst tyrant, and the worst of all that is vile, evil, and wicked. The Bible's description of this monster in human flesh gives us an opportunity to see how the devil works in the hearts and minds of those who reject the offer of salvation in Christ, deciding instead to embrace the world and its promises that turn out to be nothing more than dung and mud. Satan has always been an imitator. He will take what the LORD does and try to duplicate it.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the revelation of God the Father. In the first chapter of John's gospel, there are three verses worthy of note. In verses 1, 14, and 18, we learn that Jesus is the living, breathing revelation of God the Father. Verse 18 reads, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has DECLARED Him." The word "DECLARED" comes from the Greek word, "EXEGEOMAI". We get the word "EXEGESIS" from this translation. It means "to lead out, signifies to make known, to unfold in teaching." (Source: Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words" by W.E. Vine, p. 282). In preaching the Word, we use the principles of exegesis to "lead out and explain" the truths contained in the text. When the Lord Jesus came, He came to "explain, to led out, to narrate" God. In other words, Jesus Christ was and is God in the flesh. He was able to say, "I and my Father are One" (John 10:30). He was also able to say, "He that has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Jesus is God Incarnate, God in the flesh! With the Antichrist, Satan will attempt to duplicate this relationship between Jesus Christ and God the Father. The Antichrist will be a living, breathing replication of the devil, Satan incarnate, Satan in the flesh. This will be part of what is known as the "Satanic Trinity", Satan the devil, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. The sad fact is that most of the world will bow before this unholy lot and not to the True Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God in three Persons (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:18-20; Luke 3:21-22; 1 John 5:7).

Let us give our attention to this man who will be known as the Antichrist. I personally believe that he is alive and working behind the scenes to set everything into motion in order to take control of both this world and those who reject God. In verse 1, we see the apostle John standing on the seashore when a mysterious "beast" rises from out of the sea. This is symbolic language. The "sea" in the Bible refers to the whole of humanity. This individual will come from among men. He may have incredible powers that surpass all the other rulers of time, but he will be nothing more than a man. The Antichrist will be empowered by the devil, and he will wield power and authority. But unlike the Lord Jesus Christ, this man will have human parents. He is NOT a "godman". He will receive his kingdom and power from Satan. Who is this man? I don't believe that we who are followers of Jesus Christ should dwell on that subject. Our task is to tell others about Jesus in order to get as many people saved and away of the influence of this devil incarnate, plain and simple. We will be raptured before this monster arrives on the scene (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10).and I think that once we arrive back on the earth with Jesus at the Second Coming, we will briefly witness this fiend and his counterfeit prophet thrown alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:19-20). I don't want to have to look at the devil and these losers any longer than necessary.

Verses 1-2 describe how the Antichrist will operate. He is said to have "seven heads" and "ten horns" and on his heads a "blasphemous name". Again, we have symbols used to present literal facts. The "seven heads" are "seven mountains, on which the harlot sits (Revelation 17:9). The "great Harlot" represents the apostate "church" that will exist during the Tribulation period. The harlot sits upon these "seven hills". Only one city in the world was built upon seven hills, the city of Rome. I believe that the Roman Catholic "church" fits this description well, as it has tried to keep the Scriptures away from the common people, initiated the Inquisition, approved the execution of Protestants, upheld the corrupt teaching of "papal Infallibility" and the rise of "popes" who have acted in ways that fit the pattern of the Antichrist throughout history. There are apostate Protestant churches as well who embrace heresies and lifestyles that are clearly against the Bible. These false "churches" will emerge into one "religious system" at the time of the Tribulation. They will be nothing more than a tool of convenience for the Beast in his quest for control. This false "church" will be destroyed by him near the conclusion of the Tribulation.