The Book of Revelation Chapters 13 May 18

The Book of Revelation Chapters 13 May 18, 2016

Revelation 13: 1 -3 The First Beast And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 1

Revelation 13: 1 -3 • This chapter shows us how Satan deceives – it is meant to prepare Christians so that they will NOT be deceived by Satan and his agents • His strategy is simple – act like he is god and kill everyone not fooled by his impression • His beast will try to convince the world he is Jesus • The beast out of the sea is the anti-Christ, he is both a political power and a person • He and a second beast introduced later are “wild beasts” – a literal translation from John – which further highlights both of these beings savagery • Satan stands on the water and the earth so that he can summon the beast from the sea and a later beast from the earth • There is a clear resemblance between Satan and the beast – one that shows their relation to each other

Revelation 13: 1 -3 • Both the dragon and the beast are described as having seven heads and ten horns – the dragon has given his power to the beast and will make him seem to be an immortal, all-powerful being but he is not. • The anti-Christ will be the most charming and persuasive human using the powers of Satan to accomplish his deception • There is only guesses as to why he comes out of the sea – it is possibly because of the still great unknown of what the depths of the sea hold and the ages-long feeling that sea storms symbolize evil • The ten horns and seven heads reflect those of Satan – meant to show his wisdom and power; it is different in being more royal shown by the ten crowns it wears • The blasphemous name on each head shows his evil claims to divinity • In Daniel there were four beasts – here each is combined into one. The four represented the empires opposed to Israel but now all together it shows the raw political power and evil of this man

Revelation 13: 1 -3 The Contrast between the Lord Jesus Christ and the anti-Christ Jesus The full expression of God the Father in human form Anti - Christ The full expression of Satan in human form The Holy One of God The Son of God The Man of Sorrows Came in the Name of the Father Came as a Servant Rejected by the world The lawless one of Satan The son of perdition The man of sin Came to magnify his own name Came to be worshipped Will be worshipped by the world

Revelation 13: 1 -3 • Even today Satan is preparing the world for the anti-Christ – he has been persuading people to believe that all religions should cooperate, that all are equal paths to salvation • He has used the notion of world and religious unity leading to an earthly paradise – this is so prevalent and will continue to grow until it is one of the most powerful deceptions that will lead the beast into power • The anti-Christ will preach a message of peace and tolerance and coexistence • The world has been convinced that the only way to love someone is by tolerate and approve their sinful, self-destructive lifestyles – Satan has even been able to get a slogan plastered on bumper stickers, “Coexist” • Authentic Christian love – loving the sinner but hating and speaking against the sin – has been attacked and turned in common view as hateful

The anti-Christ and the Islamic Mahdi • There are important parallels between Christian and Islamic end times belief: • Jerusalem – Christianity, Judaism and islam all see things center on and around this city • All believe in signs leading to the final days • All believe in the coming of a Messiah: • Islam believes that this is the Imam Mahdi who will be assisted by Isa (Jesus Christ) • The most striking thing is that Islam’s Mahdi bears a close resemblance to the anti-Christ • The Mahdi will appear when Jesus returns • He will rule for seven years as noted by Islamic scholar Dr. Hassan based on the Koran and the Hadiths

The anti-Christ and the Islamic Mahdi • The Mahdi will hold all the power and authority as the anti-Christ • He will be the supreme political and religious authority • Both Mahdi and anti-Christ are worshipped as head of a one-world religion • Both Mahdi and anti-Christ will establish his capital in Jerusalem • Both will make war on the Jews and the Christians • The Hadith speaks of a seven-year covenant the Mahdi will make with the “Romans” – countries of Europe, a covenant with many just as the anti. Christ will do • The seven-year peace agreement will coincide with the seven years of the Mahdi’s rule (both will rule for seven years)

The anti-Christ and the Islamic Mahdi • Islamic scholars have recognized and stated that the rider on the white horse seen with the opening of the first seal is their Mahdi • “It is clear that this man is the Mahdi who will ride the white horse and judge by the Qur’an” according to Muhammad Ibn Izzat and Muhammad Arif • When Muslims call for a world-wide Caliphate, they are calling for the coming of the Mahdi – the “final Caliph” • Satan has worked to deceive his false religion to see his anti-Christ as their end-times savior so that he is paving the way for his gaining power

Revelation 13: 4 -6 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? ” 5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 4

Revelation 13: 4 -6 • When we look back to chapter 5: 6 and forward to 13: 14 we see that the anti. Christ will appear to die and yet be miraculously healed • This is a false resurrection playing to Satan’s attempts to make him look like Jesus the true Messiah • He will NOT actually die – Satan does not possess the ability to restore life, ONLY God, Jesus has this power • We see the results of his persuasiveness and this “miraculous” event described “they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? ” • It is also clearly stated that worshipping the beast is worshipping his master Satan • The vanity and pride of this man is a reflection of his master – he “utters blasphemies” against God • To blaspheme means – “to revile, defame someone by speech, harm one’s reputation”

Revelation 13: 4 -6 • The anti-Christ’s attack on God will last forty-two months (3 ½ years) • This is the final time reference recorded in Revelation for the final period of suffering at the end • The anti-Christ will seem to rule benevolently the first half of his time but will proclaim himself god and blaspheme greatly in the second half of his rule • The Apostle Paul wrote about the anti-Christ, “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God ” (2 Thessalonians 2: 4)

Revelation 13: 7 -10 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. 7

Revelation 13: 7 -10 • The beast is noted five time to have been given something from the dragon – • Verse 2 – authority to rule • Verse 5 – a mouth • Verse 5 – authority forty-two months • Verse 7 – war-making • Verse 7 – authority over people • Who gave him this authority? The intermediary is Satan, the dragon • BUT the ultimate source is God – Whatever we do not believe, we have to know that God’s justice and sovereignty rule and even from evil God brings His ultimate and perfect good forth • This scene is the fulfillment of Jesus’ teaching, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible” Matthew 24: 24

Revelation 13: 7 -10 • We see that the beast is given world-wide, universal reign “ authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation” • God gives us the brutal facts so we can prepare ourselves to deal with what is coming – “if anyone has an ear, let him hear: if anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for endurance…” • This affirms God’s sovereignty and His justice – while we may not understand, it is God’s will and He will ensure all good comes from it • These verses crown the description of Satan’s war on the woman and her child and His followers • Satan will imitate God, he will send his “son” to imitate Jesus, and he will make war on all true believers who refuse to worship him

Revelation 13: 11 -12 The Second Beast 11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

Revelation 13: 11 -13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 13

Revelation 13: 11 -13 • We are now introduced to a second beast – one called from the earth • This is the “false prophet” who will serve Satan and the anti-Christ • This completes Satan’s efforts to complete a phony trinity – further working his efforts to both imitate God and to mock Him • The false prophet points people to the anti-Christ while the true Holy Spirit points people to Jesus • As Jesus points to the Father and the Spirit points to Jesus, the false trinity does the same • The fact that the beast and the false prophet come from earth – the sea and the earth itself – mark their phony status • God’s Holy creations came from Heaven – Jesus came down from Heaven

Revelation 13: 11 -13 • The false prophet looks like Jesus – “It had two horns like a lamb” but it “spoke like a dragon” – spreading Satan’s word and his hatred and evil • Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 12: 34, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” • This may indicate that he arises from within the apostate church • In Islamic eschatology Isa (Jesus) assists the Mahdi – just as the false prophet assists the beast • The false prophet works in three steps and we see the first in verse 13 • First, he does signs that look like the work of God • Second, he uses the signs to deceive people • Third, he enforces the idolatry with the death penalty

Revelation 13: 11 -13 • Just as we see how the Islamic Mahdi closely parallels the anti-Christ, the second beast, the false prophet also closely parallels the Islamic Isa ( Jesus) • The Islamic belief is that their “Jesus” will return to earth at a mosque near Damascus (false prophet rises from the earth) • He will pledge his loyalty and subservience to the Mahdi (anti-Christ) • He will act as the chief enforcer of the religion and the chief executioner of all those who do not worship the Mahdi (beast / anti-Christ) • He will seek to destroy ALL other religions • This “Jesus” will arrive and will be human – NOT our Lord Jesus Christ – and he will be an obedient Muslim in his behavior • He will be an enormous deceiver bringing Christians and Jews to believe in him and Islam by his imitation and deception • This false prophet, false “Jesus” will be the antithesis of our Lord Jesus – he will be a mass-murderer and evil in all respects

Revelation 13: 11 -13 • This beast is described – “It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon” • The appearance “like a lamb” is no accident – in Islamic terms and to much of the world, the false prophet will look like Jesus • He will appear to be gentle and mild as a lamb, as the true Lamb, Jesus • BUT his behavior will clearly show him as a servant of the dragon – he will speak the lies of Satan and he will blaspheme Yahweh and Jesus Christ • Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 24: 4 -5, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ, ’ and they will lead many astray. ”

Revelation 13: 15 -16 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 15

Revelation 13: 17 -18 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. 17

Revelation 13: 15 -18 • The false prophet has been thought throughout history as likely being a religious figure – one of the most prevalent views has been that he will be a pope • Another possibility is that his coming from the “earth” symbolizes his coming out of Palestine/Israel or the immediate geographical area– he will be seen by the Jews as the Messiah and this facilitates their following him and obedience to him • This also agrees with the Islamic view and provides a dangerous possibility for the unification of many under this evil man who commands the worship of the anti-Christ. • This false prophet is a worker of miracles and signs and will use all of these to deceive as many as possible

Revelation 13: 15 -18 • This seems to make particular sense – the false prophet deceives Israel masquerading as the Messiah, also masquerading as Jesus (Isa) for the Muslims and using this to further influence the apostate church into a Unitarian false faith which will be pointed to the worship of the anti-Christ • It is notable that the works of the false prophet in worship of the beast will include an image to be worshipped. In every temple of the ancient world a statue of some deity was a focal point • The actual word translated as “breath” better translates as “spirit” – an evil spirit in this case. Using demons to speak and do supernatural acts is a tactic the devil has used throughout history. • This demon will do what demons seek – it will demand to be worshipped and death for those who don’t worship it • This shows the progression of the beast’s move to power – first he is followed, then he is worshipped and finally he has those who will not give in and worship him killed

Revelation 13: 15 -18 • As the beast and devil have attempted to mock God in all their actions, so they will do again – God’s people have been marked, sealed, as His own. Now the beast will require all people, his people, to be marked with his sign. • This mark deliberately contrasts the mark of God on His people • The number is, in itself, significant. The number of God – representing His total perfection would be represented in 3 (for the Trinity) perfect numbers – 777. • The devil uses his number – the number of total imperfection and for the 3 individuals in the false trinity – 666 • This is “the number of a man” showing that in spite of his mockery of Jesus, anti-Christ will fall short in all ways – he is human and not divine as much as he may try to deceive everyone to think

The Satanic Parody of God Eternal Truth Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit Jesus Christ (Lamb) Holy Spirit Satanic Parody Dragon, Beast, False Prophet Anti-Christ (water monster) False Prophet (earth monster) Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection “Who is like the Lord? ” Worshipers in the Book of Life True Miracles (fire from heaven) Sealed with the Lamb’s name Anti-Christ’s fatal wound and healing “Who is like the beast? ” Worshipers deceived False Miracles (fire from heaven) Marked with the beast’s name