Aug. 28, 2024

“REVELATION”

13:1-18

*The Beast Out of the Sea: The Antichrist:

He will be accepted not rejected: Revelation 6:2

Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”

*Characteristics of the Antichrist- Revelation 13:1-4

Revelation 13:1-2 “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Description of the Beast:

He will be empowered by Satan, and will be a Gentile, “rising up out of the sea,” vs.1

The Seven Heads- vs.1

His Power: The source of his power and authority is the devil himself. 

The seven heads represent all the world empires in history from John’s perspective. 

Revelation 17:10 “There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.”

By the time of John five empires had past: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. One existed at that time-the Roman Empire of John’s day. The one empire yet to come-the ten nation confederacy over which the Antichrist will preside. 

Daniel’s four beast in Chapter 7:

Daniel 7:2-3 “Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.”

The beast rose “out of the sea.”

The Death and the Resurrection of the Beast- Revelation 13:3

Revelation 13:3 “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.”

Rev. 17:8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

Revelation 13:4 “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

The Blasphemy of the Beast- Revelation 13:5-6

During his time on the earth, the beast is notable for three activities: blaspheming God; attacking God’s people; and deceiving the world into worshipping him.

Revelation 13:5-6 “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” 

Satan will actually enter the body of the Antichrist and bring him back to life, deceiving many into thinking he has Godlike powers.

Daniel 11:36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.”

People will worship the dragon, as Paul predicted.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

The Power of the Beast- Revelation 13:7

Revelation 13:7 “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

The Worship of the Beast- Revelation 13:8-10

Revelation 13:8-10 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

The False Prophet- Revelation 13:11-18

Characteristics of the False Prophet- Revelation 13:11-12

Revelation 13:11-12 “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”

1. “Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth.” vs.11

2.    “he had two horns like a lamb” vs.11

Matthew 7:15

3.    “and spoke like a dragon” vs.11

4.    “he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence” vs.12

5.    “and cause the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast” vs.12

Supernatural Powers of the Antichrist- Revelation 13:13-14

Revelation 13:13-14 “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”

During the Tribulation period the Antichrist will have the power to perform “counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” 

2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.”

Revelation 13:15 “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”

Those who do not worship the beast will be killed, in fact they will be beheaded.  

Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

The False Prophet’s Use of the Mark of the Beast- Revelation 13:16-18.

Revelation 13:16-18 “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

The marks number is the number of man 666. vs. 18