THE EVIL UNHOLY TRINITY
Our text: Revelation 13
We are still in the last three and a half years of the tribulation period called the "Great Tribulation". The Devil (Satan) has been tossed from the heavens (not Heaven) by Michael and he is mad.
There are those. including some Jewish Rabbi that think the world can create messianic times without the arrival of a Messiah. Some of these same people and others think that this false Messiah will actually be a human being though Jesus Christ has proven by scripture to be that true Messiah, the Christ. We can see the world is truly ready for the Anti-Christ. Satan is smart enough to fool the Jews into thinking he is the Messiah and the Muslim into thinking he is the Mahdi. He will also convince the rest of the world that he is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Our Text:
*****Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
The sands of the sea represent vast multitudes of people. The sea by itself represents unrest and turmoil among the masses.
Compare:
Gen 32:12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
and:
Isa 10:22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
Isa 10:23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
(The Beast:)
We saw this word "beast" earlier when we talked about the beast around the throne. The Greek word "zoon" was used and it meant simply an animal.
We now have the Greek word "therion" and this word means a venomous, wild, dangerous animal.
This "Beast" is the Devil incarnate. This is the Anti-Christ. Besides Anti-Christ he is called by some other names:
a.) The "man of sin":
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that [man of sin] be revealed, the son of perdition;
b.) The "son of perdition":(son of utter destruction)
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, [the son of perdition];
c.) The "Wicked":(the cursed)
2Th 2:8 And then shall [that Wicked] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
d.) The "willful king":(the perverted)
Dan 11:36 And [the king shall do according to his will]; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
e.) The Beast:(the rogue beast)
Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, [the beast] that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
He is called the "Beast" 36 times in the Book of Revelation. He is a wild beast!
Oh, Don't get confused he will not look like a beast. In fact:
A.) He will be an Intellectual Genius:(uncommon powers of intellect)
Dan 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Dan 8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
B.) He will be an Oratorical Genius:(lying flatterer to accomplish his purpose))
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
C.) He will be a Political Genius:(his hidden kingdom to come forward)
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
D.) He will be a Commercial Genius:(this what he showed Jesus at the temptation)
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Dan 11:43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
E.) He will be a Military Genius:(knows how to rule an army)
Rev 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
F.) He will be a Religious Genius:(religion will send you to hell, Christianity will lead you to Christ)
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
(The crowns)
Crowns usually denote authority. This beast will have:
1.) Power, a throne, and authority.
2.) Authority over tribes, tongues, and nations.
3.) He will be a political world dictator especially in the last 3 and 1/2 years.
4.) He is a monster and wild and will rule with terror. We can see how terrorist dominate our news now. They speak and threaten and the world trembles.
5.) He will reign about seven years with half of that being a time of terrorism.
6.) He will have a government of ten kings but he will be supreme ruler.
7.) He is a "Master Blasphemer".
Dan 7:25 And [he shall speak great words against the most High], and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The Bible says:
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
Mar 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Mar 3:30 [Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit].
The sad point about all of this is, THE WORLD IS READY FOR SUCH A MAN AND WILL WELCOME HIM WITH OPEN ARMS EVERYWHERE AT FIRST.
Jesus Christ said:
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Joh 5:44 [How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another], and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Our text:
*****Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
We first saw these animals in the book of Daniel:
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
1.)The Body of the Leopard was Greece in rapid expansion. Taking over the world.
2.)The feet of the Bear was the Medo-Persians whose strength was in controlling the people to take over the world.
3.)The mouth of the Lion was Babylon, maybe the most regal of them all but they were devouring and they struck terror into those that defied them.
4.) We already know this Beast is trying to revive the Old Roman Empire that really is still alive and well in the world today.
The Beast will have all these elements wrapped up into one mighty monster machine of ruthless diplomacy and then death and his power comes from the dragon, Satan himself.
Remember these verses in Daniel:
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
These verses have not been fulfilled as yet.
and these verses in 1John describe our day:
1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn 2:22 [Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?] He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
To look upon the wound as described here it will be said that the wound caused death, yet this man is alive. This could possibly be an assassination attempt where by a miracle or even a false resurrection that brought this beast back to life.
The Bible says:Mar 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
This world will be in awe of such a deceiving miracle but these same ones have ignored the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Note: Some say that this healed head could mean the revived ten nation empire.
Notice "all" the world "wondered": In other words the entire known world admired and marveled this man simply for this miracle of his healing.
Has the world gotten this low in search of a miracle maker? The Bible says yes.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Satan has been waiting on this moment for over 6000 years. The world will bow down and worship him.
The Greek word "proskuneo" which means prostate yourself on the ground.
1.) They will worship the dragon (Satan).
2.) They will worship the beast (Anti-Christ)
The Bible says:
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, [and that man of sin be revealed], the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, [or that is worshipped]; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The world is looking for this "superman", this Anti-Christ. This beast will be exactly what the world wants. He will be worshiped as an "idol". He will be as the old emperors of Rome, or the Herodians, or the Czar and some Kings. Remember he will be posing as the "messiah".
1.) He is the Devil in human form.
2.) He is the world dictator.
3.) He is the second person of the unholy trinity.
4.) He will be revealed just after the rapture of the Church.
5a.) Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
5b.) Dan 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
5c.) Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
6.) He will be a "religious genius"!
Some people have their basketball players, or their race car driver or their soccer player or some other sports figure. Some have their actors or their favorite singer or their richest man or woman. Some people have their politician or some other figure.
The entire world will have their Anti-Christ as their god.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Satan will be holding up the cue cards for this deceiver. He will speak exactly what he is told to speak by the devil. The devil knows all our weaknesses now he knows what all his children want and he will say he is going to give it to them and HE HATES GOD!
He will overwhelm his followers with his words. The more they worship the more his pride will swell and he will wear his pride like a medal on his chest but only for three and one half years.
Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The Bible never contradicts itself!
Our text:
*****Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, [to blaspheme his name], and [his tabernacle], and [them that dwell in heaven].
1.) He will blaspheme the "namesake" of God:
Psa 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
Psa 115:2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
The devil will try his best to do this very thing. He will say where is their God now?
The Lord said:
Eze 20:44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
The Lord said again:
Eze 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
Eze 36:23 And [I will sanctify my great name], which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
This is important because it is written in all four of the Gospels:
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Luk 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
Joh 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
God will avenge His own name but we as Christians should not allow the name of God to be blasphemed.
2.) He will blaspheme the Tabernacle:
In Revelation 21:3 we read:
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, [the tabernacle of God] is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
We can say the Jesus Christ is the tabernacle of God for he is the flesh that God dwells in. This verse does say that He will dwell with them. He would do that in that glorified body He had while on this Earth. Wherever God dwells is His Tabernacle and Satan blasphemes even the place where God dwells.
The devil is also a foolish being. My God is "ALIVE" and He knows the thoughts of every one of His creations.
This could also be the New Temple but I believe this verse refers to Christ Jesus but every saint of God is a tabernacle of God also!
Jesus prayed:
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
The Bible says:
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
To be Born Again:
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Jesus again:
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
3.) The Inhabitants of Heaven:
a.) God
b.) The Lamb
c.) The Angels
d.) The Raptured saints
c.) The Tribulation saints.
d.) Whatever else is there and God has not told us.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
The devil, Satan has blasphemed these things also.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
We probably first see these saints in chapter 6:
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
This Anti-Christ will do his very best to kill all God's children.
Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Dan 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Dan 8:25; 9:27; 11:38; 12:10; Matt 24:16-22 Rev 6:9-11; 11:7; 12:17; 17:6.
He was a murderer from the beginning!
Our text:
*****Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, [whose names are not written in the book of life] of [the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world].
We see three things here:
1.) The phrase "foundation of the world" refers to Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the Lamb of God that was determined from the creation of this world. God determined before creation that He would have to be the sacrifice for His human creation. He would have to die in the same flesh He created for us to live in. Our only means of salvation.
2.) Those names were written in the Lamb's book of life as that person accepted the Lord as savior. That's why there is a celebration in Heaven for each and every one. (Our free will)
3.) You cannot worship Satan, the Devil, the Anti-Christ and still have your name written in the Book of Life. (again our own free will to choose)
Once your name is in the Lamb's book of Life it cannot be removed!
Our text:
*****Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Right after verse 8 we get God's warning!
The "Warning": Open your ears and here what this verse says. We must not forget. This entire book is to be preached to the seven church types, in the seven church ages. This message is for Born Again saints of God. This is not just another book in the Bible. This is the message of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the truth and it is backed up by the entire Bible and every Prophet.
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
The generation that sees these things begin to happen may be the last generation of saints before the rapture.
The words of salvation are not hard to say but they must be spoken in sincerity.
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The "Beast" will be killing and making slaves at this time. To rebel against him will be instant death. Those that are saved will die a martyr's death.
Those that refuse this beast but also refuse Christ Jesus will still go straight to hell.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
We cannot and should not be so dull of hearing to understand this message from God. Many tribulation Christians will be locked up for refusing the mark of Satan and most all of them will die before Christ comes the second time.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Who is this Beast?
This beast on three different occasions is called the false prophet.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This beast will mimic the Holy Ghost!
1.) The Holy Ghost is the third person of the Holy Trinity!
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
The false prophet is the third person of the unholy trinity!
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and [out of the mouth of the false prophet].
2.) The Holy Spirit will always lead mankind to all truth especially about Jesus!
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The false prophet seduces mankind to error:
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
3.) The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ:
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
The false prophet glorifies the Anti-Christ:
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
4.) The Holy Spirit made fire come down from Heaven!
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
The false prophet will this also but only showing off for it serves no purpose:
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
5.) The Holy Spirit gives life!
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The false prophet kills:
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
6.) The Holy Spirit marks with a seal all that belong to God!
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The false prophet marks all that worship Satan:
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
He looks like a lamb but he sounds like a dragon (Satan).
He will rule the religious side while the first beast rules the political side.
The first beast has secular power. The second beast religious power.
The first beast had ten horns. The second beast only two.
The first beast will be the civil authority. The second beast the religious authority.
The second beast is subordinate to the first beast. He will use the military power of the first beast set up a religious dictatorship. They did not both appear at the same time!
The first beast perishes at the coming of the Lord in flaming fire.
To this beast Satan gives what he offered to Christ:
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
This second beast rules in Palestine and becomes minister to the first beast.
This second beast will bring all religions on this Earth under one roof and then give them to Satan.
"The World Wide Apostate Church"
This beast will meet the same fate of the first beast:
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
We may think that we are sometimes losing the battle but we are still on the winning side!
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Jesus Christ came in the Father's name to do the Father's will.
THIS FALSE MESSIAH WILL COME IN HIS OWN NAME TO DO HIS OWN WILL!
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
THE MASSES WILL FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP THE BEAST AND RECEIVE HIS MARK. THEY WILL BE SENT STRONG DELUSION AND THEY WILL BELIEVE THE LIE!
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The World is ready.
The stage is set.
The masses await this "Superman"!
It is the the false prophet that sets up an idol, an image of the first beast.
REMEMBER THE THREE JEWISH BOYS!
The death of the first beast is mentioned three times in this one chapter. Verse 14 says this wound was made by a sword. This death will be a great deception but a great wonder to the world.
This false prophet also had power that came from Satan to give life to this image. It appears to be some kind of hologram.
The masses will worship this image or die. If you choose the mark you can live and buy and sell.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Here is wisdom:
We know that throughout the book of Revelation, God's number is seven. We can see that the number of man is six. That's at least one short of seven every time. We know man is a creation of God. Therefore this verse tells us that Satan also is a six, one short of seven and he is also a creation of God.
The Bible says of Goliath:
Six cubits, his spear head 600 shekels, he was carrying six pieces of equipment therefore it could be said he had the mark of the beast 666.
Of his son:
A giant six cubits, six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot. It could be said that he had the mark of the beast.
Of Nebuchadnezzar's image:
60 cubits in height, 6 cubits in breadth and there were six instruments of music mentioned. This also is a mark of the beast.
Six is man's number. Six will always come up one short of seven, God's number. Satan will always fall short of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has a trinity, a six for each one (Satan, Beast 1, Beast 2) therefore 666. Satan is at least 666 times more sinful than man who is also a six but it takes only one sin to put you in hell. This number may not be this simple but any thing else is a guess also.
We know this mark is important because it is mentioned six more times.
Rev 14:9,11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; and 20:4.
Not one Born Again child of God will have this mark!
Let's pray!
Our text: Revelation 13
We are still in the last three and a half years of the tribulation period called the "Great Tribulation". The Devil (Satan) has been tossed from the heavens (not Heaven) by Michael and he is mad.
There are those. including some Jewish Rabbi that think the world can create messianic times without the arrival of a Messiah. Some of these same people and others think that this false Messiah will actually be a human being though Jesus Christ has proven by scripture to be that true Messiah, the Christ. We can see the world is truly ready for the Anti-Christ. Satan is smart enough to fool the Jews into thinking he is the Messiah and the Muslim into thinking he is the Mahdi. He will also convince the rest of the world that he is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Our Text:
*****Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
The sands of the sea represent vast multitudes of people. The sea by itself represents unrest and turmoil among the masses.
Compare:
Gen 32:12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
and:
Isa 10:22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
Isa 10:23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
(The Beast:)
We saw this word "beast" earlier when we talked about the beast around the throne. The Greek word "zoon" was used and it meant simply an animal.
We now have the Greek word "therion" and this word means a venomous, wild, dangerous animal.
This "Beast" is the Devil incarnate. This is the Anti-Christ. Besides Anti-Christ he is called by some other names:
a.) The "man of sin":
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that [man of sin] be revealed, the son of perdition;
b.) The "son of perdition":(son of utter destruction)
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, [the son of perdition];
c.) The "Wicked":(the cursed)
2Th 2:8 And then shall [that Wicked] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
d.) The "willful king":(the perverted)
Dan 11:36 And [the king shall do according to his will]; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
e.) The Beast:(the rogue beast)
Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, [the beast] that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
He is called the "Beast" 36 times in the Book of Revelation. He is a wild beast!
Oh, Don't get confused he will not look like a beast. In fact:
A.) He will be an Intellectual Genius:(uncommon powers of intellect)
Dan 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Dan 8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
B.) He will be an Oratorical Genius:(lying flatterer to accomplish his purpose))
Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
C.) He will be a Political Genius:(his hidden kingdom to come forward)
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
D.) He will be a Commercial Genius:(this what he showed Jesus at the temptation)
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Dan 11:43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
E.) He will be a Military Genius:(knows how to rule an army)
Rev 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
F.) He will be a Religious Genius:(religion will send you to hell, Christianity will lead you to Christ)
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
(The crowns)
Crowns usually denote authority. This beast will have:
1.) Power, a throne, and authority.
2.) Authority over tribes, tongues, and nations.
3.) He will be a political world dictator especially in the last 3 and 1/2 years.
4.) He is a monster and wild and will rule with terror. We can see how terrorist dominate our news now. They speak and threaten and the world trembles.
5.) He will reign about seven years with half of that being a time of terrorism.
6.) He will have a government of ten kings but he will be supreme ruler.
7.) He is a "Master Blasphemer".
Dan 7:25 And [he shall speak great words against the most High], and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The Bible says:
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
Mar 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Mar 3:30 [Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit].
The sad point about all of this is, THE WORLD IS READY FOR SUCH A MAN AND WILL WELCOME HIM WITH OPEN ARMS EVERYWHERE AT FIRST.
Jesus Christ said:
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Joh 5:44 [How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another], and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Our text:
*****Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
We first saw these animals in the book of Daniel:
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
1.)The Body of the Leopard was Greece in rapid expansion. Taking over the world.
2.)The feet of the Bear was the Medo-Persians whose strength was in controlling the people to take over the world.
3.)The mouth of the Lion was Babylon, maybe the most regal of them all but they were devouring and they struck terror into those that defied them.
4.) We already know this Beast is trying to revive the Old Roman Empire that really is still alive and well in the world today.
The Beast will have all these elements wrapped up into one mighty monster machine of ruthless diplomacy and then death and his power comes from the dragon, Satan himself.
Remember these verses in Daniel:
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
These verses have not been fulfilled as yet.
and these verses in 1John describe our day:
1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn 2:22 [Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?] He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
To look upon the wound as described here it will be said that the wound caused death, yet this man is alive. This could possibly be an assassination attempt where by a miracle or even a false resurrection that brought this beast back to life.
The Bible says:Mar 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
This world will be in awe of such a deceiving miracle but these same ones have ignored the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Note: Some say that this healed head could mean the revived ten nation empire.
Notice "all" the world "wondered": In other words the entire known world admired and marveled this man simply for this miracle of his healing.
Has the world gotten this low in search of a miracle maker? The Bible says yes.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Satan has been waiting on this moment for over 6000 years. The world will bow down and worship him.
The Greek word "proskuneo" which means prostate yourself on the ground.
1.) They will worship the dragon (Satan).
2.) They will worship the beast (Anti-Christ)
The Bible says:
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, [and that man of sin be revealed], the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, [or that is worshipped]; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The world is looking for this "superman", this Anti-Christ. This beast will be exactly what the world wants. He will be worshiped as an "idol". He will be as the old emperors of Rome, or the Herodians, or the Czar and some Kings. Remember he will be posing as the "messiah".
1.) He is the Devil in human form.
2.) He is the world dictator.
3.) He is the second person of the unholy trinity.
4.) He will be revealed just after the rapture of the Church.
5a.) Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
5b.) Dan 11:23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
5c.) Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
6.) He will be a "religious genius"!
Some people have their basketball players, or their race car driver or their soccer player or some other sports figure. Some have their actors or their favorite singer or their richest man or woman. Some people have their politician or some other figure.
The entire world will have their Anti-Christ as their god.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Satan will be holding up the cue cards for this deceiver. He will speak exactly what he is told to speak by the devil. The devil knows all our weaknesses now he knows what all his children want and he will say he is going to give it to them and HE HATES GOD!
He will overwhelm his followers with his words. The more they worship the more his pride will swell and he will wear his pride like a medal on his chest but only for three and one half years.
Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The Bible never contradicts itself!
Our text:
*****Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, [to blaspheme his name], and [his tabernacle], and [them that dwell in heaven].
1.) He will blaspheme the "namesake" of God:
Psa 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
Psa 115:2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
The devil will try his best to do this very thing. He will say where is their God now?
The Lord said:
Eze 20:44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
The Lord said again:
Eze 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
Eze 36:23 And [I will sanctify my great name], which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
This is important because it is written in all four of the Gospels:
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Luk 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
Joh 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
God will avenge His own name but we as Christians should not allow the name of God to be blasphemed.
2.) He will blaspheme the Tabernacle:
In Revelation 21:3 we read:
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, [the tabernacle of God] is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
We can say the Jesus Christ is the tabernacle of God for he is the flesh that God dwells in. This verse does say that He will dwell with them. He would do that in that glorified body He had while on this Earth. Wherever God dwells is His Tabernacle and Satan blasphemes even the place where God dwells.
The devil is also a foolish being. My God is "ALIVE" and He knows the thoughts of every one of His creations.
This could also be the New Temple but I believe this verse refers to Christ Jesus but every saint of God is a tabernacle of God also!
Jesus prayed:
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
The Bible says:
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
To be Born Again:
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Jesus again:
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
3.) The Inhabitants of Heaven:
a.) God
b.) The Lamb
c.) The Angels
d.) The Raptured saints
c.) The Tribulation saints.
d.) Whatever else is there and God has not told us.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
The devil, Satan has blasphemed these things also.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
We probably first see these saints in chapter 6:
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
This Anti-Christ will do his very best to kill all God's children.
Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Dan 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Dan 8:25; 9:27; 11:38; 12:10; Matt 24:16-22 Rev 6:9-11; 11:7; 12:17; 17:6.
He was a murderer from the beginning!
Our text:
*****Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, [whose names are not written in the book of life] of [the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world].
We see three things here:
1.) The phrase "foundation of the world" refers to Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the Lamb of God that was determined from the creation of this world. God determined before creation that He would have to be the sacrifice for His human creation. He would have to die in the same flesh He created for us to live in. Our only means of salvation.
2.) Those names were written in the Lamb's book of life as that person accepted the Lord as savior. That's why there is a celebration in Heaven for each and every one. (Our free will)
3.) You cannot worship Satan, the Devil, the Anti-Christ and still have your name written in the Book of Life. (again our own free will to choose)
Once your name is in the Lamb's book of Life it cannot be removed!
Our text:
*****Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Right after verse 8 we get God's warning!
The "Warning": Open your ears and here what this verse says. We must not forget. This entire book is to be preached to the seven church types, in the seven church ages. This message is for Born Again saints of God. This is not just another book in the Bible. This is the message of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the truth and it is backed up by the entire Bible and every Prophet.
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
The generation that sees these things begin to happen may be the last generation of saints before the rapture.
The words of salvation are not hard to say but they must be spoken in sincerity.
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The "Beast" will be killing and making slaves at this time. To rebel against him will be instant death. Those that are saved will die a martyr's death.
Those that refuse this beast but also refuse Christ Jesus will still go straight to hell.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
We cannot and should not be so dull of hearing to understand this message from God. Many tribulation Christians will be locked up for refusing the mark of Satan and most all of them will die before Christ comes the second time.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Who is this Beast?
This beast on three different occasions is called the false prophet.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This beast will mimic the Holy Ghost!
1.) The Holy Ghost is the third person of the Holy Trinity!
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
The false prophet is the third person of the unholy trinity!
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and [out of the mouth of the false prophet].
2.) The Holy Spirit will always lead mankind to all truth especially about Jesus!
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The false prophet seduces mankind to error:
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
3.) The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ:
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
The false prophet glorifies the Anti-Christ:
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
4.) The Holy Spirit made fire come down from Heaven!
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
The false prophet will this also but only showing off for it serves no purpose:
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
5.) The Holy Spirit gives life!
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The false prophet kills:
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
6.) The Holy Spirit marks with a seal all that belong to God!
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The false prophet marks all that worship Satan:
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
He looks like a lamb but he sounds like a dragon (Satan).
He will rule the religious side while the first beast rules the political side.
The first beast has secular power. The second beast religious power.
The first beast had ten horns. The second beast only two.
The first beast will be the civil authority. The second beast the religious authority.
The second beast is subordinate to the first beast. He will use the military power of the first beast set up a religious dictatorship. They did not both appear at the same time!
The first beast perishes at the coming of the Lord in flaming fire.
To this beast Satan gives what he offered to Christ:
Luk 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
This second beast rules in Palestine and becomes minister to the first beast.
This second beast will bring all religions on this Earth under one roof and then give them to Satan.
"The World Wide Apostate Church"
This beast will meet the same fate of the first beast:
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
We may think that we are sometimes losing the battle but we are still on the winning side!
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Jesus Christ came in the Father's name to do the Father's will.
THIS FALSE MESSIAH WILL COME IN HIS OWN NAME TO DO HIS OWN WILL!
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
THE MASSES WILL FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP THE BEAST AND RECEIVE HIS MARK. THEY WILL BE SENT STRONG DELUSION AND THEY WILL BELIEVE THE LIE!
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The World is ready.
The stage is set.
The masses await this "Superman"!
It is the the false prophet that sets up an idol, an image of the first beast.
REMEMBER THE THREE JEWISH BOYS!
The death of the first beast is mentioned three times in this one chapter. Verse 14 says this wound was made by a sword. This death will be a great deception but a great wonder to the world.
This false prophet also had power that came from Satan to give life to this image. It appears to be some kind of hologram.
The masses will worship this image or die. If you choose the mark you can live and buy and sell.
Our text:
*****Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Here is wisdom:
We know that throughout the book of Revelation, God's number is seven. We can see that the number of man is six. That's at least one short of seven every time. We know man is a creation of God. Therefore this verse tells us that Satan also is a six, one short of seven and he is also a creation of God.
The Bible says of Goliath:
Six cubits, his spear head 600 shekels, he was carrying six pieces of equipment therefore it could be said he had the mark of the beast 666.
Of his son:
A giant six cubits, six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot. It could be said that he had the mark of the beast.
Of Nebuchadnezzar's image:
60 cubits in height, 6 cubits in breadth and there were six instruments of music mentioned. This also is a mark of the beast.
Six is man's number. Six will always come up one short of seven, God's number. Satan will always fall short of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has a trinity, a six for each one (Satan, Beast 1, Beast 2) therefore 666. Satan is at least 666 times more sinful than man who is also a six but it takes only one sin to put you in hell. This number may not be this simple but any thing else is a guess also.
We know this mark is important because it is mentioned six more times.
Rev 14:9,11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; and 20:4.
Not one Born Again child of God will have this mark!
Let's pray!
