Revelation Chapter 13‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back! During this week’s fellowship time, we’ll continue our study of Revelation.

Revelation Chapter 13
 
This week we will investigate chapter 13 in our journey of the end times.
This chapter in the book of Revelation is the most detailed chapter in the Bible on the "person" of the "Antichrist". Anyone who is interested in knowing about this member of the "Satanic Trinity" must invest some time in this exciting New Testament book.

The word "Beast" is used in this chapter and through the rest of the book of Revelation – referring  to the "Antichrist". This name for the "Satanically energized" world "dictator" in the last days is one of dozens of names found throughout the Bible for this major player in the Tribulation Period. Many people throughout world history have opposed Jesus Christ. However, other than Satan, there has never been a more sinister or worthy opponent on the face of planet earth. Many false Christ figures have arisen and some have been noteworthy imposters. But there has never been a greater or more evil deceiver than this one to come. Following are some Biblical details of this coming one-world menace…

The term Antichrist has 2 meanings in the Scriptures:

• That which is against Jesus Christ

• That which counterfeits and/or takes the place of Jesus Christ

The term Antichrist is mentioned specifically in the following New Testament Scriptures of the Bible:

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour – 1 John 2:18

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son – 1 John 2:22

…and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world – 1 John 4:3

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist – 2 John 1:7

A common tactic of Satan is to imitate or counterfeit the things of God in order to make himself appear to be like God. What is commonly referred to as the “unholy trinity,” described vividly in Revelation is no exception. The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. The counterparts in the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. While the Holy Trinity is characterized by infinite truth, love, and goodness, the unholy trinity portrays the diametrically opposite traits of deception, hatred, and unadulterated evil.

In the opening verses of chapter 13 we see that the "Beast" comes up out of the "sea" and there is a connection between a "leopard, bear and lion"

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. 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 – Revelation 13:1-2

The references to these symbols are looking back at the Old Testament book of Daniel, where we find the Prophet has a "dream" and sees these symbols as the "Gentile world powers" to come. These Scriptures seem to be explaining that the "Antichrist" will be a Gentile coming out of the "Revived Roman Empire", the "ten horns" of Revelation and Daniel:

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  – Revelation 13:1

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns – Daniel 7:7

The reason the Jewish people would accept a Gentile "Messiah" –  "False Messiah" – is possibly due to the following insight from the Apostle Paul:

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness – 2 Thessalonians 8:12

Paul writes that after the Rapture when the Antichrist appears, the Jews will accept this man as their "Messiah" because those that rejected the "love of the truth" – that they might get saved – God will send them a strong delusion that they will believe the "lie" of Satan and accept this "False Messiah". With all of that said, the fact is – whether the antichrist will be a Jew or a Gentile is not revealed in the Bible and remains a mystery.

There is so much more that we could share about this important topic. For example, we find that people alive during the Tribulation will be required to take the "mark or the name of the beast" to allow them to buy and sell during this terrible time:

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 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 – Revelation 13:16-17

Interestingly, the present "global economic crisis" certainly seems to be setting the stage – world-wide – for this final prophetic scenario to be fulfilled!

Throughout history, several elaborate systems have been developed in an effort to reveal the name of the antichrist, but they have all been wrong! Some of the names these systems have come up with are:

Adolf Hitler
Benito Mussolini
Henry Kissinger
Ronald Reagan
William 'Bill' Clinton
Roman Catholic Popes

These should be seen for what they are – wild guesses! Furthermore, trying to identify Antichrist is simply a waste of time. It is Jesus Christ that Christians are to be looking for and anticipating His return! Besides, it is after the Rapture of the church when the identity of the Antichrist is revealed. In other words, you don't want to know the identity of Antichrist. If you ever do figure out who he is – you have been left behind!

Remember, back in chapter 7, God seals the 144,000 believing Jewish remnant with a mark on their forehead to preserve them from His wrath against the unbelieving world. Here in chapter 13, the false prophet marks the unsaved to preserve them from Antichrist’s wrath against God’s people. This “mark” will signify that the person bearing it is a worshiper and loyal follower of the Antichrist. In much the same way, the Roman emperors required their subjects to prove their loyalty by offering sacrifices to Caesar.

“Mark” (Greek = charagma; from charasso, translates as "I engrave") was the term for images or names of the emperor on Roman coins. In the ancient world, such marks – tattoos & brands – were commonly given to slaves, soldiers, and devotees of religious cults:

From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus – Galatians 6:17

Those who refused to take these ancient “marks” are like those who will refuse to take the Antichrist’s mark – subject to execution!

Besides the constant threat of death, refusing to take the “mark of the beast” will have dire practical consequences in daily living – “no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark.” Antichrist’s empire will maintain strict economic control over the world. Food, clothing, medical supplies, and the other necessities of life potentially in demand in the devastated earth, which has felt the judgment of God, will be unobtainable for those without this “mark.” Currency will probably vanish as well, to be replaced by controlled credit. Instead of a credit card, which can be lost, people will have a mark – possibly a bar code – in their forehead or hand. Scanning people’s foreheads or hands would identify them to a central computer system. 

Life under totalitarian governments in our time provides a faint glimpse of what is to come during the Tribulation period. In fact, a man who had lived under Bulgaria’s communist regime made the following chilling remarks:

“You cannot understand and you cannot know that the most terrible instrument of persecution ever devised is an innocent ration card. You cannot buy and you cannot sell except according to that little, innocent card. If they please, you can be starved to death, and if they please, you can be dispossessed of everything you have; for you cannot trade, and you cannot buy and you cannot sell, without permission” – Cited in W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation

Antichrist will have a universal designation – his name within a numbering system. The exact identification of that phrase is unclear. What is clear is that everyone will be required to have the identifying mark or suffer the consequences. Although we do not know what the antichrist’s name will be, we know his number is “Six hundred threescore and six”:

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 Six hundred threescore and six (666) – Revelation 13:18

Jesus Christ proclaims in the 24^th chapter of book of Matthew – the Olivet Discourse – that no man knows the day or the hour:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only – Matthew 24:36

However, it is quite possible that this future human male one-world ruler who will be "energized" by Satan himself – becoming the Antichrist – is alive and well on Planet Earth today and is ready to be revealed in the Lord’s perfect timing.

In fact, the Apostle Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica “that Day will not come“– the Second Coming of Jesus Christ – “unless the falling away comes first “ and then “the man of sin & “the son of perdition”– Antichrist – “is revealed” to the world:

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition – 2 Thessalonians 2:3

The pressure to give in to the worship of Antichrist will be far worse than anything ever experienced in human history. Life will be virtually unlivable. The people will be forced to bow to this demonized king – not prompted merely by religious deception – but also by economic necessity…

But remember, the Rapture takes place BEFORE the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It certainly seems that we are indeed rapidly approaching that very point in history…

That being the case we all must live as if today is the day that the Lord will shout to call us to be with Him in the heavens! There is not one prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture occurs. Every prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled seems to take place after the Rapture of the true church – the Bride of Jesus Christ. Today could be that day – Keep looking up!

With this information as a foundation for your studies, please read through Chapter 13 of Revelation.

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate chapter 14 of Revelation…

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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