#15 REVELATION - THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET

[Music] understanding that weird book of Revelation this is part 15 and I'm gonna read the text and then do it just a teeny bit of catch-up as to where we are in the book looking at the beast and the false prophet revelation 13 we started last week looking at 10 verses now we're going to pick it up at verse 11 so John is describing these visions these unbelievable and incredibly hard to explain images shown to him as the Lord speaks to him on the island of Patmos he says then I saw another beast rising out of the earth it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon we talked about the dragon in Revelation 12 it's one of the few characters just so specifically identified in the book of Revelation where it's he's called Satan the devil it's just made very specific it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon verse 12 it exercises all authority of the first beast in its presence we looked at that last week and I'll recap what we bet and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast whose mortal wound was healed we talked about that a bit last week I'll talk about it more it that's this other beast that he sees it performs great signs even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the Beast it deceives those who dwell on the earth telling them to make an image for the Beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived 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 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 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 this calls for wisdom that the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a man that's the important part not the 666 the number of a man and his number is 666 and that doesn't mean you know take out your MasterCard and see if you have 6 X 6 somewhere in your in your number if you can think back to our last study I said we were embarking on an examination of of the great antagonists of the Church of Jesus Christ in the last days we're still in this interlude between the 7 trumpets and the pouring out of the seven bowls of God's wrath seven seals seven trumpets seven bowls and what's the important thing to remember about the three sevens they all run right up to the very end in Chapter 12 we examined John's vision of this great power behind all the evil in this world the serpent of old 12:9 the great dragon the devil Satan revelation 12:9 and so we've been studying his activity all along through much of the book of Revelation but now John starts to unmask him and his motive his anger against the people of God and so when we were going through verse 12 we came to verses 10 11 and 12 where John writes and he says and I heard I heard a loud voice in in heaven saying now the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down who accuses them day and night before our God and they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb by the word of their testimony for they loved not their lives even unto death 12:12 therefore rejoice o heavens and you who dwell in them but woe to you or earth and sea for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows his time is short so Satan knows that he has already been defeated by the birth and death of the male child revelation 12 5 we studied that he knows salvation has been accomplished and this infuriates Satan against Christ and it infuriates Satan against Christ church because the church worships Christ obeys Christ honors Christ and represents Christ on earth so the church is the embodiment the the church is the living witnessing reminder of Satan's ultimate doom that's what the church is but what we're starting to see now you get into revelation 13 so this has just been kind of a revisit the devil doesn't do most of his work openly he works through agents and agencies and and John introduces us to four agencies through whom the devil works one we looked at last week there's this beast coming out of the sea that's 13 1 to 10 and we study the the power and the role of Antichrist in our last study in this series if you can if you can think back we looked at pretty much great detail at the Apostle John's statements about Antichrist in first John especially we looked at Daniel chapter 7 and saw that the Antichrist is is sort of another more personal representation of Daniels description of these coming four empires a lion a bear a leopard and finally this beast with ten horns and when you look at Antichrist this first beast in Revelation 13 all of those labels are ascribed to him exactly the same description and so we see Antichrist kind of combines all these traits there'll be a there'll be a political system the the resurrection it it looked like this was all dead that's that mortal wound thing and then comes back to life it looks like there could never be this kind of a world system under a wicked leader it doesn't look like that could ever happen again but it will happen again the early church the early church would have read all these descriptions of the beast and thought immediately of knurl they would have thought of Rome they would have thought of the way Nero was responsible for the first Holocaust of Christian people and so the idea is Antichrist he's gonna there's always been the spirit of Antichrist many antichrists first John but there's going to come another specific Antichrist not just a person though a person with a power structure around him an empire around him it's political in nature a Nero like power just when people thought okay we're done with that it will look like that type of power is dead a mortal wound but it will be resurrected it will come back to life under Antichrist in the last days ha how's that gonna happen like when you look at it now it seems in some ways unimaginable and I just I'm gonna come to this again but I just want to introduce this thought now this will arise particularly agree against Christians and the Christian Church because because and this is starting now we will be viewed as the intolerant haters and trouble errs in this world that's how you're going to be viewed in other words the people who cluster around Antichrist won't feel wicked following him in persecuting the church they will feel righteous in doing it we will be the ones who will be viewed as intolerant we're against people choosing their own lifestyles we're against people choosing their own sexual relationships we're against people choosing their own women's health care and aborting babies were and so this this is going to start to pile up against the church and if you don't see that starting to happen now it is its picture it like a concert and this big stage is being built that's what's happening now just getting ready for the concert everything's being set in place you are viewed as the troublemakers and so and I don't even know where that I haven't been following where this issue is now exactly but but even in Canada with with Justin Trudeau and the way now there's these student loans and grants but you can't get it if you're if you're pro-life organizations like churches and camps can't get that government funding you have to line up with the agenda and I talked to Christians all the time and they're like they're like shocked at this and I'm thinking where did you think this was going where do you think this is going this is just the tip of the iceberg they're not doing it to be mean they're doing it because they think it's compassionate you're the ones who are mean did you see where this is going John sees a second antagonist we're gonna look at tonight this beast rising out of the earth this is the beast we're gonna be studying I'll get to in just a second I said there were four the third antagonist won't be considered in detail until revelation 17 and this power is described with this symbol symbolic name of Babylon it's pictured also has a great harlot this is slightly different it represents not not the persecution of the church like the first two beasts but but it represents the seduction of the church by the pleasures and charms of this world the fourth antagonist used by the devil is one we've already seen but not really lined up with its proper ally yet and that is the people of the Beast the people of the earth they're called these people become more and more aligned with the beast as they worship the Beast as they bear his mark they will increasingly come to see Christians as the enemy of all that they value as good and proper and decent in this world that's why they will actually rejoice they will rejoice at the persecution and suffering of the church you see that in in in Revelation 11 7 to 10 and when they have finished their testimony the Beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt where their Lord was crucified for three and a half days some of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies refuse to let them be placed in a tomb and those who those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them make merry they'll exchange presence party because these two prophets have been a torment to those who dwell on the earth and so we're witnessing just the beginning of that kind of attitude right now as never before I said earlier Christians are increasingly viewed as intolerant bigots in this world we are increasingly painted as the cause of this world's troubles rather than the bearers of good news that this world so desperately means John says that's only gonna get worse here's what's gonna happen in the church in my lifetime here's what's gonna happen in Canada at Souter view Community Church in my lifetime if you keep reading things like Romans 1 in this church in my lifetime in Canada that will be banned and if you continue to do it your church will lose charitable status that's what'll happen first it'll be an economic punishment you're gonna be around to see that decide now well if you're gonna keep supporting the Lord's work in this world when you don't get anything back for doing so because that's coming soon it'll be a crime to read statements like Romans 1 in an evangelical church in Canada in my lifetime where are we gonna go with this like I we are we thinking this through that's the issue John is thinking about as he sees these visions alright point number one this second beast and we're more than halfway through so relax the most significant feature of this second beast is his religious description it's almost surprising to see how brief how brief the description is we don't get a big picture of this second beast it's in revelation 13:11 and here's about all that says then I saw another beast rising out of the earth it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon now just think about that looks like a lamb speaks like a dragon we know who the dragon is very clearly identified in Revelation 12 and so now these these two images are given such a prominent place in the book of Revelation there's really no doubting John's intent the beast he comes across like a lamb people will think he's the Messiah like Jesus but he speaks like the devil so in other words the first beast that we looked at Antichrist he represents this political aspect like like Daniels Daniels prophetic vision of these for coming kingdoms and and the Antichrist will be will be a person but but not just a person a person over a political structure that will gain momentum in the last days so this second beast is not political the second beast is is defined in religious terms it's it's picked up in verses like 12 and 13 it exercises all authority of the first beast it's it's endorsing it's it's empowered by its pointing toward Antichrist exercises all the authority of the first beast and it's presence makes the earth and its inhabitants worship their underlying worship that's what this is about worship devotion and in order to do this even making fire come down from heaven in front of the people miracle works special signs that will follow this person amazing things so the role of the second beast is to acquire the worship of the people for the first beast for the Antichrist he he stirs up devotion he stirs up I said last week I say it again it should not it should not be hard for any of us to imagine this happening with great ease in this fallen world I mean the the contemporary examples though on a smaller scale I admit but they're just so rampant the media spinners the fashion producers they can stir up devotion of the masses like that for nothing the devotion of the masses can be whipped up to follow the most insane ridiculous morons we follow exactly as we're told to follow our world is being trained 24/7 not to think for itself it's being trained 24/7 not to attribute its values to anybody else it's being trained 24/7 not to judge the way anybody else thinks or acts that's our world it's just getting everything ready so without anyone else even noticing or thinking about what's going on there's this huge stage being built for the Antichrist there's a whole generation coming up in the church that won't even see this coming you know to seem normal this deception it's made more compelling by by the supernatural manifestations that this second beast will perform 1314 of revelation 13 it performs great signs making fire come down from heaven in front of the people and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the Beast it deceives those who dwell on the earth telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived so you notice that the signs that word signs do you know that's the very same the exact Greek word that John uses in his gospel to describe the miracles and the signs of Jesus and so and so John is saying this this this religious leader supporting the beast and his system the Antichrist and his system he's gonna he's gonna work signs he's allowed to work signs so the important point here is his ministry it will seem it will seem divinely compelling to people people will think this is God at work that's why this second beast is notice he's repeatedly coined in profess turns he's called the false prophet sixteen thirteen nineteen Twenty twenty ten so so people who don't follow this second beast are going to be accused of quenching the spirit or rejecting God's new work or or any number of things so accompanying Antichrist and his power structure whatever political a system that's going to be raised again in the last days there'll be this other element this this beast from the land and and there'll be a concerted effort to keep people from thinking soundly about spiritual things and just do to give adulation to the Antichrist point number two the second beast is the henchmen for the Antichrist against the true people of God over and over again I said this when I introduced this whole series but it's so long ago probably probably no one remembers but the issue in the book of Revelation increasingly if you don't get bogged down in it what's that number mean what's that number mean what if you don't get bogged down in that revelation is it's it starts like this in it and it funnels down as it reaches the end and everything is designed everything is designed to to separate the world into two groups that's what's happening it'll be the followers of Christ and those who don't follow Christ and aside from your eternal destiny right now it doesn't seem to make much difference but it will make an incredible difference everything's gonna start to matter more people are gonna have to make big decisions to follow Christ not casual ones there'll be opposition they'll be cost there'll be a price tag in a way that there really isn't right now so things are gonna boil down into two crowds I get that from Revelation 13 in our text 15 16 17 and it that's this second beast 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 also it causes all both small and great rich and poor both free and slave everybody everybody to be marked on the right hand or the forehead so that Nolan can buy or sell unless it has the mark that is the name of the beast or the number of its name let me say something I may be shocking to you who the Antichrist is I don't care I can show you old issues of the Pentecostal testimony or even the Alliance witness all sorts of magazines if you go back and they've got this Pope and Mussolini and all the people that they figured out to be the Antichrist figuring out who the Antichrist is or what 666 means that's not the important point seeing the process of separation in the last days is crucially the important point it's the reason for that strong warning in verse 9 if anyone has an ear let him hear all through the book of Revelation remember the letters to the seven churches this is John's way of calling the church not to miss something that she might easily miss if she just hears it carelessly the false prophet may look like the Messiah he may say the right things but he isn't there's no blessing in empty words and he will reveal his true colors in two distinct forms of persecution I want to wrap up with this first there'll be physical violence against the church against the church the people of the earth that's John's language for those who don't follow Christ the people of the earth will only see this as ridding the world of the cause of all its misery they will rejoice for all their talk of love and peace and tolerance there'll be no tolerance for those that follow Christ is this starting to sound a little bit familiar so on the surface of the things it's going to look bleak for the church but but it's very important for us to remember some of the things we've already seen in John's visions you need to keep the whole picture in mind or you just get depressed Satan's victory through these through these beasts if it's only a parent it's not actual so 13 15 and 16 we read that but you need to read it with the background of a revelation 12 10 and 11 in mind where it says and I heard a loud voice a loud voice in heaven saying now the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brothers that Satan has been thrown down who accuses them night and day before God and they have they not not Jesus they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb by the word of the test of their testimony for they loved not their lives unto death so there'll be this first form of persecution will be persecution of the church violent persecution of the church secondly the text says somehow there'll be a huge economic price to pay for following Christ that's going to be interesting to see I tried to show you one instance of how I think it will affect the church but you'll have to figure out how it's going to affect you personally in 16 and 17 also it that's this this second beast false prophet who prompts the worship of Antichrist also that causes all both small and great rich and poor free and slave to be marked on the right hand or on the forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark that is the name of the beast the number of its name I can remember I can remember when I was a kid teachers teachers evangelists coming through the church and and credit cards were just becoming a big deal and people were convinced this is this is the Beast and then remember when those you whatever you buy at the store you have those little scanner things and they put it in the bag I can remember oh but guys writing books and you'd see that's it that's the mark of the beast and and and everybody's got all this stuff figured out one of the false prophets tool to apply pressure to worship the Beast will be economic institutional and personal so in other words the approach isn't just to come up to Christians and walk them over the head with a sword there there will be a system that will be perceived as as being largely able to solve this world's economic problems this is a key point to understand this is why the world will tolerate the persecution of Christians the world under the propaganda of the false prophet don't forget the miracles and the teaching and the signs it will come to see Christians as messing up their only hope for economic survival and this kind of economic upheaval will pave the way for the world to embrace the only final solution left we've seen this kind of thing before point number three the number of the beast I get asked this all the time so the most talked-about verse in the whole book of Revelation and I'm not sure why 13:18 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 here's my thoughts I don't know what 666 means I've never read or spoken to another human being on the planet who knows what 666 means all I know for sure is I don't want to get caught up in any system economic or otherwise that rejects the lordship of Jesus in my life true like John said there have been many antichrists the spirit of Antichrist has been in this world for a long time I still think the important feature is with all of the with all of the power with all of the might with all of the supernatural displays with all of the solutions to the world's problems and the way everybody will worship and fall in line mindlessly into this whole endtime system against Christ in His Church I think that the reminder here is it's still whatever 666 means we're being told it's the number of a man God is not in this it's not a supernatural thing and it can't win it can't win I believe all this is consistent with Paul's exhortation to the church to be on the lookout specifically for this endtime man of sin speaking of the Antichrist I read these last week I'll wrap up with this second Thessalonians 2:8 to 10 and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing so you read all these signs right you see that you see the Antichrist and this whole political system an empire that looked like it was dead and coming to life in the last days in ways that looked impossible the might the power of the structure and then you have this beast false prophet who pulls everyone's attention to the Antichrist the people worship and people adore and people think this is such a great solution and mountains of people just pile up following this system and the church looks like the enemy and then you think where is this all going and you just read Jesus will kill with the breath of his mom this this whole mountain of endtime might Jesus is gonna come we sing about it all the time and he's just gonna wipe it out it says he's gonna wipe it up with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power false signs wonders with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth than to be saved there is another number by the way that we should care about another marking that's way more important than the 666 John described it in the very next verse revelation 14:1 and then I looked and behold on Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads God will seal and mark and protect everything is going to come down to two crowds and everyone's gonna have to make up their mind and and and there's going to be visible consequences either way these are these are days for the church to to know the truth of what she believes these are days for the church to teach people to openly confess Christ before a mocking culture because we need to be trained in that discipline because the peer pressure in the last days is only going to get more intense and these are days for the church more than ever before to celebrate the unquenchable final victory of Christ when he comes again everyone said let's pray

Channel: Cedarview Community Church

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Keywords: Bible, Jesus, God, Christianity, Religion, Protestant, Church, Faith, Cross, Christ, Revelation, Revelations, End Times, Prophecy, Rapture, Book, Lord, Horban, Newmarket, Cedarview

Id: -mX3pfSolvw

Length: 34min 25sec (2065 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 08 2018