The First Beast
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
If you have your bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Revelation chapter 13.
As you turn there let me remind you of where we are in the book.
The apostle John is receiving visions while in exile on the island of Patmos.
God is revealing to him the spiritual realities behind his suffering
and behind the tribulations of the churches
who are enduring trials, tribulations, and persecution in the Roman Empire.
These visions speak not only to their situation, but to the situations of all believers who follow Jesus in this age…,
this age between Jesus’ first coming and his future second coming.
These visions occur in cycles of 7.
We have already seen visions associated with seven seals on a scroll.
seven trumpet visions
and now we are working through seven signs.
These signs that John is now seeing emphasize particularly the work of God’s enemies on Earth.
In chapter 12, a great dragon was introduced,
The dragon seeks to devour humanity,
but he is operating already from a place of defeat,
the death and resurrection of Jesus has taken away the dragons power to keep God’s people in a place of slavery to his deception and to his accusations.
But that doesn’t stop Satan from his continual warring against both God’s people and God’s purposes.
In Revelation 13, we will see that the dragon is very much still raging and we will see that he does not act alone.
He recruits team mates,
accomplices to his evil plotting,
and he employs servants to attack God’s people.
Chapter 13 introduces us to these evil co-conspirators And what it means for believers like us.
So let’s read and pray for understanding.
1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.
2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
Lets Pray
What is this beast?
It’s clear firstly that the beast is evil.
It comes from the sea
A place of danger and mystery,
a place of death,
a place from which the powerful and frightful armies of Rome often appear on ships from over the horizon.
The seven heads communicate that this beast is fully representative of the complete number of rulers in the world.
The 10 horns with diadems communicate a kind of royal power and dominion.
They also suggest a kind of mockery or mimicry of the royalty of Jesus…,
One of the things that we will see with the beasts of this chapter is that they set themselves up as a kind of a cheap replacement or imposter to King Jesus.
but the beast is not Jesus…,
its heads are described as having blasphemous names.
blasphemy is the sin of mocking God,
it is the sin of misrepresenting God,
It is the sin of using God’s name in vanity,
without reverence,
without sincerity.
This beast is an anti-Jesus in every way.
He falls in line with how John describes the anti-christs in his letter.
Listen to John’s words in 1 John 2:18.
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
Again in 1 John 1:7.
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Notice that John’s emphasis in his letters is not a future climactic anti-Christ…,
but rather the ongoing multiples of antichrists who in the world even in John’s day.
I think the beast here in chapter 13,
rather than referring to the singular anti-christ at the end of time,
refers to the anti-christs who are at work throughout this age…, both John’s and ours.
More specifically,
I think the Old Testament allusions of verse 2 provide us with a lot of clarity as to what this beast embodies in the world.
Look at verse 2 with me .
2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth….
Note that the beast is a combination of several specific animals.
This combination is not random.
It’s an allusion to the four beasts in Daniel’s visions in Daniel 7.
While in Babylonian captivity,
Daniel saw a vision of four beasts rising from the sea.
One was like a lion,
the second was like a bear,
the third was like a leopard
and the fourth is a frightening beast with ten horns.
And in Daniel 7, the symbolism of the beasts is actually given to Daniel,
17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
In Daniel’s vision the beasts represented real earthly kings leading real earthly empires.
Here in John’s vision,
He seas a beast rising from the sea and it is a combination of all four Of Daniel’s beasts,
John most certainly would have recognized this beast as the evil empire of his day, the Roman Empire…,
But this book wasn’t just written for first century Christians undergoing Roman persecution.
It was written for all Christians in all ages…,
so there is also a sense in which the beast that John now beholds represents both first century Rome
AND every evil, earthly, empire that exists in this age between Jesus’ first coming and his second.
I think this is why this beast in John’s vision is a combination of all the beasts of Daniel’s vision.
The beast rising from the sea represents the power of human Kingdoms.…
…..the authority on Earth of evil empires.
I want to point out four truths about beastly earthly empires from this vision.
Four truths about every human kingdom that wields power and authority on Earth.
#1 Satan Empowers and Employs Beastly Empires
#1 Satan Empowers and Employs Beastly Empires
This is the plane reading of the text.
This beast representing all the beastly empires of the world is directly influenced by the dragon, that is by Satan himself.
2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.
No government is free from this reality.
No corporation or organization is free from this warfare
Satanic and demonic forces are always seeking to gain more ground with the forces of power on Earth.
They are always seeking ways to devour the people of God,
and
One of the strategies of the devil is to overtake and employ human empires for the eradication of believers.
Satan leverages human sinfulness
and the accumulation of power and authority
to war against God’s people.
John very much felt the weight of this from his exile on the island of Patmos.
The Christians to whom he was writing very much felt the weight of this as they endured persecution
We should not be surprised when the power structures of our world
are deeply influenced by the schemes of the dragon
more than they are influenced by the Word of God.
We should not be surprised that the realms of extreme wealth, and influence, and fame and authority and power are also the realms of sinful and demonic influence.
We should not be surprised when the entertainment industry, and music industry, and even government itself are forces for blasphemy against God. l
We should not put our hope in any kingdom power
or human authority on Earth on this side of heaven…,
Every human kingdom before us has turned out to be rather beastly,
and every human kingdom before us has eventually self-destructed.
human kingdoms are failing kingdoms in the long run…,
but in the moment when we are immersed in them.., they may feel unconquerable.
Not only had the believers in Rome felt the weight of persecution…,
they had felt the roller coaster of false hope and misplaced excitement even in their own history.., when the emperor Nero, responsible for so much suffering, actually committed suicide…
For a moment the Christian community thought that their would be relief from the blasphemous emperor worship and mass persecutions of the saints…,
but it wasn’t long before Nero was replaced by Dometian who simply continued the tyranny.
Dometian was sometimes referred to as “Nero resurrected” because he simply carried on the wicked and oppressive ways of ruling…,
I think thats at least an example of the meaning behind what follows in verse 3.
3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
#2 Beastly Empires Appear Unconquerable
#2 Beastly Empires Appear Unconquerable
The beast appears to come back again even after being mortally wounded.
This is a mockery of the resurrection..,
The beast appears as though it cannot be killed,
it appears as though it cannot be conquered,
just as Roman rule and cruelty could not be undone even when its emperor died,
beastly empires are always dying out,
but are always being quickly replaced.
The race in Venezuela right now is to try to prevent one evil dictator from simply replacing another.
The power and apparent eternality of the evil beastly presence in the world actuallydraws the people to marvel over it
and to even follow it
The beast tempts God’s people to turn to the beast and to the ways of the beast For their own safety and for their own comfort .
Such a seemingly unbeatable force in the world demands people’s allegiance And even their worship.
4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
#3 Beastly Empires Demand Our Worship
#3 Beastly Empires Demand Our Worship
In Ancient Rome, emperor worship was expected from all Roman citizens.…
but in this vision,
John understands that to worship the beast was to worship the dragon himself.
To worship any earthly empire,
would be to worship Satan.
Satan is pleased when God’s image bearers worship anything other than the true God.
Worshipping any man,
any government,
any object,
is a sweet smelling aroma to the dragon and the enemy of our soles…,
The world worships the beast, saying of the beast what should be said only of God…,
This is what the Israelites sang after walking through the Red Sea and witnessing God’s dominion over the Egyptian empire.
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
But this is what the people of the world sing about the beastly empires of our world:
“Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
The people of the world stand in awe of the power and resiliency of these beastly human empires.…
so they give their allegiance to them
The people of the world live as if the man-made, Satan-empowered governments
and corporations
and organizations
and societal systems
can be their god.
Beware Christian of putting your hope and your trust in any system or authority structure.
Do not put your hope in the United States of America,
Do not put your hope in Google and Apple and Amazon and the S&P 500…,
for they may turn out to be beastly authorities in your life that demand your allegiance and your worship.
It’s no surprise then that the beast who allures people into idolatry,
also blasphemes against the one true God with his words and actions,
The beast’s work is not neutral,
it is hostile to the purposes and people of God.
Look with be at verses 5-7
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,
#4 Beastly Empires War Against God’s Kingdom
#4 Beastly Empires War Against God’s Kingdom
Notice that the beast proclaims haughty or prideful words
he speaks blasphemous words.
In other words,
the human kingdoms of this world follow this pattern:
They exalt themselves
and they belittle God.
They seek self-glory,
and they rob God of his glory.
the evil kingdoms of man don’t stop with speech
however,
they follow through with action as well.
We know this from earlier in the book of Revelation…,
The churches were suffering at the hands of the kingdom of men.
They were under the oppression of the beast’s warfare against them.
This is the way of the kingdom of man.
It was the way of 20th century
Germany and the Soviet Union,
it is the reality of many places today in the Middle East, and Africa, and Asia.
Notice that the beast is described again with the language that Christ has been described as.
This imposter exercises authority over every tribe, and every people, and every language, and every nation.
There is not kingdom untouched by the blasphemy of this beast.
And in every place what begins as blasphemous ideologies,
What begins as a kingdom of exalting self,
and belittling god,
turns into physical persecution,
and oppression of any person
who exalts Christ.
The beast‘s warfare continues to rage for forty-two months…
we should recognize that number by now,
42 months = 3 1/2 years
that is half of 7 the number of completion,
This is the symbolic number of the age of tribulation and suffering that we Christians endure until Jesus returns.
This is our reality whether we are aware of it or not.
We live in an age of beastly empires:
Empowered and Employed by the Dragon
Appearing Unconquerable
Demanding Our Worship
Waring Against God’s Kingdom
but what about us?
What about the saints?
What about the set apart ones?
What about those who believe in the Lord Jesus?
How then shall we live if this is the world we live in?
We have seen four truths about the kingdom of man…,
now lets conclude by quickly looking at three truths that describe the Saints who live there.
Three Truths About the Saints:
#1 The Saints Refuse to Worship Beastly Empires
#1 The Saints Refuse to Worship Beastly Empires
The primary distinction between the saints, those who are set apart by God by their faith,
is that the saints refuse to worship what the rest of the world worships.
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
As far as Revelation 13 is concerned…,
There are two types of people in the world…,
There are those who worship the beastly empires of the world…,
and there are those who worship the one true God.
Jesus articulates a similar dichotomy.
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
The beastly empires of the world clamor for your allegiance…,
they promise your safety
they promise your comfort
they promise your happiness…,
but they lie.,
to be a Christian is to follow Jesus alone as Lord, as savior, as protector, as deliverer of our lives.
Christians are worshippers.
We believe in the unsurpassed, unconquerable, eternal glory of the one true God…,
and we will not bow our knee to another…
we will not find our refuge in any human authority or power structure..,
we are set apart from this world system.…,
And we have been so by a God who eternally stands above any beast which emerges from the sea.
Notice where John grounds this commitment of the saints not to worship the beast.
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
#2 The Saints Were Set Apart Before the Foundation of the World
#2 The Saints Were Set Apart Before the Foundation of the World
This truth has more to say about God than it does us….,
but it directly impacts us…,
Before there was a beast….,
before there was you and me…,
before there was a created world…,
there was the one true God….,
In this book, God has described himself over and over again in this way.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Before the world was created,
Christ Jesus eternally existed…,
and before he laid the foundation of the world…,
he determined that he would save for himself a people who would not bow the knee to any other god.
He wrote down their names in the book of life…
This book will appear several more times in Revelation as the list of the names of those who are eternally secure in the saving affects of Christ Jesus.
This book of life is made possible by the lamb who was slain…,
What hope do we have Christians for resisting the temptations and the tribulations of beastly empires?
What hope do we have that we will not give ourselves to worshipping idols and imposters?
God set us apart from before the foundation of the world to believe In Jesus and to worship him alone.…,
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
The beast doesn’t have that kind of sovereignty.
The beast is not eternal.
The beast is not all powerful.
He cannot bring to pass anything that he pre-determines…
In fact, even the raging warfare of the beast is on a leash held by the hand of our sovereign God.
Notice the language of verse 7.
6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,
Even the beastly empires of the world,
the Babylonians, Persia, Greece, Rome
they all are restrained by the hand of God for his purposes.
They can only go as far as they are allowed.…,
they serve a purpose...
the believers of the first century needed to remember this…., that although they are secure in the lamb’s book of life….,
they still must endure and persevere through the tribulations that God is sovereignly working through to accomplish his purposes.
Verse 9, transitions to close this section by calling the believers to attention:
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
#3 The Saints Will Endure Until the End
#3 The Saints Will Endure Until the End
Verse 10 is a quotatIon which combines the wording of a couple verses in Jeremiah.
And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“ ‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,
and those who are for the sword, to the sword;
those who are for famine, to famine,
and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’
The point of that Jeremiah verse was to communicate God’s sovereignty over the judgment executed by the empire Babylon.
God was using Babylon to accomplish his purposes.…
God was both bringing judgment upon the sin of Israel, and he was being glorified through the endurance of the faithful remnant of Israel.
Whatever the case may be for us…,
we know that in this world we will have tribulation…,
we will suffer the corruption of our world order,
worshipping the one true God will call for us to make sacrifices and to sometimes endure hardships
But we have this guarantee…,
nothing happens outside of God’s sovereign control and care for us…,
and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ which set us apart before the foundation of the world.
Our future is as secure as Christ’s determination before the world began.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So why was Revelation 13 written?
Why this vision of beastly empires raging against God’s people And God’s purposes?!
It serves us as just one more means that God uses to help us endure our sufferings until the end…
It helps us to interpret the times,
and the nature of this age we live in.
It calls for us to endure through the difficulties because our names are written…,
and the tribulation of this life is short lived…
its only 42 months,
only 3 1/2 years,
only a limited time that will come to an abrupt end, when the true Christ, the true conquer comes to establish his eternal kingdom finally and forever.
On that day we will behold our God forevermore As the true and better creator, savior, and ruler.
10 ….. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
Lets Pray
