The Counterfeit Kingdom
Notes
Transcript
THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM
THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM
REVELATION 13:1–18
REVELATION 13:1–18
BIG IDEA
BIG IDEA
Satan offers a counterfeit kingdom, but followers of Jesus remain faithful to the true King.
BOTTOM LINE
BOTTOM LINE
Know the real King so well that you can recognize the counterfeit.
ANCHOR PHRASE
ANCHOR PHRASE
RECOGNIZE THE COUNTERFEIT.
INTRODUCTION: CAN YOU SPOT THE FAKE?
INTRODUCTION: CAN YOU SPOT THE FAKE?
For almost 2,000 years, Christians have been trying to answer one question:
Who is the Antichrist?
And everybody has had a guess.
Nero.
Napoleon.
Hitler.
Stalin.
Mussolini.
Different popes.
Different presidents.
Different world leaders.
Every generation seems to find somebody they don't like and say:
"That's him."
And now we have TikTok.
So apparently, every man with political power, an unusual birthmark, and a last name somebody can somehow make equal to 666 is the Antichrist.
But I think sometimes we come to Revelation 13 asking the wrong question.
We ask:
"Can I identify the Antichrist?"
But I think John is asking something much more important:
"Can you recognize a counterfeit?"
Because the danger of a counterfeit is not that you don't know the name of the person who made it.
The danger is that… You think it is real.
ILLUSTRATION: COUNTERFEIT MONEY
ILLUSTRATION: COUNTERFEIT MONEY
Think about counterfeit money.
A bad counterfeit isn't dangerous.
If I hand you a green piece of printer paper with Benjamin Franklin drawn on it in crayon...
You're probably not getting fooled.
You're going to look at me and say:
"Pastor, this is not $100."
The dangerous counterfeit is the one that looks real.
It feels real.
The color looks right.
The face looks right.
The numbers look right.
Everything looks close enough that if you aren't paying attention...
You accept something fake as if it were real.
And Revelation 13 is a chapter about counterfeits.
Because one of the biggest mistakes we make is assuming Satan always looks evil.
We imagine red horns.
A pitchfork.
Scary music.
Smoke coming out of the ground.
But Satan's greatest weapon has never simply been evil.
It has been imitation.
Go all the way back to Genesis 3.
Satan doesn't walk into the garden and say:
"God doesn't exist."
He says:
"Did God really say...?"
He takes truth.
Twists it.
Bends it.
Changes just enough.
And offers humanity a counterfeit.
Because here is something I want you to remember tonight:
SATAN CANNOT CREATE. HE CAN ONLY COUNTERFEIT.
He cannot create a kingdom.
So he counterfeits God's Kingdom.
He cannot create a king.
So he counterfeits God's King.
He cannot create resurrection.
So he counterfeits resurrection.
He cannot create truth.
So he twists truth.
He cannot create worship.
So he steals worship.
And Revelation 13 shows us Satan's greatest counterfeit kingdom.
So tonight, I don't primarily want to help you identify the Antichrist.
I want to help you...
RECOGNIZE THE COUNTERFEIT.
RECOGNIZE THE COUNTERFEIT.
CONTEXT: REVELATION 12 TO REVELATION 13
CONTEXT: REVELATION 12 TO REVELATION 13
Remember where we left off.
Revelation 12 introduced us to the dragon.
And Revelation 12 told us exactly who the dragon is.
Satan.
The ancient serpent.
The Devil.
The accuser.
And everything Satan tried in Revelation 12 failed.
He tried to destroy the child.
He failed.
He fought in heaven.
He failed.
He was thrown down.
He tried to destroy the woman.
He failed.
And Revelation 12:12 told us:
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
Satan knows he has lost.
But a defeated enemy can still be a dangerous enemy.
Revelation 12 shows us Satan's rage.
Revelation 13 shows us Satan's strategy.
And John says:
"The dragon stood on the shore of the sea."
And then...
A beast rises.
1. THE COUNTERFEIT KING REVELATION 13:1–10
1. THE COUNTERFEIT KING REVELATION 13:1–10
SATAN STEALS WORSHIP THROUGH POWER.
THE BEAST RECEIVES SATAN'S AUTHORITY VV. 1–2
THE BEAST RECEIVES SATAN'S AUTHORITY VV. 1–2
The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
John says:
"And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names."
Immediately, if you have read the book of Daniel, this should sound familiar.
Daniel 7 gives us a vision of four beasts.
A lion.
A bear.
A leopard.
And then a fourth terrifying beast.
Those beasts represented kingdoms.
Empires.
Babylon.
Medo-Persia.
Greece.
Rome.
And now John looks at this beast and says:
"The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion."
John takes Daniel's beasts...
And combines them.
It's like John is saying:
Take the speed of the leopard.
Take the strength of the bear.
Take the ferocity of the lion.
Take every violent, God-defying empire humanity has ever seen.
And now imagine all of that evil concentrated together.
This beast represents a kingdom.
But it also represents a king.
A person.
The one we commonly call...
The Antichrist.
And notice the end of verse 2:
The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
Where does his authority come from?
The dragon.
Satan.
And this is where we begin seeing the counterfeit.
Throughout Scripture, God the Father gives authority to Jesus the Son.
But here...
The dragon gives authority to the beast.
And by the time Revelation 13 is finished, we see what theologians often call the counterfeit trinity.
The Trinity vs The Counterfeit Trinity
God the Father —> The Dragon
Satan (identified as the dragon in Revelation 12:9) counterfeits the Father’s authority. He acts as the "anti-God," seeking universal worship and attempting to take the place that belongs to God alone by establishing his own counterfeit kingdom through the beast from the sea.
God the Son —> The Beast
The Antichrist (the beast from the sea) counterfeits the Son’s reign. He imitates Christ’s authority by receiving power from the dragon, performing a counterfeit resurrection via a healed mortal wound, and demanding global worship.
God the Holy Spirit —> The False Prophet
The False Prophet (the beast from the earth) counterfeits the Spirit’s role. Just as the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, the False Prophet performs deceptive signs and miracles to compel humanity to worship the Antichrist.
THE FATHER GLORIFIES THE SON.
THE HOLY SPIRIT POINTS PEOPLE TO THE SON.
But in Satan's counterfeit kingdom...
THE DRAGON GIVES AUTHORITY TO THE BEAST.
THE FALSE PROPHET POINTS PEOPLE TO THE BEAST.
Satan takes the pattern of God...
Twists it...
Corrupts it...
And counterfeits it.
Why?
Because...
SATAN CANNOT CREATE. HE CAN ONLY COUNTERFEIT.
And Satan is still offering counterfeits.
God gives us love.
Satan offers lust.
God gives us intimacy.
Satan offers pornography.
God gives us covenant.
Satan offers sex without commitment.
God gives us identity.
Satan says:
"Create your own."
God gives us community.
Satan offers followers.
God gives us purpose.
Satan offers success.
God gives us Jesus.
Satan offers a version of Jesus who never confronts you, never corrects you, never calls you to repent, and never asks you to surrender anything.
The counterfeit can look close.
But close is not the same as real.
RECOGNIZE THE COUNTERFEIT.
THE BEAST COUNTERFEITS RESURRECTION AND RECEIVES WORSHIP VV. 3–4
THE BEAST COUNTERFEITS RESURRECTION AND RECEIVES WORSHIP VV. 3–4
REV 13:3a
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.
There is debate about exactly what happens here.
Some believe John is describing the revival of a fallen empire.
Some believe the Antichrist literally dies.
Some believe Satan stages some type of counterfeit resurrection.
Some connect this to an ancient belief that the Roman emperor Nero would return from the dead.
I can give you every view.
But here is my answer:
I don't know exactly how this happens.
And I am okay telling you that.
But I do know why John describes it this way.
Go back to Revelation 5.
John saw a Lamb...
"Looking as if it had been slain."
Jesus was killed.
Jesus was buried.
Jesus rose from the dead.
Now Revelation 13 introduces another figure.
He appears fatally wounded.
And then he appears alive.
Do you see the counterfeit?
SATAN COUNTERFEITS THE RESURRECTION BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE EMPTY TOMB CHANGED EVERYTHING.
The resurrection declares that Jesus is King.
The resurrection declares that sin has been defeated.
The resurrection declares that death has lost.
The resurrection declares that Satan has failed.
So Satan counterfeits it.
And look at the response.
rev 13:3b
The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
Then verse 4:
People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
"People worshiped the dragon... and they also worshiped the beast."
Notice the progression.
AMAZED.
FOLLOWED.
WORSHIPED.
WHAT CAPTURES YOUR ATTENTION CAN EVENTUALLY CLAIM YOUR ALLEGIANCE.
We understand following better than almost any generation in history.
You literally follow people every day.
Instagram.
TikTok.
YouTube.
X.
Podcasts.
You click a button that says:
FOLLOW.
And then something happens.
What you follow changes what you see.
What you see shapes how you think.
And how you think shapes how you live.
Some of you spend 45 minutes a week listening to a pastor...
And 25 hours a week listening to an algorithm.
And then we wonder why Scripture feels strange and culture feels normal.
So let me ask you:
WHO IS TEACHING YOU HOW TO SEE THE WORLD?
Who teaches you what relationships should look like?
Who teaches you what sex should look like?
Who teaches you what success should look like?
Who teaches you what Christianity should look like?
Because what you follow is forming you.
RECOGNIZE THE COUNTERFEIT.
THE BEAST'S POWER IS LIMITED, BUT THE SAINTS MUST ENDURE VV. 5–10
THE BEAST'S POWER IS LIMITED, BUT THE SAINTS MUST ENDURE VV. 5–10
Verses 5–8 get dark.
The beast blasphemes God.
He speaks arrogantly; look at verses 5-6
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
Notice what the beast does with the authority he receives.
He blasphemes God.
He attacks God's name.
He attacks God's dwelling.
He attacks God's people.
This is Satan's ancient rebellion reaching its climax.
Isaiah 14:14 records Satan's desire:
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
"I will make myself like the Most High."
The Antichrist becomes Satan's mouthpiece.
He does not simply reject God.
He wants to replace God.
And then verse 7 says he wages war against God's people.
It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
Meaning the anti-Christ:
Wages war against God's people.
Receives authority over:
"Every tribe, people, language and nation."
Verse 8 says:
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast..."
He looks unstoppable.
But I want you to notice the language.
Verse 5:
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.
"The beast was given..."
Verse 7:
It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
"It was given power..."
Again and again:
"Was given."
"Was permitted."
The beast does not possess independent sovereignty.
Satan does not surprise God.
The Antichrist does not rise to power and heaven says:
"Oh no. We didn't see that coming."
The beast is powerful.
But he is still limited.
Verse 5 says he exercises authority for...
Forty-two months.
Not forty-three.
Not fifty.
Not forever.
Forty-two.
the last three and a half years or 1,260 days of the Tribulation, the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy; Dan. 9:24
Antichrist and Satan will be allowed to operate only within the time limit set for them by the true Ruler of the universe. But for a few years, they will dominate the world.
THE ENEMY MAY HAVE PERMISSION, BUT HE NEVER HAS SOVEREIGNTY.
Or let me say it another way:
HELL HAS A DEADLINE.
Evil is real.
The persecution is real.
The suffering is real.
Revelation does not ask you to pretend darkness isn't dark.
But the dragon has boundaries.
The beast has boundaries.
Hell has boundaries.
And Jesus has no expiration date.
Then John interrupts the vision.
Verse 9:
Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Pay attention.
Verse 10:
“If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people."
Notice what John does not say.
"This calls for figuring out who the Antichrist is."
No.
"This calls for calculating 666."
No.
"This calls for watching seventeen hours of conspiracy videos."
No.
John says:
ENDURE.
REMAIN FAITHFUL.
Biblical prophecy should make you watchful.
Not weird.
Because verse 7 says the beast is permitted to wage war against the saints...
And conquer them.
Wait.
I thought Christians win?
They do.
Remember Revelation 12:11:
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."
The beast kills them.
And Jesus says:
They won.
The world says:
"If they kill you, you lost."
Jesus says:
"If you remained faithful to Me, you won."
THE BEAST CAN CONQUER THEIR BODIES WITHOUT CONQUERING THEIR FAITH.
In Revelation… Dying faithful is not defeat.
Maybe Satan cannot threaten your life tonight.
But maybe he is threatening your comfort.
Your relationship.
Your reputation.
Your career.
Your friendships.
The question is still:
WILL YOU REMAIN FAITHFUL?
Recognize the counterfeit.
Remain faithful to the King.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
But Satan does not only use power.
Because sometimes the most dangerous enemy is not the one who looks like a beast.
Sometimes… The most dangerous enemy looks like a lamb.
2. THE COUNTERFEIT PROPHET REVELATION 13:11–15
2. THE COUNTERFEIT PROPHET REVELATION 13:11–15
SATAN STEALS WORSHIP THROUGH DECEPTION.
HE LOOKS LIKE A LAMB BUT SPEAKS LIKE A DRAGON V. 11
HE LOOKS LIKE A LAMB BUT SPEAKS LIKE A DRAGON V. 11
Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.
John sees another beast.
The Greek word John uses is allos—another of the same kind.
Some have interpreted this second beast as an institution, a government, or an ideology.
But John appears to be describing another person.
And later, Revelation 19:20 identifies him for us:
"The beast was captured, and with it the false prophet..."
So this second beast is the one Revelation later calls...
The False Prophet.
But notice the difference between the two beasts.
The first beast is grotesque.
Ten horns.
Seven heads.
Blasphemous names.
He looks terrifying.
But the second beast?
Two horns.
Like a lamb.
The Antichrist conquers through power.
The False Prophet deceives through persuasion.
One looks terrifying.
The other looks trustworthy.
But John says when the lamb-like beast opens his mouth...
He speaks like a dragon.
He may look gentle.
He may sound persuasive.
He may promise hope.
But the voice behind him is Satan.
And that is what makes him so dangerous.
Throughout Revelation, John repeatedly uses the word Lamb.
And almost every time… Who is the Lamb?
Jesus.
But not here.
This thing looks like a lamb.
It looks safe.
It looks gentle.
It looks spiritual.
It looks close.
But when it opens its mouth...
You hear Satan.
THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTERFEIT IS THE ONE THAT LOOKS ALMOST REAL.
Go back to counterfeit money.
Nobody gets fooled by the obvious fake.
The dangerous fake is the one that passes a quick glance.
And some of Satan's most dangerous lies sound almost Christian.
"God just wants you to be happy."
Almost sounds Christian.
"Follow your heart."
Sounds encouraging.
"Live your truth."
Sounds freeing.
"Jesus would never judge anybody."
Sounds loving.
"As long as you're a good person, God understands."
Sounds spiritual.
But the question is not:
Does it sound nice?
The question is:
Is it true?
SATAN DOES NOT ALWAYS ATTACK TRUTH BY LOOKING EVIL. SOMETIMES HE ATTACKS TRUTH BY LOOKING ALMOST TRUE.
Jesus said in John 10:
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
The False Prophet looks like a lamb.
But he does not have the Shepherd's voice.
And this is why you have to know Scripture.
I'm not telling you TikTok is evil.
I use social media.
I'm not telling you podcasts are evil.
I listen to podcasts.
But if your entire theology comes from sixty-second videos made by people you have never met...
We have a problem.
Anybody can hold a Bible.
Anybody can put worship music underneath a video.
Anybody can say:
"God told me..."
Anybody can call themselves:
"Prophet."
Anybody can sound spiritual.
But what are they saying?
Does it agree with Scripture?
Does it point you toward Jesus?
Does it call sin what God calls sin?
Does it glorify Christ?
KNOW THE REAL KING SO WELL THAT WHEN THE COUNTERFEIT SPEAKS, YOU RECOGNIZE THE VOICE.
HE USES SIGNS TO DECEIVE VV. 12–14
HE USES SIGNS TO DECEIVE VV. 12–14
John defines the people who will be deceived as those who dwell on the earth, a technical phrase used throughout Revelation to refer to unbelievers, as we see in verse 12.
It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
The False Prophet performs incredible signs, as we see in Revelation 13:13:
And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.
And Scripture repeatedly warns us that supernatural power is not always proof of God's approval.
Pharaoh's magicians imitated some of the signs performed through Moses.
Simon amazed people in Samaria with his magic.
And 2 Thessalonians 2 warns of satanic signs and wonders used to deceive.
Revelation 13 is the climax of that deception.
The False Prophet performs incredible miracles.
John even says he calls fire down from heaven.
And the language John uses is interesting.
The Greek word poieō is in the present tense, suggesting that this may not be a one-time event.
The False Prophet repeatedly performs this sign in front of people.
Why?
To impress them.
To deceive them.
To convince them that the beast deserves their worship.
And that immediately reminds us of Elijah on Mount Carmel.
In 1 Kings 18, Israel had been suffering through a drought for three and a half years.
Elijah stands against 450 prophets of Baal and challenges them to a contest.
The question is simple:
WHO IS REALLY GOD?
The prophets of Baal cry out.
They shout.
They perform their rituals.
And nothing happens.
Then Elijah repairs the altar.
He takes twelve stones.
He prepares the sacrifice.
And then he does something strange.
He pours water over it.
And then more water.
And then more water.
The sacrifice is soaked.
The wood is soaked.
Water is filling the trench around the altar.
Elijah is removing every possibility that someone could say:
"That was a trick."
And then Elijah prays.
And fire falls from heaven.
The fire consumes the sacrifice.
The wood.
The stones.
Even the water.
And when the people see it, they fall on their faces and cry (1 Kings 18:39):
"THE LORD—HE IS GOD! THE LORD—HE IS GOD!"
But here's the difference.
Elijah's miracle pointed people to God.
The False Prophet's miracles point people to the beast.
THAT'S WHY MIRACLES ALONE NEVER PROVE TRUTH.
Direction matters.
Every miracle must ultimately point us to Jesus.
Verse 14 says...
Verse 14 says:
Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
"Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth."
Listen carefully:
POWER DOES NOT PROVE TRUTH.
"But Pastor , it gave me chills."
Okay.
"I felt peace."
Okay.
"It was the craziest experience of my life."
Okay.
"It changed me."
Okay.
Is it true?
Because an experience can be real… while your interpretation of the experience is wrong.
Not everything supernatural is from God.
Not everything powerful is from God.
Not everything impressive is from God.
Not everything popular is from God.
Not everything that works is from God.
Truth is not determined by how something makes you feel.
Truth is determined by God.
ILLUSTRATION: DEEPFAKES
ILLUSTRATION: DEEPFAKES
We are living in the first generation where the phrase:
"I'll believe it when I see it"
Doesn't really work anymore.
You can see a video...
And it may not be real.
You can hear someone's voice...
And it may not be their voice.
You can see a picture...
And it may never have happened.
For most of human history, seeing was believing.
Now?
You can see it and still need discernment.
Revelation 13 says:
The world sees.
The world is amazed.
The world believes.
The world worships.
Christian discernment has to ask more than:
"Did I experience it?"
We ask:
"DOES THIS AGREE WITH THE TRUTH OF GOD?"
Recognize the counterfeit.
DECEPTION EVENTUALLY DEMANDS WORSHIP V. 15
DECEPTION EVENTUALLY DEMANDS WORSHIP V. 15
The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
Verse 15 says the False Prophet gives breath to the image of the beast.
The image speaks.
And anyone who refuses to worship the image is killed.
Do you see where the lie went?
It started with wonder.
Then deception.
Then worship.
Then death.
Because Satan's lies are never harmless.
EVERY COUNTERFEIT EVENTUALLY ASKS YOU TO GIVE IT SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO GOD.
Your identity.
Your obedience.
Your sexuality.
Your loyalty.
Your money.
Your future.
Your worship.
And by verse 16...
The counterfeit kingdom stops asking.
It starts demanding.
3. THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM REVELATION 13:16–18
3. THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM REVELATION 13:16–18
SATAN DEMANDS WORSHIP THROUGH PRESSURE.
THE MARK IDENTIFIES ALLEGIANCE V. 16
THE MARK IDENTIFIES ALLEGIANCE V. 16
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,
The Greek word translated mark is charagma; from charassō, “I engrave”
Is the term for images or names of the emperor on Roman coins. In the ancient world, such marks (tattoos or brands) were commonly given to slaves, soldiers, and devotees of religious cults (cf. Gal. 6:17).
God sealed, with a mark on the forehead, the 144,000 to preserve them from His wrath against the unbelieving world (7:2–3); the false prophet marks the unsaved to preserve them from Antichrist’s wrath against God’s people.
The 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. Those who refused, like those who refuse to take the Antichrist’s mark, were subject to execution.
A stamp.
A brand.
An engraving.
A sign of ownership.
And Revelation has already shown us something similar.
Remember Revelation 7?
God seals His people.
And in Revelation 14,
We will see the Lamb's followers with the name of the Lamb and the Father written on their foreheads.
So what does Satan do?
He counterfeits.
God seals His people.
The beast marks his people.
Because the mark is ultimately about one question:
WHO DO YOU BELONG TO?
Now let me answer the question everybody wants answered.
Is the mark a microchip?
Maybe.
Is it digital currency?
Maybe.
Is it some biometric system?
Maybe.
Is it technology we haven't invented yet?
Maybe.
I don't know.
But I know this:
THE MARK IS NOT PRIMARILY ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. IT IS ABOUT ALLEGIANCE.
Revelation connects the mark to worship.
This is not somebody accidentally taking the mark.
You're not going to stand before Jesus one day and say:
"Jesus, I'm so sorry. I used Apple Pay at Target and apparently that was it."
No.
This is conscious allegiance to the beast.
This is a declaration:
I BELONG TO THIS KINGDOM.
And maybe the question tonight is not:
"Will I take the mark someday?"
Maybe the more immediate question is:
"WHAT DOES MY LIFE SAY I BELONG TO TODAY?"
Recognize the counterfeit.
THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM USES PRESSURE TO PRODUCE COMPROMISE V. 17
THE COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM USES PRESSURE TO PRODUCE COMPROMISE V. 17
so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
No mark.
No buying.
No selling.
No commerce.
No economic participation.
This is pressure.
The message is:
COMPROMISE OR SUFFER.
And most of us have never been threatened with death because we follow Jesus.
But you understand pressure.
What happens when following Jesus costs you a relationship?
What happens when biblical sexual ethics cost you the person you want?
What happens when telling the truth costsyou a promotion?
What happens when standing on Scripture makes your friends think you're weird?
What happens when your family doesn't understand?
What happens when obedience costs money?
What happens when faithfulness makes life harder?
Everybody wants to be faithful...
Until faithfulness becomes expensive.
And Revelation 13 says:
"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness."
Listen:
YOU DO NOT SUDDENLY BECOME FAITHFUL UNDER PRESSURE. PRESSURE REVEALS THE FAITHFULNESS YOU HAVE BEEN BUILDING.
ILLUSTRATION: THE SPONGES
ILLUSTRATION: THE SPONGES
I want you to imagine these two sponges represent two Christians.
[HOLD UP DRY SPONGE]
This person says:
"If persecution ever comes, I'll stand for Jesus."
"If somebody ever threatens me because I'm a Christian..."
"I'll stand."
"If following Jesus ever becomes illegal..."
"I'll be faithful."
Okay.
But they never open their Bible.
They don't pray.
They constantly compromise.
They only follow Jesus when it's convenient.
And then...
Pressure comes.
[SQUEEZE THE DRY SPONGE OVER THE BOWL]
What comes out?
Nothing.
Why?
Because there was nothing inside.
The pressure didn't create the emptiness.
THE PRESSURE REVEALED IT.
But then you have this person.
[HOLD UP SECOND SPONGE]
They're in the Word.
[DIP SPONGE IN WATER]
They're praying.
[DIP SPONGE AGAIN]
They're choosing obedience when nobody is watching.
They're learning Scripture.
They're surrounding themselves with other believers.
They're saying no to temptation.
They're following Jesus when it costs them something small.
Day...
After day...
After day...
They are soaking themselves in the truth of God.
[HOLD UP SATURATED SPONGE]
And then… Pressure comes.
[SQUEEZE THE SATURATED SPONGE OVER THE BOWL]
Look what comes out.
The pressure didn't create what was inside this sponge.
THE PRESSURE REVEALED WHAT WAS ALREADY INSIDE.
And look at how much comes out.
There is so much inside that it begins spilling out.
It affects the people around them.
When life gets hard...
They have Scripture to hold onto.
When somebody else is hurting...
They have truth to share.
When fear comes...
They remember the promises of God.
When temptation comes...
They remember what God has said.
Why?
Because they have been soaking themselves in the Word of God.
[HOLD UP DRY SPONGE AGAIN]
But listen to me:
YOU CANNOT SQUEEZE OUT WHAT YOU NEVER SOAKED IN.
Some of us keep saying:
"If persecution ever comes, I'll stand for Jesus."
Maybe.
But are you standing for Jesus now?
If you compromise because someone might unfollow you...
Why are you convinced you'll be faithful when someone threatens your life?
If you abandon biblical conviction to keep a relationship...
Why are you convinced you'll stand when you cannot buy food?
You prepare for future persecution through present obedience.
Tell the truth now.
Choose purity now.
Open your Bible now.
Pray now.
Stand on Scripture now.
Follow Jesus now.
Because pressure reveals what you have been building.
RECOGNIZE THE COUNTERFEIT. REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE KING.
666 REVEALS THE COUNTERFEIT IS STILL ONLY HUMAN V. 18
666 REVEALS THE COUNTERFEIT IS STILL ONLY HUMAN V. 18
And then we get to the verse everybody has been waiting for.
This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
The exclamation here is wisdom is a warning to those alive at that time to be wise and discerning.
They will need to recognize what is happening and understand the significance of the number connected with Antichrist’s name. Those with understanding will be able to calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. Perhaps no detail in Revelation has intrigued people more than this number. There has been no end to the speculation as to its significance and how to calculate it.
In Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, letters had numerical equivalents, and a myriad of schemes to associate the names of historical individuals with the number 666 have been put forth. Nero, Caligula, Domitian, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and a host of others have been proposed, based on some sort of convoluted mathematical rendering of the letters in their name.
All such speculation is futile; since the Antichrist is still to come, the number 666 cannot be associated with any historical individual. The church father Irenaeus cautioned against speculating about the identity of the person associated with the number 666 until that person arrives on the scene (Alan F. Johnson, Revelation, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996], 137).
Christians have spent two thousand years trying to make everybody they don't like equal 666.
There is a legitimate historical possibility involving Nero Caesar.
If you transliterate his name into Hebrew and calculate the numerical value of the letters...
You can arrive at 666.
Others point out that seven throughout Scripture represents completion.
(While) Six falls short.
Six.
Six.
Six.
The fullness of human incompleteness.
The precise significance of the number 666 awaits the future time of the Antichrist, but it is noteworthy that the number is that of a man.
Seven, the number of perfection, is God’s number.
Since man falls short of perfection, his number is six.
Man was created on the sixth day (Gen. 1:26–31);
slaves were freed after six years of service (Ex. 21:2);
fields were to be sown for only six consecutive years (Lev. 25:3).
Repeating the number three times emphasizes that this is man’s number, just as the thrice-repeated statement “holy, holy, holy” stresses God’s absolute holiness (4:8; Isa. 6:3).
And some believe the precise calculation will only become clear when the final Antichrist arrives.
My answer?
There is probably more happening here than any one explanation captures.
But notice what John says:
"THIS CALLS FOR WISDOM."
And sometimes Christians have responded to 666 with anything but wisdom.
We obsess.
We calculate.
We make charts.
We name politicians.
We name celebrities.
We find somebody whose middle name has six letters and suddenly we're making a three-hour YouTube documentary.
John says:
Use wisdom.
Biblical prophecy should make you watchful.
Not weird.
And whatever else 666 means...
John explicitly says:
"It is the number of a man."
The beast wants to be God.
The beast is worshiped like God.
The beast speaks against God.
The beast counterfeits God.
But at the end of Revelation 13...
He is still only a man.
IMPRESSIVE BUT INCOMPLETE.
POWERFUL BUT FALLEN.
WORSHIPED LIKE GOD BUT STILL NOT GOD.
The counterfeit always falls short of the original.
CONCLUSION: WHY SETTLE FOR THE COUNTERFEIT?
CONCLUSION: WHY SETTLE FOR THE COUNTERFEIT?
Go back to counterfeit money.
Do you know why people counterfeit $100 bills?
Because $100 bills have value.
Nobody counterfeits Monopoly money.
Nobody is sitting in their basement tonight trying to make the perfect fake three-dollar bill.
You counterfeit something because the original is valuable.
And Revelation 13 is filled with counterfeits.
A counterfeit trinity.
A counterfeit king.
A counterfeit resurrection.
A counterfeit lamb.
A counterfeit prophet.
Counterfeit miracles.
Counterfeit worship.
A counterfeit seal.
A counterfeit kingdom.
And maybe...
The existence of the counterfeit should remind you how valuable the original is.
Because there is a real King.
His name is Jesus.
There is a real Lamb.
He was slain.
There is a real resurrection.
The tomb is empty.
There is a real Kingdom.
And it will never end.
There is a real book of life.
And the Lamb knows His people by name.
Look at the difference.
The beast appears slain.
Jesus was slain.
The beast appears to recover.
Jesus walked out of the grave.
The beast deceives people into worship.
Jesus deserves worship.
The beast marks people as property.
Jesus calls His people by name.
The beast rules for forty-two months.
Jesus reigns forever.
The beast kills those who refuse to worship him.
And Jesus...
Jesus died for the people who refused to worship Him.
Do you see the difference?
The beast says:
"WORSHIP ME OR I'LL KILL YOU."
Jesus says:
"YOU WERE DYING, SO I GAVE MY LIFE FOR YOU."
That is our King.
Jesus looked at sinners.
Rebels.
People who rejected Him.
People who mocked Him.
People who nailed Him to a cross.
And He did not say:
"Kill them."
He said:
"Father, forgive them."
He took our sin.
He carried our shame.
He died the death we deserved.
And three days later...
He walked out of the grave.
Not a counterfeit resurrection.
Not an illusion.
Not a staged miracle.
JESUS IS ALIVE.
And tonight, Revelation 13 asks you:
WHO DO YOU BELONG TO?
Because there is no neutral kingdom.
Maybe you've been following culture.
Maybe you've been following your desires.
Maybe you've been following approval.
Maybe you've been following success.
Maybe you've been following a counterfeit version of Jesus who lets you keep control of your life.
But Jesus is calling you:
"FOLLOW ME."
And for those of you who already know Jesus...
Revelation 13:10d
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people."
Stay faithful.
When obedience costs you...
Stay faithful.
When culture pressures you...
Stay faithful.
When the counterfeit looks convincing...
Stay faithful.
When you feel like you're losing...
Stay faithful.
Because in the Kingdom of God...
DYING FAITHFUL IS STILL WINNING.
Know the real King so well that you recognize the counterfeit.
Know the real King so well that you recognize the counterfeit.
And when the world says:
"Follow the beast..."
You keep your eyes on Jesus.
