30. THE FALSE PROPHET
Revelation Series 2026 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 12 viewsNotes
Transcript
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
For the last several weeks we have been walking through some of the darkest chapters in the book of Revelation.
We have seen the Dragon — Satan.
We have seen the Beast — the Antichrist.
And tonight John introduces us to a third individual:
The False Prophet.
There is something important we need to remember as we study Revelation:
Satan is not an originator. Satan is an imitator.
He cannot create what God creates, so he counterfeits it.
There is a Holy Trinity:
God the Father.
God the Son.
God the Holy Spirit.
But Revelation reveals an unholy trinity:
The Dragon — Satan.
The Beast — Antichrist.
The False Prophet.
The Father receives worship through the Son, and the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son.
Jesus said concerning the Holy Spirit:
“He shall glorify me…”
But Satan produces a counterfeit.
The Dragon empowers the Antichrist, and the False Prophet causes the world to worship the Antichrist.
The Holy Spirit points people to Jesus Christ.
The False Prophet will point people to Antichrist.
The Holy Spirit leads men into truth.
The False Prophet will lead men into deception.
The Holy Spirit glorifies the Lamb of God.
The False Prophet glorifies the Beast.
And that reminds us of something important tonight:
Not everything religious is righteous.
Not everything spiritual is from God.
Not every miracle proves that somebody is speaking for God.
Not everybody who looks like a lamb belongs to the Lamb.
Because Revelation 13 introduces us to a man who looks like a lamb but talks like a dragon.
I. HIS APPEARANCE
I. HIS APPEARANCE
Revelation 13:11 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”
Notice the word “another.”
The Greek word is allos, meaning another of the same kind.
John saw the first Beast in v1.
Now he sees another beast.
This is another individual empowered by the same satanic source.
Later Revelation clearly identifies this second beast as the False Prophet.
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him…”
But notice how different these two appear.
The first Beast is described with terrifying imagery.
He has seven heads and ten horns.
He resembles a leopard, a bear, and a lion.
He represents political power.
Military power.
Governmental power.
But this second beast comes differently.
John says:
“He had two horns like a lamb…”
He doesn't initially look frightening.
He looks harmless.
Gentle.
Peaceful.
Religious.
He looks like a lamb.
But then John says:
“…and he spake as a dragon.”
There is the deception.
His appearance says lamb.
His voice says dragon.
His outward appearance hides his inward allegiance.
Jesus warned us about this centuries earlier.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Notice that Jesus did not say the false prophet would come looking like a wolf.
If the wolf walked through the door looking like a wolf, everybody would run.
The danger is that the wolf comes wearing wool.
Paul said:
“… Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
Satan's greatest deceptions usually do not come wearing a sign saying:
“THIS IS FROM THE DEVIL.”
They look spiritual.
They sound religious.
They use religious vocabulary.
They talk about love.
They talk about unity.
They talk about peace.
They may even talk about God.
But the question is not merely:
How does it look?
The question is:
What does it say about Jesus Christ?
A preacher can be charismatic and wrong.
A church can be crowded and wrong.
A movement can be exciting and wrong.
Something can make you feel good and still be wrong.
We do not judge truth by personality.
We judge truth by the Word of God.
💡 If somebody handed you a counterfeit hundred-dollar bill, it would only fool you if it looked something like the real thing.
Nobody counterfeits a three-dollar bill because nobody would believe it.
The closer the counterfeit resembles the genuine article, the more dangerous it becomes.
And the greatest spiritual counterfeits do not look completely satanic.
They look almost Christian.
But almost Christian is not Christian.
The False Prophet looks like a lamb.
But when he opens his mouth—
the Dragon speaks.
II. HIS AUTHORITY
II. HIS AUTHORITY
Revelation 13:12 “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him…”
Where does his power come from?
Ultimately it comes from Satan.
Back in verse 2 we read:
“… and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”
The Dragon gives his authority to the Antichrist.
And the False Prophet exercises the authority of the Antichrist.
You can see the satanic chain of command.
The Dragon empowers the Beast.
The False Prophet promotes the Beast.
And notice what he does with that authority:
“…and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast…”
Here is his primary assignment.
He is not primarily a politician.
He is a religious leader.
The Antichrist controls the world's government.
The False Prophet controls the world's religion.
Together they produce a system in which political allegiance becomes religious worship.
The False Prophet's mission is simple:
Get the world to worship the Beast.
Satan has always wanted worship.
Remember Satan's temptation of Jesus?
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
That has always been his desire.
When Lucifer rebelled in Isaiah 14, he said:
“I will ascend…”
“I will exalt my throne…”
“I will be like the most High.”
Satan wants God's throne.
Satan wants God's glory.
Satan wants God's worship.
And during the Tribulation, for a brief period of time, the world will give him what he has always desired.
Through the Beast, Satan will receive the worship of mankind.
And the False Prophet will be the preacher of the Antichrist's religion.
Verse 12 says he causes them to worship:
“…the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”
Whatever the precise nature of this event, Revelation presents the world as astonished by the apparent recovery of the Beast.
Back in verse 3:
Revelation 13:3 — “…and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”
The False Prophet will use that event as evidence that the Beast deserves worship.
Then comes the fulfillment of Paul's warning:
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The Antichrist will not merely want to be admired.
He will demand to be worshipped.
And the False Prophet will tell the world:
“This is your god.”
Think about the contrast again.
The Holy Spirit says:
“Look to Jesus.”
The False Prophet says:
“Look to the Beast.”
John the Baptist looked at Jesus and said:
“… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The False Prophet will essentially say:
“Behold the Beast.”
And there are only two kinds of worship when you boil everything down.
There is worship directed toward the Creator—
and worship directed toward the creature.
Paul said:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
That is exactly where the Tribulation world ends up.
A world that rejected the true Christ will embrace a false christ.
A world that rejected God's Lamb will worship Satan's Beast.
III. HIS ASTONISHMENTS
III. HIS ASTONISHMENTS
Revelation 13:13–14 “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles…”
This man will not merely preach.
He will perform signs.
The word translated “wonders” carries the idea of miraculous signs.
And one particular miracle is emphasized:
“…he maketh fire come down from heaven…”
Anybody familiar with the Old Testament immediately thinks about Elijah.
On Mount Carmel, Elijah stood before the prophets of Baal.
He prepared the sacrifice.
He prayed.
And:
“Then the fire of the Lord fell…”
When God's fire fell, the people responded:
“… The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.”
Now watch Satan's counterfeit.
Elijah called down fire and men worshipped Jehovah.
The False Prophet calls down fire and men worship the Beast.
We have already seen something similar in Revelation 11 with the Two Witnesses.
God's witnesses demonstrate supernatural power.
Then Satan produces his counterfeit.
That is why we must understand this:
Miracles alone are not proof of truth.
That may surprise some people.
We tend to think:
“If something supernatural happened, it must be God.”
Not according to Scripture.
Moses warned Israel:.
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Why?
Because the message must agree with God's revealed truth.
Jesus warned:
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Paul said the coming of Antichrist would be:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
So never build your theology merely on an experience.
Never say:
“Well, I felt something.”
“Well, I saw something.”
“Well, something supernatural happened.”
The question is:
Does it agree with the Word of God?
John said:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God…”
Church, this is why we need biblical discernment.
We need to know this Book.
There is coming a day when people will see things with their own eyes that seem absolutely undeniable—
and still be completely deceived.
Revelation 13:14 tells us exactly what these miracles accomplish:
“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles …”
Notice the word: DECEIVETH.
The Devil's greatest weapon is not always destruction.
Sometimes his greatest weapon is deception.
He deceived Eve in Eden.
He deceives nations.
He deceives false religions.
And during the Tribulation he will deceive the world.
Jesus called Satan:
John 8:44 — “…a liar, and the father of it.”
Satan cannot give you God's truth.
So he gives you a convincing lie.
And a convincing lie is often more dangerous than an obvious lie.
The False Prophet will have enough religion to sound believable.
Enough supernatural power to appear credible.
Enough charisma to attract the world.
And enough satanic deception to lead multitudes to destruction.
IV. HIS AGENDA
IV. HIS AGENDA
Revelation 13:14–15 “14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
The False Prophet has one ultimate agenda:
Total worship of the Beast.
Verse 14 says:
“…saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast…”
The world will construct an image honoring the Antichrist.
Then verse 15 says something remarkable:
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast…”
The word translated “life” can carry the idea of breath or spirit.
John says this image will somehow be enabled to:
“…both speak…”
How exactly will that happen?
The Bible does not tell us.
And where the Bible is silent, we should be careful not to become dogmatic.
Could there be some satanic supernatural activity involved?
Certainly.
Could technology play some role?
Possibly.
We live in a world where artificial intelligence can imitate a human voice and image, but we should not read today's technology back into the text and claim that Scripture specifically predicts it.
What Revelation tells us is enough.
The image will speak.
The world will be commanded to worship it.
And refusal will mean death.
“…and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
Does that remind you of anything?
Go back to Daniel chapter 3.
Nebuchadnezzar built an image on the plain of Dura.
Then the command went throughout his kingdom:
When the music sounds—
Daniel 3:5 — “…ye fall down and worship the golden image…”
And then came the warning:
Daniel 3:6 — “And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
Do you see the picture?
Daniel 3 is a preview of Revelation 13.
There was a ruler.
There was an image.
There was a command to worship.
There was a death penalty for those who refused.
And there were faithful believers who said:
We will not bow.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said:
Daniel 3:17–18 — “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… But if not… we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image…”
What courage!
And during the Tribulation there will be people who come to faith in Christ and refuse to worship the Beast.
It will cost many of them their lives.
But hear me:
It is better to lose your life and keep your soul than to save your life and lose your soul.
Jesus said:
Matthew 16:26 — “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
The False Prophet will tell them:
“Bow and live.”
God says:
“Stand for Christ and live forever.”
CONCLUSION
As believers in Christ, I believe the Church will be caught away before these awful events unfold.
But that does not mean this passage has nothing to say to us tonight.
It gives us some powerful warnings.
First, deception often looks religious.
The False Prophet looks like a lamb.
Do not merely ask whether something sounds spiritual.
Ask:
Is it biblical?
Second, supernatural power does not automatically prove divine authority.
Signs are not the final standard.
Scripture is.
Third, the issue ultimately comes down to worship.
Revelation is a book about worship.
Heaven worships the Lamb.
The earth worships the Beast.
And everybody ultimately chooses whom they will worship.
Joshua said:
Joshua 24:15 — “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…”
But there is one final contrast I want you to see.
The False Prophet will look like a lamb—
but he serves the Dragon.
Jesus Christ is the Lamb.
The False Prophet performs signs to deceive.
Jesus performed miracles because He is the Son of God.
The False Prophet will point mankind toward death.
Jesus said:
John 14:6 — “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
And here's the good news:
The unholy trinity does not win.
Turn over to Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:20 — “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him… These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
There is the end of the Antichrist.
There is the end of the False Prophet.
Then Revelation 20 tells us what happens to the Dragon:
Revelation 20:10 — “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…”
The Dragon loses.
The Beast loses.
The False Prophet loses.
But Jesus Christ reigns forever!
Revelation does not end with the Beast on the throne.
It ends with Jesus on the throne.
It doesn't end with Satan ruling the nations.
It ends with Jesus declaring:
Revelation 22:13 — “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
So tonight don't be deceived by the counterfeit.
Don't follow the voice of the Dragon.
Don't bow to this world.
Keep your eyes on the Lamb.
Because there is only one Savior.
There is only one Lord.
There is only one King.
There is only one name whereby we must be saved.
And His name is:
JESUS CHRIST.
The world will one day worship the wrong man.
Make sure tonight that you are worshipping the right One.
