Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Illustration - Looking through John’s eyes -

In chapter 12 John’s eyes were focused on the sky.

Things were happening in the atmosphere just above the earth.

There was war (a literal battle) between Michael with his angels, and the dragon with his angels.

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a Beast rise up out of the sea.”

John’s gaze moves from the heavenlies to the earth, and he stands upon the sands of the sea to behold the next great event in the program of God as God brings all wickedness to an end and prepares earth for the kingdom of Heaven.

In chapter 1:9 we see John on the Isle of Patmos.

In chapter 4:1 he is caught up into Heaven.

In chapter 13 we see him standing on the sands of the sea.

In chapter 17 we will see him standing in the wilderness.

In chapter 21:10 he takes his place on a high mountain.

John has a grandstand view of all God’s doings in the Revelation God gave to him to give to you and me.

[Oliver B. Greene, Revelation, A Verse by Verse Study, Commentaries and Writings of Oliver B. Greene (The Gospel Hour, Inc., 1963), 259.]

Main Thought: Being warned in advance of the devil's diabolical devices, believers of all ages are encouraged to wait on God and keep the faith!

Sub-intro: Consider this contextual summary of the previous five chapters-

The Beast that was abruptly introduced in Rev. 11:7 now received a full complement of description, including his nature, person and work.

John’s series of interludes from Chapters Nine through Thirteen revealed the fall of Satan at the midpoint of the Tribulation (cf.

Rev. 9), the confirmation of no more delay (cf.

Rev. 10), the presentation of the two witnesses (cf.

Rev. 11), the fulfillment of the Seed promise conflict (cf.

Rev. 12), and now the archenemy’s heyday on earth (cf.

Rev. 13).

...Chapter Thirteen begins with the beast as the Apostate system and ends with the beast as the Antichrist, the Beast-Man.

The beast will imitate Christ in several ways, such as dying and coming back from death (cf.

Rev. 13:3 with 13:8), being Lamb-like (cf.

Rev. 13:11 with 13:8), utilizing swords (cf.

Rev. 13:10, 14 with 19:16), having horns (cf.

Rev. 13:1 with 5:6), and placing name on foreheads (cf.

Rev. 13:16 with 14:1 and 22:4).

[Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 509-510.]

I.

The Sea-Beast Encountered (Rev.

13:1-2a).

A. His Ascension (Rev.

13:1b).

Note - Does your translation say “I stood...”, “he stood...”, “the dragon stood...”, “the serpent stood...”, or “it stood...”?

The TR renders “I stood...” referring to John.

Note - his ascension is out of the “sea”

Note - Compare with:

B. His Authority (Rev.

13:1c).

1.

Seven Heads - Complete Blasphemy

Note - Cursing God is a shortcut to death:

Note - Jesus was falsely accused of this heinous crime:

2. Ten Crowned Horns - Corrupted Tyrant

Note - Ten in Scripture -

ten is one of the perfect numbers, and signifies the perfection of Divine order, commencing, as it does, an altogether new series of numbers.

...

Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, is, therefore, the ever-present signification of the number ten.

It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete.

Noah - completed the antediluvian age in the tenth generation from God.

The Ten Commandments - contain all that is necessary, and no more than is necessary, both as to their number and their order, ....

The Tithes - represent the whole of what was due from man to God, as marking and recognizing God’s claim on the whole....

The Ten Plagues - were representative of the complete circle of God’s judgments on Egypt.

Exodus 9:14, “I will…send all my plagues.”

Antichrist’s World-Power - is comprised in the ten kingdoms, symbolized by the ten toes on the feet of the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:41), and by the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:7, 20, 24, etc.; Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 12).

Ethelbert W. Bullinger, Number in Scripture (Redding, CA: Pleasant Places Press, 2004), 243–244.

Note - Daniel’s Ten Horns -

The ten horns along with their accompanying ten crowns seem to parallel the ten horns of Daniel 7:24 where they are described as ‘ten kings that shall arise.”

Daniel’s several prophecies indicate a tenfold division of the final form of the revived Roman empire.

These ten kings evidently are the rulers over that tenfold division.

Daniel seems to indicate that these ten kings (leaders) will be the political base from whence the antichrist rises to power.

They apparently are the political and cultural descendants of the old Roman world.

That today is essentially what is known as the western world.

The name of blasphemy on the heads of the beast evidently is the godless nature of the world’s system down through the ages.

The titles worn by various pagan emperors of these eras down through the ages have routinely been blasphemous.

[David H. Sorenson, Understanding the Bible, An Independent Baptist Commentary - Hebrews through Revelation, vol.

11, Understanding the Bible, An Independent Baptist Commentary (Northstar Ministries, 2007), 465.]

C. His Attributes (Rev.

13:2a).

Note - This is a “Bear-footed, Lion-mouthed Leopard”!

Note - Compare with Daniel’s Vision:

John described the current beast with the brutish characteristics of the kingdoms in Daniel’s dream depicting, in reverse order of chronological prominence the Grecian, Medo-Persian, and Babylonian kingdoms.

The Antichrist’s kingdom will have speed like that of the ancient Greeks, power like that of the Medo-Persians, and boldness like that of the Babylonians.

His kingdom will be the amalgamated fourth kingdom (the Roman, described with great iron teeth [cf.

Dan.

7:7]), but revived, as the Revived Roman Empire.

[Strouse, 514.]

In Daniel 7, Daniel saw the same three beasts in reverse order.

The reason for this is apparent: Daniel stood at the beginning of the age of Gentile world dominion and therefore saw Babylon first, while John stood at the end of the Gentile age, looking back.

[Greene, 260.]

II.

The Sea-Beast Empowered (Rev.

13:2b-8).

A. The Source of His Power (Rev.

13:2b).

Note - Some see the beast as Satan incarnate -

The symbolic description of “the beast” enables us to learn something about his origin and character.

God does not see him as a man, made in the divine image, but as a wild animal, under the control of Satan.

He is a man (Rev.

13:18); but he is energized from hell, for he comes out of the pit (Rev.

11:7; 17:8).

Just as Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, so “the beast” will be Satan in a human body (see John 13:2, 27).

[Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 604.]

B. The Sign of His Power (Rev.

13:3).

Note - Important word pictures:

“as it were” - bearing strong resemblance to

“wounded to death” -

The verb refers to the cutting of the throat as the means to slaughter sheep (cf.

Rom.

8:36).

Apparently, Cain cut Abel’s throat as his rebellious gesture toward God’s demand for a bloody sacrifice.