Counterfeits

Knockoffs and counterfeits, like imitation silver jewelry...they leave their mark Much like the counterfeits we’re going to see tonight as we keep Discovering Truth in Revelation.

Revelation 13:1-18

Revelation 13:1–18 NIV

1 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. 2 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. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 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?” 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 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. 8 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. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 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. 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. 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. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 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. 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. 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, 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. 18 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.

Contrasting Creatures

There’s a lot going on in this passage and we have a lot to unpack here.

The beasts are meant to evoke grotesqueness, much like we would use the word Monster…but they’re also an intentional composite and contrast.

+ The Beast(s), False Prophet(s), and the Anti-Christ(s)

These Counterfeits were both a Composite and a Contrast...

+ But they were fakes…impostors…posers...imitations of the real thing.

~ The fact the Earth and Sea are involved parallels the scope of the authority given to the Lamb…when the Massive Angel stood with 1 foot on the land and 1 on the sea…these things are taking place under his feet!

Interactive Question: Now, can YOU spot the fake by observing some of the contrasts drawn in this section the Revelation?

Now, before we look at this passage more in depth I want us to check out this quick video that gives the context of where we’re at in the book of Revelation:

Bible Project Revelation Video 2

Thing 1: Beast Out of the Sea

+ Coming out of the Sea = Rome

+ Composite Picture: Description of the beast a composite from Daniel 7’s 4 beasts. The first was Babylon and the last was Rome…this one clearly represents them all as a composite…Rome is Babylon and Jerusalem is also called Babylon...

+ 7 Heads + 10 Horns =

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 13

This description is the same as the dragon (see Rev 12:3). Daniel’s fourth beast had ten horns (Dan 7:7, 24). The ten horns and seven heads are later identified as ten kings and seven hills (Rev 17:9, 12).

+ with 10 Crowns: In contrast to the dragon, his crowns are on his horns rather than his heads.

~ 10 horned beast contrasted with the 7 horned lamb

+ Blasphemous Names: Possibly indicates the divine titles the emperors used for themselves on signs, coins, and in everyday life.

Given Power, Throne, Authority, and Worship

The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 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?”

+ Given Power, Throne, and Authority

~ Early church fathers believed that the Roman imperial line was likely referred to here as the first beast.

+ Wounded Head

~ Nero: first imperial persecution of Christians, burnt hundreds of Christians alive to light his garden, kicked people to death, murdered his mother, murdered two of his mentors, sexually abused captives,

Died in AD 68

Many believed he was still alive...false Neros appeared a few times.

Many Jews and some Christians were expecting a new Nero type ruler, or a resurrected one, to return as the head of the Parthians…

Some believed that Nero would return as a great beast.

~ 13:3 and 17:9-11 speak of a return to life...literal Nero or another Nero type ruler? (like Elijah and John the Baptist)

~ Wounded beast vs wounded lamb contrast

+ Worship of the Dragon & the Beast

People who worshipped the beast worshipped the dragon...the imperial cult worshipped the emperor but behind that there was a worship of Satan.

Blaspheming the temple:

Here it is identified with the heavenly temple...and God’s people. The beast Slanders God’s name and God’s People.

Blasphemous Babbling Beast of Babylon

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 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. 8 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. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 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.

+ Blaspheming:

~ Blasphemed God, to Slander His Name, His dwelling place and those who live in heaven (the other Spiritual Beings)

~ Caligula had wanted to defile the temple in Jerusalem and eventually Titus, emperor Domitian’s brother, did it in AD 70 while he was a Commander and before he was emperor.

~ This would have been in the past and here it appears to be speaking of a heavenly temple…God’s Holy People.

+ Wages War with Authority & Power

~ Limited authority…like on a leash: contrast is made with the Lamb who was slain before the foundations of the earth.

~ And to conquer them...

~ Here they were warring against people who wouldn’t fight back against them. ~ 17:12 tells us that God is the one who put it in their hearts. They are on a leash and their authority is limited for 42 months...they have a limited time.

~ Every empire has a day of reckoning...even the final and the cosmic empires are temporary.

+ Patient endurance to be faithful to the end!

~ 42 Month, 3.5 year time-frame again…they were reminded that this would not be forever.

Thing 2: Out of the Earth

The Beast Priest of the Dragon’s Beast

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. 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. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth.

+ Out of the Earth

~ Thought to be the Imperial Priesthood...because it was “from the earth” as opposed to “from the sea” or “from the sky”

+ Two horns like a lamb

~ similar to Daniel’s Ram…and contrasted with the Lamb of God, Jesus, who is the Perfect High Priest!

~ Jesus fulfills the role of prophet, priest and king…who is one with the Father and the Spirit…and they each glorify each other...

+ Poser Prophet Priest

~ Some people see the two beasts + the dragon as a satanic trinity…all serving the other…but this unity is really a self-serving counterfeit coalition…not the same as the indissoluble union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

~ Functioned as Priest for the 1st Beast and is called the False Prophet later on Revelation.

~ but it speaks like a dragon

~ Satan, we’re told in 2 Corinthians, masquerades as an Angel of Light…looks good, but speaks like a dragon.

~ He’s sneaky and will try to deceive.

~ Exercised the authority of the first beast

~ Great Signs

~ similar to the ones that the Witnesses did (and Elijah).

~ Even Satan and his followers can do signs and wonders

Natural and Supernatural means for this:

Thunder, lightning, speaking images.

+ Contrast: God’s people have signs and wonders and fire from their mouths...here they call down fire.

+ Deceived

~ the locusts, horses, dragon, beasts ALL used their MOUTHS...

~ Satan’s primary means of killing, stealing, and destroying is through WORDS…through His lies.

~ When we’re deceived we tend to sound like the dragon when we talk about God, about others, or about ourselves!

~ We can be tricked into Cultural Conformism and Syncretism by importing certain Priorities and beliefs…OR importing spiritual looking things and adding those to our worship: relativism, moral relativism, intolerant tolerance, literal Idols, horror movies, etc.

The Image and Mark of the Beast

It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 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. 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, 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. 18 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.

+ Image of the Beast

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 13

In John’s day, images, busts, and statues were set up throughout the empire in tribute to the deified emperor.

This was especially prevalent in areas where the emperor would likely never travel. Having these images gave an identity to the people’s god and promoted nationalism throughout the land. In contrast to the gods in the Greek and Roman pantheons, the emperor and the benefits he bestowed were thought to be tangible manifestations of divinity and goodness. Christians who refused to take part in emperor worship were branded as ungrateful, unpatriotic, unholy, and undeserving of the emperor’s benevolence.

+ Worshipping the image of the beast...Christians who refused to offer incense to the image of the Emperor were executed…

~ Much like Nebuchadnezzar’s image in Daniel…Unlike Daniel’s friends, many Christians would die for refusing to worship.

+ Breath of Life to the Image…the image could speak and kill.

~ examples of this...

+ The Mark of the Beast

~ About Allegiance

~ Demanding conformity

~ Enslaved or Conquered people were branded…

~ Contrasted here with the Mark of the Lamb...mark of the Righteous to protect them...marks given by love.

~ Parody of the Shema & the Jewish habit of wearing Phylacteries, Hebrew Scriptures, on their head and hands.

~ Impacting the Thinking and the Doing (head and hand)

~ Identity & Belonging

~ Financial/Economic implications

~ Trade guilds where idolatry and sacrifices took place...not participating in idolatry would impact your ability to have employment.

~ The world buys into what the beast demands, for security.

~ Every mention of the mark is about judgment...it’s not worth the temporary financial gains or security in light of eternity.

+ The Name of the Beast

~ ...or the Number of its name.

~ Triangular number…

~ 6 is “the number of man” because man was created on the 6th day…and falls short of the perfection of 7 which is God’s day of completion…and being THREE times SIX would be to be totally human…you could say the basest humanity...

~ 6 is also a parody of 7 because it falls short by 1…

~ AND the number of Jesus’ name would come out to 888

~ Only 1% of the numbers between 1 and 1,000 would come out to this.

~ In graffiti in those days they would exchange letters for numbers

~ 666 = Nero Caesar…

~ But it only works with Hebrew letters...but the book presupposes Hebrew word plays.

~ This is not the only time this occurred in Jewish and pagan literature.

~ There are two ways to spell it and it comes to 616 or 666...both are found in early manuscripts, meaning that it was understood as the meaning by those who were copying down the manuscripts.

~ The Greek word for Beast transliterated into Hebrew letters ALSO comes out to 666 AND 616

~ Contrast is the significance of the Name of God and bearing His name...

~ The Bible Project has a GREAT video on The Name of God: YHWY and the significance of Taking the Name and the Name of Jesus being higher than any other name.

~ You can see why taking the name of the beast on your head or hand would be so significant.

But the story is not over yet: “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

+ Tyler will continue the story next week…the contrast...

These beasts represent Military, Economic and Religious Systems joined together with the Desires and Designs of the Dragon

There was an unholy alliance between political, economic, and religious powers…we’ll see more of this as we go on.

+ Religious Nationalism

+ At the time the Christian church was facing that from Rome…but throughout history we can look back and see the ways in which this Beastly thinking infected the church…where it looked like a Lamb BUT sounded and acted like the Dragon and the Beast of Empire!

+ When that was being confronted in England a while back there grew a movement called Antidisestablishmentarianism, which is a position that advocates that a state Church (the "established church") should continue to receive government patronage, rather than be disestablished…this was the marriage of Military, Economic and Religious Systems!

I tried to avoid using big words like Antidisestablishmentarianism because I think I may have Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, you know, a fear of long words.

I don’t think that it is important to remember such long words though…but that may just be Floccinaucinihilipilification on my part.

I DO believe that we need to REMEMBER that God’s intention was NOT to set up a Geopolitical entity on earth for our comfort and convenience…He’s working for the redemption and restoration of ALL Peoples, Tribes and Tongues.

Contrasting Marks:

Who will we serve; the Beast or the Lamb?

~ Are you marked by the world Economic and Religious systems?

~ Are your thoughts and actions marked by the world? Your attitudes and actions? Your priorities and passions?

James, the brother of Jesus, Jude and John, two of the 12 disciples, write about the significance of living PURE and UNDEFILED lives of worship…where the Anointing and Name of Jesus marks EVERY part of our lives:

James 1:27 NIV

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

~ Context of James 1 and the mouth/tongue, favoritism towards the wealthy and acting like the rest of the world while thinking themselves righteous...

+ Contrasts of true religion vs fake or imitation...

+ Acceptable is pure and faultless…caring for orphans and widows

+ AND keeping oneself from being polluted by the world!

~ Priorities, Passions, and Principles of the World…marking you…conforming to them.

1 John 2:15-27

1 John 2:15–27 NIV

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Jude addresses people who were living in a fleshly and sinful manner yet wanting to pretend to be part of the community without surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus…indulging their flesh rather than laying it on the altar…He even talks about how they boast

…8 on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.

+ Like the BEAST!

Jude 17–25 NIV

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

~ Hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh...

~ Idolatry of having the Thinking and Doing of the World

We’re not called to Conform to the Patterns of this world…to the values of the Beasts or the Dragon, but to be Transformed and to be Transforming…even in the face of the Pressures and Persecutions of living as Followers and Worshippers of the Lamb!

~ Economic:

+ Priorities & Principles of the World? (and even Possessions) They’re knockoffs compared to the real thing!

~ Religious:

+ Passions

+ Morals and Values of the World.

+ Attention, Affection, and Allegiance

+ What do you think about? What do you worry about? How do you spend your time and your money?

~ That’s probably connected to what you worship!