Revelation 13

Revelation 13 …a beast… … θηρίον… Chapter Outline: I. The Coming world ruler, vv. 1-10 II. The Coming False prophet, vv. 11-18 One World Ruler. A political leader One Wold Economy. An economical leader. One World Religion. A Religious leader. I. The coming world ruler, vv. 1-10 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” v. 1 A. “…the Sea…” 1. The gentile nations. The Mediterranean and the gentile nations that surround the Mediterranean. 2. An individual will arise out of the “sea” that will rule the world. Some hold to a view that there will be a revived empire coming out of the sea and not an actual individual. B. “…seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns…” 1. This is symbolic language to describe a one world ruler and his kingdom. The beast with seven heads and ten horns speaks of kings and kingdoms. 2. In the last chapter we saw the dragon with “seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads.” Seven world C. Since the beginning of early civilization on earth there has always been those that would want to rule the world. Nimrod is the first to rule over the world. Then there were the Pharos of Egypt. Then babylon. Persian Empire. Alexander the Great. Then Finally Rome. So there has always been those seeking to rule over the world and the Bible tells us that there will definitely be a world ruler one day who will rule as no one has before him over all of the world. D. This coming world ruler will rule over a coming one world empire that will have itʼs base in the Mediterranean empire. E. Rome is to come back into significance in the future. The Bible tells of a revived roman empire. This is at our door step. The EU is the most likely candidate to fulfill these prophecies. Of course this does not mean that the EU is the revived roman empire, however we can see things taking shape through the EU to provide a base for the coming world ruler and his empire somewhere in the Mediterranean world. “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” v. 3 A. The word “antichrist” means in place of Christ. The word doesnʼt mean against Christ but in place of Christ. He wonʼt come on the scene announcing he is the antichrist, rather he will come on the scene announcing that he is the Christ. B. The problem is he will be no Christ at all because he wonʼt be able to save anyone from their sins and his origin is from the world and he gets his power and authority from the devil. The real Christ can forgive sins and his origin is heaven C. He is called: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. “little horn” Dan 7:8 “the prince that shall come” Dan 9:26 “the king of fierce countenance” Dan 8:23 “Man of sin” 2 Thess 2:3 “son of perdition” 2 Thess 2:3 “the antichrist” 1 John 2:18 D. Here he stages a pseudo resurrection. Completer deceiving the world by looking like a real messiah. Perhaps this man died and when he did the devil possessed him and he came back to life. “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” vv. 4-6 A. The whole world will be lead to worship satan under the leadership of the antichrist. B. “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast…” Today people worship the devil unwillingly or unknowingly. But in the future the world will knowingly and willingly worship the devil. People today are teaching the opposite about satan than the Bible teaches. There are some today that currently teach that lucifer is good and can lead us to greater revelations about man and this world and therefore it needs not to be a scary thing to follow satan. These things that happen today are all preparatory of things to come. C. “he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God…” He will speak great blasphemies against those in heaven. Perhaps those that have been raptured at the beginning of the tribulation period. At first there will be absolute chaos because of the rapture but after the dust has settled and the antichrist rises to absolute power he will tell the world that the world is a better place with out those christians. That the christians were really the ones holding back mankind from evolving on to higher more enlightened ground. “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” v. 7 A. Not the church but those that come to faith during the tribulation period. Perhaps they came to faith in response to the 144,000 witnesses, the two witnesses, and or because of all the cataclysmic activity going on from the beginning of the tribulation to the end. Not the church though. The church age ended at the rapture and therefore these that get saved in the tribulation have been saved outside of the church age and technically canʼt be called part of the Church. At least not yet. “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.” v. 18