Symbolism We learned in Chapter 12 that John...
Symbolism
We learned in Chapter 12 that John was seeing a VISION and in that vision he saw
TWO SIGNS OR SYMBOLS
- The Woman
- the Dragon
The Anti Christ
It is accepted throughout the New Testament that in the last days there will be a special outbreak of the powers of evil.
Sometimes this is associated with an individual who may be called the antichrist
(1 Jn 2:18)
or “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:3)
It is this figure that is behind the opening of this chapter.
John does not name him but calls him “the Beast”
Through the Beast as the Antichrist he literally desires to take the place of Christ.
This becomes evident in his repeated attempts to take on the appearance of the Christ.
| First Beast | Second Beast |
| Out of the Sea – Satan’s Hand | Out of the Land – Satan’s Mind |
| Indescribable Monster | Harmless looking and therefore more dangerous than the first |
| Represents persecuting power of Satan operating in and through the nation and governments of this world | Symbolizes false religions and Philosophies of this world |
Both of these beasts oppose the Church.
Here are seven examples indicative of satanic parody.
The Unholy Trinity
13:1; The Dragon
13:1b The Beast out of the Sea
13:11 The Beast out of the Earth
Rev 13:2 2b The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
Rev 13:3 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 astonished and followed the beast.
Rev 13:3b The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
Rev 13:7b And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
Rev 13:12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
Rev 13:14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
This is also a chapter on the followers of Satan.
Notice the repetition:
- they worship the beast (v 4, 8, 12, 15),
- are representative of the whole world (vv. 3, 7, 8, 14, 16), and
- have a distinguishing mark and number (vv. 16–18).
- The saints, however, have their names written in the book of life and belong to the Lamb (vv. 8, 10).
II. The Beast from the Sea (13:1–10)
1. The Description (13:1–4)
A. Daniel 7
Though the forms differ, the essence remains the same…worldy government directed against the church.
B. A Blasphemous Name
The term blasphemous names displayed on the seven heads of the beast points to a motto, slogan, or creed a government has adopted.
In John’s day, Caesar was revered as dominus et deus (Lord and God), which no Christian could confess. For the Christian, only Jesus was Lord and God (1 Cor. 12:3)
C. Authority & Power
Satan is empowering the Antichrist to take the place that belongs to God and his Christ.
He is the lawless one who sets himself up in God’s temple and proclaims himself to be God.
He receives power from Satan to be able to do all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thess. 2:6, 9).
Jesus acknowledges that the devil is the prince of this world.
2 Cor 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Eph 2:1-2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
The devil is the immediate source of the Beast’s authority…
But in the end.. only God can authorize the devil or the beast to rule the nations.
Ultimately this power is given to Satan from God!
The Antichrist is a pawn in God’s greater design on behalf of his people.
He authorizes other agents of judgment as well
D. A Fatal Wound
Contrast:
the Lamb who was slain with the Beast who was healed from a mortal wound
- T he battle took place when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, thus defeating Satan
With this description of Satan, John delineates a parody of the death and resurrection of Jesus, whose place the beast wants to usurp
E. Blasphemies Against God
- Slander God’s Name
- His Dwelling Place
- Angels – Those who live in heaven
F. Power To Make War Against The Saints
The Beast was given the power to make war against he saints and to conquer them.
It looks like the world wins.
….At the cross
..In the church’s persecution
He is given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
The Pillow of Providence is a soft place to rest your head
G. Worship of The False god
§ The whole world follows the Beast
§ Governments Replacing God
§ “Who is like the Beast?”
H. Persecution for God’s Purposes
Notice that Persecution will still occur under God’s providential hand.
I. Patient Endurance
THE ANTICHRIST
" 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." (1 John 2:18, NIV)
"Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son." (1 John 2:22, NIV)
This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. " (1 John 4:3, NIV)
The major function of the Antichrist will be deceptive false teaching that leads many astray and results in the apostasy of huge numbers of professing Christians
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Mat 24:10-12
"Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction." (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NIV)
II. The Beast Out of The Earth
A. Two Horns like a Lamb but spoke like a dragon (v11)
- Looks like a Lamb, but speaks like the dragon
- Kindly men who speak blasphemies
- copies the lamb
- 2 Horns
- third member of the false trinity (king &Prime Minister)
- the false prophet (the PR Arm)
B. Had Authority of the first beast (v12)
- Speaks with the voice of the dragon
- Made all the earth dwellers worship the first beast
C. Performed Miraculous signs (v 13)
- Counterfeit miracles
- Counterfeit Moses & Elijah;
- The miracles deceive the world
D. Given power (14)
- EDOTHE – God allows him to
E. Deceived the inhabitants of the earth (14)
- Dragon and beast work with deception
- Reigning at the same time as the dragon
- How will this arise
- Makes everyone produce a idol to the first beast and makes the statue come to life
The Mark of the Beast
- The Imitation of the Seal of God
No verse in the bible has received more speculation than 13:18!
The number of the beast has been linked with literally hundreds of different possibilities down through the ages.
The fact that John states that “this calls for wisdom” (v 18) has been pretty much ignored.
- Forced everyone to receive a mark on his right hand or forehead (v16)
- No one could buy or sell unless he has the mark
John is saying that ‘in light of the coming markd of the beast, understanding ‘demands wisdom”(sophia)
6 is the number of man
- created on the sixth day
- incomplete
666 is an ultimate number for humanity in rebellion against God or “incompleteness”
Human beings without God are incomplete
The number 7 signifies perfection or completeness in the book thus 777 would be God’ number
This is a parody of the Seal on the foreheads of the followers of Christ (Rev 7)
Therfore, the followers of the beast must be marked or branded on their foreheads or right hands.
What is meant by this mark of the Beast?
- Is it a literal mark that will appear on the forehead or hadn of the wicked at a particular moment in history.
- Not only Cattle but Slaves were marked or branded or marked.
- - This meant that the slave belonged to his master.
Very soon, the expression ‘ to receive the mark of the someone began to mean to belong to someone , to serve or worship someone.
Rev 14:9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,
Here receiving the mark of the beast seems to mean ‘worshipping the beast”
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
The mark of the beast is the God-opposing, Christ-rejecting Church-persecuting spirit of antichrist- whenever and wherever it shows itself.
The forehead represents the mind-
Thought life, philosophy or a person
The Right Hand – symbolizes his ddeed, action, ,
To receivei the mark of the beast on the forehead or right hand indicates that the person belongs to the company of those who persecute the church in what he thinks , says and does.
The Believer receives a seal- the unbeliever a mere mark.
Gematria –
- Additions of numbers in name is called gematria
- Letters of the alphabet were also numbers
- Every letter had a number value
Letters of the alphabet were also used as numbers in counting.
The first 9 letters were numbers 1-9
The next 9 signified the tens to nineties
Every Hebrew name or word also had a numerical significance and ancient rabbis would make interesting connections between words or phrases with the same numerical value ( Osborne)
The gematria would have to be an ancient name because these people would have known what 666 referred to at the time of the writings
Mounce gives an example, a graffito from Pompeii, “I love her whose name is 545”
(Jesus is 888- Walvord, Ladd))
It is virtually certain that the number here refers to a name and not a phrase and it is also likely that the cryptic reference is known to John’s readers. (Osborne)
All manner of applications have been made over the generations regarding to whom or what this number refers:
Is it a person:
Alexander, Hadrian, Julius Caesar,
Napoleon Bespasioan, Hitler, Mussolini
Or empires: Rome, Islam, Nazi Germany
The favorite Candidate of early Protestants was the Papcy
Is it an empire:
Nero & Rome - Domitian
Some modern interpereters point to common market as a New Roman Empire
In short: the best option is that 666 refers to Nero Caesar in Latin.
- Means: The antichrist will be a Nero like figure
- It cannot be some modern name of today
How could this work
The answer of all crime
To buy and sell
Then only those who worship me
Imbed a chip on the body; and curtail crime
He will solve the political crises of the world and be viewed as a great man of peace
WORLDY POWER VERSUS CONRAGEOUS FAITH
History shows that every kingdom based on power has ultimately collapsed, yet God’s people have persevered and now live in every nation.
Christ’s power is is greater even in this world, though hidden like a mystery.
Those with the eyes of faith look ahead to ultimate victory.
Muticulturalism avnd the Christin
The world’s multiculturalism is a parody on that of God’s church
(Rev 7:9 the great Multitude)
God created all cultures and delights to bring htem together in Christ, but the world tries to bring cultures gogether around different centers.
The world often imposes conformity by force, economics or dimply peer pressure, the church must provide and alternative multicultural unity linked by love for Christ and one another.
Political Correctness has resulted in moral Relativism.
George Will comments:
“Tolerance is only a virtue when it is difficult- when it involves keeping strong beliefs on a short leash. Tolerance that reflects the absence of strong beliefs is a symptom of a distinctively contemporary form of decadence”