Sermon Tone Analysis

*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)