Revelation 13:1-4

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.  And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.  One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.  And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

The beast coming out of the sea in this vision is most likely a vision of the Antichrist coming into his full power.  During the first half of the tribulation, he was identified as a peacemaker and establishing his position on the earth.  Now, during the second half of the tribulation, he emerges as a fierce war monger who demands worship and total submission.  

THE APPEARANCE OF THE BEAST: The Antichrist will be a Gentile that unites a large group of the nations of the world.  The ten horns likely represent ten political leaders that are united in their support of Antichrist.  The seven heads seem to be a succession of world empires that have promoted Stan’s agenda through the years especially in the persecution and domination of Israel.  The combination of animals described as a leopard, bear, and lion seems to be pointing back to the beasts Daniel described in his vision that represented the Assyrian, Greek and Roman empires.  So, the Antichrist will wield a power that combines all these different aspects of past and future kingdoms.

THE AUTHORITY OF THE BEAST: The Antichrist will receive authority and power from Satan himself.  There are examples in Scripture and throughout history of people who have been possessed by demons.  The Antichrist will be possessed by Satan himself.  Through this alliance between Satan and Antichrist, there will an amazing amount of power concentrated in this relationship.  Physical and spiritual power and authority residing in this tandem of evil will be a recipe for disaster on earth.  God’s supernatural judgments combined with this evil alliance will make life on this planet miserable to unprecedented levels.  

THE ADORATION OF THE BEAST: At some point through one of the conflicts the Antichrist will provoke, he will be mortally injured.  Satan is an expert at deception, and the passage says that it will “seem to have a mortal wound.”  It is possible that this is some sort of elaborate hoax to draw attention to himself, or it could be and actual wound that is healed by satanic power.  Either way, the result will be the same.  The world will be in awe over this “miracle” and will begin to worship the Antichrist.  This is a counterfeit “messiah” that Satan is striving to establish in an attempt to deceive as many as possible in the world.  Satan and Antichrist will crave the worship of people to the point that they will demand it and afflict anyone who dares to refuse. 

APPLICATION: Prepare for the rise of evil in this world.  Know that Satan and his earthly representatives are at work to deceive, dominate, and destroy.  Beware of Satan’s cravings for worship and idolatrous desires.  Stand firm on making sure that God is our only object of worship.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

James 3:5-12

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!     And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.     For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.     With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.     From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.     Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?     Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Medications come with warning labels about negative side effects they might cause...
Read more

1 Peter 2:11-12

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.     Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Heaven is our true home, so as long as we are on earth, we are sojourners and exiles.  Peter is writing to Jewish believers who have also been displaced from their homes by persecution from their Jewish heritage.  It is not an easy thing to face suffering and persecution from one’s own family.  That reality can create a situation where we begin to crave comfort and stability in some form that can leave us vulnerable to temptations.  Peter point to two truths to remember when we face this kind of temptation.  PASSIONS OF THE FLESH WAGE WAR ON THE SOUL: Peter calls on his brothers and sisters in Christ to live on this ea...
Read more

1 Peter 2:1-10

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.     Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.     As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.     For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”     So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were de...
Read more