Please turn in your Bibles this evening to Revelation chapter 13 as we continue our study through the Word of God.  This chapter gives to us the description of two beasts.  Last time we met we looked at the beast from the sea and we saw that this beast was the Antichrist rising out of the sea of humanity or the Gentile nations. This man will rule the world as he heads a 10-kingdom world federation and for 3½ years the world will enjoy a time of pseudo-peace. But then, the last 3½ years of the 7-year Tribulation Period or what is known as the Great Tribulation the world will see his true colors. If you refuse to worship him, you will be put to death!

            This evening we will be looking at this second beast that comes from the earth. Who is this second beast and what is his purpose during the Tribulation Period? As you will see in our study this evening, this second beast is a key player in seeing the Antichrist rise to power. With that said, let’s begin reading in Revelation chapter 13, beginning in verse 11 and see what the Lord has for us this evening as we study His Word!

VERSE 11

            John tells us that he saw “another beast” or ALLOS THERION, (al’-los thay-ree-on) in the Greek. What John is saying is that this beast has a like nature to the first beast that came out of the sea. It is another beast of the same kind as the first beast! The first beast came up out of the sea of humanity or the Gentile nations, as I have said.  But this second beast comes out of the earth or you might say a man-made religious system, as we will see.

            This beast has two horns, which speak of his authority, but also notice that he does not have a crown.  That tells me he is not a political leader as the first beast will be!  I believe the Scriptures point to this beast being the false prophet. In Revelation 19:20 John tells us, “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”   We Also see this in Revelation 16:13, showing us that this false prophet is demonically possessed, “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”  And again in Revelation, this time Revelation 20:10 we are told, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

            What I also want you to notice here in Revelation 13:11 is his appearance – he looks like a lamb but he speaks like the Devil.  Remember what Paul said in II Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”  You see, appearances can be and many times are deceiving. We need to listen to the words they are saying and the actions they are doing and that will show you if they are of God or not!  That is Jesus’ warning to us in Matthew 7:15-20, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”  Therefore, be watchful, especially in the days we are living in!

            This false prophet comes on the scene to support the politics of the Antichrist and the worship of this man, as we shall see. It truly is tragic today to see so many Christians taken in by these false prophets who are truly turning the hearts of the people away from the true and living God and towards New Age and Eastern religious activities, and ultimately, people will be turned to the Antichrist during the Tribulation Period!

            Folks, this should not be a surprise to us for Jesus warned us in Matthew chapter 24 where He said beginning in verse 24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:24-25. Just as lying signs and wonders deceive people today, they will also be deceived during the Tribulation Period. Thus, you need to be fruit inspectors and see what is born from their lives and you will clearly see if they are of God or not!  It is as I John 4:1 warns us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  The Living Bible puts this verse like this, “Dearly loved friends, don't always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around.”

            One last point I would like to bring up in this section, and I have shared this with you before, but I believe it is important.  Just as there is a Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, there is an unholy trinity of Satan as the anti-Father, the beast as the anti-Christ, and now, as we have seen here, the false prophet as the anti-Holy Spirit.

            Now John is going to share with us the purpose of the beast or this false prophet, what is the function of his ministry you might say.

VERSE 12

            One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to draw people to Jesus. Here we see the false prophet draw people to the antichrist!  Now hear me out on this, there is one event that will draw people to worship the beast and I believe that event is a false death and resurrection of this first beast, the antichrist.  It is this event that causes many in the world to fall down and worship him as God!  It is after this we see the earth dwellers cry out,

“ . . . ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’”  Revelation 13:4. And we spoke of this assassination attempt and this pseudo resurrection of the antichrist last time, so I will not go into detail over this tonight.  But let me just say this, the tribulation saints are trying to point people to Jesus who died on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world and rose from the dead on the third day. But now the world will point to the antichrist showing that he did the same thing as Jesus did and they will come to the conclusion that this man must be God and they will worship him!

VERSES 13-14

            This beast is able to do “great signs” so all the earth dwellers can see. Now, what do signs do?  Think about it, you are traveling I-43 and the sign says, “Sheboygan 22 miles.” In other words, signs point you to something.  And that word “performs” is the Greek word POIEO and it speaks of a repeated action.  In other words, this false prophet will do many signs, many miracles. Thus, the lie of these miracles is there to draw people away from the true and living God so that they will worship Satan and the Antichrist. Instead of life, they will find death and destruction!

            It is as Seiss tells us, “There is a supernatural power which is against God and truth, as well as one for God and truth. A miracle, simply as a work of wonder, is not necessarily of God. There has always been devilish supernaturalism in the world, running alongside of the supernaturalism of Divine Grace and Salvation.”  Tragically, today in the church we see Christians running after signs and wonders instead of allowing God to work in and through them and allowing signs and wonders to follow after them! In fact, some Christians think, “You can really know where God is and where His power is by signs and wonders.”  With that mentality, they are opening themselves up to be deceived!

            Listen to the warning that God gives to us in Deuteronomy 13:1-5, “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’ — which you have not known — ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.” I guess that was a way to cut down on false prophets in those days, today many invite them into their churches to teach!

            Keep in mind that a miracle does not mean it is of God, you need to understand that.  And the key, of course, is that if it doesn’t draw you to Jesus, if He is not the focus, if it does not cause you to worship Him, then it is not of God! Secondly, miracles don’t save people, Jesus does!  You see, God tells us in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.”  Case closed!

            Listen carefully to this. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet born, (Matthew 11:11).  But did you realize that he never did one miracle, not even one, (John 10:41).  Then why did Jesus make such a big deal of this man?  Because John brought people the truths of God found in the Word of God, he brought them to Jesus, the Messiah, their Savior!  It is as Paul said, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Bring people to Jesus by the power of God’s Word!

            Then why did Jesus do so many miracles?  Remember when John the Baptist was placed in prison and he began to doubt if Jesus was the Messiah, he began to doubt God’s Word and in Matthew 11:2-6 we are told, “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.’”

            You see, the miracles Jesus did authenticated His ministry because He was doing what was prophesied in the Old Testament. He fulfilled what the prophet’s spoke regarding his ministry. Let me end this section by saying this. You seek after the Lord, and then signs and wonders will follow after you, wherever you go!  Don’t put the cart in front of the horse. You do what God has called you to do and allow Him to do what He needs to do!

            Here in Revelation 13:14 John gives to us the instrument by which the antichrist will be attacked with and receive this so-called deadly blow.  John tells us it is the “sword” or MACHARIA in the Greek, which speaks of a dagger or a small sword. It is this weapon that blinds his right eye and paralyses one of his arms according to Zechariah 11:17.  Again, I believe it is this pseudo death and resurrection that will draw the masses to worship this man.

            Now for many, they have a hard time believing that the masses will fall down and worship this man!  Folks, just think about that for a minute.  How long has Evils Presley been dead and look at the masses of people that visit his home and even dress like him!  Look at movie stars or musicians or even sports personalities and what people do in worship of them.  They raise their hands, they jump up and down, they clap and-so-on.  Look at the Pope and the following of this man by those who are not even Catholics and how they will bow before him and kiss his ring!  Yes, this is not that hard to believe!

            Let me give you one example of how masses can follow a man because of his charismatic nature. There is a man in Miami who claims to be God and he has thousands of followers who give their money to him. He has a tattoo 666 on his arm.  “The Antichrist is not the devil, de Jesus tells his congregation; he’s the being who replaces Jesus on Earth. ‘Antichrist is the best person in the world,’ he says. ‘Antichrist means don’t put your eyes on Jesus because Jesus of Nazareth wasn’t a Christian.  Antichrist means do not put your eyes on Jesus of Nazareth.  Put it on Jesus after the cross.’ And de Jesus says that means him.”  He has a following in over 30 countries – do you see how easy it is for people to be deceived to worship anyone!  The only way we can know the truth is going back to the source, the Word of God and that will expose the lies.  This man is not God, not because I said so, even though I do, but because the Bible tells me so!

            Thus, to see the world bow before this man, the Antichrist, is not too difficult. He solves the world’s problems of war, famine, pestilence, ecological problems, monetary problems and-so-on. He even has this pseudo death and resurrection. And if that is not enough, the false prophet will put together this image of the beast and demand the world to bow before it, pay homage to it, as unto the Antichrist.  What is this image all about? We will see that in a minute.

            One last point here and that is dealing with those who are being deceived by the beast out of the sea or the Antichrist and the beast out of the earth or the false prophet. John tells us that it is “those who dwell on the earth” who will be deceived by them or earth dwellers, unbelievers. You see, those who get saved during the Tribulation Period are not earth dwellers, for this is not their home just as it is not our home. They are aliens and strangers, pilgrims just passing through as we are told by Paul in Philippians 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Why are we waiting for the return of Jesus, for Him to appear?  Because, we are told that it is He “who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:21. We long for that day, the Rapture and they will long for his second coming when He will come to establish His kingdom on this earth!

VERSE 15

            Think about the impossibility of this statement some 2000 years ago, or even 1000 years ago, or 500 years ago, or even 50 years ago. And yet, today this is getting closer to being a possibility. It may be speaking of some kind of computer with artificial intelligence. Obviously we don’t know for sure, but that is a possibility!

            Let me give you a few examples to show you how close we are to achieving this technology.  This is from the UK, March 31, 2005, Brain Chip Reads Man’s Thoughts. We are told:

A paralyzed man in the US has become the first person to benefit from a brain chip that reads his mind. Matthew Nagle, 25, was left paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair after a knife attack in 2001. The pioneering surgery at New England Sinai Hospital, Massachusetts, last summer means he can now control everyday objects by thought alone.  The brain chip reads his mind and sends the thoughts to a computer to decipher. . . . Studies have shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain.  Recently four people, two of them partly paralyzed wheelchair users, were able to move a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes that pick up brain waves.  Mr. Nagle’s device, called BrainGate, consists of nearly 100 hair-thin electrodes implanted a millimeter deep into part of the motor cortex of his brain that controls the brain signals. . . . He said there were millions of neurons in the brain involved with movement.  The brain chip taps into only a very small number of these. But he said the work was extremely exciting.

-  UK, March 31, 2005, Brain Chip Reads Man’s Thoughts

This is from the BBC News Online, March 24, 2004, Brain Waves Control Video Game:

            A video game in which the character is controlled directly from a player’s brain without the need for wires has been developed by researchers.  Mind Balance was demonstrated for the first time using a new wireless headset, at the MIT Media Lab Europe in Dublin last month.

            Research laboratories around the world have been working on technologies which let people “jack in” to computes directly from their brains, including Cyberkinetics, whose BrainGate system is currently undergoing trials.  But the Mind Balance game demonstration showed how brain activity could be harnessed and used without the need for plugs, jacks or wires.  Instead of wires, it uses direct electroencephalography (EEG), cerebral data nodes and the wireless technology – Bluetooth – all fitted into the sophisticated Cerebus headset.

“One of the obvious applications is for someone who is locked in or paralyzed completely, somebody who has an advanced case of ALS [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis], where they literally cannot communicate at all, but their brain is operating fine.  They can still see and hear but can’t move or speak.  If we had a direct link from their brain to their computer, they could communicate.”

- BBC News Online, March 24, 2004, Brain Waves Control Video Game

            You see, the technology is here and it is growing fast. I don’t believe we will see this come to pass before the Rapture of the church, but shortly afterwards, during the Great Tribulation the false prophet will breath life into this image and for those who will not worship the image of the beast, they will be put to death!

            In Daniel chapter 3 we read of another image that was set-up by king Nebuchadnezzar, in the plain of Dura, in Babylon. It was a huge image some 90 feet tall, made of gold, for all to see and worship.  And this image was built in direct opposition to what the Lord had told the king through a dream.  In this dream the king of Babylon saw this multi-metallic image and the dream and its interpretation was given to the king by Daniel the prophet.  It spoke of the Babylonian kingdom and the succeeding gentile world kingdoms until the Lord returns to set-up His kingdom.  But now the king was saying that his kingdom would last forever and all must come and worship him.

In Daniel chapter 3, beginning in verse 4 we read “Then a herald cried aloud: ‘To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.’  So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”   Daniel 3:4-7.

This image of course was not able to kill those who did not fall down and worship it, but the king was able to do that task. And like the image in Daniel chapter 3 being in direct opposition to God, so too is the image that is set-up here in Revelation chapter 13.  Notice what Hosea has to say in Hosea 4:12, “My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their staff informs them [diviners= rod]. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God.”

Instead of seeking after God for direction, they went to their carved images, and sorcery. They sought demonic help when God was waiting for them to cry out to Him. Thus, they were involved in spiritual adultery. They were married to God and yet they sought after another!  How about you? Where is your relationship with the Lord?  What is competing for your attention? What is drawing you away from the Lord?  It doesn’t have to be something that is evil, but what is causing you to be so busy that you don’t have time to sit at His feet and seek Him for direction?

I am always amazed at the number of people that call these Psychic Hotlines!  They are not using it for entertainment, which it is not, but for serious things.  Serious questions.  And they look to these people for answers and yet, these people that are giving all these answers out to help people did not see that they were going bankrupt and that the Psychic Hotline went into bankruptcy!  Let us wise up and seek the Lord and not fall prey to the schemes of the devil!

            As the Antichrist establishes a one-world government, we will see that the false prophet establishes a one-world religion that gives power to the beast, to the Antichrist. Again, tragically we see the church of Jesus Christ compromising her faith and being seduced by seductive spirits and moving away from the truths of God found in the Word of God. This will allow the church to unite with the religions of the world once Jesus is removed out of the way, the true Jesus that is. You see, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the only way to the Father, for salvation and that is not open for debate. Thus, Jesus must be removed and a mentality that all roads lead to God must be adopted, and tragically this is already happening in the church today!  It will only get worse.

VERSES 16-17

            Let me start out by saying this and it will help set the stage for what is being spoken of here, a cashless society.  There was a man who lived under Bulgaria’s communist regime and this is what he had to say, “You cannot understand and you cannot know that the most terrible instrument of persecution ever devised is an innocent ration card.  You cannot buy and you cannot sell except according to that little, innocent card. If they please, you can be starved to death, and if they please, you can be dispossessed of everything you have; for you cannot trade, and you cannot buy and you cannot sell, without permission.” (Cited in W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation, 4:120-21).

            Again, 2000 years ago, 1000 years ago, 500 years ago, even 50 years ago this would have been impossible, but today it is not. In fact, there has been a push for this system for a while now.  Listen to this story from the San Jose Mercury, dated August 8, 1975. This story speaks of a proposal by Dr. Henry Alderman of the European Common market Confederacy in Brussels.  And yes, it did not come to pass yet, but this is what the future holds, during the Tribulation Period, some system like this to number the people and keep tabs on them. We are told:

            “The massive plan involves a digital number system for every human being on earth. A computer would assign each citizen of the world a number that would be invisibly laser tattooed on the forehead or the back of the hand. It would provide a walking credit card system. The number would show up on infrared scanners and be placed at all checkout counters and places of business. By using this three, six digital unit the entire world can be assigned a working number. An international mark that would do away with all currency or coin instead of credit notes exchanged through a world fixing system. Nobody could buy or sell without this digital marking system on them.  One man can have at his fingertips the number of any man on earth.  When one of the market leaders was asked what would happen if anyone objected to this system and refused to co-operate, he replied rather pointedly, ‘We would have to use force to make him conform to the requirements.’”

            Please understand what we see today is only a foreshadowing of what will take place and what we just read is outdated all ready.  And keep in mind that this system will at first be voluntary and then it will be mandatory if you want to buy or sell anything!  And this will affect all classes of people, all races; none are exempt from receiving this mark.

            Now as I said, technology is quickly changing and the tattoo that I spoke about before is now replaced with a microchip implanted under the skin.  Listen to what might be the prototype of what is coming, this mark of the beast.

            On May 13, 1997 a patent was granted for a “personal tracking and recovery system,” and on December 10, 1999 Applied Digital Solutions acquired the patent rights to this technology and the name of this digital transceiver is “Digital Angel.”  Now what are some of the applications of this device?  Listen carefully?

1.  IT CAN BE USED TO MONITOR PATIENTS VITAL SIGNS AND ANALYZE THEM.

2.  IT CAN BE IMPLANTED IN CATTLE AND OTHER LIVE STOCK TO TRACK THE HEALTH AND LOCATION OF THESE ANIMALS.

3.  IT CAN BE USED TO TRACK PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED.

4.  IT CAN BE USED TO TRACK SOLDIERS AND MONITOR THEIR VITAL SIGNS AND IT CAN GIVE CRUCIAL INFORMATION TO THE MILITARY LEADERS.

5.  IT CAN BE USED TO MONITOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON PAROLE, UNDER HOUSE ARREST, AND-SO-ON.

6.  IT CAN BE USED IN THE ACCESSING OF FIREARMS IN THAT ONLY THE OWNER OF THE GUN WOULD BE ABLE TO FIRE THE WEAPON, IT WOULDN’T FIRE IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE RIGHT IDENTIFICATION.

7.  AND IT IS ONLY A SHORT STEP UNTIL THIS IS USED FOR THE BUYING AND SELLING OF THINGS, LIKE YOU WOULD USE A CREDIT CARD.

Interestingly enough, “When implanted in the body, the device is powered electromagnetically through the movement of muscles, and it can be either activated by the wearer or by the monitoring facility.”  I think we call that “BIG BROTHER!”

Maybe some of you have seen that commercial a few years back where this young man walks into the store with this trench coat on, and he just looks like a troublemaker. And all of sudden he starts grabbing things from the shelves and placing them inside his coat.  Like I said, a troublemaker.  And people are watching him, and as he begins to leave the store he catches the eye of the security guard, and you think he has had it now.  And as he is leaving the store, he grabs a newspaper and just walks out. He didn’t pay for anything!

Well, all of a sudden the security guard is on the move, and he begins to go after this young man. And as the security guard leaves the store he grabs a piece of paper, and as he reaches this young man he says something to the effect, “Sir, you forgot your receipt!”  You see, he was either carrying a chip or a card that automatically debited his account and as he walked out the door of the store all the items he placed in his coat were charged to him!  We have come a long way since John wrote these words!

As currency is band the only way you will be able to survive is to receive this mark but in doing so you are pledging your allegiance to the Antichrist and denying the living and true God and because of that you will be lost forever! (Revelation 20:4).

VERSE 18

            It is amazing the predictions of who this beast is by trying to calculate this number 666 to their name.  From Nero to Caligula, Domitian, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Kennedy, Ronald Wilson Regan and a host of others. Years ago there was this claim that it was Michael Gorbachav, do you know why?  Because of the birthmark on the top of his head, they said it resembled a dragon! Now think about this, why do we as Christians spend so much time trying to figure out who this man is instead of looking for the God-Man Jesus Christ who is coming back for us?  Yes, John says, “Here is wisdom. . . .” but understand that knowledge is information and wisdom is applying that information to your life. May we apply what we know and walk accordingly!

            Now, yes in Greek, Hebrew and Latin the letters have numerical equivalents, and this numbering system is called gamatria. Here the Antichrist’s name is 666, what does that mean?  First of all 7 speaks of completion or perfection.  The number 8 speaks of new beginnings, Jesus!  The number 6 speaks of man or that he is incomplete! 

            Thus, the triple six tells me that no matter how many 6’s you place after this man, he still falls far short of perfection, he is just a man!  Another way to look at this is that this is the unholy trinity and it is imperfect – 666, as compared to the Holy Trinity, which is perfect – 777! Folks, they don’t compare.  Yes, we will know who this man is and we will have a heavenly view of him being unveiled on this earth, after the Rapture. But until that time, keep you eyes focused heavenward because your redemption is drawing near, the Lord is coming back!

            As I conclude this evening think about what we have seen in this chapter.  We have seen the emergence of the false Christ who unites the world into a one-world government. And we have also seen the emergence of the false prophet who unites the world into a one-world religion and causes the masses to worship the beast and his image and for those that don’t they will be put to death, and for those that do, they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire separated from God!

            I do understand that there are those Christians who believe we will make this world better and better and then the Lord will return.  That is a nice thought, but it is not Scriptural. This world will not become Christian but the end time church will be apostate, satanic and blasphemous to the true and living God!  Then what are we to do?  We are to rescue as many as we can from this world so they can be translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God!  Don’t lose sight of that fact because folks, we are “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”  Titus 2:13-15.  Keep looking upward and keep sharing your faith and don’t let anyone depreciate what you are saying, don’t be ashamed of the Gospel message, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe!