9 October 2007

Text: Revelation 13

THE BEAST COMING OUT OF THE EARTH

1. Another beast (Revelation 13:11; Cf. First beast, Revelation 13:1)

2. Description (Less than that of the first beast)

a) Two horns like a lamb (Revelation 13:11)

b) Spoke like a dragon (Revelation 13:11)

3. Work of the second beast

a) Authority

“And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence…” Revelation 13:12a

Great authority will be given.

b) Goal

“…and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:12b

To cause people to worship the Antichrist

c) Power

“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” Revelation 13:13

i) Great signs

ii) Fire from heaven (reminiscent of the prophet Elijah; 1 Kings 18)

d) Deception

“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” Revelation 13:14-15

i) Deception through signs

ii) Deception through idolatry

iii) Slaying of all who would not worship the beast (Cf. Daniel 3)

e) Mark of the beast

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or name of the beast, or the number of the beast.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of man: his number is 666.” Revelation 13:16-18

i) Mark (symbol)

ii) Name of the beast (The Anti-Christ)

iii) Number of the beast (666)

iv) Right hand/ forehead

v) Cannot buy or sell without the mark of the beast