The Age of the Apocalypse
“The Number of the Beast”
Revelation 13:11-18
Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor
During the seven years of Tribulation, the whole world will be in absolute chaos and confusion.
- Consider the natural disasters that will continue to take place – earthquakes, pestilence, floods, droughts, darkness, etc.
- Consider the suffering brought on by those disasters — famine, sickness, disease, and death.
- Consider the sinful and evil behavior of man as he tries to find some way to survive — stealing, assaults, murders, rapes, etc.
- Every nation will be wrecked with war and rumors of war as people’ hearts are constantly filled with terror.
- During the first 3 ½ years:
- One-third of the earth will be destroyed.
- One-third of salt water will be destroyed.
- One-third of the fresh water will be destroyed.
- One-third of the heavens will be destroyed.
- One-third of the people will be killed.
- The earth will suffer many blackouts and be invaded by Satanic beings.
During this worldwide crisis, people will cry out for someone to offer them hope for the future, and Satan will provide him.
- The first will be the Antichrist, a man who will rise to power from the Revived Roman Empire to become the leader of the New World Order and whose actions will mimic Christ.
- The second will be the False Prophet, who will assist the Antichrist and mimic the power of the Holy Spirit.
- The power behind them will be the dragon, Satan himself, who will mimic God the Father.
- In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned His disciples, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
1. The Masquerade of The False Prophet – Revelation 13: 11-12 – “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”
- The False Prophet will be the second-most powerful person on the earth during the time of the Tribulation.
- The Antichrist will direct the secular world, and the False Prophet will control the religious world.
- Because of his identity with the people, he can motivate them to support the programs of the Antichrist in his effort to establish a new world order.
- His masquerade – Verse 11:
- He looks like a lamb – connecting him with Christianity.
- He will wear the garb of religion – to give the impression that he is a religious person.
- He will speak like a dragon – connecting him with Satan.
- 2 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.”
Two characteristics of a counterfeit religion:
- They do not believe the Bible is inerrant or infallible. They believe the Bible must be reinterpreted to find its meaning and purpose for our day. (See 2 Peter 2:20)
- They do not believe there is an absolute right and wrong. They never call their people to live holy lives. (See Hebrews 12:14)
- However, the Bible says God has not changed nor His Word.
2. The Miracles of The False Prophet – Revelation 13:13-15 – “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 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.”
- The only way the False Prophet can convince the people that the Antichrist should be worshipped as God is to empower him to do something that equates him with God, and therefore, he will do great signs and miracles.
- Just as the two witnesses that will be standing in Jerusalem proclaiming the gospel will be able to call down fire from heaven, so will the Antichrist be able to duplicate their powers.
- Just as the two witnesses will be killed, and their bodies will be allowed to remain in the street for several days before they are resurrected, so will the Antichrist suffer a deadly wound and it will appear the False Prophet will have the power to raise the Antichrist from death.
- Such a miracle will cause the majority of people to believe in the Antichrist so much they will build a statue in his image and place it in the new Temple at Jerusalem so that he is worshipped as Christ. He will be so successful the people will say, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to match him or to oppose him.” (Revelation 13:3)
- In Matthew 24, Jesus called this act the “abomination of desolation.”
While there is much speculation on what the image of the beast will look like, the fact that it can “speak” and that it will have the ability to keep track of those who will, or will not worship the Beast indicates that it could be a computerized robot capable of conducting intelligent conversations.
3. The Mark of The Beast – Revelation 13:16-18 – “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 the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”
- In the Bible, the number “6” is used to refer to man, the number “7” is used to refer to God, and the number “3” is used to refer to the Trinity.
- “777” would refer to triple perfection, and “666” would refer to triple imperfection or the unholy trinity; Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet.
- Midway through the Tribulation, the Antichrist will establish an international identification in the form of a mark placed on the right hand or the forehead of every individual on earth.
- Those who refuse to receive the mark will face eventual death because they will be unable to buy or sell anything without that national ID number.
- According to Revelation 14:9-11, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
- The reign of the Antichrist is near, but the rapture of the Church must come first. Will you be caught up in the air to meet the Lord in the air, or will you be left behind to be deceived by the Antichrist.
