The Beast from the Sea, Part 2

Revelation chapter 13 is where we are. The beast from the sea. It's quite a Passage of scripture as you begin to unfold what's before us. And as you're turning there, I just want to read to you something that you already know. It's found in Mark chapter 13, which is Mark's account of the Olivet Discourse. And it says in verse number 5. See to it that no one misleads you. This is the Christ speaking. Many will come in my name, saying, I am He and will mislead many. Christ told his men that there was coming a time, a time in the future, where there will be many people who come claiming to be Christ.

And they will say, I am the Christ. I am the Messiah. I am your deliverer. And Christ says, Beware of them, for they will mislead many.

He goes on to say, In that same chapter, verse number 21. And then, if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or behold, he is there. Do not believe him, for false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders in order, if possible, to lead the elect. Astray. There is a day coming. A man who will be called or who is characterized in Scripture as the Antichrist. Son of per, the lawless one. He is Satan's man. He is the one that's designed specifically by Satan, possessed by Satan.

And he will come sometime around the midpoint of the tribulation. We don't know exactly when he will come, but Revelation 6 speaks of the peace. That this false Christ will come and bring upon the world. John having Talk to his people about them already hearing about Antichrist leads us to think about where they heard about the Antichrist coming. And of course, you hear about him in Daniel 2, and Daniel chapter 7, Daniel chapter 8. Daniel chapter 9 and of course Daniel chapter 11. But the most comprehensive view of the Antichrist, the most composite view that gives us an accurate picture.

Of who this individual is is recorded in Revelation chapter 13. And of course, that's where we are in the study of this great book. He's Satan's supreme Human instruments. And as I read through Revelation chapter 13 and understand the work of Satan through this man Antichrist, I am reminded of his work even in people today, even in people. Long ago, we studied Revelation chapter 12 and realized that Satan had always set out to thwart and still does the plan of God. He does not want God's plan to exist.

And as you recall in Genesis chapter 20, you have the, what we call the sister story sequel. That's when Abraham lies about Sarah being his sister one more time. He got away with it once in Genesis chapter 12. He plans to get away with it again in Genesis chapter 20. But in twenty-one, Isaac is born. In chapter eighteen, Christ Or God had told Abraham that it was going to be within the year that they would conceive. And yet, Abraham would find a way once again to lie about Sarah being his half-sister.

Abimelech would take her in, that 90-year-old woman, amazing. Within his harem of 19 and 20 year olds, he takes in this 90-year-old knockout to be one of his women because she was said to have been the sister of Abraham. It was Satan's last-ditch effort to somehow thwart the plan of God. Somehow to destroy the womb of Sarah. Somehow to thwart the plan of God. And you'll read in Genesis chapter 20: in a dream Abimelech has that God comes to him and says, Abimele, guess what? I 'm the one who stopped you.

From lying with Sarah, I did it. I'm the one because God always intervenes in the life of His people. And Satan was never going to have the chance to thwart the plan of God. And as I was studying that passage, even this very day, preparing for a sermon sometime in November or December. I was rejoiced over the fact that God intervenes in supernatural ways. Ways that we don't even know. Abraham and Sarah didn't even know how God intervened because God never told them. God told the pagan king, though, how he intervened.

Satan never wins. God always wins. And so when we come to Revelation chapter 13, we are reminded once again of Satan's effort, his final effort. To thwart the plan of God. So, if you have your Bible, I would encourage you to turn there with me. And I want to read to you just the first four verses, make some comments in terms of review from where we were last week.

Finish down through verse number four this evening. And he stood on the sand of the seash. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, and having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous n. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion, and the dragon. Gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth was amazed, and followed after the beast.

And they worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war? With him. We began our time last week by looking at the Beasts or the Antich Association. His association. Verse 1 says, and he stood on the sand of the seashore. That takes us back to who he is and Verse number 17 of chapter 12, that's the dragon. The dragon, of course, is defined for us in verse 9 of chapter 12 as the devil, the serpent.

Of old. So you immediately see that this beast, this Antichrist, is going to be associated intimately with the devil. This is Satan's child. This is Satan's instrument. This is the way that Satan will seek to rule the world. And so it's easy for us to understand his association. And then we looked at the fact that we left off right here. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having ten horns. And this is where we left off last week. The Bible inter the Bible. People read, oh man, they got ten horns and ten crowns on the horns and and seven heads and the leopard, lion, bear.

I am just completely lost. There's always a good route to take. When you read the Bible and you get lost, just keep reading. And the Bible will show you exactly what is there. And we'll see that this evening. But turn back, just if you would, to chapter 12. Chapter 12, verse number 3. And another sign appeared in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. Interesting. The beast has a great resemblance to who? The dragon. Who's the dragon? Satan. The serpent of old. Diabolos.

So you see his association from the very beginning that this beast is connected somehow with Satan himself. Remember, Satan is a spirit. Okay? Therefore, he must em some individual in order to operate at full strength. And that's exactly what he's going to do. And we saw last week where demons would inhabit people's lives. That is their abode. They want to be inside of somebody to work out their evil schemes. And of course, That's what Satan is going to do with this one called the Antich. Horns represent power, they represent strength, force.

In the animal world, they are used for attacking, they are used for defending, and here, listen very carefully, here the horns represent k. The power of kings who in the human realm wield their power. You say, Well, how do you get ten kings out of ten horns? Well, chapter 17. Turn there with me if you would, please. Chapter 17, verse number 12. And the ten horns which you saw are what? Ten kings, whoa, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings. With the beast for one hour.

So now I know that the ten horns are what? Ten kings. You see, just keep reading the Bible, it tells you exactly everything you need to know. What does all that mean? One sentence. What this means is that the coming kingdom of Antichrist embodies All the satanic power of all the evil empires of the past, of the present. And of the future. That's all it means. It means that this government, this political system, This military system that is run by this one cult Antich is so powerful, is so dreadful, is so great.

That it is a combination of all the world empires that ever existed, all wrapped up into one Therefore, there has never been a power such as this one, nor will there ever be after this one in this world. That's all that means. That's all that symbolism means. And this beast, this Antichrist, is the one who rules over them. In his day, he will come with all the strength and power of anti-God and anti-Christ persons in the past. It's all summed up in one wicked empire. Daniel saw it, John saw it, and we this evening have received a glimpse.

Of it. Now, that is his association. This Antich is associated, number one, with Satan. He looks just like them, just like the dragon. Knowing that, he is the one who is associated with the rulers of the world. He will rise to power, and I believe that this man, whoever he is, will rise to power in the world. Just because of who he is. A man of intellectual genius. We looked at the passages of scripture last week that describe this individual with great military might, a tremendous orator, a man who will wow the world.

But somehow in the middle of that tribulation, sometime in the first half of that tribulation, he will be empowered by Satan himself.

And that power will accelerate. His authority will accelerate to such a degree, there will be nothing like him ever in the world. Let's see the point number two: his appearance.

It says in verse two, and the beast which I saw was like a leopard. And his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. Say, okay. Now, I don't know about you guys. When I was growing up, I used to have prophecy conferences in our church. You know, they'd get up there, you know, these guys would come in and preach on prophecy. They have all these big posters up. You ever see those posters? They try to depict the beast, you know, with seven heads and ten horns and ten crowns on this thing, and looking like a bear and a leopard and a lion.

I mean, they came up with some pretty wild pictures of this beast, and I'm sitting there in a pew, and I'm 10 years old, 11 years old, looking at the thing, thinking, man, that thing is just nasty. I hope I never have to come face to face with that creature. You know, and I got saved because I didn't want to go to hell. When I was 14 years of age, I realized that hell was not the place I wanted to be. And so God saved me, and I praise the Lord for that. But here in Revelation 13, we understand the appearance of this beast.

And again, this is not a big thing. And let me explain it to you by having you turn back with me to Daniel chapter 7 for a second.

Or God showed Daniel four great world empires to come: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. And God made these empires bear the image of animals. That were very common in the land of Palestine. Daniel 7, verse 3. And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like what?

Lion. Okay? Turn over to verse number five. And behold another beast, a second one resembling a bear.

Verse number 6. After this, I kept looking, and behold, another one like a leopard. Now, why are they described this way? It's important for us to understand that that lion was representative of Babylon. And as the lion was fierce, Consuming, full of power, aggressive, that would characterize the kingdom of Babylon. As the bear, which Medo-Persia was represented by. A bear has might, is tenacious, ravenous, has an appetite that won't quit, and that's exactly the way Medo-Persia was. Leopard is represented by grease, and that moves swiftly and rapidly across the earth.

Now listen very carefully. When you get to the fourth beast in Daniel 7, we already read it earlier. This beast was dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with Its feet, and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. What is that? That's the revived Roman Empire. And so, what you have is this: Daniel sees an indescribable animal. And that animal parallels the fin form of the Roman Empire, which would consist of the ten toes, which consists of the ten horns, which represent the ten kings.

Now, why does the beast in Revelation 13 look like this? Very simply. It's because this terrifying, dreadful beast. Is going to embody all the swiftness of a leopard. All the tenacious, mighty appetite of a bear, all the fierce consuming power. Of a lion, the final form of world empire that proceeds out of Rome to cover the globe. em all the fierceness of all those prior kingdoms. That's why when Daniel saw it, it was unlike the others. And he was able to destroy the others. We've gone from his association to his appearance.

Number three, his attraction. Verse number three. His attraction. But I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth was amazed. And followed after the beast. His attraction. The Bible says the whole world was amazed.

The who world followed after the beast. I believe at this time, even some of the Jewish people. Will follow after him because he will have convinced them that he is the Messiah, he is the deliverer. And they will succumb to his devices and begin to follow him as he rebuilds the temple in Jerusalem. And they believe this one is our Messiah. But the world is amazed. But the text says that one of his heads is slain. When you look at the other verses down in chapter 13, verse number 12, and verse number 14, it actually is the beast.

The Antichrist who receives this wound. So you have this beast who was slain, who was wounded. Mortally and somehow comes back to life. So that leads us to the other option: either this Antich. Is killed and comes back to life and is empowered by a demon from the abyss, or He doesn't really come back to life because he faked his death and deceived the whole world, or he doesn't come back to life at all, but a demon somehow impersonating him through trickery makes the world believe. That he came back to life.

I don't really know, but I would tend to think. That he somehow deceives the world into thinking that he died and rose again. Why do I say he tricks the world into believing that? Because Satan doesn't have the power to raise people from the dead. So, I really don't believe the man actually dies and rises again. Who holds the keys to death in Hades? Revelation 1:18? Christ holds the keys to death in Hades, he's in control. He determines when one dies and one li again. Only God can do that. In fact, over in 2 Thessalonians 2:9, listen to this.

The one who is coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders. False wonders. Maybe the wonder of the resurrection is a false wonder. He really didn't die, but everybody believes he died. Satan is a master of deception. Nonetheless, whatever you believe, the truth is this. The world stands in amazement and brings this beast worldwide. Acclaim. He becomes the idol of the world. Back in verse 10 of 2 Thessalonians 2, we read verse number 9 earlier. It says, verse number 10, and with all the deception of wickedness.

For those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence, so that they might believe what is false. What is that which is false? Could it be the death and resurrection of the Antichrist is that which is false? Anyway, that is his att. We'll see to verse number four: his adoration. Antich is not satisfied with respect. He wants reverence. He's not satisfied with acclaim. He wants adoration. He's not satisfied with being heralded.

He wants homage. And therefore, He gets it. And those who do not bow to him will be killed. In verse 12 of Revelation 13, the false prophet has the task to make the whole world worship. The beast. He receives world wor. Now, look what it says. It says, Who is like the beast? Listen to Exodus chapter 15. I want to show you something. Exodus 15, verse number 11. Who is like thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like thee? Majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, work wonders. Over in Psalm 35, verse number 10.

All my bones will say, Lord, who is like thee? Over in Isaiah chapter 40, verse number 18. To whom then will you liken to God? Or what likeness will you compare with him? Verse number 25. To whom then will you liken me, that I should be his equal, says the Holy One. Isaiah 46, verse number 5. To whom would you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we should be alike? The point is, throughout the whole Old Testament, there's a common phrase that's used in the worship of the one true God.

The phrase, Who is like thee, O Lord? Isn't it interesting that during the tribulation that phrase will be attributed to the Antichrist? Who is like the beast? Who is like this marvelous ind? What you have is mocking language. It's the blasphemy that's outlined for us in verse number one of Revelation chapter 13, the blasphemous names up the heads of the beast.

I conclude with this. There is no one like the Lord God of the universe. No matter how Satan tries, no matter what his efforts might be. He will always fall short. He will always be 6, 6, 6. He will never be 7. He will never be perfect. He will never be complete. He will always fall short of perfection because there is none like our Lord, majestic in holiness. So, aren you glad? Aren't you glad he saved your soul? Aren't you glad that he's the king of the universe? Aren't you glad that you've given your life to him?

I am. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for tonight. We are so glad that we are part of the family of God. We look at the Word of God and think, wow, what a dreadful time.

And yet we praise you and thank you that we will not be there. And yet, Father, we have a responsibility to tell people about the coming king. The true ruler of the world is Jesus Christ, not Satan. And we worship you. And we agree with the Old Testament: who is like thee, O Lord? Awesome, majestic in holiness. Answer, there is none. In Jesus' name, Amen.