Revelation 13:1-10 The Beast from the Sea

Revelation 13:1-10

SLIDE 1 As Christians we must believe God is in ultimate control. Satan is defeated. Last week we talked of Lucifer the most beautiful angel wanting to be high above the Creator. Remember he was cast out of heaven so here he is rising out of the sea of humanity. 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation we are MID TRIB. He represents all non Jews and is world leader of 10 nation league. He was a charismatic peacemaker come to save the world by uniting in a one world currency and a one world religion.

Revelation 13:1- 2 ¹And 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. ²And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

(Same as Daniel 7:7 It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.)

SLIDE 2 Most commentaries agree this beast as represented in Daniel's vision 7:7-8 The first three animals are a lion, a bear, and a leopard. The fourth animal was a dreadful, indescribable beast which shared the most terrifying characteristics of the previous beasts. In Revelation these animals all merge into a monstrous beast who will become the Antichrist a powerful and cruel dictator. Think of Hitler and the power he had in his mouth. Words which would cause others to follow him and worship him.

SLIDE 3 Specifically representing ten kingdoms in a world empire under the leadership of a final world dictator under Satanic control. These beasts counterfeit of the four living creatures before the throne in chapter 1.

Revelation 13:3-4 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.

SLIDE 44 And they worshiped the dragon,(this is what Satan wanted from the start) 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?"

This is a powerful delusion. We know that Satan is the father of lies and his goal is to steal, kill, and destroy.  Satan can never be stronger that God. Believe it! The mortal wound is a counterfeit of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

SLIDE 5 The Unholy Trinity

–       Dragon-Satan 12:3  wants to be God

–       1st beast-Antichrist 13:1 a false Christ, a counterfeit

–       2^nd beast-False Prophet 13:11 promoting the Antichrist

SLIDE 6 Now the leader of the 10 nation alliance will be a dictator demanding allegiance.

Revelation 13:5-7 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.

3 ½ years

6-It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.7 so it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,

SLIDE 7 Here is the difficult time for Christians. The Antichrist will make war against God’s people.

Remember when we talked of Lucifer’s pride and boast to rise above the throne of God. Satan has always wanted to be worshipped and praised. This beast will accuse and taunt all those in heaven because he has been thrown down.

Satan may seem to be in control but remember God is still in charge and he limits Satan power.

Authority given by God to Satan to test Job 1: 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Luke 22:31"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,

SLIDE 8 Revelation 13:8-10 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

The world did not listen to Jesus when he was here, but many will fall for the lies and deception of the Antichrist. Here is the choice of those left during the Tribulation; to stand for Christ or be fooled by the delusion of Satan’s power. Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Then you have a place prepared for you. Some Christians will be taken captive and other may be martyred for their faith.

The antichrist doesn’t always mean against Christ. Sometimes it means instead of Christ. He will try to replace Christ or come to power instead of Christ.

SLIDE 9 The word Antichrist only appears in the Bible five times in four verses (1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, and 2 John 7).But he has other names

John 5:43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,⁴who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Revelation 12: 1-17 The Woman and the Dragon

 Revelation 12: 1-17

SLIDE 1  As much as I dislike giving Satan too much attention, we need to be prepared for his attacks.  Although Revelation describes a hideous red dragon, we should not expect the devil to appear to us like this. By his name Lucifer means son of Dawn or Day Star.

*Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations! (O Day Star, ESV Morning Star)

As one of God’s finest angelic creations, he was beautiful and very prideful. In fact when he tries to tempt us he is very appealing and speaks in a pleasing voice. We  must look backward at events.  Satan has been trying to destroy man.

SLIDE 2   In Genesis Satan appears as a serpent in the garden. Lucifer was a prideful Archangel on the same level with Michael and often they are pitted against each other in battle. Only three angels are mentioned by name in the Bible and they were called princes. 

Daniel 10 ¹³ The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,

*Daniel 12¹ "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

FOUR FALLS OF SATAN 

SLIDE 3   From glorified to profane (Ezekiel 28:14-16)

SLIDE 4   From having access to heaven (Job 1:12) to restriction to the earth (Revelation 12)

SLIDE 5   From the earth to bondage in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Rev. 20)

SLIDE 6   From the pit to the lake of fire (Revelation 20)

SLIDE 7  REVELATION 12 The Woman and the Dragon ¹And a great sign appeared in heaven

*SLIDE 8  Verse 1-2 a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.² She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth

Who is this woman? ISRAEL Mary did give birth to Jesus; however Satan did not chase Mary throughout the wilderness.

 SLIDE 9 The woman’s appearance is similar to the dream of Joseph in Genesis 37:9.  He told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” The sun would be Jacob and the moon Rachel, Joseph’s mother. It makes more sense for the Woman to be interpreted as Israel bringing the Messiah through the lineage of David.  The children of Israel did go through the wilderness, the twelve stars could represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

*SLIDE 10  3-6 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. This goes back to the vision of Daniel in chapter 7. Three times he mentions a beast with ten horns.

⁴ His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.⁵ She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron,(Ps.37:7,9) but her child was caught up to God and to his throne (could symbolize Jesus transcending to heaven,)

⁶ and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. (3 ½ years of tribulation.)  

SLIDE  11 *7-9 ⁷Now war arose in heaven,  Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,⁸ but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

 ⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called

the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world---he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

This is not just war between Satan and Michael but the continual conflict between good and evil. But we read the back of the book and Satan is defeated.

SLIDE  12 *10-12"Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

¹¹ And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.¹² Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

SLIDE 13 *13-14 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.¹⁴ But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be for a time, and times, and half a time.(3 ½ yrs., 1260 days,

SLIDE  14 Three times the eagles illustrates God’s care and protection of Israel.

·        In Egypt Ex.19:4 … how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

·        *In the desert Deut.32:11-12 ¹¹        Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,

·        Return from Babylon Isa. 40:31 they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

SLIDE  15 *15-17 ¹⁵ The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.¹⁶ But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.¹⁷ Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

The woman, Israel, will be protected through the 3 ½ yrs of tribulation time. The water pouring from the serpent’s mouth could be symbolic of blasphemous speech or anti-semantic actions toward the Jews. The earthquake Verse 17 he went off the make war with her offspring.
*Isaiah 59:19, When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. Satan is defeated.

The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, Proverbs 18:4. 

The mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things, Proverbs 15:28. 

Revelation 11 The Two Witnesses 11:1-14 · The 24 Elders 11:15-19

REVELATION 11

·        The Two Witnesses 11:1-14

·        The 24 Elders 11:15-19

SLIDE 1 Revelation 11: 1-2 ¹Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there,² but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

The Old Testament, the idea of measuring communicates ownership, protection, and preservation.   The idea is that the Lord owns the earth and can do with it as He pleases. 

 SLIDE 2 When this temple is measured, it shows that God knows its every dimension, and He is in charge. This is surely referring to the temple built on earth by the Antichrist in his role as a peacekeeper, because God excludes the Gentile court. Soon the Antichrist will reveal himself as the evil presence of satan.

SLIDE 3 3 others prophets talk of measuring

·        The detailed measurements in Ezekiel 40-43 is the temple of the millennial earth,

·        Habakkuk 3:6 prophesies, “He (God) stood and measured the earth

·         Zechariah 2:1 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length."

·        In Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is measured.

SLIDE 4 Two witnesses

Revelation 11:3-4 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, (Daniel’s 3 ½ years) clothed in sackcloth." 

⁴These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord on the earth.

Zechariah 4:11-14 Speaks of two olives trees and two lampstands. But Matthew Henry- explains these as Zerubbabel and Joshua, this prince and this priest. They lived at the same time, and both were instruments in the work and service of God. Together, these two men led the first wave of Jewish returnees from Babylon and began to rebuild the Temple. (chronicled in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai)

SLIDE 5 The witnesses’ attire (clothed in sackcloth), clearly seems to imply sorrow over the impending judgment. They are not inside of this unholy temple.

Who can guess who they are?  Let’s look at some evidence.

Fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes- anyone remember a prophet who could to bring down fire

Revelation 5-8 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.

⁶    They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

⁷    And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

⁸    and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

SLIDE 6 1 Kings 18:38 King Ahab Elijah calls the 450 prophets of Baal to prove their god. Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

2 Kings 1:12  Elijah King Ahaziah sent men 50 by 50 Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

·        Power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying –Sound familiar; one prophet d pray for no rain

1 Kings 17 Elijah … said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years,

SLIDE 7 Power over the waters to turn them into blood –Hmm who do we know who preformed this feat for God- Moses announced God’s plagues on Egypt

Exodus 7:17 with the staff … I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.

·        To strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. Plagues? Again ring any bells. We compare the plaques that God sent the Egyptians by the hand of Moses

Why 2? Deuteronomy 17: 6  At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death

Who could they be? Events found in the Old Testament give indication it could be Elijah and Moses.

SLIDE 8 A good point could be found in Matthew 17: The Transfiguration

Peter and James, and John with Jesus :. ²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. ³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

Two witnesses who embody the “spirit” of prophecy (as Elijah did) and the “spirit” of the law (as Moses did). 

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Was John the Baptist this prophet? The prophet Malachi eludes to comes during the tribulation.

 John 1: 21 “Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not."
Luke 1:17 a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,

SLIDE 9 vv. 9-12 After they have finished their testimony God allowed the beast to strike the witnesses. They laid in the streets uncovered and those on the earth celebrated.

¹¹But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

¹²Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 1/10 of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to com

SLIDE 10 Revelation 11:¹⁵Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

SLIDE 1116And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,¹⁷saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

¹⁸The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."

SLIDE 12 ¹⁹Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Revelation 10 The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll

SLIDE 1 Revelation 10

·        The Mighty Angel 10:1-7

·        The little scroll 10: 8-11

SLIDE 2 Revelation10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.

More than 60 references to angels made in Revelation. They are God's army sent to accomplish his purposes on earth. This angel has some characteristics that belong especially to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is this angel? Angel of the LORD (Theophany or a Christophany in the OT)

·        Strong and Powerful

·        Clouds- remind us of scenes of heaven

·        Rainbow over his head- Authority from Throne: symbol of God’s faithfulness and mercy (rainbow of Noah’s time)

·        Face as the sun-Matthew 17:2 Jesus face at the transfiguration

·        Legs like pillars of fire.

SLIDE 3 

1.     Does the Angel makes promises that only the LORD can make?

2.     An angel will rebuke a man for bowing at his feet.

3.     If the angel says “thus saith the Lord” -probably an angel.

Let us recall Revelation 1:15-16 the One in the midst of the lampstand: his feet - like burnished bronze, his voice - like the roar of many waters, his face was- like the sun shining in full strength. Who is this One?

SLIDE 4  2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land,

·        Has a little scroll in His hand-Jesus only one worthy

·        His stance on the sea and the land of a conqueror taking possession of his kingdom

Only Christ can hold open scroll only Christ can take possession of this territory.

SLIDE 5 Psalm 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Christ is Lion of Judah, He roars to announce victory

3 …and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.  When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.

Voice like thunder  Psalms 29 uses “the phrase” 7 times in 11 vv.  ⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

SLIDE 6  4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down."

·      No angel could proclaim this message.

·        What did the “seven thunders” ? Why seven?

·        Why was John told not to record it? That a question you can ask when you see Him.

SLIDE 75-6 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay,  HERE we have a puzzle:  Would God swear?

· Hebrew 6:13-20  For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself,

· Hebrews 7:23-20 He with an oath by Him who said unto Him: “The Lord swore and will not repent, ‘Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’”

·  Acts 2: 29-30 God had sworn an oath to him (David) that from the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne,

SLIDE 8 10:6 no more delay,⁷but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

What is the Mystery? Deut. 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, Daniel and Job talked of mysteries. The gospel and most of Paul letters speak of the mystery, and reveal how we as sinful creations can receive full salvation through Jesus Christ. The mystery of God is the completion of HIS plan to bring His kingdom in Christ to fulfillment.

SLIDE 9 1 Peter 1:3-5Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,⁴        to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,⁵               who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

SLIDE 10 ⁸      Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."

⁹     So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."

Two other prophets that that were instructed to digest God’s word

·        Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I consumed them.

·       Ezekiel 3:3-4 “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.”

SLIDE 11 Psalms 19:9b sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psalms 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.

¹¹And I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings."

Throughout the Bible, God’s Word is sweet to those who trust and obey, but bitter for those who reject it.

SLIDE 12 Taste and see that the Lord is good! We must receive God's Word in our inner being consume it. God's word is compared to bread, milk, meat, and honey. God will not thrust His Word into our mouth and force us to receive it. He holds it out to us and we must take it. Read and digest His sweet promises, but also believe his warnings and prophecies of judgment. WW