Because He Knows That He has a Short Time

Last week, in Revelation 12:12, we read, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!  For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

 

Today, in Revelation 13, we are going to see the devil and all his fury reeking havoc on the Body of Christ in the second 42 months of the 7 year tribulation because he knows his time is short.  After the tribulation, he will be bound for 1000 years and then cast into hell for eternity.

 

Some of you are going to be disappointed this morning because I have not answered all of your questions regarding Revelation 13.  I’m sorry that I can’t, but anyone who says he can is ambitious at best and arrogant at worst.  Revelation 12 and 13 are just tough assignments.

 

This morning, we are going to be introduced to two more key figures in the end times.  They are the two beasts from Revelation thirteen and with the devil, they are an unholy trinity.

 

 

1. The Beast from the Sea or the Anti-Christ, 13:1-10

1 Then ^[a]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having ^[b]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. ² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to ^[c]continue for forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every ^[d]tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ¹⁰ He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the ^[e]patience and the faith of the saints.

 

Verses one through ten describe this first beast.  He is seen as coming out of the sea.  Some have said this is symbolic of him being a Gentile coming out of the sea of humanity. That is a possibility, but that is also speculation. 

 

He will have ten horns and seven heads and ten crowns on each horn, and each head will have blasphemous names.  Again, we could be here all day speculating as to what these horns and crowns and heads symbolize.  The fact is that is no one is certain. 

 

However, let’s go to 17:12.

 

¹² “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.

 

These ten horns are ten kings who will join with this first beast in the last half of the tribulation to rule the world, but understand, there is one clear-cut leader, and it is the beast.

 

The seven heads are described in verse nine. 

 

⁹ “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

 

The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.  What woman? I’m not going to get sidetracked today.  We’ll come to Revelation 17 soon enough.

 

In verse 2 and following, we see the first beast’s authority.

 

John uses a host of similes in describing this beast.  He is like a leopard with feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion.  This beast combines the speed, strength, and power of past world empires, but make no mistake about it, his power and authority come from the dragon who is Satan the devil. 

 

In verse 3, we see his injury.

 

Verse three says that one of his heads had been wounded but healed, and that miracle caused the whole earth to be in wonder and follower after him.  However, ultimately, they worshipped the dragon because he was the beast’s source of power and authority. 

 

Third, we see the beast’s blasphemy.

 

In verse five and six, we see that this beast will stand diametrically opposed to God and everything about God: His character, His power, and His children.

 

If you think things are bad, they only get worse in verse seven.  This first beast is going to make war with the saints, and he is going to overcome them. 

 

It matters not where you are from and what language you speak, the first beast will begin an earthly slaughter of every person who will not worship him.  The entire world will worship him except those who names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life since the foundation of the world. 

 

Allow me to tie up some loose ends before we move to the second beast.  At the beginning of my sermon, I mentioned to you an unholy trinity.

 

This unholy trinity of chapter thirteen includes the great red dragon, Satan the devil masquerading as God the Father.  This first beast will masquerade as God the Son or the Antichrist, and yes, he will be an individual and an entity.  Paul spoke of such.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of ^[a]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[b]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

 

The Antichrist will seek to attract just like Jesus, but in the end will slaughter Christians as Jesus is the Savior of Christians.  Verse three even speaks of one of the beast’s heads being slain but healed.

 

Some commentators take that to mean that like Jesus, the Antichrist will be assassinated but brought back to life.  That also is implied in verses twelve and fourteen. 

 

The dragon is Satan the devil and masquerades as God the Father.  The first beast from the sea is the Antichrist and masquerades as God the Son.  The second beast from the earth is the False Prophet and will masquerade as God the Holy Spirit pointing people to the Antichrist.

 

 

2. The Beast from the Earth or the False Prophet, 13:11-18

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. ¹² 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. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ¹⁴ And he deceives ^[f]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. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ 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, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has ^[g]the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 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.

 

The second beast is introduced in verse eleven as coming out of the earth.  Those that say that the Antichrist will be Gentile also say the False Prophet, here as the second beast, will be Jewish as designated as coming up out of the land or earth.  That is speculation only. 

 

The first beast is the political leader.  The second is the religious leader. 

 

The second beast has only two horns compared to the ten of the first.  Yet, he will speak as a dragon, and might I add, for the dragon.

 

Like the first, see the second’s authority.

 

He exercises all of the authority as the first beast because they are both part of the unholy Trinity.  As the Holy Spirit leads people to Jesus, the second best will lead people to the first, the False Prophet will lead people to the Antichrist. 

 

Next, notice his ministry.

 

Just like the Holy Trinity, the unholy Trinity will be capable of signs and wonders like making fire come down from heaven.  However, unlike the Holy Trinity who uses signs and wonders to affirm their deity, the unholy Trinity will use signs and wonders to deceive. 

 

The second beast will oversee the production of an image of the Antichrist that will be located in and or around the temple in Jerusalem.  He will even be able to make the image talk in some form and fashion. 

 

Verse fifteen talks about the image having breath and being able to speak.  Will this be technology?  Will this be ventriloquism?  Regardless, if you don’t worship the first beast, the Antichrist, you will be killed. 

 

Finally, notice the second beast’s identity.

 

And they will know who to kill by the mark of the beast on your forehead or your right hand.  It will mean six six six.  That is the mark of the beast.

 

Do we know what that will look like?  We don’t.  All I can tell you this morning is that consistent with his character, six six six is one less than seven seven seven. 

 

Seven is God.  Six is man.  There are three sixes because of three members of the unholy Trinity.  There are three sevens because of the Holy Trinity, which brings me to my conclusion.

 

 

Conclusion

First, during the last 42 months before the return of Christ, Christian persecution will be the worst it has ever been.  See 13:7.

 

Second, that will even mean their death.  See 13:15.

 

Finally, even during this time, God will still be in control.  Everything that Satan does and will do, he will only do with permission of God.  See 13:9-10.

 

God will ultimately take of the devil, but we must be patient.

 

Martin Luther said it like this, and don’t you forget this, “The devil is God’s devil.”