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SERIES: THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, WEEK 52

TITLE: THE BEAST OUT OF THE SEA

TEXT: REVELATION 13:1-6

INTRODUCTION: (1) I’VE TITLED MY MESSAGE TODAY: “THE BEAST OUT OF THE SEA.”

* NOW THIS BEAST MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AS REPRESENTING BOTH A KINGDOM AND A PERSON.

** A KINGDOM, BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEX DESCRIPTION OF HIM IN THE LATTER HALF OF V. 1, WHICH I WILL ATTEMPT TO UNPACK IN A FEW MINUTES.

*** YET THIS BEAST MUST ALSO REPRESENT A PERSON, SINCE HE IS ALWAYS DESCRIBED WITH PERSONAL PRONOUNS LIKE HE, HIS OR HIM.

**** AND YOU WILL SEE AS I INTERPRET THIS TEXT AS PROPHECY, NOT HISTORY, THIS PERSON IS NONE OTHER THAN THE ANTI-CHRIST, THE POLITICAL POWERFUL RULER OF THE WORLD IN THE TRIBULATION ENERGIZED AND PROBABLY POSSESSED BY SATAN.

(2) TO SET THE TABLE FOR THIS WORLD LEADER, A MAN OF SIN, THE SON OF PERDITION, JOHN MACARTHUR SAYS THIS IN HIS COMMENTARY ON REVELATION CHAPTERS 12-22 AND I QUOTE:

* “IN THE CHAOTIC TIMES OF CONFUSION, UNCERTAINTY AND UNREST THAT WILL PREVAIL DURING THE TRIBULATION, THE WORLD WILL LONG FOR A LEADER.

** PEOPLE WILL BE DESPERATELY HOPING FOR SOMEONE POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL TO UNITE THE DIVIDED AND CONTENTIOUS NATIONS OF THE WORLD; SOMEONE TO BRING HOPE IN THE MIDST OF HELPLESSNESS; SOMEONE TO PROVIDE A SENSE OF SECURITY IN AN UNSETTLED TIME OF APPREHENSION AND FEAR.

*** PEOPLE WILL BE DESPERATELY SEEKING A STRONG, CHARISMATIC, AUTHORITATIVE LEADER TO PULL THE WORLD BACK FROM THE BRINK OF DISASTER.”

- AND AS A SIDE NOTE, CERTAINLY IN OUR WORLD TODAY, WITH COMPLEX PROBLEMS, TERRORISM, ENERGY ISSUES AND WAR, WE ARE BEING PREPARED FOR SUCH A MAN – RIGHT? LONGING FOR A TRUE LEADER THAT CAN GET US OUT OF THE MESS WE ARE IN.

**** WELL, JOHN MACARTHUR GOES ON TO SAY, “THOSE LONGINGS WILL BE FULFILLED, THE POWERFUL LEADER PEOPLE DESIRE WILL COME AND UNIFY THE WORLD UNDER HIS RULE.

(3) HE WILL APPEAR AT FIRST TO BE EVERYTHING PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AND FOR A BRIEF TIME, HE WILL BRING PEACE AND PROSPERITY BUT HE WILL TURN OUT TO BE FAR MORE THAN THE WORLD BARGAINED FOR.

* HE WILL BE A DICTATOR MORE CRUEL AND POWERFUL THAN ANY OTHER LEADER THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. THIS MAN OFTEN CALLED THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE THE CULMINATION OF A LONG LINE OF WOULD-BE WORLD CONQUERORS.

** WHAT MEN LIKE ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE ROMAN EMPERORS IN ANCIENT TIMES AND HITLER AND STALIN IN MODERN TIMES ONLY DREAMED OF DOING, THE ANTICHRIST ACTUALLY WILL DO – HE WILL RULE THE ENTIRE WORLD AND RECEIVE ITS WORSHIP.” (END QUOTE)

*** NOW REVELATION CHAPTER 13 GIVES THE MOST DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS WORLD LEADER IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, A MAN WHO COMES INTO POWER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION.

**** BUT AS WE COME TO REVELATION 13 HIS VILE CAREER IS FULLY DEVELOPED AND HE WILL BE IN FULL POWER ENERGIZED BY SATAN FOR THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION.

(4) AND THIS MAN OF SIN WILL BE TOTALLY EMPOWERED, LED AND EVEN POSSESSED BY SATAN AT TIMES (AS JUDAS ISCARIOT WAS FOR A WHILE TO DO HIS BIDDING) AS SATAN HAS GREAT WRATH AND KNOWS THAT HIS TIME IS SHORT ACCORDING TO REVELATION 12:12.

* AND SATAN IS ENRAGED WITH ISRAEL IN REVELATION 12:17, THE LAST VERSE OF THE CHAPTER AND MAKES WAR WITH HER CHILDREN, SAVED ELECT JEWS.

** AND IN ESSENCE, TO SET–UP REVELATION 13, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT REVELATION 12 RECORDS THE BEGINNING OF SATAN’S WAR AGAINST GOD AND HIS PEOPLE, ELECT JEWS AND GENTILES.

*** AND CHAPTER 13 FOLLOWS LOGICALLY TO RECORD THAT WAR’S CULMINATION.

**** FOR IF YOU RECALL FROM REVELATION 12, SATAN IS SEEN BEING CAST FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH; SO IN CHAPTER 13 HE IS DESCRIBED BEGINNING HIS MASSIVE OFFENSIVE ON EARTH TO DEFEAT GOD AND HIS PURPOSES.

(5) AND SATAN WILL TRY TO PREVENT JESUS CHRIST FROM SETTING UP HIS EARTHLY KINGDOM BY SETTING UP HIS OWN UNDER ANTI-CHRIST, CALLED THE BEAST OUT OF THE SEA, WHICH AGAIN LEADS US TO THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE.

(4) AND AS WE START TO LOOK AT THIS BEAST TODAY IN STUDYING REVELATION 13:1-6, WE’LL LOOK AT 4 POINTS.

* NO. 1 THE WONDER OF THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS BEAST, VV. 1&2; NO. 2 THE WOUND OF ONE OF THE HEADS OF THE BEAST, V. 3; NO. 3 THE WORSHIP OF THE BEAST AND THE DRAGON SATAN, V. 4; AND NO. 4 THE WORDS OF THE BEAST, VV. 5&6.

** AND WITH THAT OUTLINE AS OUR PATH TO FOLLOW TODAY, LOOK AT V. 1 OF REVELATION 13 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL START TO SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE WONDER.

I. THE WONDER, (READ V. 1)

A. NOW SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST SENTENCE OF V. 1, “AND THE DRAGON STOOD ON THE SAND OF THE SEASHORE” BELONGS AS THE LAST SENTENCE OF CHAPTER 12.

* THE REASON BEING IT CONCLUDES THE ACCOUNT OF THE DRAGON WHICH IS SATAN AND HIS WAR AGAINST GOD AND HIS PEOPLE.

** AND IF YOU READ IT THAT WAY AND CONNECT IT TO CHAPTER 12 VERSE 17, IT IS PRETTY SEAMLESS.

** CHAPTER 12 VERSE 17: “SO THE DRAGON WAS ENRAGED WITH THE WOMAN (ISRAEL) AND WENT OFF TO MAKE WAR WITH THE REST OF HER CHILDREN, WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HOLD TO THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS” AND NOW THE FIRST SENTENCE OF V. 1 “AND NOW THE DRAGON STOOD ON THE SAND OF THE SEASHORE.”

*** AND THOSE TWO PORTIONS APPEAR TO BE CONNECTED.

**** BUT ALSO NOTE THAT SOME TRANSLATIONS READ AS WE CONTINUE IN THIS SENTENCE, “I STOOD” WHILE THE TRANSLATIONS THAT USE THE OLDER AND MORE RELIABLE MANUSCRIPTS SAY, “HE STOOD” OR LIT. “THE DRAGON STOOD” AS THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD UPDATE READS, WHICH I USE.

* “THEN I (JOHN) SAW A BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE SEA.”

** NOW THIS BEAST IS UNLIKE ANY ANIMAL WE HAVE EVER SEEN OR LIKE ANY OTHER ANIMAL THAT JOHN SAW.

*** FOR THIS BEAST HAS 10 HORNS AND SEVEN HEADS AND ON HIS TEN HORNS WERE 10 DIADEMS AND ON HIS 7 HEADS WERE BLASPHEMOUS NAMES.

**** NOW WE KNOW THERE ARE NO SEVEN HEADED ANIMALS IN THE WORLD WITH 10 HORNS AND ON ITS HEAD BLASPHEMOUS NAMES.

2. AND WE WILL SEE IN V. 2 THE WORD “LIKE” IS USED 3 TIMES TO GIVE OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS BEAST SO WE KNOW FROM THIS CONTEXT THAT THIS BEAST REPRESENTS SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.

* AND WE WILL SEE AS WE MOVE ON THAT THE BEAST SYMBOLIZES ANTI-CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM.

** NOW GOING BACK TO V. 1 WITH THAT IN MIND, THE GREEK WORD FOR BEAST HERE IS ALSO USED IN REVELATION 11:7 TO DESCRIBE ANTI-CHRIST.

*** AND THIS WORD IS USED 16 TIMES IN REVELATION 13 ALONE AND 37 TIMES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND JOHN USES PERSONAL PRONOUNS LIKE HE, HIM AND HIS TO DESCRIBE HIM.

**** AND THE WORD BEAST DOES NOT REFER TO A DOMESTICATED ANIMAL BUT TO A WILD, SAVAGE, FEROCIOUS MONSTER, WHICH DESCRIBES THE BEASTS PERSONALITY.

3. HE IS VICIOUS AND FEROCIOUS, HE HAS A BEAST-LIKE CHARACTER, HE ACTS LIKE A WILD ANIMAL.

* BUT ALSO NOTICE THIS BEAST COMES UP OUT OF “THE SEA.” AND THERE ARE 3 MAJOR INTERPRETATIONS FOR SEA HERE.

** NO. 1 THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, THAT THE BEAST COMES FROM THAT PART OF THE WORLD; NO. 2 THE SEA REPRESENTS THE SEA OF HUMANITY AND SPECIFICALLY THAT HE IS A GENTILE, AND CERTAINLY REVELATION 17:15 IS USED THIS WAY.

*** FOR REVELATION 17:15 SAYS: AND HE SAID TO ME, “THE WATERS WHICH YOU SAW WHERE THE HARLOT SITS, ARE PEOPLES AND MULTITUDES AND NATIONS AND TONGUES.”

**** AND HERE WE SEE THE WATERS ARE “PEOPLES AND MULTITUDES AND NATIONS AND TONGUES.”

4. THEN THE THIRD AND LAST INTERPRETATION IS THAT THE SEA IS THE ABYSS. FOR IN REVELATION 11:7 AND REVELATION 17:8, THE BEAST COMES UP OUT OF THE PIT OF THE ABYSS, THE PRISON OF DEMONS SO THE SEA IS A PICTURE OF THE REALM OF SATANIC ACTIVITY AND HE IS EMPOWERED BY SATAN.

* AND THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION I LEAN TO.

** NOW A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT I DON’T WANT TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME ON AND WE’LL MOVE ON TO V. 2.

*** ONE, THIS BEAST HAS 10 HORNS. AND HORNS IN SCRIPTURE PICTURE STRENGTH AND POWER FOR ATTACK AND DEFENSE.

**** AND HERE IN REVELATION 13:1 SYMBOLIZE THE GREAT POWER OF 10 KINGS WHO WILL RULE UNDER ANTI-CHRIST’S AUTHORITY.

(5) AND WE COME TO THIS CONCLUSION FROM DANIEL 7:7&24 AND REVELATION 17:12 WHICH SAYS:

REVELATION 17:12 – “THE TEN HORNS WHICH YOU SAW ARE TEN KINGS WHO HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A KINGDOM, BUT THEY RECEIVE AUTHORITY AS KINGS WITH THE BEAST FOR ONE HOUR.”

* SO CLEARLY THE 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS, A TYPE OF REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE MOST LIKELY.

** AND THEN WE WILL SEE IN THE FUTURE FROM OUR STUDY OF REVELATION 17 THAT THE 7 HEADS ARE 7 SUCCESSIVE WORLD EMPIRES WITH THE 7TH IS YET TO COME.

*** AND THEN THE 10 DIADEMS ARE ROYAL CROWNS INDICATING THESE KING’S AUTHORITY AND POWER.

**** AND THEN ON THE SEVEN HEADS WERE BLASPHEMOUS NAMES WHICH ARE NOT GIVEN.

(6) AND ALL IN ALL THE SIGHT OF THIS BEAST WAS A WONDER, AN AMAZING AND PUZZLING SIGHT FOR JOHN TO SEE.

* BUT THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS WONDER, OF THIS BEAST CONTINUES IN V. 2. LOOK AT V. 2 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 2. NOW THE OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE BEAST, REMIND JOHN OF A LEOPARD WITH ITS DISTINCTIVE COLORING AND BUILD IN ITS BODY, AN ANIMAL THAT IS QUICK AND FAST.

* AND THE FEET OF THIS BEAST REMIND JOHN OF A BEAR’S FEET, FEET THAT ARE VERY LARGE.

** AND THE BEAST’S MOUTH WAS LIKE THE MOUTH OF A LION.

*** AND THESE 3 ANIMALS, A LEOPARD, A BEAR AND A LION ARE LINKED TO DANIEL’S VISION IN DANIEL 7:3-7 WHICH TALK ABOUT 4 WORLD EMPIRES IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND THAT DOMINATED THE KNOWN WORLD.

**** AND FOLLOW ALONG ON THE SCREEN TO SEE THE SIMILARITY OF DANIEL’S VISION TO JOHN’S VISION.

1. DANIEL 7:3-7 – AND FOUR GREAT BEASTS WERE COMING UP FROM THE SEA, DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER.

V. 4 – THE FIRST WAS LIKE A LION AND HAD THE WINGS OF AN EAGLE. I KEPT LOOKING UNTIL ITS WINGS WERE PLUCKED, AND IT WAS LIFTED UP FROM THE GROUND AND MADE TO STAND ON TWO FEET LIKE A MAN; A HUMAN MIND ALSO WAS GIVEN TO IT.

V. 5 – AND BEHOLD, ANOTHER BEAST, A SECOND ONE, RESEMBLING A BEAR. AND IT WAS RAISED UP ON ONE SIDE, AND THREE RIBS WERE IN ITS MOUTH BETWEEN ITS TEETH; AND THUS THEY SAID TO IT, ‘ARISE, DEVOUR MUCH MEAT!’

V. 6 – AFTER THIS I KEPT LOOKING, AND BEHOLD, ANOTHER ONE, LIKE A LEOPARD, WHICH HAD ON ITS BACK FOUR WINGS OF A BIRD; THE BEAST ALSO HAD FOUR HEADS, AND DOMINION WAS GIVEN TO IT.

V. 7 – AFTER THIS I KEPT LOOKING IN THE NIGHT VISIONS, AND BEHOLD, A FOURTH BEAST, 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.

* THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOHN’S VISION TO DANIEL’S HERE IS JOHN LISTED HIS VISION OF THESE ANIMALS IN REVERSE ORDER TO DANIEL’S, FOR JOHN IS LOOKING BACK.

** DANIEL’S VISION AND JOHN’S ARE SEPARATED BY AT LEAST 600 YEARS. AND DANIEL BEGAN WITH THE LION AND JOHN ENDS WITH THE LION.

*** NOW UNDERSTAND THAT IN DANIEL’S VISION THE LION WAS A PICTURE OF THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE, THE BEAR REPRESENTED THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE, AND THE LEOPARD SYMBOLIZED THE GREEK EMPIRE LED BY ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

**** NOW AGAIN JOHN LISTS THE 3 ANIMALS IN REVERSE ORDER FROM DANIEL SINCE HE WAS LOOKING BACKWARD IN TIME, AND DANIEL LOOKING FORWARD IN TIME, LISTED THE ANIMALS AND THE KINGDOM THEY REPRESENT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

2. NOW AS WE PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER, DANIEL LISTED A FOURTH BEAST IN DANIEL 7:7 WHICH REPRESENTS THE 4TH WORLD EMPIRE, THE LAST WORLD EMPIRE, THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

* NOW UNDER THE ANTI-CHRIST’S REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE, WHICH WILL BE A COMPOSITE, A MIXTURE OF THE OTHER WORLD EMPIRES, STRONGER THAN ANY OTHER WORLD EMPIRE, ANTI-CHRIST WILL ATTEMPT TO STOP A FUTURE REIGN OF CHRIST.

** IN OTHER WORDS, THE NEW EMPIRE WHICH IS A REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION WILL BE A MIX OF THE STRENGTHS OF BABYLON, MEDO-PERSIA AND GREECE AND WILL BE MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN EVEN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

*** FOR THIS REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE WILL BE A COMPOSITE, A MIX OF THE STRENGTHS OF ALL THE PREVIOUS WORLD EMPIRES, A POWERFUL POLITICAL FORCE, UNLIKE ANY OTHER WORLD EMPIRE.

**** AND THE REASON AND SOURCE FOR THIS GREAT POWERFUL POLITICAL ENTITY IS SATAN, THE DRAGON HIMSELF.

3. FOR THE END OF V. 2, IT SAYS: “AND THE DRAGON GAVE HIM HIS POWER AND HIS THRONE AND GREAT AUTHORITY.”

* BELOVED, SATAN ENERGIZES AND EMPOWERS AND IS BEHIND ANTI-CHRIST AND HIS EMPIRE. THESE HAPPENINGS AND EVENTS ARE BEING ORCHESTRATED BY THE DRAGON HIMSELF FOR HIS UNHOLY PURPOSES.

** AND SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN THAT AT LEAST APPEARS SUPERNATURALLY TO BRING THIS ABOUT OR AT LEAST HELP SOLIDIFY THIS POWER PLAY, AND IT IS A WOUND, OUR SECOND POINT TODAY. LOOK AT V. 3 PLEASE.

II. THE WOUND, (READ V. 3)

A. NOW THERE IS MUCH DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THIS FATAL WOUND THAT IS HEALED.

* BUT IN MY STUDY IT APPEARS THAT ONE OF HIS HEADS, ONE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST’S HEADS, LIT. MEANS THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST HIMSELF, THAT THE BEAST HIMSELF IS SLAIN.

** THE REASON BEING, THE CONTEXT OF REVELATION 13 AND CROSS REFERENCING TO REVELATION 17:8&11.

*** FOR IN REVELATION 13:12&14 IT SAYS:

V. 12 – HE EXERCISES ALL THE AUTHORITY OF THE FIRST BEAST IN HIS PRESENCE. AND HE MAKES THE EARTH AND THOSE WHO DWELL IN IT TO WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST, WHOSE FATAL WOUND WAS HEALED.

V. 14 – AND HE DECEIVES THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH BECAUSE OF THE SIGNS WHICH IT WAS GIVEN HIM TO PERFORM IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BEAST, TELLING THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH TO MAKE AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST WHO HAD THE WOUND OF THE SWORD AND HAS COME TO LIFE.

**** AND THEN BEYOND REVELATION 13, REVELATION 17:8&11 SAYS:

V. 8 – THE BEAST THAT YOU SAW WAS, AND IS NOT, AND IS ABOUT TO COME UP OUT OF THE ABYSS AND GO TO DESTRUCTION. AND THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH, WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, WILL WONDER WHEN THEY SEE THE BEAST, THAT HE WAS AND IS NOT AND WILL COME.

V. 11 – THE BEAST WHICH WAS AND IS NOT, IS HIMSELF ALSO AN EIGHTH AND IS ONE OF THE SEVEN, AND HE GOES TO DESTRUCTION.

1. NOW THE EXPRESSION “HE WAS AND IS NOT AND WILL COME” COMMUNICATES EXISTENCE, DEATH OR NON-EXISTENCE AND LIFE AGAIN.

* AND AS WE PUT THESE TEXTS TOGETHER, ANTI-CHRIST HAS A FATAL WOUND, AND THIS FATAL WOUND IS HEALED, HIS WOUND OF DEATH IS HEALED.

** NOW WHETHER THIS IS A FAKE DEATH OR A REAL DEATH, ANTI-CHRIST WILL APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD!

*** FOR THIS FALSE CHRIST, THIS FAKE CHRIST, THIS PHONY CHRIST WILL TRY TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE IS THE CHRIST, COUNTERFEITING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION, READ II THESSALONIANS 2:3-12.

**** AND WHETHER THIS IS REAL OR FALSE, A LYING WONDER, I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO ARGUE, BUT IT LOOKS REAL TO THE PLACE THAT “THE WHOLE EARTH WAS AMAZED.”

2. AND THE WOUND AMAZED LIT. MEANS TO MARVEL, TO BE IN WONDER, TO BE IN STUNNED WONDER.

* AND WHETHER IT IS REAL OR NOT IS IRRELEVANT, IT LOOKS REAL AND THE RESPONSE IS THE WHOLE EARTH, LIT. THE WORLD OF UNBELIEVERS FOLLOW AFTER THE BEAST.

** A MAN DIES, NOT A KINGDOM, AND IT APPEARS HE IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD AND PEOPLE ARE IN AWE AND SAY, WE MUST FOLLOW THIS GUY, HE’LL LEAD US TO BETTER DAYS, ANYONE THIS POWERFUL IS A FORCE TO BE FOLLOWED, AND SEEING IS BELIEVING AND WE WILL FOLLOW OUR LEADER.

*** AND THIS LEADS TO WORSHIP, OUR THIRD POINT, LOOK AT V. 4 PLEASE.

III. THE WORSHIP, (READ V. 4)

A. NOW THE WONDER, AWE AND AMAZEMENT OF THE WORLD OVER THE HEALING OF THE BEAST’S DEATH-WOUND LEADS TO WORSHIP OF THE DRAGON AND THE BEAST.

* BELOVED, SATAN FINALLY GETS WHAT HE WANTS, WORSHIP, FOR WORSHIPPING THE BEAST WILL REALLY BE WORSHIP OF THE DRAGON FOR THE BEAST GETS HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY FROM THE DRAGON.

** AND SATAN SINCE HIS FALL HAS WANTED WORSHIP, FOR IN ISAIAH 14:14 IT IS RECORDED THAT SATAN OR LUCIFER SAID: “I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE HEIGHTS OF THE CLOUDS; I WILL MAKE MYSELF LIKE THE MOST HIGH.”

*** AND AS WE GO BACK TO MATTHEW 4:8&9, SATAN IN HIS 3’D TEMPTATION OF CHRIST SAID THIS:

V. 8 – AGAIN, THE DEVIL TOOK HIM TO A VERY HIGH MOUNTAIN AND SHOWED HIM ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD AND THEIR GLORY;

V. 9 – AND HE SAID TO HIM, “ALL THESE THINGS I WILL GIVE YOU, IF YOU FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP ME.”

**** SO SATAN HAS ALWAYS WANTED WORSHIP AND HERE HE GETS IT THROUGH HIS ANTI-CHRIST.

1. AND PEOPLE WILL CRY OUT “WHO IS LIKE THE BEAST AND WHO IS ABLE TO WAGE WAR AGAINST HIM.”

* AND THESE CRIES COME FROM THE BACKDROP OF HIM BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD. FOR THE MIRACLE WROUGHT IN HIM SHOWS HIS POWER AND MIGHT, SO WHO WOULD WANT TO MESS WITH HIM, YOU DON’T WANT TO FIGHT THAT KIND OF POWER IS THE CRY.

** AND THIS WORSHIP OF THE DRAGON AND THE BEAST WILL LEAD TO THE BEAST’S ARROGANT WORDS AND BLASPHEMES, WHICH IS OUR 4TH AND FINAL POINT TODAY, THE WORDS. LOOK AT V. 5 PLEASE.

IV. THE WORDS, (READ V. 5)

A. NOW AS ANTI-CHRIST, THE BEAST REACHES THE APEX OF WORLD POWER, 2 THINGS ARE SAID TO BE GIVEN HIM IN V. 5.

* AND THE PHRASE, “WAS GIVEN TO HIM” IS USED TWICE IN V. 5.

** NOW THE QUESTION IS, WHO GAVE HIM THESE 2 THINGS WE WILL TALK ABOUT IN V. 5?

*** WELL SATAN GIVES HIS AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT HE DOES, BUT THE PHRASES HERE MAKE REFERENCE TO THE ONE WHO ULTIMATELY GIVES SATAN HIS POWER, THE SOVEREIGN GOD OF THE UNIVERSE WHO IS IN SOVEREIGN CONTROL AND STILL ON HIS THRONE.

**** FOR THIS PHRASE “WAS GIVEN” IS USED REPEATEDLY IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, SPECIFICALLY IN REVELATION 6:4, 8; 7:2 AND 9:5 TO REFER TO GOD’S SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF EVENTS.

1. AND IN THE MIDST OF ALL THESE THINGS GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL, JUDGING THE EARTH, JUDGING THE LOST, SAVING HIS ELECT AND PREPARING ISRAEL FOR NATIONAL SALVATION AND HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH.

* NOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT ARE THE FOUR THINGS THAT ARE GIVEN TO SATAN?

** WELL, NO. 1 THERE WAS GIVEN HIM A MOUTH SPEAKING ARROGANT WORDS AND BLASPHEMES.

*** AND NO DOUBT THE BEAST WILL HAVE GREAT ORATORICAL ABILITY AND ELOQUENCE AND WILL USE THAT ABILITY AS A PERSUASIVE SPEAKER TO SPEAK GREAT THINGS IN HIS ARROGANCE AND BLASPHEMOUS WORDS. HE WILL BE SATAN’S MOUTHPIECE.

**** NO. 2 POWER WAS GIVEN TO HIM TO CONTINUE 42 MONTHS. AND HERE GOD LIMITS HIS TIME TO DO WHAT HE DOES TO 42 MONTHS, 3 ½ YEARS, THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION CALLED THE GREAT TRIBULATION, A TIME FRAME USED FREQUENTLY IN REVELATION. (GOD SETS THE LIMITS).

2. SO THE BEAST IS GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO SPEAK AND ACT IN POWER FOR 3 ½ YEARS AND V. 6 AMPLIFIES ON THIS. LOOK AT V. 6 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 6. NOW THE BEAST IN V. 6 USES HIS ORATORY AND ELOQUENCE TO SPECIFICALLY BLASPHEME GOD.

* AND THE WORD BLASPHEMIES OR BLASPHEMY LIT. MEANS TO SLANDER, IT HAS TO DO WITH INJURIOUS SPEECH OF ANOTHER’S GOOD NAME AND IT HAS TO DO WITH DETRACTION, REPROACHFUL SPEECH.

** AND J. ALLEN IN HIS COMMENTARY ON REVELATION HAS NOTES THAT COMMUNICATE THAT BLASPHEMY IS COMMITTED IN 3 WAYS:

*** NO. 1 WHEN ANYTHING IS ATTRIBUTED TO GOD THAT IS CONTRARY TO HIS HOLINESS.

**** NO. 2 WHEN ANYTHING IS DISOWNED THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO GOD.

1. AND NO. 3 WHEN ANYTHING IS ASCRIBED TO A CREATURE THAT BELONGS TO GOD ALONE.

* AND SPECIFICALLY IN V. 6 ANTI-CHRIST WILL BLASPHEME GOD’S NAME WHICH REPRESENTS ALL THAT GOD IS IN HIS CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTES.

** HE WILL BLASPHEME GOD’S TABERNACLE – HEAVEN, THE PLACE HE DWELLS, TO SPEAK IN A DEROGATORY WAY OF GOD’S DWELLING PLACE.

*** AND IN DOING THAT HE IS SPEAKING OF THOSE WHO DWELL IN HEAVEN, MOST LIKELY HIS HOLY ANGELS WHO WERE USED TO CAST SATAN OUT OF HEAVEN, MICHAEL AND HIS ANGELS IN REVELATION 12:7.

**** SO THE BEAST WILL BE A VOICE FOR SATAN, VOICING HIS MASTER’S FRUSTRATED RAGE AGAINST GOD.

IN WRAP UP: (1) THE BEAST FROM THE SEA IS A MAN- ANTI-CHRIST AND HE IS IN AUTHORITY AS THE LEADER OVER A WORLDWIDE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE FOR 3 ½ YEARS THAT WILL PRODUCE HAVOC ON THE EARTH AND ATTACK GOD’S NAME AND GOD’S PEOPLE.

* BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE, AND THIS WILL ONLY GO ON FOR A LIMITED TIME IN GOD’S PURPOSES – 3 ½ YEARS.

** AND IN APPLICATION TODAY, ONE THING FROM OUR TEXT. SATAN DESIRES WORSHIP, THAT IS VERY EVIDENT AND WILL RECEIVE IT THROUGH THE BEAST.

*** BUT UNDERSTAND, IN A SENSE, SATAN IS WORSHIPPED WHEN GOD IS NOT. TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY, SATAN IS WORSHIPPED WHEN WE ALLOW OTHER PRIORITIES AND IDOLS TO GET IN THE WAY OF OUR PRIORITY OF WORSHIPPING GOD.

**** AND QUITE FRANKLY OUR ULTIMATE PRIORITY AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IS WORSHIP, SHOWING HIS WORTHSHIP.

(2) AND WORSHIP OF FALSE GODS – ANYTHING THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD.

* WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD IN A WRONG WAY THAT WE MAKE UP RATHER THAN THE WAY HE IS PRESCRIBED IN HIS WORD, IN ANY SELF-STYLED MANNER OF OURS.

** AND WORSHIP OF GOD WITH A WRONG ATTITUDE IS WRONG.

*** AND WORSHIP, HONOR AND ADORATION DIRECTED TO GOD, PAYING HOMAGE TO HIM, HUMBLE ADORATION OF HIM, SHOWING HIS WORTHINESS, ASCRIBING GOD HIS WORTH AND STATING HIS SUPREME VALUE HAPPENS AS WE LOVE HIM, SERVE HIM AND OBEY HIM FIRST, ABOVE ALL.

**** AND WORSHIP SHOULD BE A WAY OF LIFE BY LIVING A LIFE THAT HONORS HIM AT HOME, WORK, LEISURE AND CHURCH – NOT JUST SINGING SOME GOOD SONGS.

(3) IT HAPPENS AS EVERYTHING IS SACRED, WORK, FAMILY LIFE, CHURCH LIFE, THAT IS AN OFFERING TO HIM, DOING IT FOR HIM, GIVING OF OUR ALL TO HIM FOR HE IS WORTHY.

* LAST SUNDAY I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHOM DO YOU SERVE? I FOLLOW-UP WITH THAT TODAY WITH THE QUESTION, “WHOM DO YOU WORSHIP?”

** YOUR LIFE GIVES THE ANSWER TO THAT. AND IF IT IS NOT GOD ALMIGHTY, IT IS SATAN. BELOVED, CONSIDER THAT AS WE CONSIDER AND THINK OF OUR GREAT SOVEREIGN HOLY GOD TODAY AS WE HAVE STUDIED HIS WORD.