Beastmode II (Rev. 13:11-18)
I’m sure by now you’ve already seen or heard about the Netflix game show “Is it Cake?” where participants compete for a chance to win $75,000 by baking some of the most incredibly realistic and edible objects with personal significance. If you’ve seen the show then you know how hard it can be to spot the fake (or cake). These folks have baked everything from a bags filled with money to sports equipment. They’ve baked things that look like fresh produce and things that resemble a child’s toy. Household appliances and handbags.Well, today, we are going to talk about another fake. Only, this one does not come from cake, instead it comes for the dragon of chapter 12 and the first beast of chapter 13 who we talked about the last time I preached. If you thought it was hard to figure out which object was made out of cake, then trying to figure out who the beasts of Revelation 13 are/will be is going to be even harder. If you are not plugged into the living word of God, if you have not been marked by God as His very own, then you stand no chance at seeing through the lie when it comes. However, if you have placed your hope and trust in Christ then you have nothing to worry about because your/our God is in control.As always, before we get too deep into the message, let’s actually read God’s Word to see what He has to say, then I want to pray over us as we listen to the Spirit of God speak.
Revelation 13:11-18
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. 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.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.
Pray
So, the last time that I spoke we looked at the first beast from chapter 13:1-10. As a reminder, what we see happening in this chapter is a result of the dragon’s rage which we read about at the end of chapter 12. The dragon’s failed attempts at killing the Child and the Woman of chapter 12 causes him to focus his attention on the offspring of the Woman, that being the Church universal.In chapter 13 we are introduced to two beasts. The first beast comes out of the sea. Many students of the Bible are convinced that the beast from the sea is the Antichrist, a geo-political figure who will lead the charge in establishing a one-world government, a one-world religion, and a one-world economy.[i]Now, John tells us in his first letter,1 John 2:18 NKJVLittle children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.Some folks are so overly concerned with a future dictatorial ruler who publicly and blatantly opposes Christ that they often miss the antichrists standing right under their noses. We don’t have to wait for some undisclosed time in the future for the Antichrist; there are plenty of antichrists among us today.According to one source, J. Scott Duvall says,
“since the beasts and kings in Daniel 7 portray nations and rulers who attack God’s people, John appears to have something similar in mind.”[ii]
He goes on to say that
“…the beast from the sea symbolizes the ‘perpetual deification of secular authority’ or ‘the powers of evil which lie behind the kingdoms of this world.’”[iii]
Probably, this figure was understood to be the Roman emperor Nero or maybe even Domitian. We have no real way of knowing who this figure is and honestly, that isn’t my concern at all. As I mentioned the last time, I’m less concerned with who the beasts are than I am with what they do.This second section of Revelation 13 can be broken down into three main parts highlighting (1) the deception of the beast (11-14), (2) a call to dedication to Christ and a willingness die for His glory (15-17) and finally (3) a call to be wise and discerning (18).
Deception (Rev. 13:11-14)
Revelation 13:11–14 NKJVThen 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.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.There are so many varying opinions about who this beast was/is/will be that it can be hard to keep up. However, if we stick to God’s Word we can learn a lot about this figure.One of the first things that we can know about this beast is that, according Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10 this is the false prophet - the third person of the unholy trinity.Michael Wilcock claims that the second beast is
“‘in modern parlance, the ideology - whether religious, philosphical, or political - which “gives breath to” any human social structure organized independently of God’”.[iv]
The second beast that John sees coming out of the earth has characteristics resembling a lamb (Gk: arnion). The Greek word that John uses for lamb in Revelation occurs 29 times. 28 of the references are exclusively used of Jesus as a having power and being victorious over death because of His resurrection. The only other time that John uses this word for lamb in Revelation is here in chapter 13. John tells us that the beast had two horns like a lamb. He is a copycat! It’s all smoke and mirrors! Don’t be fooled by his appearance. Although he may look like a lamb, he speaks like a dragon! A dragon from who’s mouth comes unclean spirits (Rev. 16:13). A dragon who accuses Christians before God day and night (Revelation 12:10). A dragon who will be fed to the fires of hell where he, along with the first beast and the false prophet, will suffer torment for all eternity (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).Jesus told us in Matthew’s Gospel,Matthew 7:15 NKJV“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.How often have we read or listened to reports about failed pastors and ministry leaders who have snuffed out the flames of faith that once burned brightly in Believers by their deceptive and destructive behaviors?There is always deception with Satan. He is the father of lies! The word deception means to be led astray; to cause to wander. This is one of Satan’s most effective tools.Another thing that we can learn about this beast from God’s Word is that he will act in a similar manner as the Holy Spirit.John 16:13–14 NKJVHowever, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.Just as the Holy Spirit does not speak on His own authority, neither does the earth beast. The second beast speaks with the authority of the first beast, the Antichrist. What authority did the first beast have? He was given authority to blaspheme all that was of God (5-6). He was given authority to make war with the saints of God and even to overcome them (7). Finally, he was given authority over every people group on the face of the planet (7-8).He also mimics the Holy Spirit in this way. Just as the Holy Spirit does not glorify Himself, but rather takes every opportunity to showcase Jesus, so too will the second beast. The false prophet, leads people from every tribe, nation, and tongue into worshipping the Antichrist. How he’ll do this is clearly seen in the next verses.Look at verses 13 and 14.Revelation 13:13–14 NKJVHe 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.The way in which the second beast will be able to deceive people is through the use of miracles, signs and wonders.Listen carefully to what Duvall says,
“Sadly, some Christians today are incredibly gullible and ignorant when it comes to the whole issue of power. If the demonstration of power is magnificent enough, they will believe it. Christians need to become more knowledgeable about how God uses power and more discerning about the motives and purposes of those who grasp for power.”[v]
Remember that Jesus said,“A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed” (Matthew 16:4).The only evidence that we need of the power of God is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is why we preach Christ crucified! This is why we celebrate the Lord’s supper every week! That your faith would not be in our ability to preach well, but rather in the demonstration of the love and power of God!Don’t be fooled by the deception of Satan.Folks, the word of God is filled with warnings about chasing signs and wonders. Always looking for a miracle.Matthew 24:24 NKJVFor false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.Again, the only proof of God’s power that you and I need is in the resurrection!Now, those who dwell on the earth, those whose minds have been blinded by the god of this age because of their unbelief (2 Cor. 4:3-4), they will be led astray by the miracles the false prophet will perform. Make no mistake, Satan can do some really incredible things within limits. And if we aren’t tapped into the Holy Spirit of God we will be led right off the cliff.One of my favorite hip hop artist is a guy by the name of Dee-1. Dee-1 is a Christian and for years he has been disrupting the music industry because he uses his platform to call out demonic behavior. In a recent interview, Dee-1 said this, “The devil will bless you too.” Satan will open doors for you that God never intended for you to walk through. He will give you things that God didn’t want you to have or things He wanted to give you at some future time, the devil will expedite it.Daniel Akin says,
“Not everything that appears to be a miracle is a miracle. And not everything that is a miracle is a miracle from God.”[vi]
In Revelation 13:13 The beast made fire fall down from heaven in the sight of men and they were convinced of his power. Their willingness to accept this “strange fire” was possibly inspired by their refusal to receive the true fire which came from the mouths of the two witnesses in Rev. 11:5.That’s why 1 Jn. 4:1 encourages us with these words:1 John 4:1 NKJVBeloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.Don’t let the devil deceive you! Follow hard after Christ!
Dedication and Death (Rev. 13:15-17)
This brings us to the next main point in this section. Followers of Christ will have to be fully dedicated to Him even to the point of death.Revelation 13:15–17 NKJVHe 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. 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.This will be a period where the Church will undergo great persecution for the sake of Christ. A decision will have to be made, either you will commit to Christ or you will commit to the dragon.We saw this same thing happen in Daniel 3:1-17. Nebuchadnezzar sets up an image made of gold and demands that everyone worships it or suffer death! However, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had dedicated themselves fully to following God regardless of the outcome. They were convinced of the power of God! “Our God is able…He will deliver us…But if, for some reason He chooses to not deliver us and we have to endure the flames of the furnace, we still refuse to worship anything or anyone else (Dan. 3:16-18).In His letter to the church at Smyrna, Jesus said,Revelation 2:10 NKJVDo not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.Daniel Akin points out that during the time that John is recording the revelation of Jesus,
“This church was enduring economic, physical, religious, and social opposition. They were marked out and ostracized. They experienced economic boycott and were misrepresented. And they paid a price. It cost them to take a stand for Jesus. There was real sacrifice in remaining faithful to Jesus.”[vii]
Even now, this is a major weakness in the Body of Christ. So many people who claim the Name of Jesus have divided loyalties. One foot in the church and one foot in the world. Not really convinced of the power of God. Not yet willing to go all in on Jesus. Robert Mounce said that
“Half-hearted Christians do not surrender their lives for a cause in which they do not believe.”[viii]
In his sermon Fighting from (not for) Victory, pastor David Platt says,
“Mark it down: there will always be a price to pay for believers who do not worship the idols of this world. Life will not be easy in this world when you fight the idolatry of this world, plain and simple” (“Fighting”).[ix]
Those who choose to worship the dragon will be marked out. They will have identification which will allow them to move about freely and do business. Again, this is all deception. The beast will demand loyalty under the penalty of death. Yet Christ offers us freedom and life!Isaiah 55:1–2 NKJV“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,Come to the waters;And you who have no money,Come, buy and eat.Yes, come, buy wine and milkWithout money and without price.Why do you spend money for what is not bread,And your wages for what does not satisfy?Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,And let your soul delight itself in abundance.Jesus has already marked out those who belong to Him! He has written His Name on our foreheads (Rev. 7:3; 14:1). He has sealed us for the day of our redemption by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14) and while we may be denied access to buy, sale or trade without the mark of the beast in this world 2 Peter 1:2-3 reminds us that according to the grace of God, He has given us everything that we need which pertains to life and godliness. So consider it an opportunity to rejoice when you suffer for Christ, because once its all said and done you will be complete lacking nothing (James 1:4)!
Discerning (Rev. 13:18)
Finally, this chapter closes with a call for discernment.Revelation 13:18 NKJVHere 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 number 666 has been used in many ways to identify the antichrist in every age. For example, this number has been associated with
The Roman emperor Nero
Ronald Wilson Reagan
The Pope
The mark of the beast has been believed to be social security cards, credit cards, computers, cell phones, the Covid vaccine, and more.
I call my mother every week just to check in on her and whenever I dial in M.O.M. it shows up as 666. We can be obsessed with identifying the antichrist or figuring out what exactly the mark of the beast is to the point that it can drive us mad or we can take comfort in knowing that thanks to the precious blood of Jesus, God has marked us for Himself.I love what Daniel Akin says about this and I’ll close with this quote,
The statement is, “It is the number of a man. His number is 666.” I think the number is more of a description than an identification. Six is the number of man. He was created on the sixth day. He is to work six days. In contrast, the number of perfection is seven, and the superlative of seven is 777.The beast is the greatest man but still a man. He is a six, not a seven. He, along with Satan and the false prophet, is a 666, a trinity of imperfection. Not now or ever will they be a 777! He is the best man can produce, but he is still just a man! He is “the completeness of sinful incompleteness,” the ultimate in “coming up short.” He is good enough to deceive many, but he is nowhere close to good enough to displace Jesus (Beale, “Number of the Beast”).[x]
Call to Respond
You see there can only be one Jesus. He is more than a Man. He is God.
Today, you have a choice to make. Either you will receive the mark of the beast and allow Satan to continue deceiving you and distracting you with the things of this world leading you into death, or you will receive the mark of Jesus which leads to life.
You see, at the moment that we surrender to the grace and love of God displayed in Jesus Christ; whenever we exchange our sin-filled and godless life for the perfect, sinless, and righteous life of Jesus, at that very moment the Holy Spirit of God comes to live with us and we are sealed for the day of our redemption.
You have a choice to make today. Will you continue to allow the devil to deceive and distract you, to blindfold you to the light of Christ or will you allow the Light of World give you and abundant life starting this today? Today is the day of salvation. Stop wasting your time, money, energy and your life on things that do not satisfy.
?
Tre ClarkNovember 12, 2023
Works Cited
[i] (Akin, Revelation, p231)[ii] (J. Scott Duvall , Revelation, p189)[iii] (J. Scott Duvall , Revelation, p189)[iv] (Michael Wilcock, The Message of Revelation: I Saw Heaven Opened, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 127.)[v] (Duvall, Revelation, p193).[vi] Exalting Jesus in Revelation The False Prophet Will Use Miracles to Deceive the World (Revelation 13:13–14)[vii] (Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Revelation, p46)[viii] (Mounce, Revelation, pp258-59).[ix] Exalting Jesus in Revelation The False Prophet Will Mark Those Who Worship Antichrist (Revelation 13:16–17)[x] Exalting Jesus in Revelation (The False Prophet Will Lead the World to Worship a Mere Man (Revelation 13:18))