02.42. LECTURE No. 42 -- Rev_13:1-10
LECTURE No. 42 -- Revelation 13:1-10 The Bible Is a Complete Book Containing All Needed Light and Truth Relative to Redemption - God’s Word Is Forever Settled in Heaven So That Nothing Needs to Be Added - The Thirteenth Chapter of the Revelation a Prophetic Word Picture of the Antichrist - What Other Scripture Passages Have to Say Concerning the Antichrist - Why God Will Allow the Antichrist to Deceive Many People - Antichrist’s Relation to the Jews and to Palestine a Matter of Great Importance - The Final Doom of the Antichrist - Christians Are Looking for Christ to Come and Deliver Them Before Antichrist Is Revealed
Introduction
THERE is a comfort in knowing that the Bible is a complete book and that not only this last Book of the Bible, but the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation is a revelation of God and of His plans and purposes pertaining to redemption! The Bible is complete so that nothing needs to be added to it. The Bible, therefore, is a complete book, which reveals a complete plan of redemption.
Since this is true, we can say in the language of Psalms 119:89, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” How strange that men in every age have sought to destroy God’s Word, but every attempt to do so has utterly failed because God’s truth is unchangeable and immutable.
The Book of Revelation should be of special interest to us because of the time, and the manner and the purpose for which it was given. In Revelation 1:1-2, it says,
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him (that is, after He had ascended unto heaven) to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”
The fact therefore, that the truth of this book was not given until after Jesus had been crucified, buried, and risen again and had ascended into heaven, is proof that it was His last message to man since He went away. Therefore, being His last message, and being also the last Book in the Bible, we may rightfully call it the Book of the Consummation, which means ‘the end of all things in God’s plan of redemption.’
How unwise, therefore, and how foolish it would be for anyone to study the Book of Genesis, which is the Book of Beginnings, and the words of the prophets which tell us of things to come, and to study the four Gospels, which tell us of those things which came to pass, and then to read the New Testament Epistles, which give us light concerning present-day conditions in this age of grace-and then fail or refuse to read the Book of Revelation and not find out what the end of all of these things is going to be!
Imagine, if you can, someone reading a novel, which contains a very interesting plot, and then laying the book aside before reading the last chapter, which reveals the? end of the story! You would count such a person to be very foolish indeed. But what about thousands of Christians who have studied other portions of the Bible with delight, and yet fail or refuse or neglect to read and to understand this last Book of the Bible, which tells them in advance how everything recorded in the Bible, concerning the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church, is going to come out!
May God help us, therefore, to realize the importance of the truth contained in this last Book of the Bible, and by His Holy Spirit may He lead us into an understanding of these things which are recorded here for our instruction and for our comfort.
Review We have progressed in our present study to Revelation 13:11, where our lesson will begin.
In our study of this chapter thus far, we have discovered that the nondescript beast, which John saw rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his head the name of blasphemy, which was like unto a leopard and which had feet as the feet of a bear and a mouth as the mouth of a lion, was a symbolic representation of the political sovereignty of this world as it will be headed up under the leadership and headship of the coming Antichrist.
Revelation 13:1-10 are a prophetic word picture of the Antichrist in person, and of the kingdom over which he will rule for a short period of time.
Bible Picture of the Antichrist
We want to say, however, that these words which introduce and make known to us the nature and person and works of the coming Antichrist do not, in any wise, exhaust the scriptural teaching concerning this diabolical superman, for we find mention made of him in other passages of scripture. Therefore, before we leave this subject of the Antichrist, we feel that we should give to you, as nearly as possible the entire Bible picture of this coming man of sin.
Permit us, therefore, to merely read Revelation 13:1-10 again and then to make a study of other scriptures bearing upon this subject of the Antichrist. In Revelation 13:1-10 John said,
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” Will Be a Despised Leader at First
We should not think that the Antichrist described to us in this chapter is going to rise to world power and dominion all at once, for that is not true.
In studying the scripture outline of career of the Antichrist, we discover that he will begin his career as a despised leader, as one unhonored, to whom at first no one would think of giving to him the honor of the kingdom.
In Daniel 11:21 speaking of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a type of the Antichrist, it says,
“And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom : but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.”
These words reveal the very humble beginning which this man of sin will have. But they also announce the fact that in the end he will succeed in his purpose of securing the kingdom.
We are told that in the beginning, he shall come in peaceably and that he will obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
This is exactly what we might expect from one as subtle and as cunning and as crafty as the Antichrist will be. Will Become Strong with a Small People In spite of the humble beginning which he will have, and even though at first he will be a despised leader, once he has gained his position and place of influence by flatteries, we are told in Daniel 11:23 that he will become strong with a small people. In Daniel 11:23, it says,
“And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.” Will Confirm a Covenant with the Jews
It is generally accepted that the league referred to here, is none other than, the covenant which the Antichrist will make with the Jews as stated in Daniel 9:27, where it says:
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of dominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Thus, my friends, we see that the Antichrist may rightfully be called a covenant-breaker because he will break his covenant with the Jews and instead of being their friend, he will turn out to be their worst enemy.
We do not wonder, therefore, that it says, “After the league made with him he shall work deceitfully” for his entire, program will be based upon deceit and by the practice of deceit he shall ascend to the throne of world dominion.
He may rightfully be called therefore, the CHIEF OF LIARS. A Refuge of Lies
We all know that today the world is full of liars, and it is difficult to know sometimes who and what to believe, because men have given themselves so completely over to telling lies one to another!
Therefore, because men have so utterly forsaken the truth and have given themselves over to falsehood, God will allow them to be deceived by the Antichrist who will be the biggest liar the world has ever known!
He will be even as Satan himself, who was a liar from the beginning, for there was and is no truth in him. But why will God allow the coming Antichrist to lie to the people and to deceive them with lying words and with flattering lips?
The answer is given in Isaiah 28:15-18, where it says:
“Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.”
Thus, my friends, we see that God will allow the Antichrist to deceive men by lying unto them in order that all liars may be caught in the trap which they have set for others. That They All Might Be Damned
Another reason why God will allow the coming Antichrist to deceive men with his own lies and by his subtle craftiness is stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, where it says,
“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Now listen, friends, we do not need to be surprised when all this comes to pass because even today Satan has a lot of folks blinded with strong delusion by the lies which he is peddling around among the people. Those who are following after the teachings of false cults of every kind, are, for the most part, people who have at one time known the truth, but who have been persuaded to believe a lie.
In consequence, they reject that which is true as being false and they accept that which is false if it were the truth. We may expect this condition to grow worse and worse among the people until it reaches a final consummation under the rule and reign of the Antichrist.
Antichrist Will Become Rich
Another thing we learn about the Antichrist is stated in Daniel 11:28 where it says, “Then shall he get into his land with great riches; and heart shall be against the holy covenant and he shall do exploits, and return his own land.”
You know as well as I do the world has little use for anyone who is not possessed with a fair degree of riche In other words, the richer a man is, the more people there are who will follow him. In spite of the fact that the Antichrist will start out as a poor, despised, unhonored leader he will eventually become rich by doing exploits and returning to his own land.
This verse also reveals that in the course of time he will break the covenant which he will make with the Jews as stated in Daniel 9:27, and go against the covenant and act contrary to it.
Antichrist Will Be a Lawless One
Another thing we learn about the Antichrist is that he will be a lawless one. In other words, he will do according to his own will. This is confirmed in Daniel 11:36, where it says:
“And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that, that is determined shall be done.”
Notice the king shall do according his will. Willfulness is the very spirit of lawlessness. Men who are willful have no regard for the laws of God or the laws of men, but become a law unto themselves.
You know as well as I do the terrible spirit of lawlessness which is sweeping the world today, and mind you, this lawless age will head up under the overlordship of the wicked Antichrist, who will be the very incarnation of the spirit of lawlessness! When that time comes, the very words of the lawless one will become law to those who have hitherto accepted no law whatever except that of their own hearts.
Antichrist Will Prosper This same verse reveals that the Antichrist, even though he shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished. What! Do you mean to say, that such a man as this will prosper and succeed in his practice of wickedness? Yes, my friends, that is what the Word of God teaches. But we do not need to be surprised at this, for even today things seem to be headed in that direction. Today those who are wicked and whose hearts are filled with unbelief and who practice deceit and dishonesty are the ones who seem to prosper and are able to spread forth heir branches even as a green bay tree. This condition, my friends, will continue to exist until the rise and fall of the Antichrist.
This does not mean that God loves the fruits of unrighteousness, and that He despises those who are good who seek to live righteously, but it means that sin and iniquity will continue until the harvest is ripe. A King of Fierce Countenance
There is a very interesting passage in Daniel 8:23-25, which says of the Antichrist,
“And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark Sentences, shall stand up. And his bower shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy the might and the holy people.
“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”
Thus, my friends, we may expect the Antichrist to prosper and succeed and that during his reign it will be a part of his policy to usher in material prosperity, so that the people will follow him all the more.
Antichrist Will Be an Egotist
Nevertheless, in spite of these things, he will be an evolutionary egoist, which is confirmed in Daniel 11:37-39, where it says,
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.” A Religionist
What! Do you mean to say that such a wicked man as the Antichrist will be interested in religion? Yes, but not out of sincerity.
Until the time comes for him to deify himself and demand that the people worship him, he will pretend, as this passage reveals, to honour the god of forces. Thus he will deceive the people and will bring all those who worship at the shrine of materialistic philosophy under his control. In this age, when men have turned away from the true God and no longer worship the God of creation, there is a tendency everywhere for men to worship the creation of God, and men look upon the natural forces of the universe and worship them as if they were the source of all power.
Antichrist Will Enter Palestine In Daniel 11:41-45, we have another very interesting comment concerning the Antichrist. It says,
“He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many.
“And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.”
This passage, my friends, reveals the fact that in due course of time the Antichrist will become a great military leader, and that he will conquer and subdue many countries.
It is especially interesting because it reveals the interest which the Antichrist will have in the land of Palestine, called here the “glorious land.” It says that he shall enter into the glorious land, and that he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain. All this accounts for the fact that when he does these things he will exalt himself in the rebuilt temple of the Jews in Jerusalem above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as god, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is god-as confirmed in 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
Thus he will commit the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, by causing the Jewish sanctuary in Jerusalem in the built temple to become desolate once again.
What We Have Learned In addition to what we have said our study today concerning the Antichrist we have learned already from Revelation the 13th chapter that he be a world dictator, that he will killed and brought back to life again and that his followers will worship him.
Revelation 13:1-18 also reveals that his co-worker will be the false prophet, and that he will mark his followers. We will discuss these points, however, in our next lesson.
What Will Become of the Antichrist
I know you are anxious to find out what will become of the Antichrist after he has risen to a place of world dominion and power! Certainly, no one would want to live under the power and influence of such a character as the Antichrist for any continued period of time.
We can be comforted, therefore, in the fact that his reign will be of short duration. We have scriptures to prove that he will come to his end and that none will help him.
That Christ will come and destroy the Antichrist is confirmed in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, where it says,
“And then shall that Wicked (or wicked one) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” But When? When will Christ do this? And the answer is, at His revelation. And that will be when He comes to rule and reign Himself at the end of the tribulation period.
The Antichrist will be defeated, as we are told, at the battle of Armageddon. This is confirmed in Revelation 19:19-21, where it says,
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Christians Need Not Fear
Thus, my friends, in our present lessen we have sought to trace for you from the scriptures the rise and fall of the coming Antichrist.
There is no question but what he will be a terrible personage and woe be unto those who fall under his deceitful ways and his Satanic power.
But let me remind you that we, who are Christians, although we understand these things about the Antichrist, have no fear of coming under his power, because we are looking for the true Christ and we are waiting for the time when “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, it says, comfort one another with these words.”
~ end of lecture 42 ~