Revealing RevelationSample

The Antichrist and the False Prophet
John shifts gears with the first seven words of chapter 12: “Now a great sign appeared in heaven…” (Rev. 12:1). Here, we see three of the many symbols and analogies throughout the book of Revelation.

1. The Dragon: Used 13 times in Revelation; the dragon is the devil, and he has wanted to destroy this child long before He was ever born.

2. The Child: Although not mentioned by name, Jesus is clearly the child mentioned in chapter 12.

3. The Woman: She is the nation of Israel.

Chapter 13 is about two people who will rise up and take over the world. Rather than turning people to the worship of the living God, they will force the worship of the Antichrist. Those who don’t worship his image will be put to death. To show loyalty to the beast, people will have to receive his mark of 666. This will be a horrible time during which believers will suffer greatly through violence, poverty, and starvation.

“I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 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. 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. 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?’” (Rev. 13:1–4).

He will demand to be worshiped as the all-powerful God. Also, a new beast arrives on the scene who is the false prophet. Beast worship will be demanded as the one-world religion, with freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom of press, and all government being led by the Antichrist.

In the last days, there are going to be works and wonders so powerful that even the elect can be fooled. God has given power and authority on this earth to Satan for a time, and we don’t know the extent of what He has granted. The Antichrist’s resurrection will cause the world to marvel at the beast and eventually worship him. Any authority he has is only that which has been bestowed upon him for three-and-a-half years. During that period, he will have the power to slander God and the saints in heaven, make war against the saints on earth and conquer them, and cause all the inhabitants of the earth to worship him.