Bible Commentaries
Revelation 13

John Brown

Rev_13:1-18

The Beastly Trinity

I. INTRODUCTION

A.Last week we studied the war that will take place in Heaven as Michael the Archangel heads up an angelic army against "the prince of the power of the air" ( Eph_2:2 ) and his demons.

1. Michael wins of course, and satan is kicked out of the heavenlies and confined to the earth.

2. That’s good news for those in heaven, but satan pulls out all the stops on earth knowing "that he has a short time." Rev_12:12

3. This morning’s study is a result of satan’s "pulling all the stops".

a) satan empowers 2 great warriors in this battle and one’s mission is to cause the other to be worshipped as god!

b) They are referred to as, "beasts here in chapter 13.

c) But later, in chapters 16,19, and 20 the latter beast is referenced as "the false prophet."

d) So we have before us "the beastly trinity" of the "dragon (which is satan Rev_12:9 , the "beast", and the "false prophet"!

(1) As we study them and their "ministries", you will see their "copycat" resemblence to the Holy Trinity of God!

(a) satan has always wanted to be worshipped as god!

(b) The "beast" is a "logos" of satan! He is a physical representative of his!

(c) And lastly, the "false prophet" glorifies the "beast".

II. TEXT

A. Rev_13:1-2 Then 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.

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. (NKJV)

1. The two witnesses have already been slain by the beast!

2. Daniel calls him "the prince that shall come" ( Dan_9:26 ).

3. Isaiah calls him "the wicked!" ( Isa_11:4 )

4. Chrst called him "the abomination of desolation" ( Mat_24:16 )

5. Paul labeled him as "the man of sin, the son of perdition" in 2Th_2:3

6. Just prior to this, John had been watching the "woman" and the "dragon" when all of a sudden, he is standing on a seashore observing a beast rising out of the sea similar in appearance to the dragon!

a) But it is not the dragon! Chapter Rev_12:9 told us that the dragon was satan himself.

b) This beast "rising up out of the sea" is symbolic! It represents a man, as verse 8 tells us the people of earth will physically worship him!

c) He get his power from the dragon Rev_13:2 .

7. Usually the sea referred to in scripture is the Mediterranean.

a) Therefore it is commonly assumed that this beast-man will come from one of the lands surrounding this great sea.

b) The 7 heads and 10 horns represent power and authority and in this case: a league of nations and leaders that are ultimately under the power of satan!

(1) Daniel saw the same vision and interpreted the lion as the Babylonian empire, the bear as the Medo-Persian empire, and the leopard as the Grecian empire!

(a) All of which were yet future, but history has proven this prophecy correct!

(b) All 3 of these "empires" have ruled or dominated God’s people in some way!

(c) Here John sees them in reverse order since he is "looking back" over history.

c) Please keep in mind that out of this "league" will rise a very charismatic leader. This man is the beast. And he is head of this league!

B. Rev_13:3-4 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?" (NKJV)

1. Scripture doesn’t tell us from which nation this "head" will be!

2. We do know however that his nation will best suit the nature and purposes of the dragon which empowers him!

a) It is interesting to note that Sadam Hussein has spent millions of dollars rebuilding Babylon!

b) Babylon in modern Iraq is also the geographical "center" of all the world’s land masses!

(1) Wherever and whichever this nation is, it will also become the "center" of worship.

(2) All the nations as well as their respective religions will unite as they see this "suedo" death and resurrection of the beast!

(3) With all the flying angels and demons and the cosmic disturbances, no one will any longer doubt the existance of God!

(4) It is just that many will choose satan as god since he appears to be the most powerful!

(a) After all, he had power to overcome God’s two witnesses, and now seemingly death!!

C. Rev_13:5-6 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to 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. (NKJV)

1. During this last 3 1/3 years, the beast will curse and defame the Lord, His holiness, His love, His law, His grace, and His people!!

a) He has but a short time and can no longer stand before the Lord and accuse the brethren, so he turns it loose on those remaining on the earth.

b) No doubt, to prevent any who might be thinking of giving their heart to the Lord!

D. Rev_13:7-10 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every 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.

Rev_13:10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (NKJV)

1.These are not the resurrected saints, but those who will come to know the Lord during the tribulation!

a) Rom_8:29-30 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (NKJV)

b) The Lord knows everyone who will accept Him, and their names are written in the book of life! These saints from the tribulation will not bow, at the cost of their own lives (he "overcame them")!

c) All the rest of the earth dwellers will bow and worship the beast.

d) John begs, "Listen with your heart! (he who has ears)"

(1) If any man has had a difficult time making a decision up ‘til now, the beast is about to force it!

(2) John reassures the saints in verse 10 that those responsible for the death of the saints will likewise be put to death! You see, the dispensation of grace has ended!

E. Rev_13:11-12 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. (NKJV)

1. Here is the third member of hell’s unholy trinity. A demonic "mime" of the Holy Spirit (who glorifies Christ), this "parrot’s" mission is to cause people to worship the beast!

a) As we said earlier, he is three times later in Revelation called the "false prophet"!

2. This second beast is the leader of the world religious system or the great "harlot" spoken of in chapter 17.

a) He will be a pope, or an ayatollah, or a guru, or a televangelist, buy most likely, he will simply be called "the prophet"!

(1) Or maybe I shoud say, "He will "pompously" be called `the prophet’"

b) Somehow these two satanically empowered men will become the closest of friends.

c) At the same time that the first is gaining world political power, the other will be gaining the world’s confidence as the only true prophet of God!

d) Each supports the other and together they establish universal control over the people!

F. Rev_13:13-14 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 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. (NKJV)

1. You see the 2 witness of the Lord had made fire come down from heaven. The false prophet and the beast must not look inferior to the Lord!

a) Mat_24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (NKJV)

b) 2Th_2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, (NKJV)

c) 2Th_2:3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of 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 as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (NKJV)

d) His deception is very thorough!

e) We must learn from this that miracles are not necessarily of devine origin!!

2. Man seems to have a natural aptitude for worshipping "things". The "false prophet" gets little or no restraint as he commands worship of the beast!

a) It is possible that little images of the beast are made and sold so that every household can perform their daily worship of the beast!

b) For sure there is a large image made for the world to view, and worship publically, (probably via satelite).

G. Rev_13:15-17 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 the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (NKJV)

1.Soon after the image is formed, the prophet gives it the ability to talk, probably promoting himself and blaspheming God, and also issueing commands to kill any who do not worship the image of the beast!

2. The prophet immediately sets up "registration" centers to number and identify his worshippers.

a) He classifies them into 3 different group:

(1) Those who have the "logo" (image) of the beast!

(a) This is probably the bulk of the population.

(2) Those who have the name of the beast!

(a) This is probably a little "closer" group that works closely for his plans and purposes.

(3) And those who have his name (or number)!

(a) Perhaps these are the inside circle!

(i) The point is this: without these identifyers, you will die!!!

(ii) Either by refusal of the marks, or by starvation!!

III. CONCLUSION

A. Rev_13:18 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. (NKJV)

1. The beast is a man!

2. That man has a name!

3. His name has a numerical equivalent!

4. We are expected to count the number of this man’s name!

a) In English this seems weird, but in the Hebrew or the Greek language and in some cases Latin, it is not strange at all!

b) You see, each symbol used for the alphabet was also used for a number!

c) For example, in Latin V=five, X=10,L=50, and so on!

d) In Greek, the language of the New Testament, alpha = 1, beta = 2, iota = 10, rho = 100!

e) To "count" the number of the beast one would simply add up the numbers attatched to the letters in his name!

5. Who is this man? No one knows!

a) Many people could have names that the letters equal 666, but only one will rule the world!

(1) In Greek the name is Chi Xi Stigma (X = 600, x = 60, V = 6)

(a) During the war, Christians said it was Hitler!

(b) I remember in the 70’s, folks said it was Kissinger!

(2) But all this is Greek to me, and I don’t plan on being around for all this!!

(3) The point is this! Watch and be aware!

(4) Better yet, make your decision now, and you can watch all this from eternity!

John Brown

Rev_13:1-18

666

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Last week in our study of the book of Revelation, we took a look at "the beastly trinity" of the "dragon (which is satan Rev_12:9 , the beast, and the false prophet!

1. We studied them and their "ministries", and pointed out their "copycat" resemblance to the Holy Trinity of God!

2. We concluded that satan, the "great dragon" will empower a "system or confederacy" that will rise up against the Lord and all that is holy!

a) One man will emerge from this political "group" while yet another will gain worldwide prominence as the only true "prophet" of God, uniting all the world’s religions!

b) Anyone rejecting this system and the "mark" thereof, will be killed!

c) Chapter 13 concluded with this verse Rev_13:18 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. (NKJV)

(1)This morning it seemed appropriate to spend a little more time on this system of the antichrist!

(2) This system is not something that is off in the future somewhere, it is in place now!!

(3) Mat_16:1-3 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red';

3 "and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. (NKJV)

(4) We are going to try very hard this morning to give you some "indicators" that the time is near!

II. TEXT

A. I don’t think that it was coincidence that when I came into the office this week there was a tape on my desk from FIREFIGHTERS FOR CHRIST by a Dr. Karl Sanders.

1. Dr. Sanders hold a Ph.D. in electronics and engineering and was the chief engineer responsible for the design and development of a microchip that is so small it can be injected under the skin with a hypodermic needle!

a) This chip was originally developed for the purpose of repairing severed spinal cords so that people would be able to walk again.

(a) There were over 100 people involved in this project, of which Dr. Sanders was senior engineer in charge!

(i) It is important to understand that the people involved in the creation of this chip had no idea that it would become all that it has.

(ii) They all believed they were doing it for very humanitarian reasons.

2. The investors in this project determined that spinal repairs alone were not sufficient to give a proper return on their investment so they began to look at other possibilities!

a) They found that because of the electrical impulse produced by the chip, that it altered certain behaviors!

(1) For instance, when placed in the pituitary gland of a female, it would put her immediately into menopause. The ability to conceive was immediately halted.

(a) This had already been tested in India!

b) They also found that certain frequencies would produce increased amounts of adrenaline.

c) This was called the "Rambo" chip and it has been tested with Vietnam veterans!

(1) As they began to research other marketing possibilities they discovered that one of the major problems was making people aware of their product and then getting them to accept it!

(2) Dr. Sanders was at the meeting where they decided to put the pictures of lost children on paper bags and milk cartons in an effort to make people aware that there was a need for keeping track of and locating missing children, (as well as Alzheimer’s patients)!

(a) These meetings were held in Luxembourg and London, and Brussels, and many right in San Francisco.

(b) The identification and control of people were discussed as if they were cattle.

(c) Kissenger, and representatives of the CIA were present in these meetings!

B. Rev_13:16 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, (NKJV)

1. 5480 charagma (khar'-ag-mah) = a thing carved, sculpture, graven work:

2. 5482 charax (khar'-ax) = (to sharpen to a point, through the idea of scratching)

a) This sounds a lot like a hypodermic needle piercing the skin!

3. If you remember, last week we pointed out that the number 666 had a name and that name was ChiXiStigma.

a) 4742 stigma stig'-mah = from stizo = (to "stick", i.e. prick) = a mark pricked in or branded upon the body.

(1) One of Webster’s Dictionary definitions calls "stigma", "a small spot, scar, or opening on a plant or animal!"

b) In the readout of this micro chip, there were nine levels of information that the designers wanted included. They were:

(1) Name, and an "image" or picture of your face.

(2) They also wanted Social Security #’s with the extra international digits.

(3) A fingerprint identification was also to be included.

(4) Physical description

(5) Family history

(6) Address

(7) Criminal record

(8) Occupation

(9) Income tax information

c) 5481 charakter khar-ak-tare' = an impression; the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness, precise reproduction in every respect, i.e facsimile.

(1) This microchip has exactly that, an "express image" of it’s recipient!

(2) Recently under the new health-care program they are talking about the "womb-to-tomb" positive identification.

(3) There are bills before congress right now and others that have been passed that will allow a microchip of identification to be inject into your child at the time of birth!

(a) The president was given this authority and control under the Immigration Control Act (section 100) in 1986.

C. Rev_16:2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. (NKJV)

1. This microchip is powered by a tiny lithium battery which has a recharging circuit built in.

2. This charging system operates and is regulated by the changes in body temperatures.

a) Dr. Sanders says that they spent 1 1/2 million dollars on research to determine an optimal primary and a secondary place in the body for this chip.

b) The data that returned said that there were 2 placed in the human body that the temperature changes most rapidly.

(1) They were #1, the forehead just below the hairline and #2, the back of the hand!!!!!

c) Dr. Sanders talked to a Doctor at Boston Medical Center and asked what would happen with that concentration of lithium if the chip should fail.

(1) The Doctor told him that you would get, "a grevious sore!"

(2) Note that in Rev_16:2 it says "sore" not sores in the plural. They were not all over the body, but in one location!

(a) Is it possible that when the Lord sends this angel out that all the lithium batteries will fail at the same time???

(b) Dr. Sanders point out that there were some breakdowns of the "Rambo" chip and they indeed did cause a "boil-like" grevious sore!

d) These chips are not secret!

(1) Their diagram description has been published in newspapers.

(2) The clinical insertion of the chip has been demonstrated on TV.

(3) The Montessori pre-schools in Florida have been used as test projects with the insertion of these chips in the children for the purposes of identification.

(a) There is an outfit called "INFOPET" that claims they can keep track of 1 billion pets to within 10 feet of their current location.

(b) If you can know the location and vital statistics of 1 billion pets at any given time, you can know the location and statistics of 1 billion people!

(i) And that is just one group or organization!

(ii) As an aside: the FCC has approved 2-way communications through your Television!

(iii) It will not only be possible to watch, but to be watched!

(iv) There is current technology to pick up conversations in your home through the crystal mouthpiece on your telephone even with it unplugged.

(v) Laser devices can use your windows as a diaphragm which acts like a big microphone enabling the listener to hear every conversation in your house!

III. BANKING

A. Rev_13:16-17 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 the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (NKJV)

1. We are moving from credit cards to debit cards to the smart card (coming out of France).

2. Our current presidency has mentioned several times that it is a terrible waste to have so many cards when it could all be done with one card!

a) Right now, at Safeway in Canada, people are being given a 10% discount for using their debit cards.

b) People with cash simply wait in line!

c) You see the electronic transfer is immediate and the merchant gets his money without having to go to the bank and make deposits.

(1) You will soon see many commercials encouraging people to minimise their plastic and consolidate into one card!!

(2) It is very probable that this process will go from the Smartcard to the personal inplant chip.

(3) It will be so convenient, fast, and cannot be ripped off!

(4) It is important to note that when President Clinton was asked about the microchip, his answer was, "Of course, of course I’m for it!"

(5) Many people became aware of "the new world order" through the Bush administration but I want you to take out a dollar bill!

(a) On the back in the left "seal" you will see the pyramid will the all seeing eye of Osarus.

(b) Under the pyramid in Latin you will see "Novus Ordo Seclorum" = New World Order.

(i) That was placed on the dollar bill in 1933.

3. The European Common Market became an entity on December 31st, 1992.

a) They are now responsible for all the environmental policies in Europe.

4. The Trilateral Commission, funded and began by David Rockefeller was able in 1972 to control oil supply and prices so effectively that the people of America sat in gas lines without ever asking why!

a) Dr. Sanders believes this was a conspiracy to bring about an equality between Asia, Europe, North and South America.

(1) He has photos to support the meeting where this took place and the decision was made.

b) For this "equality" to happen there needed to be a shift of wealth out of the United States.

(1) Because of this shortage of fuel, Americans began to buy import automobiles because of their gas milage!

(2) Within approximately 1 1/2 years time we became debtor nation!

(a) All a part of this conspiracy.

(b) Many of our presidents have been actively involved in the Trilateral Commission.

5. Most people are not aware of the fact that the Federal Reserve System is neither Federal nor does it hold any reserves.

a) It is a private corporation owned by 5 banks that control the ebb and flow of our interest rates.

(1) The men who control this corporation don’t even receive their salary from anywhere in America. Their pay comes from Europe!!

(a) Coincidence or Conspiracy??

IV. POLITICAL

A. Dr. Sanders has a flow shart that indicates (through a lengthly proceedure that the major television networks ABC, NBC, and CBS are all owned by the David Rockefeller family!

1. Dr. Sanders once asked Harry Reasner why the media seemed to be unable to present a clear an unbiased view of the news to which he responded by putting his hands behind his back and replied, "It is out of our hands."

2. ABC has publically admitted that they may have "altered" the outcome of this passed election, but their has not been even as much as a slap on the hand, nor an appology!

3. Have you ever wondered why Ross Perot came into the election when he admitted that he didn’t want to be President of the United States?

a) He not only came into the election. He got out and then came in again!

b) In the overall scheme of things, his affect on the election was to pull enough votes to keep President Bush from being re-elected!

(1) Bush was "pro New World Order" but he had a few thing that got in the way.

(a) He was pro family!

(b) He was against abortion!

(c) And he was against the homosexual agenda!

(2) President Clinton seems to have nothing that would get in the way of a New World Order, nor the numbering of 666.

B. Clinton and Gore have a book that was released just about the time of the election.

1. In it they speak of "boot camps" where "first time offenders" would be given rigorous exercise discipline and a new respect for the law! (Page 72)

a) Dr. Sanders has visited many old abandoned military camps where the barbed wire has been turned around to keep peeple in instead of keepin them out!

b) Could these be for those who reject the New World Order and the mark thereof?

c) In this same book he speaks of every one carrying the Smartcard!

C. Over the years, there have been 13 "executive orders" given to the President by which he has almost total power in an "emmergency!"

1. The 13 executive orders can all be consolidated and called into effect by inacting one of these orders that was ratified bt President Carter!

a) One of the things that this allows the President is the possession and control of all public storage units?

2. FEMA, the Federal Emmigration Managment Association has been given by law the right to take over your home and even put several families in it should it deem it necessary!