REVELATION 13:1-10 THE ANTICHRIST2010 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Revelation 13:1-10 The Antichrist

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2010.

Well, before we get into Revelation chapter 13, I want to take us back once again to the beginning and remind us about where we're going and where we've been so far in the book of Revelation. We were given an outline of the book of Revelation by Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 verse 19.

Where Jesus tells John to write down three different parts of the book of Revelation. The first part, the things which you have already seen. That is the past things and John recorded those things for us in chapter 1 of the book of Revelation.

Then chapters 2 and 3 are where John records the things which are, that is the present things, and those are the things relating to the church and the church age, which continues to this day and extends until the rapture of the church. And so we dealt with the things of the church age back in chapters 2 and 3 as he wrote the things which are.

And then the third part of the book of Revelation, Jesus tells John to write down the things which will take place after these things.

And so after the church age, after the time of the church is done, then there's going to be some events that happen. And that's what John records in chapter 4 through 22 of the book of Revelation. And so we're looking at those things which are yet to come. They've not yet happened, but they are going to take place. And

And what are those things? What are the events that we're looking forward to that are yet future, even still for us today? Well, we've been looking at the things which must take place, and it began back in chapter 4 with the rapture of the church. That time when the church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and then the scripture says we will be forever with the Lord.

Well, once that takes place and the church is out of this world, then the world is going to go through seven years of tribulation like it's never seen before. Trouble, turmoil, death, devastation, destruction.

Not even a little bit comparable to the rest of history as we've seen in studying through this portion. And so there's going to be great tribulation but it comes to an end after seven years Jesus comes back and he sets foot on earth and he establishes his kingdom for 1,000 years here upon the earth.

He rules and reigns along with the saints, those who are raptured and caught up, come back with him. And then on the earth, there's going to be peace and prosperity. The earth is going to be renewed. It's going to be a time of righteousness. And during that time, Satan is going to be bound for that thousand year period.

except at the end of the thousand year period, Satan is going to be released for a short time. And he leads one final rebellion. It's the one chance that those who inhabit the millennium will get to rebel against God. And that final rebellion, of course, will not succeed. God will be victorious. And instead of having victory, instead they'll find themselves in the place of judgment.

standing before the great white throne that we'll deal with in Revelation chapter 20. And at that time, Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire. And it also says in Revelation 20.15 that all who are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire as well. It will be the final judgment for Satan, for his demons, and for those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord.

Well, then in chapter 21 and 22 of Revelation, we'll look on at the new heavens, the new earth, the new Jerusalem that descends out of heaven, and then the rest of eternity that God has in store for us.

Some incredible things that are yet to come as we're studying through the book of Revelation. But these are the things which must shortly take place. These things God wants us to know about. That's why he gave John this vision and told him to record it so that we would know what is in store for this world. And so as we study these things, we're looking at the future events. We're looking at the things that have not yet happened, but they are going to happen.

Well, here in chapter 13, we find ourselves studying through the middle of the tribulation period. Now, the tribulation began with the opening of the scroll that had seven seals on it.

We began that back in chapter 6 of the book of Revelation. And as each seal was opened on this scroll, then judgments were taking place upon the earth. And so Jesus opened the first seal and the Antichrist came forth conquering and to conquer. And then the second seal was opened and there was war that broke out upon the earth. And then the third seal was opened and there was a widespread famine around the world.

Then the fourth seal was opened and a quarter of the earth, that is one out of every four people, were killed.

Then the fifth seal was opened and John sees the martyrs under the throne of God being comforted by God. And then the sixth seal is opened and there was some great catastrophic events that hit the earth. A great earthquake, stars falling from the sky, the sun turning dark, the moon turning to blood. Some crazy things that were happening there at the sixth seal as it was opened. And then the seventh seal was opened and there was silence in heaven for 30 minutes. And then the sixth seal was opened

And then in the silence, seven angels come forward with seven trumpets. And as each one sounds their trumpet, now another judgment is being poured out upon the earth. And so we've looked at the seven trumpet judgments as well.

And the first trumpet sounded, and a third of the trees of the earth were burned. And then the second trumpet sounded, and a third of the sea, that is the ocean, was turned to blood. And then the third trumpet sounded, and a third of the fresh water was made bitter. And then the fourth trumpet sounded, and a third of the stars were darkened. And then the fifth trumpet sounded, and there was five months of torment to all mankind, and...

They were tormented by these demonic creatures that were released at that time. And so we dealt with that. I'm not going to talk about it again. Chapter... Trumpet 6. I started explaining it and I was like, why am I explaining it? Okay, Trumpet 6.

Four angels were released and they lead an army which kills a third of mankind. And so there's a massive amount of death and loss of life during this tribulation period. And then the seventh trumpet sounded and the temple in heaven is opened and then seven more angels come out with seven bowls or seven vials.

And they're going to be pouring out those seven judgments upon the earth. And those will be the final seven judgments of the tribulation period. We haven't got there yet. We'll look at those bold judgments in chapter 15 and 16.

But so we've seen a lot. We've seen a lot taking place in the tribulation period, a lot of judgment, a lot of death, a lot of devastation, enough to know we don't want to be here when it happens. And that's why we look forward to the rapture of the church. And that's why it's important for us to be ready to meet our Lord when he comes.

Well, chapters 10 through 14 in the book of Revelation are what we call parenthetical. Up to this point, we've been looking at the sequence. Each seal was opened and we're going through the tribulation period in an order in the sequence of events following the judgments as they go out. But...

chapters 10 through 14 we kind of take a step back and I relate it to you know when you pause a movie to explain to someone next to you what's going on and what was happening over there and why they're in that situation and the things that are happening and giving some background information on the characters in a similar way God has paused the sequence of events here in Revelation

And he's taken a step back and he says, let me explain to you some of the things that are going on behind the scenes and give you some insight into these people, these characters that are involved in this last time, in this tribulation period. And so here in chapter 13, we're right in the middle of the tribulation period and God is giving us some background information on what is happening.

Now, if you remember, the tribulation period is seven years long. It begins with the signing of an agreement between the Antichrist and the nation of Israel. And that begins this seven-year period of tribulation, this seven-year period of Jacob's trouble, called many different things throughout the scriptures.

Well, that seven-year period is divided into two parts. There's a big event that happens right in the middle that separates the two parts of the tribulation. That big event that happens three and a half years into that agreement is called the abomination of desolation. And that takes place when the Antichrist goes into the temple that will be rebuilt. He goes into the temple and sets up an image of himself.

He proclaims himself to be God and then he demands all of the world to worship him. And that marks the middle of the tribulation period, the abomination of desolation. And then the last three and a half years is what we're about to get into as we go into the bowl judgments in the coming weeks. And so we're right in the middle of the tribulation period as far as the sequence of events is concerned.

And last week we looked at chapter 12 where John sees this great drama, this great drama in this vision that God gives him. And there's three characters to this play or to this drama. There's the woman who is the nation of Israel. There is the dragon who is Satan. And then there is the child who is the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

And so we saw this drama play out in these different scenes or these different acts of the drama as the dragon tried to devour the Messiah. And then the dragon is cast out of heaven during the tribulation period. And then the believers in heaven overcome the dragon by the word of the Lord, by the blood of the Lamb, and by not loving their lives to death.

And then the final act that we saw in chapter 12 was the dragon on earth making war with the followers of God. Well, now as we go into chapter 13, this drama is continuing, but a new character is being introduced.

This new character that is introduced is a beast that rises out of the sea. And we understand this beast to be who we call the Antichrist. And so there's five things I'd like to share with you this morning about this Antichrist or the beast who rises out of the sea that we see here in verses 1 through 10 of chapter 13.

So the first point that we see here in chapter 13 is in verses 1 and 2, and that is that the Antichrist is powered by Satan. Look at verse 1 again. It says, 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.

And so now in this drama that is unfolding, John looks and he sees a beast rising up out of the sea. Again, this beast, we understand, we know him to be

The one that we call Antichrist. Now, Antichrist is called many different things in the scripture, but Antichrist is the one that is most common and seems to stick as far as we're concerned. It's actually only used one time in the scriptures. It's in 1 John where he's called the Antichrist. Other times he's called the son of perdition, the man of lawlessness, and other such titles. But this Antichrist who comes...

is going to be against God. And that's why Antichrist fits really well because anti means against. And he's going to set himself up against God and in opposition to God.

Now another meaning of anti though, it's kind of a dual meaning, anti also means instead of. And so not only is Antichrist going to be against God, but he's going to be presenting himself instead of God. And so he's going to call all of the world to worship him instead of God. And so there's kind of that dual meaning, he'll be opposed to God, and we'll see that very clearly as we look at this portion today.

But we also will see that he is offering himself instead of God and we'll see that more clearly next week as we finish off chapter 13 and look at the work of the false prophet.

Well, the Antichrist is first introduced for us, as far as Revelation is concerned, back in chapter 6 at the opening of the first seal. And there, all that we really learn about him is that he goes forth conquering and to conquer. And so now, here in chapter 13, we get some more information about who this Antichrist is and what he does here upon the earth.

And so John sees this beast that rises up out of the sea. Now, I think it's important to consider that, you know, just because the word beast is used to describe him coming up out of the sea, that we shouldn't have, you know, some ugly, you know, weird looking creature in mind when we think of the Antichrist.

Spiritually speaking, he's a beast. And he's going to be ugly and ferocious. And, you know, it's not going to be pretty. But physically, as far as humanity is concerned, he will probably be very good looking. He's probably going to be really smooth. People are going to be attracted to him. He's going to be charismatic. And a lot of people will be drawn to this man who is called the Antichrist.

And so he's called the beast out of the sea because we're looking at it spiritually speaking and what he does is really beastly. But as far as the world is concerned, he will be very attractive. Well, this beast is described as having seven heads and ten horns and on his horns ten crowns and on his heads a blasphemous name.

Now this may sound a little bit familiar to you, the seven heads, the ten horns, and that's very possible because last week in chapter 12 we saw something similar in verse 3. If you remember Revelation 12.3, it tells us, "...another sign appeared in heaven. Behold, a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his head."

That dragon of chapter 12, which is the devil, has seven heads and ten horns in this vision that John is receiving. And so now the Antichrist, this beast who comes up out of the sea, also has seven heads.

Now, we need to be clear, it's not the same creature. This is not Satan who is rising up out of the sea. This is the Antichrist. And to make it a little bit less confusing, I think it's good to think about Jesus Christ. You remember Jesus said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father.

Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of God. And the same way that Jesus is the exact representation of God, and can say, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father, that same type of relationship will exist between the Antichrist and Satan. They both have seven heads and ten horns because the Antichrist is God.

The personification or the example of Satan to the world. He's going to be presenting himself empowered by, inspired by Satan. And so he is similar and has the same characteristics as far as these beasts and the dragon are concerned because he is the representation of Satan to the world.

Now there's another parallel as well, not to get you really confused, but in Daniel chapter 7, there's four beasts in Daniel's vision, and the fourth beast relates to the things that we're talking about here in Revelation chapter 13, because the fourth beast is that final kingdom that will be established and that the Antichrist will rule during that tribulation period.

And in Daniel chapter 7 verse 7, that fourth beast is described as having ten horns. And so you have this kingdom, this world power that also has ten horns. You have the beast...

who has seven heads and ten horns and then you have Satan the dragon who has seven heads and ten horns and they're all very similar because well the world system that will be established that world power will be inspired by Satan it will be led by his representative the Antichrist and so

Satan's image and his characteristics will be evident in the Antichrist and in the world system that is being set up during that tribulation period. So there's a lot going on and I encourage you. I'm going to be sharing quite a bit of references as we go through here. Take some time. Write them down. Take some time on your own to kind of read through these things and study these things.

There's way more than we can get into today in regards to the Antichrist and the things that are going to be going on. Well, this beast is described again as having seven heads. And what are those seven heads? Well, Revelation chapter 17 verse 9 gives us some insight into what those heads are. It tells us there that the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

mountains we believe refers back to the city of Rome and what we're looking at here in this beast that rises up in the world kingdom that he establishes is a revival of the Roman Empire the

Throughout the centuries, the millennia really, Rome has been known as the city on seven hills because there's seven hills where Rome was originally established. And so there were, you know, there was different cities that kind of joined together to become the Roman Empire. And it was there on seven different mountains that the nation was established.

And so there's going to be a revival and we'll talk a little bit more about that as it goes. But this beast is also described as having ten horns. We're also given insight into these horns in Revelation chapter 17 verse 12. There it's explained to John that the ten horns are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.

And so these ten horns represent kings or authorities that will be there along with the beast, there in that world power, that world government that will be established during the tribulation period.

And so again, we're looking at the revival of something that once existed in the Roman Empire. And this new empire that will be established will be led by the Antichrist. Be led by Antichrist, but empowered by Satan. And we get some more insight into these things in Daniel chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 7, as well as Daniel chapter 9, verses 24 through 27.

And so I encourage you to spend some time considering those passages as you consider this idea of Antichrist and the kingdom that will be established. I'll briefly go over it with you. If you remember in Daniel chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He was laying in bed. He was thinking about his kingdom and what kingdoms were going to come after him and

God decided to show him in a dream the things that were going to take place and the kingdoms that would arise after him. And so in his dream, he dreams about a statue. It has a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, a midsection of bronze, and then legs of iron, and then feet with iron mixed with clay, and he has ten toes in the statue.

And so there's a lot of details in there that have already been fulfilled, but there's some things that have yet to be fulfilled. So God explains through the prophet Daniel that the head of gold that he saw was the nation of Babylon. And that was a great kingdom as a world power. And all of those medals in that statue describe a different world power that comes on the scene.

Now Daniel also has a vision in Daniel chapter 7 that corresponds with this vision of the statue. Only Daniel sees it as four beasts. And so the head of gold is Babylon. It corresponds in Daniel chapter 7 to the lion that Daniel sees as the first beast.

But then after Babylon is conquered, then another world power emerges. And that is the Medo-Persian Empire. And that's represented by the chest of silver in Nebuchadnezzar's vision. And it's represented by the bear in Daniel's vision. So I'm jumping back and forth here between Daniel chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 7. I know I'm going to lose some people. I apologize for that. But spend some time on it on your own and you'll get a better picture.

Well then after the Medo-Persian Empire falls down, we're talking about world empires, then the next world empire is the Greek Empire. It's represented by the bronze in the statue and by the leopard in Daniel's vision in Daniel chapter 7. Well after the Greek Empire fell, then you have the Roman Empire and that's the next world power.

by the iron in Nebuchadnezzar's vision and represented by the dreadful and terrible beast that's described in Daniel chapter 7. And so these things have been fulfilled. Babylonian empire came and went. The Medo-Persian empire came and went. The Greek empire came and went. The Roman empire came and went. But all of the things that are talked about in chapter 2 of Daniel and chapter 7 of Daniel have not yet been fulfilled.

In fact, what we learn from that is there's going to be a revival of what used to be the Roman Empire. There's going to be something new established that has the similarities with the Roman Empire, some of the strengths, but it will not be as strong as the Roman Empire. And

The ten toes correspond with the ten horns that we've already been talking about. And so there's a lot of details that kind of fill in the gaps as you spend some time in these other passages and consider what the scripture says about that final day in the kingdom that will be established.

So the Roman Empire and the prophecies concerning it have only been partially fulfilled. The rest of it will be fulfilled during the tribulation period by a kingdom that will be established and led by the Antichrist. Now what's interesting about that, I have here on the screen a map of the Roman Empire. So this is the extent of the Roman Empire at its end, at its peak. This was the farthest that it had gained.

And you'll notice it's all around the Mediterranean Sea. And that's important because what we have today, it seems, is...

A revival of this empire in the works in the European Union. And so here is kind of overlaid on top. That blue area are the nations that are part of what's called the European Union. And so these nations have gathered together and they formed the European Union. And you can see it matches very, very closely with Europe.

the Roman Empire and you can see there already Rome is part of it and so you could have very easily this be you know that one last empire that is raised up there for the tribulation period

Now, it doesn't have to be that way, but it looks like, you know, things are falling into place. It's very clear. Jesus Christ could come back at any time, and that's really the point, that these things are already in the works, and what we see prophesied of Scripture in the revival of the Roman Empire...

is already being put together and the Antichrist is kind of just like waiting. At any moment he can arise and begin to lead this final kingdom except for there's something in his way. That's the church and you can check out 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 to see more information about that. And so the Antichrist is going to come on the scene. He's going to be leading this world empire and

Going on to verse 2, it says, 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. And so this beast that comes out of the sea has seven heads and ten horns. But now he describes kind of the rest of the body for us. He has a body like a leopard. Then he has feet like a bear and he has a mouth like a lion.

Now it's interesting that all three of those animals or beasts are seen in Daniel chapter 7. Babylon is the lion, the Medo-Persian Empire is the bear, and then Greece is the leopard.

And so the final empire, the Roman Empire, the revived Roman Empire rather, will be kind of a gathering of the best strengths of the previous world powers that have existed before it. And so it will have the feet of a bear, the body of a leopard, and the mouth of a lion. The best parts of the previous world powers are going to be included as well.

as this beast, as this world power comes on the scene. Well, we see at the end of verse 2 there that this Antichrist will be empowered by Satan because it says, the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. The dragon gives him everything that he has. If you remember, Satan tempted Jesus or tried to tempt Jesus by offering him all the kingdoms of the world and says, look, I'll give this all to you if you bow down and worship me.

Now his claim, his offer to Jesus was valid. Jesus of course didn't accept it because that wasn't the right way for him to receive the kingdoms of the world. But his offer was valid. And Jesus rejected it and so now Satan gives that offer to this Antichrist. And so he gives him power and authority over the whole world and we'll see that even as we go further in the passage this morning.

And so this Antichrist will come on the scene, he'll lead this world kingdom that will be established, and he will be empowered by, inspired by Satan himself. Well, the second thing we see is found in verses 3 and 4, and that is that the Antichrist and Satan are worshipped. Verse 3 says, "...and I saw one of his head as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world marveled and followed the beast."

Now here this event that happens in verse 3 is interesting because it's not really clear what's going on here and there's a little bit of discussion that can be made over what exactly is this describing. It's not very clear what's happening or what it means.

Most scholars would agree that this is an assassination attempt upon the Antichrist that he recovers from. So maybe he gets shot, something happens, and then he recovers or he's revived from this fatal wound. And as a result, then the world worships him and follows him.

And so that's the general consensus. But it's not exactly clear. Now, if that's the case, I kind of liken it this way, and perhaps it's just my too active imagination, but you remember back in chapter 11, there's the two witnesses, and the two witnesses are killed by the beast, that is the Antichrist. And so, you remember in chapter 11, it describes that those who come against the two witnesses, they're devoured with fire from heaven, and they have this supernatural protection.

And so in my mind, I envision it this way, that the two witnesses are there and the Antichrist is there and there's this epic battle that takes place. Just way beyond what you could see or watch in some movie. But this battle that takes place between the beast and these two witnesses

And he's wounded as a result of this battle. The two witnesses, of course, die and then they ascend later and go to heaven. But he is revived and then the world worships him as the Antichrist or as the replacement of Christ. Now, that's not...

exactly what the scripture says that's my own imagination but it's possible and so you just have to give that to me so whatever it is however it takes place the result is that the world is captivated by the antichrist and they marvel and they follow the beast not only that but they worship him in verse 4 it says so they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like the beast who is able to make war with him

And so the result of this conflict or whatever it is that happens is the world says, who can make war with this guy? And they begin to worship him and to worship Satan who has given him authority. Now this is what Satan has desired since the very beginning.

You remember in Isaiah chapter 14, verses 12 through 14, where Satan's fall is described and he has all those I will statements ending up with saying, I will be like the Most High. That's his supreme desire. That's what caused him to fall, is his desire to be worshipped as the Most High. And so now during the tribulation period, his dream is going to be fulfilled in that the world is going to worship Satan

The dragon worships Satan and the beast whom he has empowered. And so they worship these two, the dragon and the beast. And they say, who is like this beast? Who can make war with him? They're going to be captivated by this beast.

Now this will go on for a season, but towards the end of the tribulation, there's going to be some opposition. Because you remember how the tribulation ends? With the battle of Armageddon as the armies gather together? We'll look at it more in chapter 16 of Revelation, where it tells us that the kings of the east...

come to invade Europe essentially and they go take the route through the nation of Israel and so they're coming against the Antichrist and there's going to be that great battle and conflict but for now right around the middle of the tribulation period the world is going to worship the beast and receive him as their savior as their Messiah and so the Antichrist and Satan are worshipped there in verses 3 and 4

Well, the next thing we see is that the Antichrist blasphemes God in verse 5 and 6. Verse 5 says, And he was given a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. And so here we see the Antichrist speaking blasphemies.

Now, the word blasphemy means to speak evil of, or it's described as the worst type of slander. So it's not just talking, you know, bad about somebody, but it's the worst that you can do, the worst type of slander that you can bring. And the devil, as he comes on this scene, seeks to exalt himself by slandering, by speaking evil of God. And so he is given this mouth to speak blasphemies and great things against

But also it says that he's given authority to continue for 42 months. Notice that he's given authority. I think this is important to remember as we look at all the craziness that's happening in the tribulation period. That each step of the way that God is in control and he's letting out just enough leash as is appropriate for the time and the situation.

that it's not out of control, but that God is on the throne and he is in control and he's in control of who gets what authority and for how long they have it. And so he's given authority to continue for 42 months. Now he's been on the scene already since the beginning of the tribulation period because it began with him signing an agreement with the nation of Israel.

But here around the middle of the tribulation period, some important things happen. The two witnesses are killed. He sets up the abomination of desolation there in the holy place of the temple. And now he's given authority to continue for the last 42 months of the tribulation period.

That last 42 months, well we've seen that time mentioned before. 42 months is the same as 1260 days, which is the same as times, time and a half a time, which is the same as three and a half years.

And so he's given authority to continue. He's already been on the scene, but now he has a heightened position that the world is worshipping him. They liked him before, but now they're worshipping him and receiving him as their savior. And so he's going to continue for the next 42 months or the final three and a half years of the tribulation period. Verse 6.

And so here we see him using the mouth now to speak forth these blasphemies against God. And it specifies different areas that he blasphemes. So first he blasphemes the name of God.

And so the Antichrist, as he comes on the scene, right here in the middle of the tribulation, he's going to speak terrible things about God's name. This is more than just, you know, taking God's name in vain. He's going to accuse God of atrocities. I think the irony is that the atrocities that he will accuse God of, Satan is actually responsible for. But he's going to be slandering God,

Speaking against God is going to be a full assault on the name, the character, and the nature of God. If you think, you know, the political battles are vicious and mean and ugly, they don't compare to what the Antichrist will be doing in his assault on the name of God. Well, he also blasphemes God's tabernacle.

And this is probably a reference to the abomination of desolation. When he sets up the image of himself and proclaims himself to be God and demands that all the world worship him as God. It's an assault on the tabernacle of God. Now, not the temple itself that will be physically built in Jerusalem, but remember those things are a model of the things that are in heaven. So the tabernacle that is in heaven where God dwells,

Satan will be blaspheming against that tabernacle by proclaiming himself to be God in the temple and demanding all of the world to worship him. Well, then he'll also blaspheme those who dwell in heaven. And so he's going to be speaking evil and maliciously against God and also the followers of God, those who are his disciples, those who are his children. And so the Antichrist, it seems like he starts out nice,

in a sense, you know, he's not revealing his true colors, but by the end, or right here in the middle, the charade is removed, and he's revealing himself to be who he truly is, and that is the one who is against Christ. And it's a full-on assault against God, against the Word of God, against the people of God, the plan of God, the worship of God, everything to do with God, he is going to be against. And so the Antichrist blasphemes God.

Well, number four, we find in verse seven, and that is that Antichrist makes war with the saints. Verse seven says, 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. Notice again, it says it was granted to him. I think it's important to point out, God is in control every step of the way. It was granted to him, he's given authority to him.

God is allowing him to do what is necessary for people to come to salvation during this time. And so it's granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. These saints that are being referred to here are not the church. Don't be confused by that because remember the church is caught up to be with the Lord in the rapture. That happens back in chapter 4 before the world goes through this tribulation period.

And so the saints that are being referred to here are people who come to faith, people who begin to follow Jesus during that tribulation period after the rapture. So it's not the church, it's those who have come to Christ since the church has been raptured. There will be opportunity for those who are left behind to turn and to get right with God and to experience eternity with God by faith in Jesus Christ. And so, uh...

These saints, though, are in the world, they have salvation, but on earth, the beast is granted the authority to make war with them and to overcome them. It also says that authority was given to him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Every tribe, tongue, and nation, he has authority over. Again, notice that it says authority was given to him.

God is in control. He's allowing these things to take place in measured and precise judgments.

It's not an all-out judgment, but it's measured and precise. Just the right amount, just for the right time, God is in control. And for this season, for this time, He will be granted control of the whole world. Now again, there will be a revolt at the end with the battle of Armageddon, but for right now, He's been granted control and authority over the whole world. Well finally, point number five we see in verses 8 through 10. And that is, if anyone has an ear...

Verse 8 says, Notice,

Now, some people, when they hear what I just shared a moment ago, that there's still an opportunity to get right with God during the tribulation period, some people will hear that and say, well, I'll just wait until the tribulation period then.

In order to get right with God. Because then, hey, the rapture will happen. This antichrist dude is going to come on the scene. I'll know it's for real. And then I can really get right with God. And I only have to survive that seven years or be put to death. You know, it'll just be a short time. And it won't be that hard. But I need to extend a warning. And you need to listen.

That is not a good idea. If that's your heart, if that's your attitude, if that's your mentality, understand you are way, way, way off base. The great tribulation will be coupled with a great deception. There's going to be a great deception and all humanity is going to be captivated by this Antichrist.

The only people who will not worship Him are those who have turned to Jesus. And turning to Jesus in those days will be very hard. It will be difficult. There will be many who do it. So there is hope for those who are left behind. But if your intent is to go into the tribulation and then believe and get right with God, understand the scripture says there's going to be a great deception, especially for those who have heard the truth and have rejected it.

It will be very hard in that day. It will be much harder then to follow God than it is today. You think it's hard today? You go, man, I can't do that. You know, walk with the Lord and go to church and sing Christian songs and, you know, not do those things that I want to do. You think that's tough? In that day, it's going to be much, much more difficult. It's often been said, and it's very true. If you can't live for God today, what makes you think that you can die for Him today?

See, what we don't take into account is the effect of sin in our life. The world is going to worship the beast and that's a big deal because Revelation 14.11 says, look, those who worship the beast, they have eternal judgment. There's no hope for them. Their torment ascends forever and ever and they have no rest day or night. It's eternal punishment for those who worship the beast.

It's not safe to wait until then to get right with God. We need to be ready now. And so he says in verse 9, if anyone has an ear, let him hear. Just quick survey, does anybody have an ear? Let's turn this into kindergarten class. Everybody touch your ear. Just to make sure we have one. If you have an ear, God says you need to hear. You need to listen up. You need to pay attention. This is for us right now. It's also for those who are going through that tribulation period.

It's a warning to them. Don't worship the beast. You've got to be faithful to God. Don't give in. It's going to be tough. It's going to be difficult. But those who worship the beast will experience everlasting judgment. But it's a warning for us right now. Because although the Antichrist is coming, Jesus Christ is coming first. And we need to be ready. We need to be prepared. All the parables that Jesus told in regards to his coming had the emphasis of being ready.

of being watching, of being alert. We need to be ready, waiting, prepared, not messing around and compromising in sin, not goofing off and doing our own thing, but we need to be seriously committed to the Lord and walking with Him in preparation for His return. As we see all of these things take shape, it's even more urgency for us to have a right heart for God and be pursuing Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Verse 10,

Here God reminds us of His eternal principle that is established. It's a law. It will never be violated. You reap what you sow. This is speaking to the believers in that tribulation period who are going through what verse 7 described, the war that the Antichrist is waging upon the saints.

God is reminding them, hey, you're being put to death, you're being persecuted, you're being attacked. Understand, those who lead you into captivity will also go into captivity. Those who put you to death by the sword will also be put to death with the sword. He's reminding the believers of that day that those who are persecuting you will reap what they have sown. Because that's God's rule. That's God's law.

So he says, here's the patience and the faith of the saints. The patience, that is the endurance. The saints are enduring, trusting God that righteousness will be accomplished, that justice will be done in His time. That He will bring justice for the persecution and the wrong that is being done to them. The principle, the rule is you reap what you sow.

And so as we look at these things in Revelation chapter 13 verses 1 through 10, we see this Antichrist who's coming on the scene. These incredible things that are happening. This great deception as all the world follows him. And I think as we look at these things, the question that comes up in a lot of people's minds is, now how could this all really happen?

I mean, look, we've been reading about these things and talking about these things for a long time. There's been movies made about these things and the Mark of the Beast. Everybody knows this story. Now, if this is going to happen, everybody will remember, hey, this is what the Bible says. And who's going to fall for this Antichrist? We ask the question, how can all this happen since everybody knows about it? Well, I would answer that question with another question, as I like to do.

And that is, how is it that a Christian can backslide? You know, Christians know the truth. And yet, there are Christians who live in compromise, who live in sin, who practice all kinds of things, even though they know better, and they know the truth, and they know that Jesus is coming back, but they practice those things that are not of God. Or, here's another question. How could Samson tell Delilah how to weaken him? You know that account back in the book of Judges, right? There's Samson. He's strong-minded.

He's in love with this lady named Delilah who's a Philistine and she says, hey Samson, just out of curious, you know, I just want to talk to you and get to know you a little bit better. How can I make you weak like any other person? So he says, well, if you bind me with, you know, seven ropes that have never been used, then I'll be weak like anyone else. And so he wakes up the next morning and guess what? There's seven ropes tied around him. And she cries out, hey, the Philistines are coming. And so he gets up and he breaks the ropes, but

automatically started thinking, hey, this girl doesn't have good intentions for me, right? I mean, what's going on here? And she starts crying and says, oh, you don't love me. And tell me, how can you be? And so he says, well, if you weave my hair into a weaver's loom, then I'll be weak like any other man. And so the next day he wakes up and guess what? His hair is woven into the weaver's loom.

Now, if you didn't get it the first time, you'd start to get it the second time, right? You'd think, for sure, okay, she's got something out for me. She's not doing what's in my best interest. And yet, she asks him again, and what does he do? He tells her, well, if you shave my head, then I'll be weak like any other man. Why was he thinking? You see, knowing the truth and knowing what the Bible says doesn't mean that you walk in it and that you live according to it. We forget...

About the effect of sin. And those who think, well, later on I'll get right with God, don't take into account the effects of sin. Sin blinds us, it deceives us, it makes us stupid, and we don't know what is happening to us, even though it's right in front of our face. We destroy our lives, and we're clueless the whole time, even though we know better. Because that's what sin does.

And so in that last day, the Antichrist will be able to come. Even though it's all been widely spread and published and movies have been made, he'll be able to come and the world will be blinded and deceived because that's what sin does. And that's why this morning, I want to encourage you, I want to challenge you to get out of sin and to get right with God. Don't be deceived. Jesus Christ is coming back soon.

Now is not the time to be messing around or goofing off, to be living in compromise, to be practicing sin. Now is not the time. We need to get ready. We need to be prepared because Jesus Christ is coming back soon. Let's pray. Lord, as we consider these things and the coming of this Antichrist who will deceive the world, Lord, I pray that you would use these things to remind us that you are coming even quicker. And Lord, we want to be ready for your return.

And so, Lord, I pray that you would speak to our hearts. For any who are bound in sin, who are diving into sin, for any who are trapped in sin, for anybody who are practicing sin, Lord, I pray that you would open their eyes. Lord, don't let them be blinded like Samson, just going on and just destroying themselves. Lord, I pray that there would be an awareness, a reality check. Lord, that you would speak to their heart and show them, Lord, the destruction that comes from practicing sin.

Lord, I pray that you would teach all of us that eternal principle that you've established. You reap what you sow. Lord, may we not sow to the flesh, but Lord, may we sow to the Spirit and involve ourselves in the things of you. Lord, that we might reap everlasting life. And so, Lord, I pray that you would draw us to yourself, that you would purge us of the things of this world and the things of sin and help us to walk with you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.