Soon!

Here is a link to last week’s series, Soon!

…The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.

Revelation 13:3 (CSB)

Have you ever wondered where all of the trustworthy pastors, like David Jeremiah, Robert Jeffress and Henry Morris have gotten their information about the prophecies of the Book of Revelation?

Obviously, they are very well educated. Jeffress and Morris hold Ph.D.s, and David Jeremiah holds a B.A. and an honorary Doctor of Divinity.

But the thing that makes these men trustworthy and reliable teachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is their reliance on the Holy Spirit to teach them.

These men know to measure all of their learning by the Word of God. They never speculate about the mysteries of the Bible without the reminder that a particular enigmatic verse might mean one thing or another, but we are not to get hung up on what we don’t know.

Do you want to know how believers can really discover the rich depth of God’s Word? Do you want to be clued in on solving some of the mysteries? Well, look what the godly Bible scholars rely on.

They rely on other scripture. Here’s how.

In this study of Revelation 13, I noticed that when these men have taught about the Anti-Christ they referred to where he would come from by referencing Daniel 7:2 & 3. These teachers point out that when the sea is connected to a particular person or group of people in the Bible, it means they are Gentiles. The passage in Daniel bears that out.

In this week’s look at Revelation keep that in mind because there are so many mental images of what is taking place. For that matter, the whole book of Revelation has been like that.

So, let’s get into this week’s look at-

Revelation 13:1-18 (CSB)

And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names. 

Revelation 13:1 (CSB)

Satan brings the Antichrist to the world. This image of him coming from the sea is metaphorical. In the illustration given in the opening of this lesson, he is a Gentile.

The ten horns, according to biblical scholars, likely symbolize the ten kingdoms ruled by the Antichrist, who is empowered by Satan. The seven heads represent the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, which have fallen. The next kingdom will be the confederated ten nations united under the Antichrist.

The blasphemous names referred to show their rebellion against God.

A closer look at the beast-

• The beast I saw was like a leopard, (swift)
• its feet were like a bears, (brutal power)
• its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. (majestic terror)

Revelation 13:2 (CSB)

The wound and the enamored world-

• The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. 
• One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed.
• The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. 
• They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast.
• They worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it?”

Revelation 10:3 & 4 (CSB)

Can you imagine that? Well, all we have to do is look at the world now. People are filled with sinful rebellion against God. How foolish and sad.

Mocking God, War, Death

The beast was given a mouth to utter boasts and blasphemies. It was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It began to speak blasphemies against God:

• to blaspheme his name and his dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. 
• And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. 
• It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 
• All those who live on the earth will worship it,
• everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.
• If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen if anyone is to be taken captive, into captivity he goes.
• If anyone is to be killed with a sword, with a sword he will be killed.

This calls for endurance and faithfulness from the saints.

Revelation 13:5-10 (CSB)

As we come to this natural break, can I encourage you to persevere to the end? Can I ask you to pray for all of your believing brothers and sisters around the world to have the courage to tell the world about Jesus?

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! Ephesians 6:10 (KJV)

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain