Bible Study No 22 of Revelation

Okay. Well, good evening, brethren. Here we are today on our 22nd study on the Book of Revelation.

And we have studied the seven letters to the seven churches. We also studied the six seals. And then we saw how we got to the point of the, all the way to the seventh trumpet. And then we studied events and points that we need to watch before the Great Tribulation. So those are some of the things we went through.

Then we saw that a portion of the church will be protected before the Great Tribulation.

We also saw that the Great Tribulation will last for a period of three and a half years. And that is during the same time as the two witnesses. Then we also went through and we saw how God recalls heavenly signs to occur after two and a half years into the Great Tribulation, signaling that the beginning of that last year, which is the great day of the Lord's wrath.

We also saw that God will protect also by sealing those who repent during the first two and a half years of the Great Tribulation. So we have two, let's call, periods of protection. One is the church before the Great Tribulation and the other one is those people that repent towards the end of those two and a half years into the Great Tribulation.

We also saw a brief history that was in Revelation 12. That's where we stopped last time of God's church and how the church has been persecuted by Satan. And now Satan will keep persecuting the church because he hates everything that is God's. Right, so today we're going to address Revelation 13. That's our theme today. Basically, there are two beasts talked about in Revelation 13.

Basically, you could split Revelation 13 into two sections. The first section is from verse 1 to verse 10. There he talks about the first beast which rises out of the sea, which has seven heads and ten horns as we see in verse 1. It says that I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising up of the sea having seven heads and ten horns. And on his horns ten crowns and on his heads a blasphemous name. This is basically what we generally refer as the beast.

So normally we talk about the beast. That's what we're referring to this first beast. But in verses 11 through 18, it talks about a second beast that comes up out of the earth with two horns. You see that described in verse 11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. Note that the AI is talking about he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon and generally we refer to this one as the false prophet.

So the first beast, that's verse 1 to verse 10, represents what as it's described in our book of Revelation and Veiled on page 50. It represents the geopolitical power most actively involved in this persecution of God's people. So the first beast therefore refers also to that combined group of ten nations which will rise up at the end, time of the end, quite often will refer to as resurrected Europe or beast power or ten nations of Europe. So those are the general terms we refer to it. However, in this section this first beast also refers to the leader of that group of ten nations and you see towards the latter part of this section from verse 1 to verse 10 it quite often refers to he and he opened his mouth and he spoke and it was granted to him to make war.

So it's quite often he's referring to the leader of that group of ten nations. Let's call it the beast, the leader, or that dictator. So when we went through earlier on and we analyzed this chart showing the prophecies of the reign of Gentile kingdoms, we now are referring to this section here which is Revelation 13 which is the beast and the image this Revelation 13. So in this section we are referring to a beast with seven heads and ten horns because the seven heads represents the sum of these seven heads.

Here the first beast which is a lion, one head, the second beast which is a bear, the second head, the third beast which is like a leper but it says it had four heads. So now we have four plus five, six, six heads in total and then we have the sixth beast a strong black iron and that is the seventh head. So this beast represents the sum total of these other beasts of Daniel 7 or these other components of Daniel 2's image.

So that's where the seven heads come from. Then it has 10 horns and these 10 horns, the first three will be plucked out by the Roman Catholic Church, therefore then remaining an additional seven horns. So there's 10 horns of which the first three will then be plucked out leaving seven horns to go for remaining. This is what we're referring here in Revelation 13. In the first section from verse 1 to verse 10 is this side. The second side, verse 11 through 18, represents this two horned lamb and its image. So that's why Revelation 13 has got these two beasts. Verse 1 to 10 is state and verse 11 through 18 is the church.

So there we are. Then I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising out of the sea having seven heads and 10 horns. That's this civil side. And on these horns, 10 crowns, and on these heads, a blasphemous name, the revival of the Roman Empire.

Right, so let's now look at verse 1, rising out of the sea, because we're talking about Revelation 13 verse 1, the beast rising out of the sea. So this leader comes from the great mass of humanity, namely from the Gentile powers of the world, and it rises out of the sea. So this leader will come up out of worldly chaos to set up a new world order, a new government, and it says, on his heads, a blasphemous name. His conduct and wars are blasphemy against God and Christ. So let's move on to verse 2. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of the bear, his mouth like the mouth of a lion. So we can see that tied in to those examples of Daniel 7. And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. So this beast has the majesty and power of a lion, Babylon, the strength and tenacity of a bear, the second Gentile ruling government, the swiftness of a leopard, that is the third empire, the Alexandrian empire, and the combination of these in great power, which is the Roman empire. Plus, it was entered Satan's own satanic power. So there it is. The dragon gave him his power, so it's got Satan's power, throne, and authority. So it's government from Satan.

This is important for us to tie because it shows that Revelation 13 is directly connected with Daniel, and it shows the sequence of these kingdoms. This is important once again for us to understand because this is not a kingdom that will come out of somewhere else. It's a kingdom that has part of a natural progression that has come out of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, and we can see this progression. Now, in Revelation 13, verse 3, he sees, 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. So we have this Roman empire, which had long been the head of the beast, was crushed, and seemingly wiped out. Yes, the Roman empire, but then there was a holy resurrection of the Roman empire. So its revival is considered a miracle in the demonstration of Satan's power.

So in Revelation 13, verse 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? So what we have is the whole world worship Satan and this beast. So this beast, which is going to come up, the whole world is going to worship it. So let's now move on to verse 5. And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. Now notice that 42 months comes 30 days per month. That's how prophetically a mouth is seen as representing 30 days. That adds up to 1260 days. Now when we look at Daniel 7, so if you turn with me to Daniel 7 verse 8. First we look at Daniel 7 verse 8.

Daniel 7 verse 8. And he says, and I was considering the horns.

You see, it's talking about these horns of this fourth beast.

And there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them before room three of the first horns were plucked by the roots. And there in this horn with eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. So this little horn brings these blasphemies, and it's given this mouthpiece to this beast, this dictatorial power, through this false prophet, and it's given this mouth of speaking blasphemies. And that's what it says here in Daniel 7 verse 8.

There it says a mouth speaking pompous words. If you also look at verse 20 of Daniel 7 verse 20, it says, and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up before which we fell, namely that one which had eyes and a mouth, which spoke pompous words. So it is given this mouth, so we're talking about a human being which spoke pompous words whose appearance was greater than his fellow. So there will be a leader that will come up and will give this. Now if you look at verse 25, and I've got here verse 25 on the screen, he says, he shall speak pompous words against the mouth eye, shall persecute the saints of the mouth eye, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and oft a time.

So this again is prophetic because time and oft a time is three and a half years, which is 42 months, which is 1260 days. This has a double meaning, whatever. This has a double meaning. The first one is the revival of the Roman Empire. Its authority lasted for 1260 years in the Middle Ages, which was the so-called imperial restoration of Justinian, starting in 554 AD, under the meaning in the current era. Until that restoration and through its various resurrections and changes, it went on until Napoleon's abdication in 1814, which is exactly 1260 years later. Thus, the government dating back to Augustus Caesar was closed. So that was a period in which that Holy Roman Empire had authority for those 1260 years and put a lot of pressure on Christians. Therefore, the church was in hiding until the time of, let's call it, the Protestant Reformation and beyond that when the church started coming out of hiding.

Now, during that period, as you know, from the time of the Council of Nisaya, this power, this Catholic power, this religious power, started intending to change times and law. Because you know, in the Council of Nisaya and 325 AD, they implemented what it was called, the change from the Sabbath to Sunday, and they implemented the change of the Passover from the 14th Nisaya, which is on a specific date of the Hebrew calendar. They changed that to a Sunday, Easter Sunday. So they intended to change times and the law of times, meaning the festival season and the law, for instance, the Sabbath. They changed to Sunday, and they also changed the first and second commandments of God's Ten Commandments. The Catholic Church embedded that into those first two commandments into one, and the last commandment, the Ten, which is now shall not last, they brought that down into two. So the reason that is to have a second commandment is to hide the worshipping of images behind, well, we shall have no other gods. So it kind of hides, yet gives them an excuse to worship images. So, as I said, it's a double meaning because once the first cycle of 42 months, it's using days, but in days for a year. But the second cycle, the second meaning of it, is a future revival of that dictatorship and that power, which will still be coming, and that will be an authority that will last for 1260 days, and it was three and a half years. So the first time of those 1260 days, the first time, it was a day for a year, but the second time it will be literal days, and that will be for three and a half years during the Great Tribulation, and that is during the period of the so-called 10 cows of the animal too, where those 10 kings get together, and they give their power to this leader of the beast. So what are we looking at, I've reviewed, is these first five here, which remember they are 10 horns. The first three were plucked out, we saw in the previous slide. Then we got five, so five and three is eight. Then there's another one, which is the ninth, which all in other words the sixth of the remaining seven. And then there's the last one still to come, which will be the revive Roman Empire. So these we went through before, but I'm trying to connect it here with Revelation 13. So you have this whole section. These charts even to you, previously in previous handouts, so if you go to those lessons where we covered them before, you will see these charts as handouts that you can download from the website.

Right, so continuing in the first section of Revelation 13, 1 through 10, the beast, this beast, this power, will be an end time empire and its leader. So it, the beast, and he, the leader, will have a worldwide impact. You will be ruled by Satan, but it will not last long.

So this leader, this political power, obviously will have a rich religious influence, also a very strong economic influence, and military power. So it will have these various components to enforce its way. Now let's read verse 6 and 7 of Revelation 13.

Then he opened his mouth, that's the leader of this beast, in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. Those who dwell in heaven are obviously the angel angelic beings, which are godly. Obviously it's not human beings, because human beings have not resurrected yet. The first resurrection has not happened yet.

It was granted to him, and to this beast, to make war with the saints, and obviously those are the saints that are living at the time. And once again, remember this is in two phases. The first phase that he made war with the saints was during the Middle Ages, for those 1,260 years. And the second phase, which will be right at the time of the end for three and a half years, and it says end to overcome them. So this is quite important to understand, because it says end to overcome them. So this beast power left power to overcome the saints, and it says an authority was given him over this beast power over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

So, as Satan's mouth beast, this beast from verse 1 to verse 10 of Revelation 13, this beast expresses extreme unbelief towards God and irreverence towards God, and will trigger or cause the Great Tribulation as a future event. And it says an authority was given to him. And it says authority was given him, it was to the beast, over every nation, by Satan, over every tribe, tongue, and nation. And so the beast will devour, trample, and break down the whole world in pieces. That we read in Daniel 7 verse 23. So if I just turn back to Daniel 7, where we read a little while ago, in Daniel 7 verse 23, it reads, that as he said, the fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on the earth, that's the Roman Empire, in the eyes of revival. And it says, and shall be found the whole earth, trample it, and break it in pieces. So what we have is this kingdom, this beast, will cause great destruction upon the earth.

Right, let's continue now in verse 8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, in the words of this beast power. This civil leader will respect and will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So everyone on earth, except obviously the saints, knows that are responding to God's directors. Everyone except the saints will worship the beast. In other words, will worship this dictator, this beast power. Now the Lamb was condemned to death, he says, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb was condemned to death from the foundation from the foundation of the world. In other words, it is all what God is permitting. God is in absolute control. It's not things just going out of hand and God is losing his control. No, God is control and God is allowing it to teach these people a lesson. And the little encouragement here is that God is in control. We need to trust God is in control. And as we saw, God will protect his people, part of his church, we discussed that before, and those coming out of the retrobulation, God will also seal them, as we mentioned. So there is a little encouragement here. Maybe it's a little subtle, but it's encouragement from the point of view. They say, hey, listen, the lamb needed to be slain. He needed to go through pain and suffering. And we all, in society, will also, to one degree or another, will go through pain and suffering. Just like Christ suffered, we will suffer with him as well. I know it is sad. It's unfortunate. It's very sad that he's looking ahead. But God is in control and he will not forget our faithfulness.

Now, in verse 9 and 10, he says, if anyone has an ear, late in year, he who leads into captivity shall go into captivity, whom he who kills, who the sword must be killed of the sword. YAH is the patience and the faith of the saints. Now, in first place, if anyone has a year, an ear, late in year, do you remember some of the statements to that? Of course you do. That was in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3. In every single message to the seven churches, in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3, he said, if anyone has an ear, late in year, what the Spirit says to the churches.

That's in Revelation 2 and 3. Each one of them said, if anyone has an ear, late in year, what the Spirit says to the churches. But note that now, in Revelation 13, does not say what the Spirit says to the churches. Because YAH, in Revelation 13, 9 and 10, is actually basically referring to a time period of the Great Revelation. The church has basically been protected, but now it's talking to the world and society and saying to the world and society, you know, YAH is the patience and the faith of the saints. Because people will repent during the Great Revelation, like we mentioned before, and those people that repent during the Great Revelation, YAH again is trying to give a little bit of encouragement because it's saying YAH is the patience. In other words, the stick to it, the endurance and the absolute trust of the saints, because they have to trust in God and they have to endure. And when all these things are happening, why is this the patience? Because He says, He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. In other words, these people will receive divine retribution. There will be just punishment to these people. They will have to suffer the righteous wrath of God. So again, this is meant as an encouragement to the faithful.

So in the middle of all this turmoil, YAH is a hidden message of encouragement to those people going through it. And it says, if anyone has a year, let him hear. So it's no more just talking to the churches, it's talking to all of humanity that is willing to repent.

And, sonny, they will get the just reward. Just be patient. You have the patience. You just have to be patient. And you have to have faith. In other words, you have to trust God.

All right, now let's continue in the second section of Revelation 13, which is this second beast, this beast coming out of the earth. Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke and spoke like a dragon. So, yeah, we have this other beast. Now, it continued reading, 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. So, it's now talking about the second beast and he's talking very specifically, he and he exercises and he says, and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.

So, now we have a creature from the earth that comes out from an organization that already exists. That's why it's from the earth, and also it's not from heaven. It's not a godly thing. It's something from a worldly organization that exists on earth. And it says, this leader of this worldly organization, which we believe to be the Catholic Church, as it will be, let's call it re-energized at the time of the end with demonic power.

He says, this leader, he has a gentle pipe land-like appearance, which the first beast, the first leader, this dictator of verse 1 to verse 10, does not have.

So, yeah, we have a land-like appearance. But he is subservient to the first beast, its leader, and speaks like a dragon, because it actually is inspired by Satan. So, who is this? Now, turn with me to Revelation 19 verse 20, just a few pages ahead in Revelation 19 verse 20. It says, then the beast was captured and within the false prophet.

You see, the beast is the first beast of Revelation 15 1 to 10, and the false prophet is this leader of Revelation 13 11 to 18. So, this leader, the second beast, this second horrible type person, because the Bible compares these horrible human beings to beasts, and he says that the Bible is referring to him as the false prophet. In other words, the leader of the apostate church. So, the false prophet, using satanic powers that Satan gives him, causes those who dwell on the earth to worship the first beast, and obviously worship its leader, the leader of the first beast, who's connecting deadly water was healed because it is from that Roman Empire.

You see, it identifies where this kingdom comes from. It's not for instance China or something that which is not part of this flow, prophetic flow, this crowd. Yeah. So, understanding Daniel 2 and 7 and putting those together, it's very important for us to get understanding of who this beast and this leader is, and which is the false prophet using satanic powers, is causing the first beast, the leader of this civil government, let's call it the revived Europe, 10 nations of Europe, still to come, these 10 nations of dictatorship to rise up, will have a leader and that will be the first beast, and the second beast, which is the false prophet, will cause people to worship this leader of this government that will be established.

So, the false prophet, therefore, is another interesting point that sometimes we don't fully grasp. The false prophet appears to outlive the actual apostate church. You see, the apostate church, let's call it the Catholic church, will come to a point that the beast power will turn against the Catholic church, will destroy it, but the false prophet will outlive it. Look at Revelation 17 verse 16. Revelation 17 verse 16 says, and the tenor which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot. In other words, that apostate church, and make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn with fire. So, towards the end of this period, there will be a time that this beast power, this government, will turn against this false church and will destroy it, but the leader of that church, the false prophet, will, according to this, appears to outlive the actual apostate church. So, this false prophet has prominence and leadership with the first beast during the Great Revelation, and we know that the two, the leader of this government, the first beast, and the leader, which is the false prophet of the second beast, are together thrown alive into the lake of fire, as we read in Revelation 19 verse 20, as we read a little while ago. And it says, these two were cast alive into the lake of fire. Who are these two? The beast and the false prophet. So, it's clearly talking about the leader of the beast of that government, and this leader of this apostate church, which is surviving beyond the actual apostate church being destroyed. So, it is interesting to actually see this developing. All right, let's move on.

Now, there will be great miracles, which will be very deceptive. In Revelation 13 verse 13 and 14, it says, he performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the sight of man. He performs great signs, sorry, I have to communicate that twice, and he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he has granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. So, the false prophet performs great miracles. We read that in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9 and 10. So, let's go back to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9 and 10. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, when you read 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and it says, let's start in verse 3, let no one deceive you by any means that that day will not come unless the falling away, there is an apostasy in Greek, says the apostasy comes first and the man of sin is revealed. So, this man of sin, this false prophet, is going to be revealed. He will come out of the earth, as we saw at the beginning in verse 11 of Revelation 13. He comes out of the earth, so this false prophet will be revealed, the son of perdition. So, it will be a pretty dominant personality as we see. And he says, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worship, so that this false prophet, he sits as God, sits in the temple of God, as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he's God. So, Yah is a very charismatic person inspired by Satan, this man of sin, this false prophet, and performing great miracles.

Look at verse 5 of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things, and now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time. God is preventing this from happening for the time being, but when God allows it to happen, because remember God is in control and is permitting it. At the right time, God will allow whatever hours and genetic powers that are restraining these evils to happen. You will allow that to happen, because it says in verse 7, for the mercy of lawlessness is already at work.

Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way, until God permits this to happen. And then the lawless one, that's this false prophet, will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth that we saw a while ago in Revelation 19 verse 20.

He says, you consume with the breath of his mouth and destroyeth the brightness of his coming, and will be thrown into the lake of fire as we saw. Verse 9. The cunning of the lawless one of this false prophet of the second beast of Revelation 13 is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. That's the point. And then it says, yeah, as well, that says that he will receive and grant to do miracles and designs of the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. So there will be an image, an idol made of this government, government that will be resurrected of this leader, some sort of an image, adulterous, blasphemous image. And he says this image of the beast is a symbol of power and majesty of this leader of the civil government. This image is mentioned four times in this chapter, verses 14 and 15, and six more times in the book of Revelation. So it is mentioned a number of times.

This image, an image of the beast, and this image is the center of false worship and the central focus of the final apostasy, the height of idolatry. So it really is a very wicked thing that will happen. Now, in verse 15 through 18, he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast. So there will be some image. Maybe somehow we'll have some sort of capability 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. What that will be, how it will be, I don't know. But what it says it will be given power to give breath to the image of the beast.

And who causes many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand and on their foreheads that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of its name. Ye 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. So we have a mark of the beast. Now this mark is a sign, is an identifying sign, a mark, a branded force, that identifies those that are worshipers of the beast and serves as an identification. Now God has a sign as well, which are his commandments, his laws, his principles. And you read in the Autonomy 6 verse 2 and 8 and Exodus 31, 13, which says the Sabbath is a sign between your eyes and your right hand. And so we know that God's laws and God's principles are a sign to us that we are God's people. But yeah, we have a mark which is enforced, which is basically disobedience to God, disobedience to the Sabbath, disobedience to God's holidays. And that's the mark of the beast. It's a sign that identifies those people completely different. And therefore it means that if you are a person that that do not have the spark, you will not be able to buy or sell or do business or get food or anything like that. So it's going to be a very drastic time. Now some people say, oh well, it's a chirp or this or that or the other. But the Bible does not say, brethren, is the method, the specific method that it will be used. Now whatever method is going to be used, we don't know. But the mark, those people that have the mark, those people that do so by God, that break the Sabbath, that break on solid days, that is the mark. How they will use to identify those people with some sort of technology, that is a different story. But the mark of the beast is breaking God's commandments and God's laws. Because now we have idolatry. This is the pinnacle of idolatry. And if you don't follow that idolatry, breaking or turning your back on God, you will be marked. That's basically what it is. Whichever method, that will be something that we will find out over time. So brethren, that covers today's section of the Bible study, covering Revelation 13.