Revelation
The Lamb of God: On His Throne and Among His People
The Faithfulness of God and the Perseverance of the Saints
Revelation 13:1-18

• Read Revelation 13. What insights or questions do you have from the sermon? You will likely answer this in the following questions, but how do you see Revelation applying to us today?

• Do you think the Antichrist is a person (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 – you should read this passage) or do you think John was seeing and reporting about the brutal nature of Rome (through the Holy Spirit’s leading, of course) and all subsequent governments throughout the church ages that have persecuted the church and opposed the gospel?

• Revelation 13:9 is a short verse that is easily overlooked in such a dazzlingly horrific chapter. Since Revelation is written to believers, is it possible for believers to be deceived by either the charm or the power of antichrist (whether an individual or a government)? How does democracy assist or confuse our response to civil government?

• Perhaps some believers spend too much time seeking to discern who the Antichrist will be. Other believers, who are not so inclined, might be unaware that the spirit of antichrist is already at work in the land (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7). Hopefully seeking to understand Revelation from two primary viewpoints does not confuse you, but, rather, strengthens your position as a believer who eagerly waits for Christ’s return. How does investigating both systems clarify your understanding of Revelation and encourage your faith?

• Revelation 13:10 is a difficult pill to swallow for believers that have only lived with religious freedom all their lives. Although the KJV is translated “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword” indicating that God will bring judgment on those who persecute believers, it is better to understand this verse as the ESV translates it. God calls us to patiently endure imprisonment – and even martyrdom – should it come to us. How does this conflict with American values? Should we adjust our thinking?

• Following up on the last question, American believers are especially susceptible to false teaching about peace and prosperity. How might we be faithful to teach the truths of Revelation without sounding like fearmongers? Should we adjust our tone about politics and social issues, even if we do not change our views? How might we accomplish this change?

Extra Notes

Quotes and Thoughts

Louis Brighton: The interpretation of the beast as Rome must be broadened: the beast represents and symbolizes every human authority and everything of the human nature that the dragon can corrupt and control and use in his warfare against the woman (in Revelation 12, understood to be the church) and her seed (individual Christians) – political, governmental, social, economic, philosophical, and educational systems, as well as individuals. No one entity or person will exhaust what the beast signifies. During the lifetime of John and afterward the Roman Empire was at times, so diabolical and terrifying in its opposition to Christianity and the church, it would become a model and type of all succeeding tyrannical governments and human powers and peoples, just as Babylon had been.

Satan – the Great Imitator

The unholy trinity – instead of an eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Dragon (Satan) seeks to set up a rival trinity by creating (which he cannot do) and inhabiting (see Luke 22:3-6 in the Scripture section below) the first beast (Antichrist?) and the second beast (the false prophet?). See Revelation 16:13.

Satan’s cheap imitation of Jesus (from G.K. Beale’s commentary)

• Both were slain and rise to new life (5:6 and 13:3)
• Both have followers with their names written on their foreheads (13:16 and 14:1)
• Both have horns (5:6 and 13:1)
• Both have authority over every “tribe, tongue, people, and nation” (5:9; 7:9; and 13:7; 17:12, 15)
• Both receive worldwide worship (5:8 and 13:4, 8)
• Both have a final coming or manifestation, though one is to destruction and the other to eternal victory (17:7-18)

When Jesus returns, he will establish his kingdom. Destruction will be Satan’s destiny and the destiny of all who follow him.

Just as God the Father gives authority to Jesus, Satan gives authority to the beast and receives worship himself. Any authority that Satan has the authority to give is, of course, under the sovereign direction of God (see Revelation 13:5, 7 and Daniel 7:6, 25).

Even so, God gives Satan power, even over believers (cf. 13:7 with 11:7, both of which are based on Daniel 7:21) and he prevails in the short term. Believers are commanded to patiently submit to God’s will for their lives and to endure suffering, not resorting to self-defense and violence. This could be an especially difficult command for American believers, who very much believe in self-defense.

Exodus 15:11 (The Israelites praising God for his deliverance of his people from Egypt and through the Red Sea – cf. Revelation 13:4 below) “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Revelation 13:4 (The cynical worship of the beast by his followers) And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

From Dennis Johnson: The second beast’s appearance resembles the Lamb, but its speech betrays its allegiance to the dragon. (13:11

Two Views of Revelation 13

The literal (futurist – as in “Revelation covers the seven years of the Tribulation”) view

• The first beast, who rises from the sea (see Daniel 7:2-7) is the Antichrist, or the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). He is also the little horn of Daniel 7:7-8. The Antichrist is a political leader that seeks to dominate the entire world. (See also Daniel 7:19-25; 8:23b-25; Revelation 11:7)
• Much of what futurists believe about the Antichrist and the Tribulation comes from Daniel 9:26-27, where he makes a seven-year treaty with Israel and breaks it half-way through (3 ½ years, 42 months, times, times, and half a time) and from Daniel 11:36-45 that speak of the monstrous things he will do.
• The second beast, who rises from the land, is the false prophet. Whereas the first beast exerts political power, the second beast exerts religious power.
• The false prophet (see Revelation 16:13; 19:20;20:10) seems to be able to animate (bring to life) the image of the beast (Antichrist) that is to be worshiped. This brings to mind the gold statue that was an image of himself that Nebuchadnezzar built to be worshiped (Daniel 3). The response of the three Hebrew children to Nebuchadnezzar’s demand is a model for believers in the Tribulation, and while some believers might be delivered from death, those who face the Satanic wrath of the Antichrist and false prophet should not expect to be delivered (see 13:10), but understand that martyrdom is the much more likely outcome as we have seen all through Revelation.
• The mark of the beast may or may not be a literal mark, but whether it is a tattoo, of sorts, or an electronic form of identity (like a chip), those who willingly submit to the worship of the beast and those who do not will be easy to spot.
• Should you submit to Real ID and similar demands of the government? What if the government strongly suggests, or even requires, an implanted chip on your forehead or on your right hand? We would all be wary, but as far as I can tell, the mark of the beast is connected with worship of an individual – the beast.
• Name the steps we have accepted, even though we were initially skeptical – credit cards, facial recognition, Real ID – and many more. When anything relates to the worship of anyone other than Jesus, that is when we must refuse. If you refuse at an earlier point, you might well be right to do so, but until worship is involved, it is not the Antichrist and you are not receiving the mark of the beast.

The symbolic (idealist – as in Revelation is written to/about the church between Jesus’ ascension and his return) view

• As in the first view, Satan is God’s opponent vying for the submission and worship of all men and women.
• Many of the texts from Daniel listed above relate to Revelation in this view as well. It is difficult to understand Revelation apart from the book of Daniel. The first beast is linked with the empires (Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman) that the beasts in Daniel 7 represent, thus leading us to conclude that the beast represents institutional control rather than an individual that will dominate the world.
• The first beast represented the Roman Empire (the four beasts of Daniel 7 lumped into one beast in Revelation 13) and thus represents all subsequent political systems that oppose Christ as King, whether the opposition be passive or belligerent.
• “The antichrist (2 John 7 – and see also 1 John 2:18, 22 and 4:3 – the only places in the NT the term is used) refers to anyone who does not confess the coming of Jesus Christ.
• The second beast represents the religious system that opposes Jesus, even if it invokes his name. Not only does this system reject the gospel of Jesus, it gives assent, power, and religious credibility to the political system that opposes Jesus’ followers. Perhaps he has two horns to mimic (fulfill?) the prophecy of the ram in Daniel 8:3
• The mark of the beast is not a literal mark. Six is the number of incompleteness, just as seven is the number of completion/perfection. Seven is seen throughout the book of Revelation. Satan’s counterfeit falls short, although it must be acknowledged that Satan attempts to wear the number 7 (12:3;13:1; 17:3, 9-11).
• The significance of the mark (governmental/institutional control) is, at best, to secure submission and obedience from all, and at least to pressure believers to keep their faith private.

Application Points from the Sermon

1. The closer error is to truth, the more dangerous it is
2. The more you know about truth, the easier it will be to identify error
3. Make the decision now to endure persecution if it is God’s will for you to suffer

Scripture from the Sermon Associated with the Text

Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him (Jesus) to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?

    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

2 Kings 1:9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Cf. the mark of the beast – on the right hand or forehead)

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things,

    and desperately sick;

    who can understand it?

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,

    O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

    O King of the nations!

4 Who will not fear, O Lord,

    and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

    All nations will come

    and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”