2/11/18 – Eph 6:11, 

The Angelic Conflict, Pt. 16,

The Enemy, Pt. 13, 

The Antichrist, Pt. 4, 

Lesson #18-017 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxqZ4Lfq9mo&t=2s

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

Grace Fellowship Church

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

Outline of Eph 6 :10-24

1. The Empowerment, vs. 10.

2. The Enemy, vs. 11-12. 

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17. 

4. The Energy, vs. 18-20. 

5. The Encouragement, vs. 21-24.

2. The Enemy, vs. 11-12.

Eph 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

The Beast and The False Prophet, Rev 13.

Daniel’s Beasts:                                  

Colossus compared to Beasts:

John’s Beast coming out of the sea:   

John’s Beast, Rev 13:                         

John’s Beast with Crowns:

                      

Dan 7:8, “While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.”

Dan 8:9, “Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.”

In Rev 13:1, the seven heads seem to be successive rulers when compared to Rev 17:3-11. They refer to successive kings or emperors. They represent the great world empires of the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, Roman, and the revival of the Roman Empire during the Tribulation. The antichrist emerges from the revived Roman Empire and is therefore part of the seventh but actually is an eighth, Rev 17:10-11.

The ten horns with ten diadems or crowns are different in that they represent ten kings who will reign simultaneously in the revival of the Roman Empire, similar to the European Economic Union we are seeing today. The beast that was, (at the time of John’s vision), and is not, (i.e., will fall), is the Roman Empire that has since fallen but is to be revived one day. In Rev 17:12, we see that the revived Roman Empire made up of ten kings is said to be those “who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” Then comparing Dan 7:8 with Rev 17:13, the Antichrist will take control over this ten king federation and establish his final world empire.

Now, compare this to Rev12:3, regarding the dragon. The dragon is Satan. He has seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns. The seven heads with seven crowns tells us he was the ruler behind those seven kingdoms noted above, including the revived Roman Empire. When the beast / Antichrist comes, Satan gives him his power and authority, Rev 13:4, and the beast will then rule the ten federated kingdom of the revived Roman Empire. That is why the beast has ten crowns, which are really one empire made up of ten kings, compared to the seven crowns the dragon has that were successive empires noted above, (i.e., Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, Roman, and the revival of the Roman Empire during the Tribulation).

The career of the Antichrist as depicted in Rev 13:1-8, includes:

1. The emergence of the beast out of the sea, Rev 13:1-2.

2. The deadly wound of the beast, Rev 13:3.

3. The worship of Satan by all the world, Rev 13:4.

4. The blasphemous character of the beast as world ruler, Rev 13:5-6.

5. The universal dominion of the beast, Rev 13:7.

6. The universal worship of the beast, Rev 13:8.

6. The universal worship of the beast, Rev 13:8.

Rev 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

By the wielding of his endowed power, the Antichrist will cause the rest of the world, (those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ), to worship and serve him. Just as the entire world is under the political domination of the beast, the entire world, except the saints, will worship him. Therefore, the whole unbelieving world will worship the beast, and through him they will in reality be worshiping Satan. They will come to believe that the beast is greater even than the one true God. This is the great counterfeit to the worship and service rightly due our God and Lord Jesus Christ, that is freely given by those who believe in Him, Rev 4:8, 11; 5:9-14.

Those who worship the beast are described as not having their names, “written in the book of life of the Lamb slain,” a book frequently mentioned, Ex 32:32-33; Psa 9:5; 69:28; 139:16; Dan 12:1; Rev 3:5; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19; cf. Luke 10:20; Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23.

Rev 17:8, “The beast, (Antichrist in the revived Roman Empire), that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.”

The “book of life” is the same as the “book of life of the Lamb.” All members of the human race start out written in the “book,” but upon the death of each person their name either remains in the book, (because they have believed in Jesus Christ), or is erased / “blotted out” of the book, (because they have not believed, Psa 69:28; Rev 3:5, or in the case of the Tribulation, received the mark of the beast).

Psa 9:28, “May they be blotted out of the book of life and may they not be recorded with the righteous.”

Rev 3:5, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

In Rev 13:8; 17:8, the names of the beast worshippers are already viewed as removed from the book of life, that is, removed or blotted out before death. That is because these verses are viewing the book of life from eternity, especially eternity future, when the finalization of the “book of life” is complete. Therefore, from the viewpoint of eternity, their names are not in the book, even though their names started out in the book. Because of their rejection of Jesus Christ, their names have been blotted out of or removed from the book of Life, which our eternal and omniscient God has seen since “the foundation of the world.”

Those mentioned in these two passages are those who worship and marvel at the beast and who receive his mark. Receiving the mark of the beast is a clear indication of complete rejection of Jesus Christ; it demonstrates that the possessor of the mark has reached such a place or condition of hardness in their hearts that it precludes repentance or faith in Christ. Receiving the mark of the beast, then, terminates one’s chance to receive Jesus Christ and salvation. It is equivalent to perpetual spiritual death for Tribulational people. It is proof they will never receive Jesus Christ, and God knows this absolutely. This is similar to the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is unbelief in Jesus Christ.

By contrast, compare Isa 4:1-3 and Dan 12:1. Both of these passages anticipate the blessings of the millennium following the Tribulation. They are dealing with the remnant, those left at the end of the Tribulation who were not killed by the beast and who did not receive his mark; those whose names are still recorded in the “book of life.” These believers will go into the millennium and will experience its blessings.

Those worshiping the beast are the unsaved of both Jews and Gentiles in contrast to saved Jews and Gentiles whose names remain written in the book of life. Only through Jesus Christ, “the Lamb that was slain,” Rev 5:12, can believers have eternal life and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The saints are those who place their faith in Jesus. They include both Israelites and Gentiles who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Lord, and Savior. All who are not saved will worship the beast, and those who are saved will not worship him of which many will be martyred.

Therefore, vs. 8, “all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,” is the culmination of a one world religion. An ecumenical religion of all world religions wrapped up into one religion worshipping the Antichrist. It will have as its focal point the worship of a man chosen and empowered by Satan himself. This is the great counterfeit to God the Father sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world and being worshipped by every tribe and tongue and nation.

7. Summary.

A summary of the counterfeits by Satan through the Antichrist include the following:

1. Jesus came out of the water (river Jordan) to begin His ministry, Luke 3:21-22.

Counterfeit: The Antichrist came out of the water (sea) to begin His ministry, Rev 13:1.

2. Jesus has seven horns as the Lamb, Rev 5:6.

Counterfeit: The beast has ten horns, Rev 13:1.

3. Jesus has many diadems on His head, Rev 19:12.

Counterfeit: The beast has 10 diadems on his head, Rev 13:1.

4. Jesus has a unique name written on Him, Rev 19:12, 16; 17:17, “King of kings, Lord of lords.”

Counterfeit: The beast has blasphemous names written on him, Rev 13:1.

5. “Who has seen (Jesus) has seen the Father,” John 14:9.

Counterfeit: Who has seen the sea beast has seen the dragon, (both have seven heads, ten horns, and multiple crowns), Rev 12:3; cf. 13:1.

6. Jesus received authority from the Father, Rev 2:27; cf. John 10:18.

Counterfeit: The sea beast received authority from the dragon, Rev 13:2.

7. Jesus received a mortal wound, Rev 5:6; “as if slain,” cf. Gen 3:15; Rev 5:9, 12; 13:8.

Counterfeit: The sea beast received a mortal wound, Rev 13:3, “as if it had been slain.”

8. Jesus came back to life to be presented with great power and was received with intense worship, Rev; cf. Mat 26:32; Mark 14:28; John 2:22; 21:4; Acts 2:24, 32.

Counterfeit: The beast comes back to life to be presented with great power and was received with intense worship, Rev 13:3-4.

9. “Who is like the Lord our God,” Ex 15:11; Psa 35:10; 89:6; 113:5; Isa 40:18, 25; 46:5.

Counterfeit: “Who is like the beast,” Rev 13:4.

10. Jesus wages war against the wicked, against the fallen angels with His sword, Rev 1:16; 2:16; 12:7-11.

Counterfeit: The beast wages war with the saints and kills with a sword, Rev 13:4, 7, 10.

11. Jesus’ ministry lasted for 3 ½ years.

Counterfeit: The beast’s activities lasted for forty-two prophetic months; 3 ½ years, Rev 13:5.

12. Jesus uses his mouth to praise the Father, Mat 11:25; Luke 10:21.

Counterfeit: The beast uses his mouth to praise himself in blasphemies against God, His Tabernacle, and His people, Rev 13:5-6.

13. Jesus’ territory includes, “every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,” Rev 5:9; 14:6-7.

Counterfeit: The beast’s territory includes, “all tribes, and tongues, and nations,” Rev 13:7.

14. The Lord Jesus Christ will be freely worshipped by all those who believe; those whose names remain written in the Book of Life, Rev 4:8, 11; 5:9-14.

Counterfeit: The beast will be worshipped and served by those who do not believe; those whose names are blotted out of the Book of Life, Rev 13:8.

Taken as a whole, the first ten verses of Rev 13, predict a future world government, which from God’s point of view will be a continuation of the ancient Roman Empire expanded ultimately to cover not only the area of the ancient empire, but “the entire world.” This government will be empowered by Satan, and its primary objective will be forcing the whole world to worship Satan and his human representative, the world dictator, the Antichrist.

The purpose of Satan to counterfeit and take the place of God in this future great Tribulation is the motivating power behind Satan’s activities today. Satan’s desire to be like God originally plunged the universe into sin, Isa 14:14. His program has never changed, and he is seeking today, as throughout his career, to lure men to obey him instead of God. In the great Tribulation, this purpose will be transparently clear, and after its manifestation it will be brought into Divine judgment, Rev 19:20.