2/13/18 – Eph 6:11, 

The Angelic Conflict Pt. 17, 

The Enemy Pt. 14, 

The False Prophet Pt. 1, 

Lesson #18-018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLnvCC6Hggs

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

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 - The Beast and The False Prophet, Rev 13, (continued).

The Second Beast - The False Prophet, Rev 13:11-18.

1. His Appearance, Likeness, and Goal, vs. 11-12.

Rev 13:11-12, “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. ¹²He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.”

In close association with the Beast / Antichrist, (the head of the feder­ated revived Roman Empire), is another individual known as the “False Prophet,” cf. Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:10, called “the second beast” in Rev 13:11-17, where his fullest description is given. 

He is of a similar nature to the first beast as the same word for “beast,” THERION, θηρίον meaning, “wild animal or beast,” is used, as well as the word “another” ALLOS meaning, “one like in kind or another of the same kind.” In addition, the arrival of the second beast is similar to the first as, “coming up” or “rising up,” ANABAINO, ἀναβαίνω that means, “ascend, go up, bring up, or to spring up,” is used here and in Rev 13:1, for the first beast.

But unlike the first beast that came up “out of the sea,” John now sees the second beast coming up “out of the earth” occupying a secondary role supporting the activities of the first beast.

Though some have interpreted the word “earth,” GE, γῆ meaning, “land, earth, ground, soil, region or territory,” as referring to the Holy Land, it is the general word for the earth. If the sea, mentioned as the source of the first beast, represents the mass of humanity indicating the racial background of the first beast as a Gentile, the refer­ence to the second beast as coming out of the earth indicates that this character, who is later described as a false prophet, Rev 19:20, is a creature of the earth. It conveys that he is of the world, worldly in his thoughts and character. His geographic origin and his racial connec­tion are not mentioned. It also tells us that he does not come from heaven, even though he will claim supernatural powers. Therefore, he is of the earth, earthy, Cf. John 3:31; 1 Cor 15:48; Rev 17:5.

John 3:31, “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”

1 Cor 15:48, “As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.”

Rev 17:5, “And upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth’.”

He is pictured as having “two horns like a lamb” and “speaking like a dragon.” This shows the hypocrisy of the second beast, the false prophet. Being like a “lamb” indicates that he has a religious character, a conclusion supported by his being named a prophet, yet this is another counterfeit of Christ as the great prophet, Mat 13:57; 21:11; Luke 24:19; John 4:44.

In fact, Jesus warned in Mat 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

So, the second beast comes meek and mild at first, to persuade the people to believe in the Antichrist. Yet, he speaks as a dragon, (a serpent), that indicates he is motivated by the power of Satan who is “the dragon,” to deceive the entire world.

His appearance is in sharp contrast to his words. He will try to give the impression of being a lamb, gentle and caring, full of great love, but it will be just an act. He is really a snake like that old serpent, the devil, and his words are deceitful, though clever.

He will become a terrible part of the triad that is a false imitation of the Trinity, Rev 16:13.

The true Trinity is a Triunity, with three Divine Persons in the one eternal Being. But this evil trio will be made up of separate beings united only in their devilish schemes.

There is evidence that the second beast is the head of the apostate church on earth, (sometimes called Babylon, and other times the harlot in Revelation), e.g., Rev 17:5, during the first half of Daniel’s 70^th week. But in the middle of that week, with the rise of the first beast to a place of worldwide dominion, the apostate church will be destroyed by the Antichrist, Rev 17:16, and the worship of the whole world is directed to the “beast out of the sea.” However, the second beast, false prophet, survives the destruction of the church which had been under his control, and he then assists the beast in making the transition to the worship of the Antichrist. Therefore, the False Prophet helps facilitate the change of apostate religion into its final form. The second beast, out of the earth, will become the leader of the world religious system the Antichrist will establish in the last half of the Tribulation, and cause men to worship the first beast who is out of the sea. By glorifying the beast, the beast’s image, and the beast’s false resurrection, Rev 13:14-15, he will parody the Holy Spirit who glorifies the risen Christ.

The identification of the second beast as the head of the apostate church is further indicated in many ways in the book of Revelation. In vs. 12, “He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence,” obviously associates him with the first beast in a religious way in that his miracles and activities cause men to worship the image of the first beast, “and he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed,” cf. Rev 13:13-17.

Here is the establishment of false religion on a worldwide scale. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., all persons of faith will join hands and heart in worship, praise, and adoration of the antichrist. Each faith may retain certain particular emphases that characterize their faith, but they will and must unite in their devotion and dedication to the first beast. This will be the most dishonoring form of idolatry the world will ever know.

Its seeds are already being sown today. In an article titled “U.N. Faithful Eye Global Religion,” James Harder writes, “The secretary-general of the United Nation’s Millennium Peace summit thinks that all religious apples fall from the same tree and are equally delicious. At a recent international meeting, he told 1,000 delegates that religions need to accept the validity of all religions or else it will be difficult to attain world peace. Recently, the notion has emerged that the pathway to peace necessitates the unification of religions. The Universal Religion Initiative (URI) recently convened with 300 people present representing 39 religions and signed a charter, which officially launched the movement. The goal is that there will come a day in which “religious people will no longer insist on a single truth.” Episcopal Bishop Swing, a leader in the movement, goes even further: “There will have to be a godly cease-fire, a temporary truce where the absolute exclusive claims of each [religion] will be honored but an agreed upon neutrality will be exercised in terms of proselytizing, condemning, murdering, or dominating. These will not be tolerated in the United Religions Zone.”

For the establishment of this worldwide united religion, the second beast will exercise all the authority and power of the first beast. The ancient serpent, Satan, will be the source of the second beast’s power as he was of the first. With its power, it will assist the first beast and force the earth and all its inhabitants to worship the first beast, drawing attention to its “fatal wound that was healed,” the counterfeit to Christ’s death upon the Cross and resurrection.

It is clear that the second beast shares prominence and leadership with the first beast throughout the great Tribulation, as they both are cast alive into the Lake of Fire at its close, Rev 19:20.

Summary:

The second beast is entirely subsidiary to the first in its zeal and action. It wields the first beast’s authority, works miracles in its support, and causes men to make and to worship its image. The second beast is lost in the splendor and importance of the first beast.

The second beast has two horns like a lamb. He puts on a mild and lamb-like appearance, which the first beast did not. Yet, the second beast also speaks as a dragon: its words, which carry its real character, are fierce and unrelenting, its commands are cruel, and all the while it professes that which is gentle and loving.