Mary Fairchild
The following is based on the phonetic writing of the expository teaching tapes of Pastor Jim Mooberry.
“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” Revelation 1:3.
This passage contains the perhaps most well known part of Revelation next to the word Armageddon. In this chapter we have the mark of the beast or the number 666. The prediction of this mark is connected to the introduction of a man called the second beast or the false prophet a little later. He is a personality that will appear on the stage of world events at the end of this age. We are living presently in the Church age. It is the age in which the Gospel is being preached. It is the age between the comings of Jesus Christ for His Church. It is a time when God is building His Church worldwide. But as this age draws to a close, the Scriptures teach us that the attention of the world would again be focused on the Middle East and upon Israel. If we are coming to this age, that would necessitate that Israel as a nation reappear which in fact is what happened in 1948. After some 1900 years of dispersion the Israel we knew of old has come alive again as Jews have come together and reconstituted this national entity. In actuality they are preparing for this day of trouble, Jacob’s trouble, seven years of tribulation, a period of time when the judgments of God are going to be poured out upon the earth. During that time it is also predicted that there will be a future world government arising out of the ashes of the ancient Roman Empire there would be a modern imperial empire, global in extent. Initially it would be composed of ten kingdoms, but shortly after that the rise of a man who would set aside three of those kings and would assume complete dictatorship, the man known as the antichrist. He is going to re-institute emperor worship. The catalyst for this will be a great world religious leader; one who has a charismatic personality, who is Christ-like in his appearance and demeanor, who possesses astounding supernatural power and who has authority second only to the antichrist in the earth. This world religious leader will set up a religious worship system that the whole world will be forced to accept and that is to worship the antichrist.
The first two verses in this passage are his spiritual persona. We learn four things from these verses about this man. First of all we learn something about his nature. The Scriptures call him a beast. It is literally a wild beast. To the world he may be impressive, charismatic, or even intimidating, but to God he is a wild
animal, a beast. Which reminds us of the fact that, as 1 Samuel 7 says “man looks on the outer appearance, but God looks upon the heart.” God does not evaluate things the way that we do. He is like the other one; it says “I saw another beast… of the same kind.” He is just like the antichrist in his nature.
It also says that he comes out of the earth. He rises out of the realm of Satan and mankind. James 3:15 compares the wisdom that is from God and the wisdom that is from the devil and he says “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.” This man rises out of the earthy,
demonic realm Satan has set up t become the great world leader of history.
His appearance is Christ-like… like a lamb. The word “lamb” is used twenty-six times in the book of Revelation and twenty-five times are clearly Jesus Christ. This one obviously does not because this one refers to a man called a beast and that is not Jesus Christ. There is an intentional reference by the Holy Spirit to say that this man will appear Christ-like. He also has two horns. Horns are symbolic of authority and power and dominion, kingdoms. But his horns have no crowns on them. In chapter 13:1 we see the other beast, the antichrist, has ten horns and ten crowns on them. What that tells us is that his authority, and power, and dominion, and kingdom are political. In fact, they are religious. He has a religious kingdom, religious power, religious dominion. He is the great religious leader of the apostate Church that we will see in Revelation 17 and 18. Satan’s masterpieces are in the pulpit not in the gutter. This is where he counterfeits and where he causes people to believe that what is really of him is of God. Here is his great masterpiece; this great religious leader. We also see here the satanic trinity. The dragon in chapter 12 represented god the father(Satan), the beast is representing the messiah, the son of god (antichrist), and then the second beast is representing a prophet of god or the spirit of god. This is the counterfeit trinity in these three personalities.
The third thing we learn about this man is concerning his message—it’s demonic. His message is clearly demonic. In verse 11 we see that he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. Chapter 12:9 says the dragon is the serpent of old who is the devil and Satan. Although his appearance is of a man of God his speech gives him away. Jesus says that the mouth speaks of that which fills the heart. THIS MAN SPEAKS AS A DRAGON, HIS MESSAGE IS SATANIC. IF YO DON’T WANT TO BE DECEIVED AND MISLEAD YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THIS PRINCIPLE. We must judge everything by the Word of God. It doesn’t matter how good, moral, wise, loving, godly, something appears if, in fact, what comes from it counters
the Scriptures. It is not of God. 1 John 4:1 says “beloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” We are talking about the doctrines that come from spirits that come through people. Isaiah 8:20 tells us how to do this, “To the law and to the testimony (to the Word of God), IF THEY DO NOT SPEAK ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD THAT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO LIGHT IN THEM.”
Unless you check the Word of God you will be carried along. This man is going to be the great deceiver of all time.
The fourth thing we learn about him is the character of his ministry. It is one of validation or confirmation of the antichrist. He 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. This is a substitute for the plan of God with regard to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ had a forerunner, John the Baptist. This man is the forerunner of the antichrist. In Malachi 4:5,6 we read one of the great predictions concerning the forerunner of Christ. God says, “Behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming and great and terrible day of the Lord and he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children
and the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the land with a curse.”
Jesus said that John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah and John the Baptist was his forerunner. Christ also had apostles that validated His Word. When the apostles went out and performed miracles in the name of Jesus Christ it confirmed, it validated who He was, who He is, and what He has said.
In Hebrews 2:4 the writer of Hebrews specifically says that. He says how shall we neglect such a great salvation after it was first spoken through the Lord it was validated to us by those who heard God also bearing witness with Him both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit. So as through the miracles the apostles performed that they validated their message and who Jesus Christ was. That is exactly what the false prophet is going to do in his confirming the ministry of the antichrist as God in the flesh. Jesus says in Matthew 24:11 that many false prophets will arise during this time and deceive many. He will have thousands of other sub-prophets out there preaching the same false Gospel. Because we are so close to these days, there are many of them preaching the New Age right now that one day will be in his service.
To validate requires the proper credentials. It requires the ability to perform the miracle and that he is also given. We see that in his supernatural powers in verses 13-15. He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which were given to him to perform telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast, to add the wound of the sword and has come to life. There is the second time that this is mentioned in this context, there are many who feel that this is a counterfeit
resurrection as well. “….and there was given to him to give breath to give image to the beast that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” Tremendous deception through his supernatural wonders.
Notice the significance of his powers; they are signs. In the Bible a sign means something very similar to what we think of as a sign, it directs our attention to something, it tells us something about how to get from one place to the other… in the New Testament there are four words that are used of the miracles that Christ did in the New Testament. Each one of them are from the standpoint of the effect of the miracle. The first is the word argon which is work; always connected with a work of God. Jesus said, “I do my Father’s works.” That is the miracle reveals the agency, and that is God. The second word is dunamis (?) and it is translated “power.” That is from the standpoint of the effect that the miracle displays the power of God. The third word is terras(?) and its translated “under.” That is what it produces in beholding. It produces wonder and awe. The fourth word is by far the most important, it is samion(?) and is translated “sign.” What sign means is it “teaches about God.” The miracle teaches something; it is a sign. That is exactly what John had in mind at the conclusion of his Gospel when he wrote “many other miracles Jesus did that I didn’t record, but I recorded these.” Seven of them. So that we might be able to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The purpose of the miracles of the false prophet are going to teach the world something about the antichrist, but it is a lying message.
THE CHARACTER OF HIS POWERS IS THAT THEY ARE LYING. THE MIRACLES OF GOD TEACH THE TRUTH OF GOD. THE MIRACLES OF THE FALSE PROPHET TEACH PROPHET LIES. The Word of God has warned us about this. Although we won’t be here for this man’s appearance, those who will, will be able to turn to the Word of God and clearly be warned, in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 Paul is writing about the appearing of the antichrist in those end times and he says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way (the Holy Spirit’s ministry through the Church; as soon as the rapture occurs, then the man of lawlessness will be revealed) whom the Lord
will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” That is One who is coming is in accord with the activity of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders and with all deception of wickedness for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Three of the four words are used of the miracles surrounding the antichrist—powers, signs, and wonders. The Spirit of God put that there to let those people know that these miracles will be just like Christ’s. These miracles will be imitations, counterfeits of the miracles of Christ and will cause people to say “why this man does that same things that that Jesus did.” His message will most likely be “Jesus was a great prophet, but now I too have another prophet and have come in these last days and we now are ready to appoint to you who really Christ is and he is this man….”
So-called appearances of Mary are not true, but demonic. We have to be very careful about miracles. There have been thousands of so-called appearances of Mary. In one Spanish village between 1961-1965 there were two thousand appearances. There are 937 Mary enshrines in France alone and each commemorates an appearance of Mary. People believe this is from God because they don’t check the Word of God.
Two specific miracles are mentioned in Revelation 13. The first is extremely significant because of its historical precedent. In verse thirteen we read that he performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to earth in the presence of men. There are six times when fire falls from heaven that are mentioned in the Bible where God caused it. In Leviticus 9:24, we see one of the first times where Moses and Aaron laid out an offering for God in the wilderness and it says that fire came out from before the Lord in heaven and consumed the burnt offering… when all the people saw it they shouted and fell on their faces as they saw the power of God. In 1 Kings 18 is a time in Israel’s life when Ahab and Jezebel are reigning. Ahab was the most wicked of kings, Jezebel the most wicked woman who ruled over Israel.
Because of Jezebel most all of Israel had now gone over to Baal worship. They had altars to Baal all over Israel and Elijah was one of the only men left that still worshipped God and he was the great prophet of God in that day. He assembled all of Israel together, he arranged a contest on Mt. Carmel between God and Baal. In verse 21 Elijah came near the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let two bulls be given to us; and let them choose one bull for
themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood…” They constructed two crude altars with wood and stone: the contest on Mt. Carmel where God displayed who was really God. The antichrist will try to prove he is God and he’ll point to the Old Testament as proof. Satan has the ability to do that. In Job 1:16
Satan inquired of God if he could torment Job and try to get him to deny God and God allowed him. The first thing that Satan did was destroy Job’s family and his flocks. Satan used fire from heaven to consume them then but God wouldn’t let him at Mt. Carmel. God is sovereign; the issue on Mt. Carmel was who was God. God will allow Satan to do this in the tribulation.
The culmination of his powers in verses 14 and 15 is idolatry. He causes the world to make an elaborate idol of the beast, the antichrist, and then he is given the ability to give the idol breath so that it speaks. There are some ancient counterparts to this kind of thing. In fact, the first century Church, two writers Theopolis and Ethelagoris (?) wrote about two situations. One was in the city of Troaz where there was a statue of a certian god called Nerolineous who was reputed to utter oracles at times and to heal those who came into his presence. In Pereum they said there was a statue of Alexander and Prodious who spoke frequently to worshipers. This is all demonic. The one in the end times will be a masterpiece. Satan cannot give the statue life, only God can do that, Satan is the destroyer of life, but he will create a stunning illusion. The illusion that is so real that the idol appears to come to life and it will be given a voice from a demon.
The location of this idol, and of the fire coming down from heaven, are probably going to be in the same place, in the temple in Jerusalem; the tribulation temple. Daniel 9:27 speaks of an abomination of desolation that would be planted in the temple. In Matthew 24 Jesus speaks of the tribulation period and he says, “There’s a period of time when everything is going to really break loose and the judgments are going to get extremely difficult… the point is, in verse 15, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains. 2 Thessalonians Paul tells us that the antichrist opposes or exalts himself above every so called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God displaying himself as being God… The antichrist comes to the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem displays himself as being
God, the false prophet calls down fire from heaven to the altar to prove it… the power of the deception will be almost irresistible. It will become the center of worldwide emperor worship.
In verses 16 and 18 is his satanic purge. Three important aspects of this purge are, in verse 16 “its universal.” It is a universal purge. The requirement for absolute loyalty and beast worship is worldwide. He has ingenious method to ensure it called the mark of the beast. It is the counterpart, the counterfeit again, of the mark that God puts upon believers. Chapter 14:1 is another vision that says “I looked, and behold the lamb was standing on Mt. Zion and with 144,000 having His name, and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. That is a spiritual seal that is put upon the believer and Satan has this crude counterfeit of a physical seal that he puts upon the right hand or the forehead. Some people may not have a right hand, but everyone has a forehead. The mark, he says, is the name of the beast and the
number of his name. Hebrew and Greek both have numbers that are letters, they do dual duty. What is being said here is that the name of this person will have a numerical significance of 666. The day that he arrives, the people in those days will be able to figure it out. There is one other thing about this number that is significant, in the Scriptures the number used symbolically of man is six.
Man was created on the sixth day, he works six days… The number seven is the number of God, perfection. Then the number of three is the number of completeness, the number of the trinity. We have a trinity of man which in every way falls short of the trinity of God which is 777. The Spirit of God has given
the people in that day something to look at to understand who he is.
Secondly, it is an economic purge. To be part of the economic system in that day you have to have this mark. Hall Lindsay’s book on the commentary of the book of Revelation and he came to this point where he envisioned what it might be like in the near distant future and how we would be headed that way.
Ironically, most everything he talked about then, twenty-two years ago, we have now. Devising of a paperless society, one in which food, bills, and services will be paid for by a person’s personal credit card number instead of money or checks; no money at all will eventually exchange hands… electronic funds
transfer. Today’s technology has even moved it farther into smart cards, and smart chips. Smart chips are so small that they are using them to implant them in pets. They say that they have gotten these chips down to the size of a grain of rice and are confident that they can get them much smaller…
The third thing about this purge is that it is a spiritual purge. The result of the economic is that no matter who you are you will not be able to have food or buy food, have phones, automobiles, homes, or anything unless you have the mark of the beast. But the mark of the beast is tied to a spiritual decision. Chapter 14:9, 10…. Take the mark and you are doomed. It’s probable that the majority of those who survive the tribulation will simply be those who are still in death camps awaiting execution when Christ returns. Similar to when the Allies broke open the concentration camps in Western Germany. But the spiritual decision is the most important. The cost of taking the mark is ultimately eternal doom. The
cost of refusing it in faith in Christ will be death possible, but eternal life. Chapter 20:4 tells us about the resurrection of those who where beheaded because they did not worship the beast or his image, and they did not receive the mark, they came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The tribulation period is a time of spiritual sifting; the empire of Satan and the kingdom of God. The true character of Satan is finally revealed. Part of heart man is exposed for what it is in all its degenerate and evil condition and the decision of eternity is going to be made by multitudes. The decision of eternity
is made today as well, but this is a day of grace: a time, before the end time, where you have opportunity to receive Christ as your Savior. This age is drawing to a close quickly and if you are without Christ choose Him now. To choose Christ is to come to life eternal, to not do so, at best, is to enter this into period of time and be deceived. The Word of God has given us a warning. We are told what is going to happen before. We may in fact incur suffering before that day, but if we know Christ we will be ready. We live in momentous days. We live in the days that people, for centuries, have looked forward to. What awesome
responsibility and opportunities we have.
WORKS CITED
- Revelation and Church History
- Church Age
- “THE FALSE PROPHET OF THE LATTER DAYS,” Revelation 13:11-18, #JMREV25; The Faithful Word. *Pastor James Mooberry, “The Faithful Word: Two Decades of Expository Teaching Tapes.