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The Sea Beast and Earth Beast Revelation 13

Having given the scope of the revelation of this book through Chapter 12, in Spirit drew back the curtain further to reveal the real powers behind all the gbeen symbolized: The Lord, and the Dragon (Satan). Satan lost. The battle wnature and invisible to mortal eyes, though its effects were clearly played ouliving in the late First Century Roman Empire. The Dragon was defeated byloser, realizing his eternal fate was sealed and time shortened, the Devil turnthe woman and the rest of her seed, or Christians. Chapter 13 reveals the amission to persecute the church of that day. Understanding the chapter will how the enemy works the same way today.

I. The Sea Beast (13:1-10)A. Origin & Appearance (vv.1-2)

1. Consider the end of 12:17. KJV & NKJ have John standing on tASV & ESV have the Dragon doing so. The latter has better conconsidering its a contrast between Jesus standing on the Mount

1.Revelation 13 introduces a personage well known to the student of Bible prophecy.Called by at least twenty names, he is most commonly referred to as Antichrist -Tim

LaHaye (Revelation, p.170).2.The Fact of the Antichrist: Just as Jesus Christ is the promised seed of the woman

(Genesis 3:15), the Antichrist is the promised seed of the serpent. Counterfeiting thework of God has ever been the work of Satan The crowning piece of counterfeit

will appear when Satan raises up a man to be a substitute for the Lord Jesus Christa man referred to as the Antichrist This term which has been universally accepted

by fundamental Bible teachers is nowhere in the Bible used in connection with a

specific person The Bible repeatedly predicts, however, that one will arise as the

embodiment of all anti-Christian attitudes, purposes, and motives that Satan hasimplanted in his emissaries. (Ibid).

B.Response: The term as used in the Bible is universal truth, but sound interpreters ofBible prophecy do not agree with LaHayes (and other Premillennialists) use of the

title.C. Some Premillennial Errors:

1.InDispensational Truth by Dr. Clarence Larkin, he lists 10 passages (contrastingeach with a passage about Jesus, which are not listed here) that supposedly refer to

the Antichrist: Isa 14:14-15; Dan 11:36; Zech 11:16-17; Lk 19:10; Jn 5:43; 2Thes2:3-11; Rev 11:7, 13:3-4, 14:18, 19:20. I challenge one who hasnt previously been

led to look for a single Antichrist to find one in these passages.

2.The theory relies on stretching the 4 th beast of Daniel 7, & the 4th section of thestatue in Nebuchadnezzars vision (Dan 2) into todays (or future) times. Adherentsstretch the meaning of the vision into present or future ten toes kingdoms. This

forces adherents to deny the kingdom has come (in spite of Mark 9:1; Luk 24:49;

Acts 1:4, 2:2-4; Col 1:13; Heb 12:28; Rev 1:6, 5:10, etc.), because Dan 2:44 says

the kingdom would come in the days of those kings of the fourth part of thestatue. Premillennialists claim the statement refers to ten kingdoms that stretch out

from Roman rootsten kings (literal or otherwise) who are on the earth now, or

will be when the fabled antichrist arrives on the scene. If the ten toes refer to

anything, it is the ten client kings subject to Rome then, and to nothing literally onthe earth today.

3.Premillennialism breaks the rules of interpretation: Any interpretation that offeredno help to the situation of the original audience, would have meant little or nothing

to them, or which they would not have understood is wrong! ---JLP.

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2. The sea stands for the nations in their restless movements and unsettled state. Isa57:20 speaks in that very fashion. Rev 17:15 interprets waters as nations &

peoples J. McGuiggan (Revelation, p.191). (See also Isa 8:7-8; Dan 7:2ff, 17.)

3. What do we think of when we hear beast?4. This is Rome the persecuting civil power.5. The appearance is as the Dragon, because hes who was behind Rome, the

persecutor of Jesus, but this is because Satan was making himself known in the form

of Rome:

As it is here, it has 7 heads, but later we will see 8. See 17:9-10. There is no doubting what the heads represent. Rome was built on 7

hills. The heads are also 7 kings (i.e. Roman Emperors).

The Roman author Suetonius began his list of emperors with Julius Caesar.Tacitus, on the other hand, appears to have considered Augustus the first Romanemperor -J. Christian Wilson (The Problem of the Domitianic Date,New

Testament Studies (1993), 39: p. 599).

Heres the list: Julius (?), Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba*,Otho*, Vitellius*, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and so on (see handout #1). Its

understandable why early date brothers start with Julius, because five fallencomes to Nero. Nero was a persecutor. However, Daniel (Ch.7) obviously starts

with Augustus, because the 3 (marked*) are uprooted there. John picks up withthe 8 Daniel leaves in place. This is why McGuiggan argues for the mid-70s date

of writing Revelation, since it puts Vespasian on the throne, and the reason to

warn of the coming of Vespasian (Revelations 8

th

, & Daniels 11

th

). More onthis in the lesson on Ch.17.

Ten Kings - Bosporus, Thrace, Lycia, Galatia, Pontus, Lycaonia, Cappadocia,Armenia, Judaea and Egypt

B. Wound, Recovery, & Worship (vv.3-4)1. The mortal wound refers to the death of Nero, then to the period of turmoil, which

could have resulted in the death of the whole empire that followed.2. Vespasian stabilized the empire, and is one of the heads, but was not a persecutor.3. The worship refers to the worship of deified Rome, which ultimately was the

worship of the one who was working through Rome, Satan.

C.Nature & Dominion (vv.5-8)1. Haughty, blasphemous,2. 42 monthsweve seen this before. What does it mean?3. Those who werent Gods people worshiped the beast over all the earth. Those whowouldnt worship Rome suffered dearly for it.

D. Destiny (vv.9-10)1. Even saints who must suffer are in the hands of God. Consider Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego.2. This is a word of command and encouragement to Christians.3. Vv.8-10 - Predestination?

II. The Earth Beast (13:11-17)A. Origin & Function (vv.11-12)

1. Rising from the earth symbolizes human origin.2. Its called the false prophet in 16:13 and 19:20). This is Rome3. Two horns like a lamb spoke like a dragon this is wolf in

hypocrisy. Perhaps a false messiah in a sense, but not the fabled

4.

Exercises all the authority of the first beast this beast has the5. In ancient Rome, religion was vital to politics. One supported thno tolerance of religious beliefs that didnt support its claims. N

with regard to present day nations, really.

B. Miraculous Ability (vv.13-15)1. Miracles? If so, they are false signs, but be careful to be consiste

signs as symbolic. Perhaps these miracles simply symbolize th

persuasion.

2. Historic accounts tell us pagan priests of the era were experts wventriloquism.

C. Demands (vv.16-17)1. Evil counterpart of the Lords name marked on his disciples.2. No literal mark is in view in either case.3. These marks symbolize participation. The Lords mark on his pparticipation in his kingdom (belief, faithfulness). The beasts m

participation in emperor worship to avoid the pain of persecutio

III. Concerning 666, the Number of the Beast (v.)A. Some use numerology to add up Neron Caesar (from a form attrib

Sea Scrolls)

B. Some use numerology to add up Domitian (from writings on the edgC. Others use numerology to add up the Latin phrase, vicarius filii de

place of God (i.e. the Antichrist).

D. Point is, twist and turn and you can add up whatever youre lookingE. Its symbolism. The Greek is just as likely the number of man, as

man. It refers to the utter failure of man to live up to the divine stanof these Caesars who claimed divine status it is especially appropriat

IV. Premillennialism:Revelation 13 and the Antichrist?A. Quotes: