END OF TIME PROPHECIES 147

Revelation 13       an overview.

This is a very important chapter.   Here we are introduced to a man with many titles in holy scripture  He is called "the man of sin,"  "the lawless one," "the little horn," "the beast," "the son of perdition," "the prince that shall come," "a vile person,"  "a king of fierce countenance", and "the antichrist".    It is important we understand the nature of this, because the sin of man will find its ultimate fulfillment in the man of sin possessing all kinds of hateful qualities.   The same world which rejected the holy, righteous, beautiful man who "went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil," will accept this beast and pay homage to him.   In Daniel 7v1-8 we have a description of him and in Revelation 13v1-10 we have his identification.

What we have here is the emergence of the trinity of evil, or the unholy trinity, the devil's counterfeit of the godhead.  

• First is Satan the mastermind, now trapped on earth.  
• Verse 1 says  "he stood (RV) on the sand of the sea."  
• Verse 2  "the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority."  
• Verse 4  "the world worshipped the dragon."  
• Verse 11 " another beast spake as a dragon."
• Next the beast out of the sea verses 1-10.  
• Verse 1  "a wild beast rose out of the sea" 
• Verse 3  "all the world wondered after the beast" 
• Verse 6  "he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God" 
• Verse 8  "all that dwell on the earth shall worship him" 
• Then the beast out of the earth  verses 11-18   
• Verse 11  "another beast coming up out of the earth"
• Verse 12  "he exercises the authority of the first beast" 
• Verse 13  "he does great wonders on the earth in the sight of men."

The picture seems to be as follows:  Satan, the spiritual mastermind and the energizing power between his two human agents, the beast and the false prophet (Rev.19v20).   This fact is made clear in 2nd Thessalonians 2v9 "him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."   In beast No 1  it appears we have the ruler in all civil and military matters on the earth; in beast No. 2  we have the ruler in all religious and mass media communications.   The partnership is a worse version of Adolph Hitler and Dr. Goebbels.   Behind them both is Satan who through them will dominate the world in all civil, military, religious, and propaganda issues.   The clear aim is to deceive and destroy as many of the world's inhabitants in the short space of time they have (three and a half years).  

It is important to understand that the term  "beast" can refer to both a person and a system, the context deciding which one it is.   It is clear that the evil of the head will permeate throughout the entire body of evil.    At this point it will be helpful for us to trace from other scriptures where we are at this crucial time in earth's history (later).   It has been called  "the mid tribulation" and is the beginning of "the great tribulation"; "the time of Jacob's trouble" and "great and notable day of the Lord."  The world is under the control of a triad of evil.   We will next consider the stage which has been set for this period of time.   Lest any believer become alarmed, it is good to remember that even in such times God is in control;