1. evil triumphs—or so it seems! (rev 5: 1-6) agenda: revelation 3. the onslaught of the evil...
TRANSCRIPT
1. Evil Triumphs—Or So It Seems! (Rev 5: 1-6)
Agenda: RevelationAgenda: Revelation
3. The Onslaught of the Evil Trio: The Dragon (Rev 12: 1-6)
2. What does the future hold for us? (Rev 7: 9-17)
4. The Onslaught of the Evil Trio: The Antichrist (Rev 13: 1-10)5. The Onslaught of the Evil Trio: The False Prophet (Rev 13: 11-18)
6. Another Strategy of the Evil Trio (Rev 17: 1-6)
7. From Paradise to Paradise (Rev 22: 16-21)
A P P L I C A T I O NMessage to the original receiver
21st Century
COMMUNICATION
UNDERSTANDING
Revelation 13
The GPS
DIFFERENCES ofLanguageTradition
TimeSituationHistory
The First Process: Understanding
1. Situation
2. Type of literature
3. Analyze the passage
4. Relate the message to the rest of the Bible
5. Test your findings
S.T.A.R.T.
Message to the original receiver
UNDERSTANDING
S.T.A.R.T.As we saw in a previous reading (Rev. 12:1–6), the dragon (Satan) could not prevent the birth and ministry of the
child (Jesus), so he then focused his attack on the woman (the Church). According to Revelation, the dragon uses his
ground staff, the antichrist and the false prophet, to execute this onslaught.
The Steps of Understanding
1. Situation
In the previous lesson we saw how the beast out of the sea, the antichrist, is used against the church.
In this section in Revelation, we see how the next animal, the beast out of the earth, is used against the Church.
The Steps of Understanding
2. Type of literature
1. Situation
S.T.A.R.T.
Apocalyptic, a kind of writing that is highly
symbolic.
A Ch 1-3 Christ, and his battling church and suffering church on earthB Ch 4-7 Persecution and trials of the churchC Ch 8-11 Unbelievers are warned and punishedD Ch 12-14 The Church is Victorious because of Christ’s VictoryC’ Ch 15-16 Unbelievers are judgedB’ Ch 17-19 Those who persecuted the church are judgedA’ Ch 20-22 Christ and his victorious church on the new earth and heaven
3. Analyze the passage
3.1 Look out for symbolism and contrasts
3.2 Mark the main themes
3.3 Conclude and summarize the message to the original receiver
Art used by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. To order prints visit her "Revelation Illustrated" site, http://revelationillustrated.com.
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. Art used by Pat Marvenko Smith,
copyright 1992. To order prints visit her "Revelation Illustrated” site,
http://revelationillustrated.com.
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666. Art used by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. To order prints visit her
"Revelation Illustrated” site, http://revelationillustrated.com.
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Revelation 16: 13Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like
frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of
the false prophet. (NIV)
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Antichristian wisdom comes out of the earth
James 3: 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. (NIV)
Philippians 3: 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their
stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. (NIV)
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Reveals its true character. On the surface it looks gentle but from
the inside it is evil.
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Antichristian wisdom comes out of the earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Reveals its true character. On the surface it looks gentle but from
the inside it is evil.
One of the Caesars who lost his power
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Antichristian wisdom comes out of the earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Reveals its true character. On the surface it looks gentle but from
the inside it is evil.
One of the Caesars who lost his power
Another Caesar continued with the persecution
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Antichristian wisdom comes out of the earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Reveals its true character. On the surface it looks gentle but from
the inside it is evil.
One of the Caesars who lost his power
Another Caesar continued with the persecution
Reminds us of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:38)
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Antichristian wisdom comes out of the earth
1 Kings 18: 38-39Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the
sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he
is God! The Lord—he is God!” (NIV)
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Reveals its true character. On the surface it looks gentle but from
the inside it is evil.
One of the Caesars who lost his power
Another Caesar continued with the persecution
Reminds us of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:38)
Most likely a reference to the statue of a Roman Caesar who had to be honored during John’s time.
The false prophet-religious arm that propagates the political power of the antichrist (16:13; 19:20).
Antichristian wisdom comes out of the earth
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
This means that all people can therefore be identified: the servants of God are marked by a seal on their foreheads (7:2–3), and those who worship the beast also carry a mark.
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
This means that all people can therefore be identified: the servants of God are marked by a seal on their foreheads (7:2–3), and those who worship the beast also carry a mark.
Their ability to work has been affected
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
This means that all people can therefore be identified: the servants of God are marked by a seal on their foreheads (7:2–3), and those who worship the beast also carry a mark.
Their ability to work has been affected
Their ability to think has been affected
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
This means that all people can therefore be identified: the servants of God are marked by a seal on their foreheads (7:2–3), and those who worship the beast also carry a mark.
Their ability to work has been affected
Their ability to think has been affected
6 6 6
Unfortunately, throughout the ages so much time and effort has been spent trying to establish who 666 is that the essence of what
he does has been overlooked. We do not know for sure who 666 is—some people argue that it is the number of a person, while others believe it to be the number of the evil trio. In addition, if 7 is the
number of perfection, and 777 is ultimate perfection, it would mean that 666 is symbolic of ultimate deficiency.
In ancient times, numerical values were assigned to the letters of the alphabet. Someone’s name could therefore be expressed in
numerical form. It is interesting to note that the numerical value of Nero’s name in Aramaic (John’s mother tongue) was 666. The early Christians therefore associated Caesar Nero with 666, because he
persecuted the Church terribly. During the Second World War, people associated 666 with Hitler.
It is interesting to note that if you give the first letter of the al- phabet (a) a numerical value of 100 and add one number for each
consecutive letter (b=101, c=102, d=103, and so forth), the numerical value for Hitler would be 666.
H = 107I = 108T = 119L = 111E = 104R = 117
Total = 666
There is much to speculate about. Whichever way we want to apply the number, it remains a symbol of the supposed supremacy of evil in the world that seeks to destroy Christ’s work. The false prophet
does this by means of his propaganda, which includes false ideologies and philosophies. If we consider the background of the
Roman Empire during the time of John, we realize how false religions and anti-Christian governments worked together to
persecute the Christians.
Throughout history, governments have used religion and ideologies to promote their ideals. In the twentieth century, communist
countries were known for their propaganda that promoted the communist ideology. Today, governments continue to use religion and ideologies to promote their ideals. This can be very dangerous.
The Church should never be an instrument in the hands of the state. For this reason, many people feel that the Church and the
state should not be associated too closely.
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
This means that all people can therefore be identified: the servants of God are marked by a seal on their foreheads (7:2–3), and those who worship the beast also carry a mark.
Their ability to work has been affected
Their ability to think has been affected
symbolic of ultimate deficiency.
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns
like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of
the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to
the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given
power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the
first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and
small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right
hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless
they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its
name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is
666.
3. Analyze the passage
3.1 Look out for symbolism and contrasts
3.2 Mark the main themes
3.3 Conclude and summarize the message to the original receiver
Throughout history, governments have used religion and ideologies to promote
their ideals. Today, governments continue to use religion and ideologies
(false prophets), to promote their ideals. This can be very dangerous. The Church
should never be an instrument in the hands of the state.
4. Relate the message to the broader Biblical and theological framework?
5. Test your findings
START
13 These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised!
Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor 11 – NIV)
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
(Matthew 5- NIV)Throughout history, governments have used religion and ideologies to promote
their ideals. Today, governments continue to use religion and ideologies (false
prophets), to promote their ideals. This can be very dangerous. The Church should never be an instrument in the hands of the
state. Message to the original receiver
Throughout history, governments have used religion and ideologies to promote their
ideals. Today, governments continue to use religion and ideologies (false prophets), to
promote their ideals. This can be very dangerous. The Church should never be an
instrument in the hands of the state.
A P P L I C A T I O N Essential =Moral
COMMUNICATION
UNDERSTANDING
21st Century
Incidental = Cultural, Ceremonial & Civil
Message to the original receiver
A P P L I C A T I O N
21st CenturyThe GPS
COMMUNICATION
Small Group
Message to the original receiver
UNDERSTANDING
Please answer the following questions.
1. What (do you think) does this passage proclaim?What (do you
2. What are the implications of this proclamation for us in the 21st century?
3. “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool.”—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968)Why do you agree or disagree with this statement?
4. How do you think today’s study will help you in your journey?
