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REVELATION 13
ANTICHRIST
AND HIS
FALSE PROPHET
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Rev. 13:1-2
Then [NU changes: I to: he] stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority…
THE BEAST WHO RISES OUT OF THE SEA
13:1-2
Remember now, we are still in the third interlude here in chapter 13. This is a new vision, but the scene still takes place down on the earth. I must admit that NU’s correction of the text threw me a bit of a curve at first. I had always assumed that it was John who was standing on the seashore when he saw this vision but the better reading here is not I but he … referring to Satan in chapter 12. The last verse in chapter 12 combined with the first verse of chapter 13 reads,
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. Then he stood on the sand of the sea… Revelation 12:17-13:1a
So, it was Satan who John saw standing on the seashore. Then as John watched ... ten horns bearing ten crowns were slowly arising from the sea. Then, seven grotesque heads were exposed, from which the ten horns were protruding and ... each dripping head was emblazoned with its own blasphemous name. Ultimately, the entire beast came wading out of the sea to Satan ... like some Frankensteinian monster coming home to its master. In appearance, its body was like a leopard, its feet like a bear, and its mouth was like a lion. If you are familiar with the prophet Daniel, you will recognize the body parts of this beast. These symbols are also found in Daniel 7. There, using the imagery of four different beasts, God revealed to Daniel that, in the future, four unique empires would arise on earth.
Daniel described them as follows:
The first was like a lion. It was then explained to Daniel that the lion represented the Babylonian Empire, under which Daniel was living at the time ... having been taken to Babylon as a young Jewish captive by king Nebuchadnezzar.
The second was like a bear. It represented the Medo-Persian Empire which arose after Babylon. Daniel lived and served under that empire as well.
The third was like a leopard. In retrospect, we know that it symbolized the next empire to step out on the stage of world history. It would be the Grecian Empire.
The fourth beast Daniel saw was dreadful and terrible. It symbolized … the Roman Empire … in both of its future two forms. Rome first arose on the world stage around 200 years before Jesus' day and continued on well past his death and resurrection. Daniel's vision also included Rome's second form as well ... when it will rise again during the days of the Tribulation. In Daniel's vision, this second stage was symbolized by the ten horns and the little horn that Daniel saw. So, the prophecy of Daniel 7, not only foretold the rise of the Roman Empire, but it also prophesied it would reappear on earth in the last days. This second stage of the Roman Empire is very important to our study here in Revelation.
The beast John saw arise out of the sea is a composite of all four of the beasts in Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7. The significance of its composite nature is that this last great world-dominating ... revived Roman Empire... will contain elements of all four of the unique Gentile empires that preceded it. As such, it will be the epitome of Gentile reign on Earth. This is the political/governmental side of the beast symbolized here in Revelation 13. However, we will discover that it represents even more. It also represents a person. The second thing then that the beast symbol represents is its personality/psychopathic side. Let’s break it down.
The beast:
… came out of the Mediterranean Sea. This is a geographical indicator that Antichrist will come from one of the countrys around the Mediterranian Sea ... European, Asia-Minor or North African countries of the old Roman Empire.
… had ten horns and ten crowns. We learn from Daniel 7, that the second stage of the Roman Empire. (when it manifests itself afresh during its last-days form during the Tribulation), will come with a ten-king confederation. We also learn from Daniel 7, that seven of those kings will come on board with Antichrist voluntarily ... but three will have to be uprooted and replaced by him. After those adjustments, the ten kings will rule with Antichrist during that startup phase of the revived Roman Empire. The beast's ten horns in Revelation 13, represent those same kings found in Daniel's vision. They are also found in Revelation 17. For comparison, here is a look at these kings in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17...
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time (3 1/2 years). Daniel 7:24-25
The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. Revelation 17:12
So, both in Daniel, and here in Revelation as well, the Bible predicts that Antichrist's kingdom will consist of a ten king confederation that will arise out of the revived, ancient Roman Empire. Dr. McGee observes that the Roman Empire was never really destroyed or conquered but, rather, simply disintegrated and elements of it still survive today in the laws, customs, and peoples of Europe. In the last-days it will arise again and rule the world via a ten-king confederation headed up by Antichrist.
… had seven heads. We learn from Revelation 17, the seven heads also represent yet another set of kings. They also stand for seven, long dead, ancient rulers of the Roman Empire. They were men whose personalities and lives were vivid pictures or types of the yet future Antichrist who was to come.
There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. Revelation 17:10-11
So, to sum up, the beast's ten horns represent a last-days confederation of ten kings who will rule with Antichrist, but its seven heads represent seven ancient Roman Caesars who once ruled over the Roman Empire and who are types (or pictures) of the coming Antichrist. Their twisted characters and blasphemous actions, you see, epitomize and remind us of him. We will discuss the identity of these seven Caesars when we get to chapter 17. This is all part of the political/governmental side of the Antichrist beast symbol that John saw.
Now, keep in mind that the beast John saw, in its entirety, represents a person. It is the personality/psychopathic side of the symbol. Antichrist becomes personalized in the last phrase of verse two in our text which says, The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. These personal pronouns tell us this represents a person. A person who Satan will give his supernatural powers to. In Matthew 24, Jesus predicted that the days of the Great Tribulation will be days when there will be incredible displays of supernatural power. Satan has impressive supernatural powers. He wiped out Job’s servants along with his house and all his children using fire from heaven and a tornado (Job 1:16-19). What would such supernatural weapons do to any modern military today? Later in this chapter, we will read that Antichrist's False Prophet will be able to call down fire from heaven! What could such a weapon like that do to an aircraft carrier, a tank or ground troops? Make no mistake about it, when the day comes when Satan hands over his powers to Antichrist, the military might of any nation will not stand a chance against him. No wonder the earth-dwellers say, Who is able to make war with him? (13:4b).
So, both in the Old Testament and the New, the Bible predicts that one day a man will come who will be the near embodiment of Satan himself. If Satan could become incarnate and make himself into a human being, I believe he would. He’s just that anxious to be like the Most High. But since he can’t, he plans to copycat what God has done. So, Satan must have his man too! One of the names for Satan’s man in the Bible is Antichrist. As you have it in First John 2:18,
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
Antichrist is the personality/psychpatic side of the beast symbol John saw. He will step out on the stage of human history to rule the world during the dark days of the Great Tribulation. Daniel prophesied,
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes (Jesus); but he shall be broken without human means. Daniel 8:23-28
Dr. Criswell says of him, All the glories of the kingdoms of earth will reside in Antichrist reign. He will be like a Nebuchadnezzar, a Tiglath-Pileser, a Shalmanezer, a Julius Caesar, an Alexander the Great, a Napoleon, a Frederick the Great, and a Charlemagne all wrapped into one. He is Satan’s masterpiece.
So, to conclude, it is very important to remember that the symbol of this beast from the sea is a complex one. That is, there is more than one thing that it symbolizes. It is a symbol for both Antichrist’s political kingdom, as well as Antichrist himself.
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Rev. 13:3-4
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’
13:3-4
Because of the personal pronouns used here, we know that these verses continue to give us information about the personality/dictator side of the beast symbol … that is, things about Antichrist himself. John says one of his heads was mortally wounded. John saw that the beast had received a death blow to one of its heads … a death blow that should have killed it … but, he says, his deadly wound was healed. Because of this miraculous recovery, the world marveled and followed after the beast and they worshipped both the dragon who gave authority to the beast and the beast. Second Thessalonians 2:3-8 also speaks of Antichrist worship that will come about in that future day.
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 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. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming.
My, how the peoples of the world will fall in line when they see the miraculous healing of Antichrist's mortal wound! There is a very important principle here for God's people to keep in mind. And it is this ... there is great danger in building one’s theology on experience rather than on the Word of God. It is very dangerous to build what one believes subjectively on what one sees and/or experiences ... rather than on what one reads in the objective Word of God. Satan is a liar, a deceiver, and a counterfeiter. The world is full of his tricksters and deceivers. Sadly, many people readily receive and believe what they see and experience over what they read in their Bibles. Second Corinthians 11:13-15, warns,
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Our text says that the world will worship Satan and his puppet, Antichrist, because of what they see. People will fall for Antichrist because of his victory over death and his military prowess. Daniel speaks of Antichrist's militaristic leanings saying,
He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. Daniel 11:37-38
I have often thought of Daniel's prophecy above. Not long ago, I listened to an ex-Moslem who had converted to Christianity who was interviewed on TV. Having been raised as a Moslem, he stated he was taught from infancy to hate his enemies. Further, he said Islam teaches that all infidels (non-Muslims) are enemies, especially Jews and Christians. He went on to explain that the Moslem religion is a religion of domination and that Allah (its god), is a god of might and valor. The picture he painted was sobering.
Considering the bombing of the World Trade Centers in 2001 and thousands of other attacks by Islamists around the world ... it is becoming more and more clear how Antichrist might be very attracted to such a religion and its war-like god or even be a Moslem in the first place. This would help explain his sudden ascension to power at the beginning of the Tribulation and have the power and authority to make that all important treaty with Israel that is predicted in Daniel 9:27.
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Rev. 13:5-10
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months [3 1/2 years]. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, [NU adds: and people, tongue, and nation]. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
13:5
We continue here with the personality/dictator side of the beast symbol (its description of Antichrist himself).
First, John says, And he was given a mouth speaking great things. Antichrist will be a mesmerizing orator. It is said that Hitler was a formidable speaker and that he could sway an audience to believe just about anything. I believe that was because he too had the spirit of Antichrist. But the world has yet to see anything like the oratorial skills that the beast will possess. He will be a Winston Churchill, a Disraeli, and an Adolph Hitler, all rolled into one. Daniel 7:8 also speaks to Antichrist’s oratory prowess,
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
13:6
Second, John says he will speak blasphemies. Daniel 7:25 agrees...
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time [3 1/2 years].
13:7
Third, John says, It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. This too agrees with Daniel 7:25, quoted above. From these scriptures we understand how difficult it will be to be a believer during the Great Tribulation. In that day, to follow Christ will be a virtual death sentence. You will remember from chapter 12, after Satan was ejected from Heaven, he came down to Earth in great wrath. No longer able to accuse the saints in Heaven, he will energize his Antichrist to launch a campaign of genocide to eradicate them. How Satan hates God's people! When his man reigns supreme, he will ride roughshod over them, and they will be given into his hand. Jesus spoke of this as well,
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls. Luke 21:16-19
13:8-9
Fourth, he says, All who are living on the earth will worship him. The peoples of the world will one day worship Antichrist. However, we also see from our text that there will be those who will refuse to do so, namely, those whose names are found written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This is Romans 8 and Ephesians 1 territory. The names that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life are his chosen, called, and elect ones. It is a book that records all that have responded to Christ by faith and received God’s great gift of salvation in his Son. Are you aware that your name is written there, dear saint? Jesus told his disciples,
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20
It is also mentioned in Revelation 17:8; 20:12, 15, and 21:27. The Apostle Paul also spoke of it...
And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Philippians 4:3
May I tell you a story about life and death and the importance of being written in the Lamb's book of life? The morning that I was writing the first draft of this chapter (in fact, right here at this very point in the middle of this sentence), my phone rang. I was pastoring at the time, and I was called away to a youth camp at Elephant Butte Lake near our church. I was informed that a tragedy had occurred, and I needed to come right away. As it turned out, two of the young people who were at the camp on a trip with their youth group from Ohio ... had just received word that both of their parents, who themselves were on vacation in Hawaii, had been killed in a helicopter crash. When I arrived at the camp, the youth leader told me that the parents of these two young people were wonderful, dedicated Christians and had done a marvelous job raising their two teenagers. Tragic as this was, there was still comfort for these two young people because they knew for certain their godly and beloved parents were safe in the arms of their Lord. Their names had been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; you see. None of us, Christian or non-Christian, know the hour of our departure from this Earth. Are you ready? Is your name written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? This is such an important issue that the Lord himself injects, If anyone has an ear, let him hear…
13:10
Finally here in verse 10, we have a word written specifically to those who must live under the intense persecution of Antichrist. The Holy Spirit speaks words of comfort and assurance to them saying, He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity, and he who kills with the sword shall be killed with the sword. In effect, he's saying, Rest assured, Antichrist and his minions will be dealt with. They will be paid in their own coin! Many of the Lord’s Tribulation Saints will be led away to be killed with the sword. The Scripture says, Antichrist and all who are his, will suffer the same fate. When Peter drew his sword against the mob in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to him,
Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Matthew 26:52
That is the idea here. Those who have been killing with the sword will themselves face the sword. We learn in chapter 19, the sword they will face, however, is the sword of the Lord’s mouth. Our text continues, Herein is the patience and the faith of the saints. These qualities will be the two essentials for a believer in those dark days ... patience and faith ... as they wait for the Deliverer to come, knowing for certain that when he appears he will turn the tables on Satan and his darlings, Antichrist, and his False Prophet.
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THE BEAST
WHO RISES
Rev. 13:11-15
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
13:11
We are introduced here to the second personality who will play a crucial role in Antichrist kingdom and worship. He too is symbolized by a beast. However, in contrast to the first beast who came up out of the sea ... this beast comes up out of the earth. In 16:13; 19:20 and 20:10, this second beast is called the false prophet. This person is entirely new to the pages of Scripture. Nowhere else in the Bible has there been so much as a hint about this fellow. We are given a good deal of information about him.
John says:
…I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. The False Prophet will be earthy. All man-oriented false religions are earthy. Carl Marx, the founder of communism, said, Religion is the opiate of the masses. I agree. Once, as I was sharing Christ with a fellow ... he tried to sidetrack me by saying, There are millions of Moslems in India. They have a great religion. I said, Religion is man’s effort to work his way up to Heaven but the only true way to God is through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. I went on to explain, Christ is not one of man's religions ... he is a Person, the Son of the one and only true and living God. Through Christ, God reached down to man and has given us with a Savior. The fellow didn't like that very well. So he chose to remain impressed with man's many religions in the world. One day the beast from out of the earth, Antichrist's false prophet, will head up a brand-new worldwide religion during the days of the Great Tribulation. It will be the worldwide religion of Antichrist worship. It will be the epitome of all man's false religions that have gone before it … earthy … deceptive … Satanic … filled with pride and works.
…he had two horns like a lamb. The False Prophet will be lamb-like. I interpret this to mean that the False Prophet will be a counterfeit Christ and his worldwide religion will likely be a twisted perversion of Christianity. There is already much of that in the world today. The following scriptures warn us about it.
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect…Matthew 24:22-24
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition… Second Thessalonians 2:3
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despises of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! Second Timothy 3:1-5
…he spoke like a dragon. When the False Prophet is speaking, he will sound like a dragon. What comes out of one’s mouth is who one truly is, beloved. The False Prophet will present himself to the world as "a man of God" but what comes out of his mouth will prove him to be "a man of Satan". As Jesus put it to the Pharisees,
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil thing… Matthew 12:34-35
God’s people will know the truth about the false prophet by what he says.
13:12-14
…And he exercises all the authority of the first beast … and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast. The False Prophet will be the enforcer and promoter of Antichrist's mandatory worship. In verses 14 and 15, we learn that he will order those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the first beast and will be granted the power to give breath to it ... and it will cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
…he… even makes fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
This scripture is very clear about how we believers can determine the veracity of an event, spirit, or person. Did you catch it? This is the sure-fire way to test anyone or anything, be they men or miracles. Namely, by simply asking what they believe about the deity of Jesus Christ. It was God himself who came into our world and walked among us those two thousand or so years ago (John 1:1, 14, 18). The question to ask heretics, false prophets, miracle workers or suspicious spirits is, Do you believe that Jesus was God in the flesh, the Everlasting Father, the Ancient of Days? If their answer is No ... then you will know you are talking to a spirit of Antichrist. The second indispensable thing we can use to test someone, or something is, of course, by the Word of God itself. You might call this the Berean test. As we have it in Acts 17:10-11,
Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
As children of the living God, we must reject any event, occurrence, thought, or teaching that will not hold up under the pure light of the Word of God. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this basic and fundamental principle. The question always is, Do we judge the Word of God by our experiences or do we judge our experiences by the Word of God? If we have an experience, hear, or see something, or are taught something, and it doesn't line up with scripture ... we must be willing to lay it aside … no matter how dear it may seem to us. The False Prophet of Revelation 13 will be a very powerful miracle and sign-working phony. And, just as many are taken in by such charlatans today, the day will come in which the whole world will fall for the False Prophet's miracles and false teaching.
13:15
…he was given power to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast that they should be killed. When the False Prophet animates the image of the beast, it will be Daniel 3 all over again. Do you remember the story there about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? King Nebuchadnezzar built an image of himself and demanded that at the appointed time each day ... everyone was to fall and worship it. But the three Hebrew young men refused to do so. Consequently, they were condemned by the king and then thrown alive into a red-hot super-heated furnace. Likewise, the False Prophet's image will be a replica of Antichrist and all mankind will be constrained to worship it as well. Our text says that this fearsome thing will be able to speak and reason and will decree that all who will not worship before it should be killed! Amazing. How could that possibly be? Well, most likely, it will be demon animated. Antichrist worship will be formidable indeed in that future day. It will be Satan's greatest and extensive false religion ever.
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Rev. 13:16-18
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark, [NU omits: or] the name, [NU omits: of the beast] or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
13:16-17
To do business during the Great Tribulation, people will have to have one of two designations in one of two places on their bodies. They must have either the mark of the beast or the number of his name … either on their right hand or on their forehead. No doubt, the “gung-ho” folks will opt for the forehead. You will remember, back in chapter 7, the 144,000 received the seal of the name of their God on their foreheads. Antichrist and his False Prophet will not be outdone. The mark or the number of the beast will also be available on his followers’ foreheads, signifying that he is their god! The mark that the 144,000 bore, however, was to protect them from the judgments of God. The mark the beast’s followers bear will be for the purpose of subjugating and controlling earth's peoples and, in addition, for the purpose of finding all who are not in compliance with Antichrist's demands. Someone has said, Economic oppression is the greatest oppression. There is a great deal of truth in that. Antichrist and his False Prophet will control the world one day by economic pressure. I suspect his coded system will be so pervasive and popular that there will be little, if any, black markets available to those who would oppose him.
Technology exists today, by means of a computer chip implanted under the skin, whereby a person may be always tracked and pinpointed as to their exact location at all times. Furthermore, the chip can carry all of one's personal and medical information as well. Companies who are continuing to develop this technology believe that it is going to be a very great benefit to mankind. Amongst other things, they say it will benefit law enforcement in the apprehension of criminals (if everyone were required to have one, I might add). Until our modern day, however, such things were unknown and, in fact, inconceivable. But now, down here in the year of our Lord, 2024, for the first time in human history such technology has fully arrived ... just as the Bible predicted.
13:18
I believe this last verse in chapter 13 is written to believers who will be living during those final days of earth's secular history. It gives them a substantial heads up for pre-identification of the Antichrist. It says the number of Antichrist’s name is 666. This will be just what those last-day believers will need to pinpoint Antichrist in their day. It says here that those who have wisdom will be able to calculate his number. Webster's Dictionary defines calculate, to determine by mathematical processes. Perhaps 666 will have to do with Antichrist's name in binary code which is currently used to transmit pictures and sound over the Internet.
Some time back, I was discussing this number of the name of the Beast, 666, with my son-in-law as we were watching football. He's a computer systems expert. After a while he said, Herb, look at this. Then he showed me a chart of the binary code by which all Internet signals are transmitted. Then, he pointed out that the number of single digits that make up the signal for the www which designates the world wide web adds up to 666! This may be an indicator that the number of the beast which has so long been such a mystery may be referring to his name in binary code.
Let me explain. Every time we punch a key on our computers, it sends out an eight-digit electrical impulse made up of negative and positive charges that can be recognized by any other computer anywhere in the world and then translated back into the same letter or number originally hit. A typical binary code for one letter looks like this: 00101011. That really piqued my curiosity, so I copied the chart for the binary codes used for each letter of the alphabet. Each sequence of eight electronic impulses has a specific numeric value … namely: 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1. The code, 00101011, has a numeric value of: 0, 0, 32, 0, 8, 0, 2 and 1 adding up to a total of 42. The upshot is that anyone's name typed over the Internet will have a specific numeric value when each letter is added together and yield an exact numeric value for that individual's name. So then, this mysterious scripture referring to the number of his name may well be referring to its binary code ... a reality that has not even existed until this modern era.
Here is a sample of the number of the word Antichrist in English in binary code:
(128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1)
A 01000001 64+1=65
N 01101110 64+32+8+4+2=110
T 01110100 64+32+16+4=116
I 01101001 64+32+8+1=105
C 01100011 64+32+2+1=99
H 01101000 64+32+8=104
R 01110010 64+32+16+2=114
I 01101001 64+32+8+1=105
S 01110011 64+32+16+2+1=115
T 01110100 64+32+16+4=116 Total = 1049
Fascinating, is it not? However, the binary code may have to be calculated in relation to some other language other than English ... say Arabic, Greek or Hebrew?
This brings us to the end of this third interlude in the book of Revelation. It began just after the blowing of the seventh Trumpet and it takes up all of chapters 12 and 13. In these pages we have been given a good deal more vital information about the peoples, times, and conditions that will exist during the Great Tribulation. We have learned:
… the woman, Israel, gave birth to a male Child. Therefore, she will be forced to flee from Antichrist into the wilderness one day.
… the great red dragon, (Satan) will be evicted from Heaven at the beginning of the Great Tribulation and, afterwards, will go forth on earth seeking to exterminate all the rest of the Jews who believe in Christ.
… the beast out of the sea, Antichrist will come to power under a ten-king confederation.
… the beast out of the earth, the False Prophet, will promote the worship of Antichrist in that day.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.