Lesson 38
Revelation
Chapter Thirteen
The Rise and reign of
the Beasts!
Review:
- He has all the power,
and the authority of the first beast, its as great as
his, but he uses it in the interests of the first beast not his own!
- he
is the organizer and propagator of a new religion centered in the Beast;
The next section:
13:13-17 describes his activity
- Both Beasts reach the
maturation of their power/authority during this period.
- Everything that he is
involved in or with is designed to promote and to focus the attention on the
first beast.
- In vs:13-14 we see his
modus operation; performs great signs;
just as Paul prophesied in 2 Ths 2:9 power,
signs and false wonders;
- The miracles that he
will perform, will astonish mankind but are not evidence that they are from God or that his
power is from God.
Word for "he deceives"
(vs:14) plana,w (pres act. subj.) is a term used by John to
describe the activity of false teachers who lead people to worship gods other
than the true and living God.
(
One thing that you can count on is that as it
always is with false teachers; they exploit the lusts of the sin nature.
His deadly appeal will lie in the fact that for the
majority what he says will sound so right, so sensible, so exactly what
unregenerate man, without God, wants to hear!
* The greatest deception
and blasphemy comes at this point!
The abomination of desolation is referenced here by "to make
an image of the beast" (vs:14)
Its going to appear to come to life, to speak; technological
marvel!
** Back up here and look
at the original prophecy of this that Christ referred to that is in Dan 9:27
What motivates him to stop the Jewish sacrifices in
their
Dan 11:36-37;
- The
establishment of this worship of the head of the RRE, the one who becomes the
GWD begins with the breaking of the treaty, covenant made with Israel.
"and on the
wing of abominations (will come) one who makes desolate, even until a complete
destruction,"
- The "wing of
abominations" would indicate the pinnacle or extreme point of
abominations; reaches its maturation in all of history!
- abominations,
shiqquts = #WQvi it is always used in some connection with detestable
idolatrous practices either referring to the idols, or to the idolatrous ritual
practices associated with idols
Jer 16:18; Ezk
- desolate, the
one who makes desolate, yasmem = ~v;y" po`el ptc which has causative
force as does the hiphil but there is a difference in
emphasis
- It is the very presence
of the abomination, the idol, the image of the GWD that renders the temple
unfit for worship, pollutes the temple
Observations
on the False Prophet!
1.
The power of the False Prophet.
#1 Its derived or
delegated. 13:12a
#2 It's
standard; (by which he operates) set by 1st beast; "in his presence"
#3 Will
have success; he causes the earth dwellers to worship the 1st beast.
2.
The False prophet performs superhuman or supernatural feats.
#1 Its display;
- 1st a
General statement :13a
- 2nd a specific example is given in 13:b Why fire from
heaven?
- to
prove that the 1st beast is God and that as his emissary these miracles are of
divine origin!
God has often down thru history revealed Himself
and authenticated His prophets, His messengers with fire.
2 Kgs
1:1-12;
- Another incident in the life of Elijah is in 1 Kg
18;
Here there is a big debate going on! Who is God?
YHWH or Baal?
18:21-24 gives
the situation, When one with God becomes a majority!
18:37-39 what happened; very impressive!
The False prophet does this then to prove that he
is a prophet!
Can you think of another
that the False prophet may be trying to imitate?
- Those impressed with
the miraculous will be deceived!
#2 What's the displays effect 13:14a