Lesson #34

REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #34
THE ANTI-CHRIST, THE BEAST FROM THE SEA—REV 13:1-10

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 13:10

• EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE ANTI-CHRIST AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN OUR STUDY, IT IS HERE IN CHAPTER 13 OF REVELATION THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST ACTUALLY MAKES HIS APPEARANCE.
• WE HAVE DISCUSSED HOW THIS ONE MAN WILL GAIN FOR HIMSELF THE CONTROL OF THE WORLD IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• HIS FIRST ACT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS TO CONFIRM A PEACE TREATY WITH THE JEWS. AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, HE WILL BREAK HIS OWN PEACE TREATY AND TURN AGAINST THE JEWS. (DAN 9:27)
• BECAUSE HE WILL INITIALLY BRING PEACE TO THE JEWS AND THE CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE JEWS WILL BELIEVE HE IS THEIR MESSIAH FOR A TIME.
• HOWEVER, FOR THE JEWS TO ACCEPT THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THE MESSIAH, HE MUST HAVE SOME CLAIM TO JEWISH BLOOD.
• THERE IS THE HIGH PROBABILITY THAT HE WILL HAVE SOME LINK TO THE TRIBE OF DAN.
• THE TRIBES OF DAN AND EPHRAIM WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING ISRAEL INTO IDOLATRY. (JDG 17-18 1KIN 12:26-30 HOS 4:17-19)
• YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM WAS INCLUDED IN THE 144,000 JEWISH WITNESSES IN REV 7 WHILE THE TRIBE OF DAN WAS NOT INCLUDED.
• THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM REPENTED OF THEIR ACTIONS WHILE THE TRIBE OF DAN DID NOT. (2CHR 30:1-11, 18-23 2CHR 31 2CHR 34:6-9)
• BOTH THE TRIBES OF JUDAH AND DAN HAVE A PROPHETIC REFERENCE TO A LION’S WHELP. (GEN 49:9 DEU 33:22)
• JESUS IS THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND THE ANTICHRIST WILL CLAIM LEADERSHIP AUTHORITY TO TAKE THE PLACE OF CHRIST.
• THERE IS A PROPHETIC STATEMENT ABOUT DAN IN GEN 49:17-18: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.”
• THIS IS THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE DRAGON (SATAN AND HIS TOOL, THE ANTI-CHRIST) AND THE WOMAN (ISRAEL’S JEWS) IN REV 12.
• FOR THE WORLD, AND ALL OTHER RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD, TO ACCEPT THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THE WORLD LEADER, HE MUST ALSO HAVE SOME LINK TO HISTORICAL AUTHORITY WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF THE OLD ROMAN EMPIRE THAT WE STUDIED IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL.
• IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL, WE DISCUSSED HOW THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL COME TO POWER THROUGH A REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE.
• THE MEROVINGIAN DYNASTY:
• MEROVÉE WAS A FIFTH CENTURY KING OF GERMAN AND FRENCH ORIGIN. HE WAS A WORSHIPPER OF SATAN. LEGEND SAYS HE HAD A RED BIRTHMARK IN THE SHAPE OF A CROSS ON HIS CHEST.
• THIS KING’S LINEAGE PRODUCED MANY KINGS, RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER, IN MANY OF THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN THE TERRITORY OF THE OLD ROMAN ROMAN EMPIRE.
• PRINCE CHARLES OF ENGLAND IS FROM THE MEROVINGIAN LINE OF KINGS. HIS PERSONAL COAT OF ARMS REPRESENTS THE MEROVINGIAN DYNASTY.
• THE LION ON THE COAT OF ARMS HAS A BODY LIKE A LEOPARD WHICH REPRESENTS GERMANY, FEET LIKE THOSE OF A BEAR, WHICH REPRESENTS FRANCE, A MOUTH LIKE A LION, WHICH REPRESENTS ENGLAND.
• THE UNICORN ON THE COAT OF ARMS HAS EYES LIKE A MAN. THE UNICORN, IN ANCIENT BABYLON AND IN NEW AGE CULTS TODAY, REPRESENTS A FALSE FIGURE OF CHRIST. IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL THE BEAST WITH THE ONE LITTLE HORN REPRESENTED THE ANTI-CHRIST. (DAN 8:5,9)
• THE UNICORN IS TIED BY A CHAIN TO A RED DRAGON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COAT OF ARMS.
• AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COAT OF ARMS ARE THE WORDS, “ICH DIEN”. THESE WORDS MEAN = I, THE BLACK PRINCE, SERVE THE RED DRAGON.
• IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL HAVE SOME LINK TO THE MEROVINGIAN LINEAGE OF EUROPEAN KINGS.

• READ REV 13:1-10 THE BEAST FROM THE SEA—THE ANTI-CHRIST
• IDENTIFYING THE BEAST FROM THE SEA:
• TWO INTERPRETATIONS:
• =1= “THE SEA” IN THE BIBLE REFERS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THEREFORE, HE WILL COME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. IT IS POSSIBLE HE WILL COME FROM SYRIA, AS WAS ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV. WE STUDIED ABOUT ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV IN DANIEL. HE WAS A PREFIGURE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• =2= THE SEA REFERS TO THE SEA OF HUMANITY WHICH WOULD MAKE HIM A GENTILE.
• WILL THE ANTI-CHRIST BE A JEW OR A GENTILE?
• BOTH IDENTITIES CAN BE SUSTAINED BY SCRIPTURE.
• A JEW:
• EZE 21:25-27
• EZE 28:2-10 (OF CIRCUMCISION)
• DAN 11:36-37
• PSA 55
• JUA 5:43
• “…another shall come…” THE GREEK WORD IS “allos” WHICH INDICATES A JEW, NOT “heteros” WHICH INDICATES A GENTILE.
• A GENTILE:
• DAN 11:31 AND MAT 24:15
• ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IV WAS A PREFIGURE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST. HE WAS A GENTILE.
• REV 13:1 OUT OF THE SEA OF HUMANITY.
• IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER IF HE WILL BE A JEW OR A GENTILE OR A MIXTURE. IF HE IS A MIXTURE, HE MAY EVEN HIDE HIS JEWISH BLOOD FOR A TIME. IN ANY EVENT, HE WILL NOT BE EASILY RECOGNIZED UNTIL HE CONFIRMS THE PEACE TREATY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• A COMPARISON OF THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BEAST FROM THE SEA AND THE RED DRAGON IN REV 12:3:
• THE DRAGON (SATAN) HAS CROWNS ON HIS HEADS AND THE BEAST (THE ANTI-CHRIST) HAS CROWNS ON HIS HORNS.
• THE DRAGON HAS AUTHORITY AND POWER OVER ALL THE EARTH IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, WHILE THE ANTICHRIST HAS GOVERNMENTAL POWER OVER NATIONS.
• WHERE DOES THE BEAST FROM THE SEA GET HIS POWER?
• IT IS WHEN THE TWO OF THEM, SATAN AND THE ANTI-CHRIST, COME TOGETHER IN UNITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION THAT THERE WILL BE SATANIC WORLD DOMINATION UNDER ONE MAN, THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• IT IS AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION THAT SATAN (THE DRAGON OF REV 12) PERSONALLY INDWELLS THE ANTI-CHRIST AND GIVES HIM POWER, POSITION, AND AUTHORITY. (2)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST IS THE “SEED OF SATAN” IN GEN 3:15. (ISA 27:1)
• NATIONS AND DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE WILL GIVE THE ANTI-CHRIST POWER.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL ELECTED BY POPULAR MAJORITY BEGINNING WITH NATIONS IN THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE.
• THE BEAST (THE ANTI-CHRIST) WITH 7 HEADS AND 10 HORNS. (1)
• THE 7 HEADS REPRESENT 7 WORLD GOVERNMENTAL KINGDOMS THAT WERE ISRAEL’S ENEMIES IN PAST HISTORY. (REV 17:10-11) (#7 IS THE BIBLICAL NUMBER OF COMPLETION)
• =1= EGYPT
• =2= ASSYRIA
• =3= BABYLONIA
• =4= PERSIA
• =5= GREECE
• =6= ROME
• =7= THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE YET TO COME.
• =8= THE ANTI-CHRIST AND HIS WORLD KINGDOM.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE ANTI-CHRIST WITH 7 SYMBOLIC HEADS WILL EMERGE OUT OF THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC AREA AS THE PREVIOUS 7 KINGDOMS IN ORDER TO BECOME THE 8TH KINGDOM.
• THE TEN HORNS REPRESENT POWER OR AUTHORITY TO TEST. (#10 IS THE BIBLICAL NUMBER OF TESTING ACCORDING TO AN ESTABLISHED STANDARD)
• THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE WILL CONSIST OF 10 GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS WHO TEST THE MERITS OF THE ANTI-CHRIST AND DECIDE TO GIVE HIM POWER. (REV 17:12-13)
• WE WILL DISCUSS IN DETAIL THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IN OUR NEXT LESSON.
• THE NAME, “BLASPHEMY” (1)
• THE WORD, BLASPHEMY, MEANS = ATTITUDES OR ACTIONS AGAINST GOD.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE A MAN AGAINST GOD.
• THE NAME, ANTI-CHRIST, HAS TWO MEANINGS:
• =1= THE USUAL GREEK MEANING IS SOMEONE WHO IS AGAINST CHRIST.
• =2= THE OTHER GREEK MEANING IS SOMEONE WHO TAKES THE PLACE OR THE POSITION OF CHRIST.
• A DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAST (2-3)
• THE LEOPARD, THE BEAR, AND THE LION:
• WE SAW THE SAME DESCRIPTION IN OUR STUDY OF DANIEL. THE MENTION OF THESE ANIMALS REFERRED TO THE PAST WORLD KINGDOMS OF DAN 7:3-8.
• IF WE COMPARE DANIEL WITH REVELATION, WE SEE THAT THE ORDER OF THE LIST OF THESE ANIMALS IS REVERSED. THE REASON IS THAT DANIEL VIEWS THESE KINGDOMS BEFORE THEY OCCUR AND JOHN IN REVELATION VIEWS THEM AFTER THEY HAPPENED.
• THE LEOPARD = (GREECE) = THE CHARACTERISTIC OF BEING SHREWD AND CRAFTY.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE AN INTELLECTUAL GENIUS (DAN 7:20 DAN 8:23 EZE 28:3)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE A RELIGIOUS GENIUS. (2THE 2:4 REV 13:3)
• THE BEAR = (MEDO-PERSIA) = THE CHARACTERISTIC OF BEING POWERFUL.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE A POLITICAL GENIUS. (DAN 11:21 REV 17:17)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE A GIFTED PUBLIC SPEAKER.(DAN 7:20 REV 13:2)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE COMMERCIAL GENIUS (DAN 8:25 REV 13:7 PSA 52:7 DAN 11:38, 43 EZE 28:4-5)
• THE LION = (BABYLON) = THE CHARACTERISTIC OF BEING FEROCIOUS.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE A MILITARY GENIUS. (DAN 8:24 REV 6:2 REV 13:4 ISA 14:6)
• THE HEAD WOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WERE WOUNDED TO DEATH (3)
• THERE ARE TWO INTERPRETATIONS:
• =1= BECAUSE THE 7 HEADS REPRESENT 7 WORLD GOVERNMENTAL KINGDOMS, THE HEAD THAT SUFFERS A WOUND AS UNTO DEATH WOULD BE THE 7TH HEAD WHICH IS THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE. (REV 17:10-11)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL TOTALLY DOMINATE THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT APPEARS AS THOUGH IT WERE DEAD SO THAT HE PERSONALLY CAN BECOME THE 8TH KINGDOM WITH FULL WORLD CONTROL.
• =2= THE ANTI-CHRIST, HIMSELF, SUFFERS A HEAD WOUND AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. HE EITHER DIES OR APPEARS TO DIE AND IS RESURRECTED TO LIFE BY THE FALSE PROPHET. (REV 13:12)
• READ ZEC 11:16-17
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE BLINDED IN HIS RIGHT EYE AND SUFFER A WITHERED ARM IN THE ATTACK ON HIS LIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTS BOTH INTERPRETATIONS AND BOTH ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE, BECAUSE BOTH FIT THE OVERALL SCENARIO OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD EXPLAINED BY SCRIPTURE.
• “…all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon…” (3-4) (8)
• WHY WILL THE JEWS WORSHIP SATAN?
• WORSHIP OF THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH MEANS THEY ALSO WORSHIP SATAN WHO LIVES IN THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• WHY WILL THE WORLD WORSHIP SATAN?
• THE ANTI-CHRIST IS A DECEIVER. THE WORLD WILL BE DECEIVED INTO THINKING HE IS A GOD BECAUSE HE HAS ALL ANSWERS TO THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS.
• “…there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things…” (5)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BE A VERY PERSUASIVE SPEAKER VERY MUCH LIKE ADOLPH HITLER.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BLASPHEME GOD AND JESUS CHRIST. HE WILL BLASPHEME THE JEWISH TEMPLE. HE WILL BLASPHEME THOSE WHO DWELL IN HEAVEN. (THE RAPTURED BELIEVERS AND THE DEAD TRIBULATION SAINTS). (2THE 2:4)
• REV 13:8 TELLS US THAT ONLY NON-BELIEVERS WILL WORSHIP THE ANTI-CHRIST AND SATAN. THEN THERE IS A WARNING TO THOSE WHO HAVE SPIRITUAL EARS AND EYES TO AVOID THE DECEPTION OF THE WORSHIP OF THE ANTI-CHRIST. (9)
• WE KNOW THAT ONLY NON-BELIEVERS WORSHIP THE ANTI-CHRIST BECAUSE THEIR NAMES ARE NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.
• THE BOOK OF LIFE IS A HEAVENLY BOOK WHICH CONTAINS ALL HUMANS THROUGH ALL HISTORY WHO HAVE RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST INTO THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH.
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. (8)
• IN OTHER WORDS, GOD PLANNED FOR MAN’S REDEMPTION THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS EVEN BEFORE ADAM AND EVE SINNED BECAUSE GOD KNEW AHEAD OF TIME THAT MAN WOULD NEED A SAVIOR.
• “…power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” (5)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL HAVE FULL WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 ½ YEARS. THIS IS THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• TO MAINTAIN HIS POWER AND CONTROL, SATAN GIVES HIM MILITARY AUTHORITY TO MAKE WAR AGAINST BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST. (7)
• GOD PERMITS THIS EVIL POWER OVER THE EARTH.
• MANY BELIEVERS IN CHRIST WILL BE BEHEADED FOR THEIR TESTIMONY.

• SUMMARY:
• WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANTI-CHRIST AND SATAN IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS CHAPTER. IN THE LAST HALF OF THE CHAPTER, WE WILL SEE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET. THESE THREE PERSONS REPRESENT THE UNHOLY TRINITY. SATAN COUNTERFEITS EVERYTHING THAT GOD DOES. WE CAN EASILY SEE THIS IF WE COMPARE THE HOLY TRINITY: GOD, THE FATHER; JESUS, THE SON; AND GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT; WITH THE UNHOLY TRINITY: SATAN, THE FATHER OF LIES; THE ANTI-CHRIST, THE SEED OF SATAN; AND THE FALSE PROPHET.

HOMEWORK
THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REV 13:1-10
• AS YOU CONTEMPLATE THE GREAT GENIUS BEHIND THE DECEPTION OF THE COMING ANTI-CHRIST, HOW CAN A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST REMAIN FREE FROM DECEPTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WHEN THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTI-CHRIST IS ALREADY IN THE WORLD? (1JUA 4:3)

• WHAT DO YOU PERSONALLY DO IN YOUR LIFE TO MAKE SURE YOU CONTINUE IN THE TRUTH OF GOD?

• PREPARATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE
• READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES AND WRITE WHAT YOU LEARN ABOUT THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE:
• DAN 2:41-45 (YOU CAN REFER TO YOUR NOTES FROM DANIEL, LESSON #04)

• DAN 7:7-8 (YOU CAN REFER TO YOUR NOTES FROM DANIEL, LESSON #09)

• DAN 7:19-24 (YOU CAN REFER TO YOUR NOTES FROM DANIEL, LESSON #09)

• REV 17:10-13

• MEMORY VERSE: ROM 13:1