The Pew Research Center has recently written on the changing religious composition of the U.S. The religiously unaffiliated population – including all of its constituent subgroups – has grown rapidly as a share of the overall U.S. population. To back this up the 2021 census in collecting its data on religion revealed a rise in the number of Pagans up from 56,620 to 73,733. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) researchers found that within the last ten-year period, the number of Satanists rose from 1,893 to 5,054. Their report concludes a rapid rise of Satanism. I am not surprise.

Satan worship becomes more and more popular each year however it is still only a tiny fraction of people who openly worship Satan. But this is because most people expect Satan to appear in horror and evil form. This is erroneous, 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.
(2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Summary:
We have seen in this passage of scripture the rise of the Satanic political beast, It’s characteristics have been seen throughout the seven heads as successive political leaders. This last ruler is known as the beast and controlled by Satan. The ten horns and crowns signify the confederation of ten nations with ruling crowns of authority under Satan power.

II John describes the heritage of the beast.

1. In this vision, God used images from Daniel’s vision of Daniel chapter 7 to communicate the identity and nature of this beast to John. Daniel used four animals (beasts) to describe the course of human government from Daniel’s time until the ultimate reign of Jesus on this earth.

In verse 2 he begins with like as a “Leopard” this term is a metaphor for ancient Greece, speaking of Greece’s swiftness and agility as their military moved forward in conquest. Historians tell us that Alexander the Great conquered the known world within 12 years. Next he see remnants of the
The “Bear” this is a metaphor for the ancient Medo-Persian Empire, depicting that kingdom’s ferocious strength, combined with great stability and is reference in Daniel 7:5. Next is the
“Lion” is a metaphor for the ancient Babylonian Empire, referring to the Babylonian’s fierce, all-consuming power. As we reference this to Daniel’s vision in chapter 7, Daniel was looking forward into history whereas John sees them in reverse order since he is “looking back” over history.

2. The fourth animal was a dreadful, indescribable beast which shared the most terrifying characteristics of the previous beasts, yet represents the final world empire under the leadership of a Satanic dictator. John presents this beast as the extension of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, connecting his empire with the characteristics of the great empires of the past. This final world empire will have the catlike vigilance of a leopard, the slow and crushing power of a bear, and the authority and ferociousness of a lion.

Satan will give the antichrist his seat, that is, his throne, his government. Satan will give the antichrist just what he offered Christ: the governments of the world. Satan will give the antichrist his authority; that is, he will give him complete authority, dictatorial rule and command and influence. He will give the antichrist the greatest power and rule ever known in the world.

III John describes the future of the beast.

1. Note verse 3 “His deadly wound was healed”. It may be that the Antichrist is killed and God for His own purposes will allow him to be resurrected. Most likely the Antichrist’s alleged death and resurrection will be counterfeit which would fit with what we have already studied that Satan will have an unholy trinity and now we see that Satan will have unholy resurrection as well thus counterfeiting Christ’s death and resurrection.

Satan doesn’t have the power to give life. He has the power to take it but not to give it. This is a fake resurrection which means it’s either a fake death, or a fake resurrection.

2. It is this satanic fabricated resurrection that causes the whole world to be engulfed in amazement and follow after the beast. Everything the devil and the antichrist is and does is a lie and they try to duplicate the original. Whatever God does Satan says I can do that. He will gain world recognition as “The world marveled”. People in the world will be astonished at this act of deception of the antichrist and follow him. This Anti-Christ will be an intellectual genius according to Daniel 8:23. In Daniel 11:36 he is described as a Rhetorical genius.

3. In verse 4 we note idolatry. Folks any worship that is not directed to Jesus, any worship other than that given to the one true God is devil worship.
People worship this beast and bow down before his government, it may be that they do not know they are bowing down to Satan himself; but it is worship of Satan none the less. They clearly worship both the beast and the dragon, but their worship of the dragon may be unknowing.

4. In verse 5 & 6 “And he was given a mouth” Everything the antichrist speaks will be in direct conflict with the Word of God and against God. However, we must note it was given to him forty-two months to function. Who is doing the giving here? It’s God.
Folks, no way Satan would want to limit the operation of Antichrist to forty-two months…God sets the limits. God is sovereign it is God who gives him the authority to act during this period of time. Look with me at Daniel chapter 7 and verse 8 this man, this Antichrist called the little horn, has eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts… and eleven!

It will be characteristic of the Antichrist to blaspheme it is sad what he does with the allotted time he has he can only speaks evil of God.

5. God who never relinquishes His sovereignty. In verse 7 the antichrist will be allowed for a short time to massacre those who are God’s children. He will make war with the Tribulation saints…” He rules the world, but the particular object of his venom and his blasphemy and his hatred is the saints.

In Daniel chapter 7:25, “He will wear out the saints of the Highest One.” He goes after them. He will destroy them. We know these are saved people because verse 8 labels them as those “Written in the Lamb’s Book of Life”. This is the divine journal that records those who have accepted by faith God’s grace and forgiveness. The future is still God’s and ours.

Conclusion:
It is apparent God will withdraw from the world, and He will turn it over to Satan. Satan will have full sway; full control. But it will only be for a short time. Today the Holy Spirit is in the world and He curtails, and restrains evil, although it may not look that way sometimes.