Folks, remember last time we learn of the war in heaven and Satan was cast out and down to earth and there he brings to fullness his empire. This is his last effort to foil God’s plan, his last effort to destroy Christ, his last effort to stop the kingdom to come. The first ten verses of chapter 13 describe a beast a figure to come in human history that is commonly known as the Antichrist. Verses 11-18 describe another beast; a religious figure many call the false prophet. This is the false trinity. John sees this astounding vision of this political figure. Many Christians have tried to name the Antichrist among the men of their day and of course they have all been wrong. Most of them are dead.

The late President John F. Kennedy was one because he was the nation’s first Roman Catholic President and at the 1956 Democratic convention, he received 666 votes. Henry Kissinger was another and yes today some say Donald Trump is! The antichrist is a demon possessed man he is a human being but as we shall see very powerfully so. Maybe more powerful than any other man ever. He is the ultimate last wicked dictator a supremely evil leader who culminates Satan’s rebellion as the incarnation of his power.

I. John Describes of the Beast + (heritage of the beast & the future of the beast.)
We will break this down into six sections…
1. “And I stood” This verse begins with the conjunction “and” the writer seems to be adding now to the vision seen in Revelation 12. His thoughts are continuing from Chapter 12:17. We know that scripture is inspires of God, however chapter headings and verses are not, they were added much later around 1500’s for convenience of study,

a) Dr. Lehman Strass writes, “It is not John who stands upon the sand of the sea, but the dragon.” The original Greek text literally reads “and he stood, “he” is referring to the dragon, therefore this first sentence belongs to Chapter 12:17. “And he stood upon the sand of the sea.” Some manuscripts transcribe the first phrase of Rev 13:1 as Rev 12:18 because this interpretation is better linked with the last verse of the previous Chapter.

2. “The sand of the sea” This phrase incorporates two nouns which are symbolic descriptions of the harsh and restless conditions of the nations. The word sand in its original language “ammos” pictures the innumerable multitude that make up the nations and the word sea “thä’-läs-sä” (molasses) symbolizes the whole of humanity.

a) It is in the “sea” that John sees the beast coming forth. The dragon (Satan) was angered by the woman (Israel) and so he causes a great beast to rise out of the world. The works of Satan are deceitful; it is he that is working behind the scene to create dissention, hatred, violence and war. It is Satan that gives this political beast its power and authority as we will see in Rev. 13:2.

3. “And saw a beast rise up out of the sea.” This awesome beast (Gk. thorion) is the utmost production or incarnation of him, called the great dragon. The Greek word “therion” /
thay-ree’-on is used some 46 times in the New Testament, 38 of these in the book of Revelation. The word literally denotes a savage, ferocious, wild beast or a beast of prey.
This beast is described in the book of Daniel (7:7, 8) as the fourth and final beast in the prophesying of the Gentile World powers. He is a real man whose controls absolutely the royal authority of the ten kings and who is called the Anti-Christ. The second beast is the false prophet who heads a false world religion.

a) The verb “rise up” in the passage is one word (Gk. anabaino) and it carries the connotation of ascend or grow. This fourth empire is described by Daniel in chapter two as having feet and toes mingled with iron and clay grew out of the old Roman Empire of whom in the image have legs of iron. This Anti-Christ (beast) power comes from the abyss and rises out of the sea. This sea, of course, is the same as defined earlier as people and multitudes, nations and tongues. Also, it is explained by the angel of Revelation 17:15 “In biblical usage the ocean pictures the restless striving of the nations of the world.” It is from this chaos of the nations that the Anti-Christ will come. 27 IN EU

c) The feet and ten toes in the image are part of this fourth empire and depict a revived kingdom to come in the latter days. The ten toes in Daniel are parallel to the ten horns in constituting a confederation of ten kings or kingdoms. Many Bible scholar’s believe this Ten nation Confederation is the E. U. Men such as Dr. jack Van Impe and Dr. Marv Rosental believe that the E.U. will eventually consist of all countries included in the old Roman Empire. “There is no doubt in my mind that it’s the forerunner of the Revive Roman Empire in which the prophet Daniel spoke about with such certainty” writes Lindsey.8

4. Having seven heads and ten horns” This phrase lends itself to biblical symbolism. The seven heads speak of wisdom and the ten horns of united power. This description of the beast is an expression that occurs again in Revelation 17:3, 7. Also it appears in Revelation 12:3 and shows there is a relationship with the devil and the man of sin. This is the son of Satan, if you will, no one was ever more like the devil or ever will be than this one.

The seven heads are plainly described in Revelation 17: 9, 10 as seven mountains who authority is under seven kings. Five of these kings had died at John’s time of writing but one, he said, is now reigning. That King’s was Domitian. (doe-misssion)
The seven mountains are described by most commentaries as the “seven hills” relating it to the City of Rome. It is a well-known fact that Rome is called the City of Seven Hills.

We know that the seven heads are explained as seven hills where this power center develops. The Vatican City State is governed as an absolute monarchy. The Head of State is the Pope who holds full legislative, executive and judicial powers. The Pope is elected by the Cardinals who are under eighty years of age. He becomes Sovereign of Vatican City State the moment he accepts his election as Pope.
This final seventh king rules over a confederation of ten nations at the end time. We know the ten horns represent ten kings the Bible tells us in Revelation17:12. The word horns Keras is used in scripture,’ both literally and figuratively, sometimes meaning strength, arrogant pride or political and military power. This would be the implication in Revelation 13:1 and is comparable to Daniel’s writings (Daniel 8:20-21)

“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.” (Daniel 7:24) The prophet Daniel foretold of this fourth kingdom in Daniel 2:40-43. The ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image consisted of iron and clay. It was not destroyed by the legs of iron. All the other empires were destroyed except for the fourth empire Rome. We know that history proves it fell from internal struggle. Therefore, we see that the final world power is a union of ten western nations as the next phrase gives credence to.

5. “And upon his horns ten crowns” These horns (kings) we see, wear crowns. The Greek word diadema for crown is always the symbol of kingly or imperial dignity and is translated “diadem” instead of crown.
a) The word is derived from the Greek word diadei, to bind around. It was an ornament worn by the kings and adopted by Alexander the Great and his successors. Among the Greeks and Romans it was the distinctive badge of royalty. This term “crowns” was used in Revelation 12:3 as the crowns on the head of the dragon. In this passage the crowns are vested upon the ten horns or subordinate kings.

This shows that when Satan gives them these ruling crowns of authority they are under his power and control. These ten kings in the end times give over in subjection and submission to the Anti -Christ as seen in Revelation 17:13. Therefore, this beast isn’t just a kingdom but also a ruler. However, they also stand for seven Roman rulers in succession in which this beast is last.

6.“And upon his head the name of blasphemy”

1. He will blaspheme the name of God. Other Roman rulers in the past blasphemed God by designating themselves as gods. They constructed images and forced the people to worship and pray before such images. This was an abomination in the sight of God and blasphemed His holy name, in Deuteronomy 5:8-9, God commands, “Thou shalt not make any carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them,” —The Anti-Christ will blaspheme above all these others. His activity of blasphemy is recorded in Rev. 13:5-7.

a) The Bible records that the man of sin, the son of perdition is the Anti-Christ, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God.” (2Thess. 2:4) We can truly see he is empowered by Satan who said, “…I will exalth my throne above the stars of God,„ I will be like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14).

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 verse 2 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
“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” 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. 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.

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 continually. He will be free to do whatever he wants and say whatever he wants for this period of time. 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’ll wear them out. 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 we are God’s and the future is ours.

Conclusion:
It is apparent God will withdraw from the world, and He will turn it over to Satan.
Today the Holy Spirit is in the world and He curtails, and restrains evil, although it may not look that way sometimes. Satan will have full sway; full control. But it will only be for a short time. He will be chained and put in a pit for a thousand years and then cast into the lake of fire eternally, calls forth this final ruler, this man.