The target year for the United Nations’ achieving Sustainable Development Goals is 2030. A corporation known as Fujitsu, is helping to shape this future with their SDG Palm/Secure. It one of the fastest most versatile and efficient system available to verify your identity. With the help of a biometric sensor
technology, which uses the unique palm vein pattern to perform high-level security authentication of individual persons, the system can make sure that you are the person who you say you are. “The system requires no tangible hardware on the part of the user, so phones are not necessary. All it requires is that the user wave his/her hands in front of an electronic reader and the small device reads the unique pattern of veins by way of near-infrared light. The technology allows users to completely bypass credit cards and cash with their phones, Japan in particular is already using this wide scale.
Some are warning of the dangers of this type of technology. Yet the calls for convenience combined with the need of better security will likely make the new system even more palatable to the general public.”

There is also talk of embedded microchips that could carry a person’s full identification in place of I.D. cards that can be lost or stolen. The trend today is we are moving toward a cashless society. Revelation 13 says the Beast will force everyone “to receive a mark on his right hand or forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the Beast or the number of his name 666.” The Bible clearly says the mark of the Beast is for buying and selling coerced, by government. It seems inevitable that we are coming to this during the time of the tribulation.

I. The Horror of the second beast. Vv. 10-12

1. Here is the world religious leader who aids and abets the Antichrist. Remember in the first ten verses you have the picture of the Antichrist, the first beast and here is his cohort, the second beast, namely the false prophet. While the Antichrist is building his world empire on military and political power, at the same time the false prophet is building a worldwide religion and according to chapter 17, they coexist.

2. Verse 11-12, says this beast arises from the earth, most biblical scholars say this man is probably a Jew. He comes from Israel and has “two horns like a lamb, but he talks like a dragon.” He looks like a lamb, but he talks like a dragon. He is, therefore, a fake lamb, to put it bluntly. I pointed out that we have here a kind of Satanic trinity — Satan corresponding to the Father, the first beast corresponding to the Son or antichrist, the dragon himself, the false prophet playing the role of the Holy Spirit. It is Satan’s imitation of the true trinity. The false prophet then leads the world in affirming that indeed the Antichrist is God. – John 16:13-15

3. He comes as a tender gentle lamb that elicits sympathy and kindness. However, it says he speaks like a dragon. His message when he opens his mouth is not the message of a lamb it’s the message of a dragon. He is able to sway the mass of humanity from one end of the globe to the other in all their diverse religions to come together in one religious unit.

Notice verse 12, it refers back to verse 10 notice that if anyone takes others captive, he will himself become a (hostage). If anyone kills with the sword, he must himself be killed with the sword. It is a word of encouragement to the saints of the tribulation hour. All over the earth people will be taken captive and killed. God is simply saying to the others, “Don’t be discouraged, hang in there. Don’t let this slaughter throw you.” Notice how John puts it. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Over 250 million Christians are experiencing persecution and it is getting worst here in America.

II. The Objective of the second beast. vv. 13-15

1. Here he acts as a prophet and accomplishes his aim in getting the world to worship the beast as described in verses 13 through 15. The prophets of O. T. did miracles to establish their credentials, their God-given authority. Moses and Elijah each did great miracles. In the days of the Exodus, Aaron performed miracles, and up to a point was matched miracle-for-miracle by the magicians of Egypt. He wants to “deceive” that is to “lead astray” from the Greek word “planao” (p’la not o) where we get the word planet & has to do with wandering bodies. He causes people to wander away from truth.

2. As a false Prophet he will counterfeit the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit made fire to come down from heaven on the Day of Pentecost, the two witnesses of Chapter 11, they call fire down from heaven. So this man will call fire from heaven. The Holy Spirit leads men into all truth he will lead them to lies. The Holy Spirit leads men to glorify Christ he will lead them to worship the beast as god. (2 Thess. 2: 9-11)

3. This “beast” is the false prophet who leads the people to worship the beast and will erect an image in his honor. He deems it necessary to create an image of the Antichrist and put it in the temple for the world to worship. He is able, we are told, to give breath to that image to make it seem alive. How is this possible? In one of the exhibits in Disneyland you can find Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair! He looks very real and while you are standing there he will get up out of the chair and walk over and talk to you! This is from there site. “For the rousing climax, Honest Abe takes center stage and delivers highlights from some of his greatest speeches. Lincoln’s life mask was the model for the original figure’s face.

2) The technology to make an image of a man that seems to live and speak and walk, is already here with the use of Artificial intelligence. It is not necessary that they really think it is a living person, but they will worship it because it represents a living person, and they will honor that impressive symbol in that day. By means of that image this false prophet will claim godlike powers for himself and the first beast, and will command the loyalty of everybody.

In Chapter 7 we learned that 144,000 from the tribes of Israel were sealed on their foreheads by God. Every believer in Christ is sealed by the Holy Spirit. It is the sign that we belong to God. “The Apostle Paul says that Christians are sealed today. You are bought with a price,” {cf, 1 Cor 6:19b-20a}. He will have a mark too. In Verse 16 we learn this man also controls the world’s economic system.

III. The Mark of the beast. vv. 16-18

1. Just as there will be an apostate church which we will study as the coming one world church there will be a one world government and economy. We know that the technology to do this is already in place and readily available. It is remarkable how we are drawing close to these days. We are capable of doing and having a cashless society where you never have any money, it’s just a debit/credit system, you work and your employer from a computer puts into your bank account a proper figure called pay and when you buy it is deleted. And life will depend on his system and his mark. So, you see, there’s a compelling reason to worship the Antichrist, isn’t there? It’s not just a matter of religious deception it’s a matter of life.

2. The mark, of course, is Satan’s imitation of God’s seal on his own people. The mark that is mentioned is said to be either the name of the beast or the number of his name. It is referring to the first beast, not the second. The second is called later “the false prophet,” {Rev 16:3}. Also the first beast is simply called “the beast.” The mark is the name of that beast or its number. His name is unknown. It is never referred to, but the number is given — 666.

3. The ancient languages used letters for numbers. If you use Roman numerals today you use letters in place of numbers. The Greek language was similar. The letters have numerical value and many feel that when you add up the numerical value of certain names if it comes out to 666 that person must be the Antichrist. That is foolish and this calls for wisdom.

a) Look what it says, “This calls for wisdom.” “If anyone has insight let him count (calculate or reckon) the number of the beast.” Now here is the clue: “it is man’s (anth’-ro-pos) number.” It is the number associated with man which is 6. It reveals the character of the one who is talking and acting and living. No Tom, Dick, or Harry with a calculator can figure this out.

Conclusion:

The whole world is deceived at this time and Satan and His demons are doing the deceiving. His Antichrist and false prophet are doing the deceiving. And on top of that, God is sending a deluding influence.