This study, taught by pastor Barry Forder at our Sunday morning service on Sunday 1st May 2016 is the 15th in our verse-by-verse study through the book of Revelation.
In this study we look at the last two of seven characters introduced to us in chapters 12 & 13. In chapter twelve we were introduced to the Woman, who we saw was ‘mystical Eve’ carrying the line down through the ages from Eve in the garden of Eden, to Mary. We also saw the Manchild – Jesus Christ who will rule all nations with a rod of iron. Fighting on behalf of Israel we saw the archangel Michael, and in defiance to all that is true and holy we saw the dragon, identified as Satan. The 5th ‘person’ we were introduced to was the ‘saints’ who Satan will turn to attach once Israel is fled for safety and protection in the wilderness of Edom.
So that brings us to this chapter, and we are firstly introduced to a beast that John sees coming out of the sea. This beast is to be the final world government of this age, before Jesus returns and ‘puts down all authority and power (1 Cor 15:24).
Heading up this final world empire, which will be led by ten ‘kings’, will be the individual we usually call ‘Antichrist’. He is actually referred to by 33 names in the Old Testament and 13 names in the New. The title given in 2nd Thessalonians is ‘The Man of Sin’.
From scripture we know that He will be an intellectual genius: Dan 7:20; 8:23; Ezek 28:3.
• He will be an oratorical Genius: Dan 7:20; Rev 13:2.
• He will be a political genius: Dan 11:21.
• He will be a commercial genius: Dan 8:25; Rev 13:17; Ps 52:7; Dan 11:38, 43; Ezek 28:4,5.
• He will be a military genius: Dan 8:24; Rev 6:2; Rev 13:4; Isa 14:16.
• He will be a governmental genius: Rev 13:1, 2; 17:17.
• He will be a religious genius: 2 Thess 2:4 (“Allah”?); Rev 13:3,14,15.
See also: Ps 10, 52, 55; Isa 10,11,13,14; Jer 49-51; Zech 5; Rev 18.
He will be given Satan’s power and will lead the world into worshiping Satan, and will make war on any who accept Jesus during this time.
From verse 11 we are then introduced to our final character, the False Prophet. John sees in his vision a beast coming out of the earth, and this seems to be fitting as this individual appears to have amalgamated all the world’s into a single religion – worship of Satan in the person of Antichrist.
The False Prophet will have the power to perform miracles to deceive those who have chosen to make this world their home.
As we see in this study, Antichrist will suffer a fatal head wound, but somehow appear to be raised from the dead! This is of course a satanic counterfeit. Satan is a deceiver and will establish a un-holy Trinity at this time. Satan, as he has always wanted to be, in the place of God; Antichrist, taking the honour and worship due to Jesus, and the False Prophet acting in the role of the Holy Spirit, trying to point all people to Antichrist.
May this study encourage you and deepen your love for God and His Word!
To aid your personal study, the Powerpoint slides used in this teaching are available for download here, and a verse-by-verse text commentary of Revelation Chapter 10 is also available in the Pastor’s Blog section of this web site entitled: “The Un-Holy Trinity”
Every blessing,
Pastor Barry.
