REVELATION LESSON 24

REVELATION

LESSON 24

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

Revelation 13:1-2   13 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

² And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The united nations want a world constitution, a world currency, a world income tax, and a worlds military that is more powerful than any military on earth. They also want a world identification number and a global ethic. Which is another way of saying a one world religion.

This growing monster is clearly transforming itself into a one world government. Its earthly leader will someday be the antichrist.

This chapter opens with a revelation of the world ruler as the dragon standing on the shore of the sea of wickedness that will reign when the church is gone. The ten horns are the ten rulers who will reign with the antichrist during the tribulation period. The ten crowns are the ten divisions of the last world government. Each division having its own ruler and set of false religions.

Mankind will go through seven heads or seven world governments. Each of the seven heads will have a blasphemous name. because of false religions they will be noted for their wickedness. These blasphemous names indicate that they are opposed to God.

In man’s search for international leadership there has always been the drive to find the one who is destined to hold it all together. The question is, are the people of today really ready to accept someone like the devil as the new leader of World affairs?

The word beast because of symbolic terms in the bible can represent either the antichrist or his world government. It this verse it represents his world government. This government will begin as a mixture of three groups of nations.

The antichrist will have complete control of these groups at the beginning of his reign. He and the group known as the leopard will act as one body on the critical issues like Israel, Jesus and the believers.

The antichrist and the bear group (the false prophet) stand for the same things. While the lion group (the world system) imitates the antichrist. The antichrists final world government will begin as a composite world government. At the start three groups of nations will give the antichrist his strongest support, eventually his control will involve the whole world.

Revelation 13:3-4   ³ And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

⁴ And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Remember the heads represent seven world governments. The antichrist will be given so much power that “He” will be the world government, and the world government will be the antichrist.

This verse tells us that one of the seven will seem to have a fatal wound, other verses of scripture tell us which head it is and how it will be wounded. The wounded head will be the antichrist, he will appear to be fatally wounded with a sword, but something amazing will happen. His fatal wound will be healed.

It will appear that he has been killed and miraculously raised from the dead. This is just another attempt to copy Jesus and make the world believe the antichrist can do anything that Christ can do.

The whole world will be astonished and follow the beast, and say who is like the beast, who can make war against him. A supernatural element was involved in his rule and supplemented by the supernatural power of Satan they would naturally ask the question of whether anyone was equal to him.

It is out of this background that the world will worship the man and also worship Satan, who is the power behind the world ruler. The result of all of this is that the beast out of the sea is able to become the world leader and rule for the final three and a half years leading up to the second coming of Christ Jesus.

Revelation 13:5-6   ⁵ And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

⁶ And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

The search for a charismatic world leader will be over. This man will know it all and his heart will be full of pride. He will boast of his great achievements, power and world government, he will make long speeches filled with passion and the vilest of blasphemies.

Like the rulers of the great empires of the past; those who headed up the roman empire, who are described as having blasphemous name will engage in blasphemy against God. John wrote; he opened his mouth to blaspheme God and to slander Gods name and his dwelling place and those who live in Heaven.

The tribulation period will last seven years. It will be divided into two three and a half year periods. When his miraculous healing occurs the end of the tribulation period will be exactly forty-two months.

The scriptures leave no doubt that this political government will extend over the entire globe. Enforcing his position as leader, he is worshiped as god. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast. All whose names have not been written in the book of life belong to the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Until next time,

Stay in the word,

Brother Andy