Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Antichrist and the False Prophet

The Beast Out of the Sea

                  In this segment I will be discussing Chapter 13, the Beast out of the Sea and the Beast out of the Earth. The beast out of the sea is the Antichrist. The sea is the Mediterranean Sea. When saying he will come out of the sea, it is telling us he will come from two sources: his spirit from the abyss and his body from one of the Gentile nations around the Mediterranean. The sea signifies Gentile nations (Revelation 17:15, Isaiah 57:20). The ten horns and seven heads are those of the dragon (Revelation 12:3); the beast is therefore one with the dragon. The ten horns are the ten coming kings (Daniel 7:24) and the seven heads are the seven Caesars (Revelation 17:10). The ten heads correspond to the ten toes in Daniel 2:42-4. The Roman Empire, Antichrist, and ten kings (represented by the ten crowns) are one with Satan. The seven Caesars, symbolized by the seven heads, claimed deity and ordered their people to worship them, which is a blasphemy against God.

 

                A leopard, characterized by swift and crucial movements, was the symbol of Alexander the Great, king of Greece. The bear, characterized by its destroying feet, was the symbol of the monarchy of Medo-Persia. The lion, characterized by its devouring mouth, was a symbol of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The Antichrist will have their characteristics. He’s the totality of all evil powers in human history. Giving his power, throne, and authority to the beast, he makes the beast one with him so he can resist God and persecute God’s people on earth. Verse 3 refers to one of the Caesars who will be resuscitated, causing the earth to marvel. He is one of the Caesars who was assassinated or murdered because it says his face was slain. During the last three and a half years he will terminate all Jewish worship and service to God (Daniel 9:27), persecute the saints, and destroy Jerusalem. The saints that he will make war with are the believers that remain on earth.

The Beast Out of the Earth

                13:11 brings our attention to the beast out of the earth. This other beast is the false prophet mentioned in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10. Since the earth signifies Israel, the false prophet will most likely come from the Jews. By saying that he looks like a lamb but talks like a dragon this verse is indicating his falsity. He is the ultimate of all the false prophets that we were forewarned about. He helps persuade people to worship the beast from the sea.  He will be able to do what Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:36-38 by bringing fire out of the sky. People won’t be able to distinguish the truth from the lies. In his being able to give breath to the statue of the beast of the sea he is doing something that has never been done before in human history. Psalm 115:5 tells us that no idol made by human hands has ever been able to speak. 

              

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Woman and the Dragon

The Woman               

                   Chapter 12 is about the woman and the dragon. It can be difficult to interpret what this chapter is talking about but with the right outlook on it, it becomes clear. In Genesis 37:9 Joseph saw in a dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars plus himself, signifying the totality of God’s people. Based on this principle, the sun, moon, and stars here must signify all of God’s people as well, which is represented by a woman. The sun signifies God’s people in the New Testament because the world is no longer dark after Christ entered the world; there is hope for mankind. The moon signifies God’s people in the Old Testament. The moon is the age of law, which is not to be exalted over the stars; all these people are light bearers. The child, being a man child, signifies God’s stronger people. The bible considers them a collective unit fighting the battle for God here on earth. The cry mentioned is actually a prayer. When it says “…and cried out in pain…” it signifies the suffering that God’s people face. 

The Red Dragon

                The red dragon in verse 3 is Satan. The redness of the dragon signifies the shedding of blood caused by Satan’s murders (John 8:44). The seven heads and ten horns are those of the Antichrist (13:1). This indicates that Satan and the Antichrist are one; the Antichrist is an embodiment of Satan. The seven diadem crowns that the dragon wears indicate the glory of the seven Ceasers’ extraordinary kingship. Since each of them were one with Satan, each assumed deity, claimed to be God, and forced people to worship himself as God. The third part of the stars that are cast to the earth are the saints that backslide because of Satan and are therefore cast down to earth and now they must partake in the Great Tribulation and rapture.  That the dragon stood before the woman signifies that he is always against God’s people. Since Genesis 3:15 to this day he is always waiting to claim possession of God’s people and devour them. The man-child is the overcoming saints, the stronger followers. We know this because in Revelation 2:26-27 it says that the overcoming saints will help rule the nations during the millennial kingdom and here they are given an iron rod to rule the nations. God will protect the remaining believers during the last three and a half years before they are raptured on that last day. 

The War in Heaven

                The war in Heaven mentioned in verse 7 begins immediately after the strongest believers are raptured. They are always in a state of fighting for the Lord. With this war Satan and his angels are cast out of Heaven. Satan accused Job and Joshua and now he accuses the believers of God day and night. But, through fighting him, the kingdom of God can now come in full. Verse 11 refers to the overcoming believers who constitute the man-child in verse 5. They overcame the slander of Satan. The blood of the Lamb answers before God all the accusations of the devil against us and gives us victory over him. We need to verbally testify against the devil when we feel him against us. Unto death indicates martyrdom. They were martyred in Christ’s name. The devil is angry because he has been cast out of Heaven losing all of his territory. He will concentrate his hatred against God’s people during the last three and a half years with great strength, trying to turn them away from Him. 

The Woman in the Wilderness

                Because of this wrath of Satan, God will be the great eagle that protects her. The wings signify his strength to rescue (Exodus 19:4, Deuteronomy 32:11-12). He will protect His people from Satan just like He brought the people of Israel out from the Pharaoh’s persecution. A time and times and a half denotes three and a half years. The water that Satan will cast out in verse 15 signifies the armies that will be sent by Satan to try and destroy the children of God. God said that He would not use water again to punish His people; therefore, this refers to Satan’s attempt to destroy God’s people. The earth will open and swallow Satan (the depths of the earth often signify hell). The rest of her seed signifies the rest of God’s people who do not make up the man-child. Among them are the Jews that we saw in Chapter 7 and the believers who hold Jesus’ testimony. The sea in verse 18 is the same that we will see in 13:1- the Mediterranean Sea. The sand here represents the shore of the Holy Land, where Israel is. Satan’s persecution will be focused mainly on the land of Israel during the Great Tribulation. 

What's There To Fear?

                What is your biggest fear? Someone has probably asked you this before and it is only natural as a human to have fears. For some it’s a tangible thing like snakes or sharks or being drowned. For others, it is an idea such as being alone or hurting someone they love unintentionally or even losing a loved one. However, if we have Christ as our savior, we should fear nothing.

“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and

delivered me from all my fears.”

-Psalm 34:4

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but

of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

-2 Timothy 1:7

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be

dismayed, for I am your God. I will

strengthen you and help you;…”

-Isaiah 41:10

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment,

 and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

-1 John 4:18

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

-Psalm 56: 3-4

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for

it is the Lord your God who goes with you.”

-Deuteronomy 31:6

                There are so many more Psalms and stories in the bible that reveal we should fear nothing. The only thing we should fear is God. We should fear him out of respect and fear what he can do with our spirits. For he will judge us with a sword and either put us to death (send us to Hell) or declare that we have earned everlasting life in Heaven.

“Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

-Matthew 10:28

“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one

may turn away from the snares of death.”

-Proverbs 14:27

“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

-1 Peter 2:17

                No man can harm us if we have the Lord (Hebrews 13:6). God protects those who live for him and desire to have salvation through Jesus Christ. This all goes back to faith. If we have faith in the Lord we shall not be afraid. If we do have worries or fears troubling us we should go to the Lord.

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I

am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest

for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

-Matthew 11:28-29

                When Jesus is talking to the weary and burdened, he is not talking about a physical state but rather a spiritual state. Rest means inner peace and the Lord’s yoke is God’s will. There is no burden or stress when following God’s will and there should be no fear. No man can kill your spirit. Fear in the Lord is good because it helps keep us on the narrow and straight path in living a righteous life. However, fear of things that hurt the flesh will only hurt our spiritual walk because it will distract you from God’s will and overwhelm our minds. We won’t be able to focus on what is good and holy.

                However, there can be an unhealthy fear of God. An unhealthy fear of God, known as theophobia, can lead to debilitating factors of everyday life. A healthy fear of God leads us to live moral and ethical lives. It can even calm our anxiety and fears. But there are those who are so fearful of God that they are in a constant state of mental disturbance. In everything they do they fear negative judgement of God, even when they are doing nothing wrong. An unhealthy fear of God prohibits us from drawing closer to God. Unhealthy fear is fear that controls us and consumes us. Since such kind of unhealthy fears are based upon unreal possibilities, it causes a major obstacle to our relationship with God and in experiencing his blessings. In order to have a healthy fear, we need to understand God and his word. He is a powerful, jealous, and judgmental God but He is also a compassionate, loving God. He forgives our sins and he loves us, for he sent his one and only son to die for us. He is merciful and pours his grace down on us. He heals us and loves righteousness. If you live according to his word, you will not suffer negative consequences; he will not disown a loyal follower.
 

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord

has compassion on those who fear him;…”

-Psalm 103:13

“For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”

-Isaiah 49:13

                God never wanted us to be controlled by fear, He is the almighty one and no one is stronger than Him. Fear is a trick that the devil plays, he uses our ignorance and confuses us to fear the one we are suppose to revere. When destructive fear is entrenched in our lives, we must remember that the eternal God is greater than all our fears. Fear comes when we ignore God’s word or walk contrary to Him. He desires to empower us to dismantle and demolish fear’s strongholds in our lives (2 Corinthians 10:4).

                What ultimately matters is that “nothing in life or death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Remembering those words is the only satisfying solution to dealing with fear. As we live that good news, we entrust control of our lives to God, and stop giving control of our lives to unhealthy fear.

              Others have no fear real fear of God and see him as just a loving compassionate God who will harm no one. This isn’t healthy either. This will lead some to live as though God does not exist.

            What is your fear of God? Do you shudder at the thought of him and distance yourself? Or do you not fear God enough? If so, I hope that you have gained some understanding and will begin to live a life with a proper fear of our one true God. 

Fear must be uprooted and the truth implanted so that we are freed not merely to survive but to thrive in a dangerous world (John 8:32). Life is never risk-free. But freedom from overwhelming fear empowers us to enjoy all that God offers us in a fallen world.

Other references to fear:

Psalm 7:1

Psalm 16:8

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 91:5-6

Acts 18:9-10

Philippians 4:13

Joshua 1:9

Isaiah 43:1-3

Deuteronomy 20:1-3
Proverbs 29:25