Temple Baptist Church - 5-23-2021
Revelation 13:1
A. As we begin the Second Half of the Tribulation, we find two beasts: one who rises out of the sea and the second who comes up out of the earth.
1. The first beast will be a political system and the second beast will be a spiritual system. Both beasts are the end-result of 6,000 years of decline in humanity. This decline began in the Garden of Eden with the first sin and has consistently escalated over the millenniums.
2. Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul addressed these same systems when writing
The Ephesians Epistle. The battle continued to rage in their day, continues to rage in our day, and will culminate in the Tribulation Period.
Ephesians 6:12-13 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (This was 2,000 years ago!)
B. John now leaves heaven to stand upon the sands of the sea. As to what sea, no indication is given but let me speculate for a moment if you will.
1. The Mediterranean Sea borders not only Israel but most of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa where the antiquity of nations lies. As we interpret verse 1, we will see that, for the most part, the balance of power around the world has always remained in these nations and it is here that the end-time prophecies will be fulfilled.
2. The word “sea” is a metaphor for masses of humanity. We see this metaphor explained in Revelation 17:15:
Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
C. The form that John saw rise out of the sea was that of a beast: a wild, destructive animal. As we see the advancement of socialism and globalism in our day, we cannot but help see the destructive nature of the impending government of the last days. They use ignorance and fear to gain control over the masses while defaming or destroying every voice that is raised against it.
D. To understand chapter 13 and the two beasts, we need to understand that both beasts, political and religious, had the same beginnings, progressions, and ultimately the same ends. As things begin, they progress, and have the same judgments. To understand this, let us look at a derailment of train cars. My dad was an engineer on the L&N Railroad. Occasionally, train cars will jump rail. You have to re-rail the train cars where they get off or they will tear up every cross tie for miles, causing great destruction. They place a re-railer on the track and as they pull the train forward, it re-rails all the cars. You have to get back on track where you get off track spiritually.
E. As we look at these 7 heads, or world powers, both politically and spiritually, they came from the same source. Let us take a prophetical and historical look at the description of this beast. The beast has seven heads. These seven “heads” possibly represent the 7 world powers from the plains of Shinar to the end-time power. Here is the full list of the biblical empires that reigned.
F. I will deal with these seven in 2 different groups. Pre-Daniel and Post-Daniel. In Daniel, chapter 7, Daniel did not mention the first 3 because he was interpreting Belshazzar’s, king of Babylon, dream.
1. First - Babel in the Plains of Shinar: Nimrod. Babel was the beginning of world power and Babylon will be the end of world power.
Genesis 10:8-11 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. (9) He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. (10) And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (11) Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
Genesis 11:1-8 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. (2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. (3) And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. (4) And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (5) And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (6) And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (7) Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (8) So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
2. Second – The Egyptian Empire: various Pharaohs. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all went down to Egypt during famines as Egypt was the greatest and most powerful nation on earth.
3. Third – The Assyrian Empire: Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Ashur-banipal (the first 3 named in the Bible) Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian Empire and was the home of King Sennacherib, King of Assyria, during the Biblical reign of King Hezekiah and the lifetime of Judean prophet Isaiah.
Daniel’s Prophecy:
4. Fourth – The Babylonish Empire.
5. Fifth – The Persian Empire.
6. Sixth – The Grecian Empire.
7. Seventh – The Roman Empire.
In Daniel’s prophecy, only the last 4 “heads of the beast” because Daniel is speaking in the present concerning the Babylonish nation of his captivity and prophetically concerning the end-time.
Daniel 7:1-8 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. (2) Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
(3) And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
(4) The first Babylonian Empire: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
(5) And behold another beast, a second (Medio-Persian Empire under Darius, Cyrus), like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
(6) After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard (Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great), which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
(7) After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast (Roman Empire: various Caesars), dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
Ten Horns possibly represents the European Common Market. These 10 nations give their power (crowns) to the beast.
(8) I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
The little horn is probably Antichrist, who will rule the one world system of the end time.
G. The beast will have 10 horns and ten crowns. This will comprise the end-time revived Roman Empire. In 2020, the European Common Market or Community was comprised of these nations: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany. The number of counties fluctuates because, in my lifetime, nations in Europe have been renamed, combined, etc. I believe that the last number will be 10. They will control the finances of the world with their Euro as they are constantly devaluating our dollar along with other currencies.
H. Upon his heads (notice “his” and not “its” because this system will be the person of Antichrist and upon his head will be blasphemy (to speak evil of God). I will stop here for tonight but we will continue to look at these beasts next week.
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