John receives a vision that corresponds with a vision Daniel received hundreds of years earlier that is packed with shocking details regarding the rise of antichrist in The Tribulation.
Transcription (automatically-generated):
Because I care about you. I have to ask out of love, out of concern if you too, have fallen prey to the rumor that the book of Revelation is hard to understand because Gobbledygook say we for you see, the word revelation means that something has been revealed, and we know that the first words of this book tell us exactly who it is that's being revealed. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ, and God wanted us to read this book, understand it so that we could respond to it so much that he included in it a very special blessing.
And we find that in Revelation chapter one, verse three, let's claim it together, as we always do. Blessed is he or she who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.
But God knew there would still be those who would say it's just too hard to understand. So, we also included a simple and easy to follow outline. And we find that in Revelation chapter one, verse 19, Jesus tells John, write the things which you have seen that was the resurrected and glorified Jesus in chapter one. Then John is told to write about the things which are. That refers to the Church Age, which began around 32 A.D. on Pentecost in Acts chapter two and continues up to the present day.
And the Church age is laid out in chapter two and three, prophetically in chronological order.
And then third. And finally, John is told to write about things which will take place after this, after the Church age comes to a close and the Church age comes to a close with the event known as the Rapture that takes place in Revelation. Chapter four, verses one, let me read it to you. John says, after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard that was the voice of Jesus in chapter one was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this."
And up John goes serving as a picture of the Church who will be raptured to be with the Lord. And then Jesus takes all of chapters four and five to make sure that we don't miss the fact that the Church is with Him in heaven before wrath comes down in Revelation, chapter six, and it's in chapter six, verse 16, that it's revealed those on the Earth understand where these judgments are coming from because they identify it as the wrath of the Lamb. And in the Scripture, the Lamb is a reference to who Jesus.
Chapter One gives us the focus of this amazing book. It's Jesus.
Chapters two and three take us through the Church age up to the present day. The Church goes up in chapter four, verses one, we see her safe and secure with Jesus in heaven for chapters four and five before wrath comes down in chapter six, and that wrath continues over a time period of seven years known as the Tribulation, and it's documented in chapter six through 19 after which Jesus returns to the Earth with his Saints to set up his Kingdom on the Earth and rule for 1000 years in what's known as the Millennial Kingdom.
And there will be even more incredible things revealed in the final few chapters of this book. But for now, here's what you need to know. If you love Jesus, then your story ends with the words, "...and they live happily ever after."
Well, the pause button is still paused on our narrative as John backtracks to fill us in on some additional developments that will unfold in the Tribulation. In Revelation chapter twelve, we saw Israeli Jews flee to what is likely the ancient rock city of Petra, where God will supernaturally protect them from Satan and Antichrist. During the Great Tribulation, we also learned that likely around the halfway point of the Tribulation, Satan and all supernatural entities who oppose Yahweh will lose access to the heavenly places forever as Michael and his Angels engage them in battle and cast them down to the Earth.
Aware that his time is rapidly running out, Satan will be determined to thwart God's plans any way he can. As a result, the second half of the Tribulation, known as the Great Tribulation will be far worse than the first half.
Over our next two studies in Revelation, we are going to cover Antichrist, the Mark of the beast and this character known as the False Prophet. It's going to be fascinating. It's going to be a little bit dark. I'm not going to lie, but hopefully it will debunk a lot of wild theories that have run rampant in the Church for far too long. So as we dive into the text as you turn to Revelation chapter 13, we need to begin by addressing a translation issue in verse is the oldest and most reliable texts.
Begin with, then he not. Then I. And if you go back to the last verse of the previous chapter, Revelation Twelve, it's clear who the he is. It's the Dragon Satan. That means verses one here in chapter 13 should actually begin with the phrase Then the Dragon, then the Dragon.
So you might want to write that in your Bibles if it's not written that way. So I'm going to read it the way it should be written. Verse one would begin. Then the Dragon stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast underlying beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns, ten crowns, and on his heads a Blasphemous name. So let's make sure we remember what we've already learned.
We know that the Dragon is Satan, and this beast is Antichrist. Now, for the sake of clarity, we should note that the term beast is used in Scripture to refer to the person of Antiochus. It's used to refer to the demonic power that will possess him, and it's also used to refer to the Kingdom that he will rule over during the Great Tribulation. The sea is sometimes used in Scripture as an idiom for the Gentile Nations of the world. Would you write that down?
It's used as an idiom for the Gentile Nations of the world. For this reason, many scholars believe Antichrist will rise to power in a Gentile nation. In other words, he won't rise to power in Israel. In the Book of Isaiah, the Prophet Antichrist is referred to as the Assyrian because he rebuilds the temple, leading the Jews to likely welcome him as Messiah. There are many who believe Antichrist will be at least half Jewish.
In John 5:43, Jesus contrasted himself with Antichrist, saying, I've come in my father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him, you will receive. And Jesus was speaking of Antichrist. But there's something else interesting in those words of Jesus. Do you remember the two Greek words for another?
There's alos and heteros. The word used here by Jesus is Alas, meaning another of the same kind in this instance, referring to another of the same ethnicity. So, Jesus says, you won't receive me even though I come in my father's name. But if another Jewish male comes in his own name, you're going to receive him. And Jesus is talking about Antichrist.
So, when you put all the scriptural hints and evidence together, it seems to point to Antichrist being ethnically, half Jewish, half Gentile rising the power in a Gentile nation during the first half of the Tribulation, and of course, that's speculatory. But it is speculation based on what we see in Scripture. All that to say that the first part of verse one seems to be showing us symbolically the Dragons, Satan using his power to bring a beast who is Antichrist out of the sea, out of the Gentile Nations of the world.
Now it's easy to get overwhelmed whenever we see a phrase like seven heads and ten horns and on his horns ten crowns. But remember, almost everything in Revelation is explained somewhere else in the book or in the Old Testament.
The seven heads that each have a blasphemous name represent seven world empires who oppose Yahweh, six from history, and one that is yet to come. The detailed explanation on that will arrive when we reach Revelation chapter 17. The ten horns represent the leaders of ten regions or nations that will make up a revived Roman Empire that will be ruled by Antichrist during the Great Tribulation. I'll explain more on that later in this message. Each Horn has a Crown because each Horn represents a King or a President or a ruler.
Now remember, we saw this same description of the seven heads and ten horns applied to the Dragon Satan in Revelation twelve three, the reason is to make it clear that the Kingdom of Antiochus and the Kingdom of Satan are one and the same. They're the same thing. Let's take a look at verse is together. It says now the beast which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like the feet of a bear and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.
Now what a strange picture. This is the key to understanding revelation 13 is understanding its Old Testament counterpart, which is chapter seven of the Book of Daniel. And I'm going to ask you to turn there right now. Put something in Revelation so you can flip back when we need to do that. But turning your Bibles with me now to Daniel chapter seven.
Daniel chapter seven because in Daniel chapter seven, the Lord gives Daniel a prophetic dream that includes the Empire of Babylon, where he was captive at the time, and the next three empires that would follow Babylon in the future and conquer Israel all the way up to the time of Jesus. So let's look at Daniel seven together. While we don't have time to study this in depth and I can't answer every question you'll have, what I can hopefully do is illuminate a few things in Daniel chapter seven that will help us understand Revelation chapter 13 more clearly so in verse is of Daniel seven.
We read in the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
Daniel spoke, saying, I saw in my vision by night and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. Would you underline the Great Sea? In Revelation 13, one John saw the beast. He saw Antichrist coming out of what? The sea?
The Gentile Nations of the world. Daniel will now see four beasts, each representing an Empire. Their characteristics all appear in the description of the beast in Revelation 13, but in reverse order. Some scholars suggest the reason is because Daniel was looking ahead in time while John is looking back in time. Whatever the reason, the point is that the Empire of the Beast in Revelation 13 contains all the characteristics of the empires that conquered Israel.
Verse three and four great beasts came up from the sea. You can underline the sea again, each different from the other. The first was like a lion. This speaks of the ferocious and boastful Babylonians, and suddenly another beast like a bear. This speaks of the overpowering and dominant military of the meatopers.
After this I looked and there was another like a leopard. This speaks of the lightning fast Greek Empire that rapidly conquered all rivals under the leadership of Alexander the Great, who was actually Macedonian. Then Daniel sees a completely different kind of beast, the terrifying Roman Empire. After this I saw in the night visions and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth.
It was devouring, breaking in pieces and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had underlined this ten horns. This last beast is a single Empire made up of ten kingdoms or nations, as Antichrist's future Empire will be. The same spirit that was behind the Roman Empire back then will be behind a revived Roman Empire of sorts in the Great Tribulation. As Daniel contemplates what he's seen in his dream thus far.
The Lord zooms in on the fourth beast, the Roman Empire, and shows Daniel some details that will unfold when this Empire is revived. In the Great Tribulation and Daniel seven eight we read. I was considering the horns, so I was thinking about the horns, and there was underline this another Horn, a little one coming up among them before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there in this Horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words or a mouth making great boasts.
So write this down.
The little Horn that Daniel sees is Antichrist. The little Horn Daniel sees is Antichrist. We talk about this stuff a lot, just to drill it into our minds to help us remember and to understand he will rise up amidst this ten Kingdom Union of sorts. And in one quick blow he will take out the political leaders of three of those kingdoms or nations or countries. As we travel through revelation, it will be confirmed that Antichrist will be a gifted and charismatic orator who is constantly boasting and speaking.
Blasphemies skip down to Daniel chapter seven, verse eleven. We read. I watch them because of the sound of the pompous words which the Horn was speaking. Now jump down to verse 15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
I came near to one of those who stood by and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things now underline the rest of this in verses 17, those great beasts, which are four, are four Kings or kingdoms which arise out of the Earth, referring to the Babylonian meatopersian, Greek and Roman empires. Now skip ahead to Daniel 719. Then I wish to know the truth about the fourth beast, the Roman Empire, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured broken pieces and trampled the residue with its feet.
So this fourth beast was much worse, so much more brutal than the first three.
Daniel just had to know more about it in verses 23, he's given this explanation. Take a look at verses 23. The fourth beast shall be a fourth Kingdom on the Earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour underline this the whole Earth, trample it and break it in pieces. Now understand the verbiage that's being used here. When the Roman Empire existed, it spanned what was then considered to be the whole Earth.
When Antichrist rules has revived Roman Empire, it will span what is today considered the whole Earth. But we also know it won't be literally the whole Earth, because as we saw a couple of weeks ago, Edom Moab and Amen will not be conquered. The country of Jordan will not be conquered. So there will be a few small spots on the Earth that are not under Antichrist's rule, but for the most part it's going to be so much of the Earth that it can accurately be referred to as the whole Earth.
Jumping back to verse 20, Daniel shares that he also wanted to know more about the ten horns that were on its head and the other Horn, the little Horn which came up before which three fell, namely that Horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
Now I know we're jumping around but hang with me. In verses 24, Daniel gets his explanation of the ten horns. It says the ten horns are ten Kings who shall arise from this Kingdom, and another shall rise after them. He shall be different from the first one and shall subdue three Kings. And then in Revelation 1712, we receive confirmation that what Daniel saw is indeed prophetic and applies to the end times and to Antichrist, because in Revelation 1712, an angel explains to John the ten horns, which you saw, John, are ten Kings or kingdoms who have received no Kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for 1 hour or one time period as Kings with the beast.
Now again, I know we're jumping all over the place, but I'm trying to put this stuff in the order that makes the most sense, and I hope we're doing okay with that. So, let's go back. Daniel. 7:21. Daniel says, I was watching and the same Horn, the little Horn waged war...
Antiochus was making war against the Saints and prevailing against them until Antichrist power to persecute and kill the Saints in the Great Tribulation comes to an end when Daniel says the ancient of days that's Jesus came and a judgment was made in favor of the Saints of the most high, and the time came for the Saints to possess the Kingdom. So, this is referring to the second Coming. Daniel says the persecution of the Saints on the Earth. Antiochus killing and persecuting those who belong to Jesus will come to an end when Jesus returns and establishes his Kingdom on the Earth.
That's a reference to the Second Coming, where Satan and every spiritual entity allied to him will be bound in the bottomless pit for the duration of the 1000 years of the millennial Kingdom.
Skip down to Daniel 7:25. We read he that's Antichrist shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the Saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. We talked about that back in Revelation Ten. Then the Saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. As we know, time and times and half a time is simply another way of describing the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation.
So, we know there will be many who come to faith in Jesus during the Tribulation, and in the Great Tribulation. Antichrist will seek to kill all of those believers until Jesus appears at the second Coming. Now, perhaps you're a bit confused by all this talk about the Fourth Beast and the Roman Empire being revived in the Great Tribulation under the leadership of Antichrist. Let's see if we can just shed a little bit more light on this. The revived Roman Empire, as we said, will be directed by the same spirit that was working behind the scenes during its first incarnation.
It will govern in a similar fashion using overwhelming force and fear, and once again its leader will declare himself to be God and demand to be worshiped just as the Caesars did. History sometimes softens things up or romanticizes the past. And when many think of the Roman Empire, they think of the Pax Romana, the famous Roman peace that brought peace to the known world by uniting her under a single authority. But what we forget is just how bloody that authority was. If you were walking into a town or a city anywhere in the Empire, it was common to pass several crucified corpses on your way into the city or town, and these corpses and crucifixions would be staged and positioned to send a message to everyone entering the town or city.
Global peace is here. Embrace it, or this is what will happen to you. It's amazing how many people become committed to world peace when the only alternative is a torturous death, the Roman Empire butchered the world into submission. We don't have time to discuss it today, but Daniel, too prophesied that while the Roman Empire would fall away, it would return in the last days, the same last days that include the second coming. One of the most interesting things about the Roman Empire is that it wasn't ever really conquered.
It mostly just crumbled over time, under the weight of its own decadence, and hedonism it splits and one half quickly faded away, while the other half took over 1000 years to fade away unbelievably. There was still a Caesar on the throne in Rome in the 1001 hundreds. Although we only had the authority of a Mayor since that time, various men have tried to revive the Roman Empire or something like it under different names and failed. Napoleon tried and failed. Hitler tried and failed.
But in the last days there will be one who will bring back the Empire. Two weeks ago, I explained how Satan will construct a fraudulent Trinity consisting of himself, Antichrist and the false Prophet. Antichrist's revived Roman Empire will be a fraudulent version of the millennial Kingdom under Antichrist in the Great Tribulation, the world will get to see what things are like when Satan reigns on the Earth with very little restraint under Jesus. In the millennial Kingdom, the world will get to see what things are like when Jesus reigns on the Earth.
For those of you who are conspiratorially inclined, I recommend doing some Internet research into the Treaty of Rome.
It's a document written in the 1009 and 150s that outlines the foundational, principles and goals of what we know today as the European Union. You'll discover that the vision was to unite Europe around a common language, a common economy, and much, much more, very much like a revived Roman Empire. Let's jump back to Revelation 13 two flip there, it says, the Dragon that Satan gave him that's Antichrist his power, his throne, and great authority. During the temptation of Christ, Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said, all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.
Jesus responded away with you, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord, your God and him only shall you serve.
Jesus didn't take Satan's offer, but Satan will make the same offer to a man who will accept his deal and that man will become the one we know as Antiochus. Satan will give authority to Antiochus, and in return, Antichrist will direct the worship of the would he Satan? How is Satan able to do this? Remember, while Jesus holds the title deed to the Earth, he has not yet fully opened it and ushered in the Kingdom age, the millennial Kingdom. Currently, Satan is still technically the God of this age, as Paul put it.
Additionally, we know that God will remove the restraining power of the Church from the Earth during this time. And finally, the Lord will simply permit Satan to do this as part of God's sovereign plan. John the Apostle is the only biblical author who uses the term Antichrist, and he only uses it in his Epistles. First and second, John, he uses it to refer to a spirit rather than a person. The word Antichrist is generally translated against God, and while that's accurate, it's more accurate to translate the word Antichrist to mean in place of God.
It's the Satanic spirit that desired to be in the place of God. It's the spirit personified by Lucifer's attempted rebellion in heaven. Therefore, as Satan possesses Antichrist, we will see him personify the same Luciferian spirit that desires to be in place of Christ. Antiochus Revelation 13 three, John says, and I saw one of his heads that's Antiochus as if it had been mortally wounded, as if it had been mortally wounded. So would he halfway point of the Tribulation.
And I'll explain how we know that in a few minutes I'm going to give you the punchline that I believe this is talking about. Antichrist will be killed in what will most likely be an assassination attempt. The original Greek allows the text to say he will be killed or appear to be killed. But based on Typology and the rest of the text in Revelation, it's my personal belief that he really is killed. So write this down.
Antichrist will likely be killed in an assassination attempt. He'll likely be killed in an assassination attempt. And Zechariah Eleven verses 16 to 17. It's on your outline. Give more detail about the wounds that Antichrist will suffer.
This is unbelievable prophecy, it says, for indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. Who's the great shepherd? In Scripture it's Jesus. But Zechariah prophesied a false shepherd would emerge in Israel in the land.
At first he will be welcomed by the Jewish people as one who cares for them. They'll think he is a shepherd, and I'll suggest, as I have before, that he'll be welcomed as Messiah. But he'll soon reveal his true nature as he rips them apart and devours them in the great Tribulation. Zechariah then goes on and says, Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock, a sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye. His arm shall completely wither and his right eye shall be totally blinded.
How's that for specific, this likely assassination attempt will leave Antiochus blind in his right eye and paralyzed in one arm. He will come back to life. But he will be left with these scars. Now think with me for a moment so you can understand the Typology understand what's going on here. The pattern that's emerging.
We worship someone who came back to life but still bears scars. Revelation 13 refers to Antichrist's fatal. Would he? Times it becomes one of his most defining characteristics, and his scar has become known around the whole world. Back to Revelation 13.
Three for the plot twist here, and his deadly wound was healed. Antichrist is likely killed in an assassination attempt. But write this down. However, he will rise from the dead. He will rise from the dead.
Now some suggest this will be a fake resurrection, but I see no reason to read that into the text. Revelation Eleven seven told us that the beast came from the bottomless pit, the abyss. So it seems likely that he really does die. His spirit descends into the bottomless pit. But then when the pit is opened, it's permitted to return to his earthly body, and he rises from the dead.
And we need to slow down for a minute and let this sink in. Because this is not some magic trick or some illusion. This is a legitimately supernatural and miraculous recovery that will be medically documented. Can you imagine how this will be received? A real, undisputed miracle from the leader of the New World Order?
No wonder many will respond. He has the right to demand to be worshiped because apparently, he is God. He is. And that's just the response we see. We read and all the world marveled and followed the beast. So in addition to a fraudulent Trinity, in addition to a fraudulent Kingdom, Satan will be permitted to concoct a fraudulent resurrection and fraudulent scars for his fraudulent savior.
We've made this point before, but verse three provides another example. Just a century ago, the idea that Antichrist's resurrection would be seen by all the world was considered impossible, and for that reason, almost all Bible scholars believed that verses like this should be interpreted as entirely symbolic. Today we understand that it would be no problem for the whole world to see and hear and Marvel together at an internationally newsworthy event that will dominate the Internet. When it happens.
This is really important. We don't follow God because of signs and wonders. Do you know why it's because God is not the only one who can perform signs and wonders? While there's no comparison between God's power and Satan's power, Satan does have the power to work miracles on the Earth, and he's been doing it for millennia. Do you recall Jannes and Jambres, the two magicians of Pharaoh's court, when Moses threw down his staff and it turned into a snake?
They were able to do the same thing by the occultic power of Satan. If you're only following Jesus because of signs and wonders, you'll find yourself constantly searching for more of them. And sooner or later you'll end up following someone who's not doing them by the power of God. So how do we evaluate the legitimacy of a Ministry? Well, we compare what is being taught and done by that Ministry to the word of God.
And the second thing we do is we examine who gets the glory from that Ministry. Does the glory go to Jesus, or does it go to someone else? Verse four tells us who gets the glory when Antichrist rises from the dead. It says, So they worshiped the Dragon who gave authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, who is able to make war with him? The world's reaction to Antichrist's resurrection is to praise him as a God and declare who's able to make war with him.
In other words, who can stop him? He's invincible. Just as the Father raised Jesus, the Son from earthly and eternal death, Satan will be permitted to raise Antichrist from earthly death. Just as Jesus the Son directed glory to his heavenly Father. Antichrist Satan's Son will direct glory to his father, Satan the Dragon.
In one Corinthians, 1020, Paul observes the things which the Gentiles sacrificed. They sacrificed to demons and not to God. The Gentiles thought they were sacrificing to their gods, but they were really sacrificing to the demons who were behind those gods. Those who worship Antichrist will really be worshiping the power behind him, Satan. And just as Jesus has been given all authority by his Father, which he will exercise at the second coming, Antichrist will be given all authority on Earth by his father.
Satan. Antichrist will enter the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem claim to be the only God worthy of worship, and the world will agree verse five and he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies just as we read over and over in Daniel seven and he was given authority to continue for guess how long? 42 months or 1260 days or three and a half years or time times and a half a time. This is how we know that this assassination attempt happens around the halfway point of the Tribulation because it's immediately followed by Antiochus being allowed to reign and persecute the Saints for three and a half years.
He's killed.
He's raised by Satan, possessed by Satan, imbued with power and authority by Satan and allowed to continue by God for 42 months. The length of the Great Tribulation by the power of Satan, Antichrist becomes a pastor of deception. He will have Satan's gift for charismatic speech and will serve as Satan's mouthpiece. How good are Satan's oratory skills? Well, he talked a third of the Angels in heaven to joining him in his rebellion against God.
He managed to persuade Adam and Eve to do the one thing they were forbidden from doing, and he successfully deceived all of us. At one time or another. People are going to eat up Antichrist's words and will view him as an angel of light. Now notice who Antichrist blasphemes in verse is. Then he opened his mouth and blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, his Tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
This is almost certainly a reference to the abomination of desolation that we've talked about so many times, which happens around the halfway point of the Tribulation. Those who dwell in heaven is a reference to us, the Raptured Church. I suspect that Antichrist will declare good riddance. Those Christians were always the real problem. Now we can come together as a sea of humanity and build the world that we've always dreamed of.
We can fulfill our potential. Take the next step in our evolution now that we're free and unrestrained and unencumbered by those outdated and imagined moral constraints and constructs that were championed by those Christians. I know that's hard to imagine, right? It's political tradition for the current administration to blame all problems on the previous administration, but I suspect that's exactly what Antichrist is going to do. He's going to rise to power with this new vision for humanity and unite the world around hatred toward Christianity and justify the killing of those who side with Jesus.
During the Great Tribulation, verse Seven says it was granted to him to Antichrist, to make war with the Saints and to overcome them underlying overcome them. This is the moment we read about in Revelation 1217 in our previous study, unable to touch the Jews in Petra, Satan, through Antichrist, directs his wrath toward anyone he can find who pledges allegiance to Jesus. You'll recall as well in Daniel Seven, verses 21 and 22 describe this. Daniel says, I was watching and the same Horn was making war against the Saints and prevailing against them until the ancient of days came and a judgment was made in favor of the Saints of the most high, and the time came for the Saints to possess the Kingdom.
During the Great Tribulation, Antichrist's earthly schemes against believers will succeed.
Verse seven declares that he will overcome them and that's one more reason we know this cannot be referring to the Church. I say that because of what Jesus spoke to Peter in Matthew 1618 saying, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Jesus promised Peter that even though empires, tyrants and armies would try to wipe out the Church, erase them from the Earth, none of them would succeed. The Church would keep going and would not be overcome, would not be erased from the Earth.
In the Great Tribulation, we see no such protection granted to Gentile believers because they are not part of the Church.
They will be part of a distinct, different group in heaven, which we discussed in detail in Revelation Seven. The bottom line is that these Saints who are being overcome by Antichrist are those Gentiles who are saved during the Tribulation. After the Rapture, the Tribulation will result in the greatest revival the world has ever seen. But almost all of those who turn to the Lord in that time will do so at the expense of their lives. In the Great Tribulation, the rest of verse Seven tells us an authority was given him Antichrist over underlying every tribe, tongue and nation.
We know that Antichrist will lead a revived Roman Empire, and this first verse is tells us that he will be given the power to do even more, ruling over an Empire larger than any leader before him could even imagine. Verse Eight underlying all who dwell on the Earth. All who dwell on the Earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. We know that those who dwell on the Earth is a term used in Revelation for people who have determined to make the Earth their home instead of heaven.
In other words, those who have rejected Jesus are following Antichrist and will never change their allegiance.
Verse eight makes it clear that everyone who worships Antichrist during the Great Tribulation is damned irreversibly. The only people who will refuse to worship Antichrist will be those who have turned to Jesus and the ethnic Jews who will flee to Petra and turn to Jesus when he appears at the second Coming. When John refers to Jesus as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, he means that it was always God's plan that Jesus would die for our sins. It was the plan before the world was created because God has always known how things will play out.
And here's the wonderful part.
God has always known how each person's life would play out. He has always known who would choose him. And Revelation 17 Eight declares that the names written in the Book of Life have been there from the foundation of the world. Those who love Jesus and belong to him will not be deceived by Antichrist. They will not worship him.
They will overcome Him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Satan will overcome them on the Earth, but they will overcome Satan in eternity. Write this down. It's true today and it will be true in the Great Tribulation. Believers do not overcome to earn their place in the Book of Life.
Believers overcome because their names are written in the Book of Life. Let me say that again, believers do not overcome to earn their place in the Book of Life. Believers overcome because their names are written in the Book of Life. Believers do not stand in their own strength. Believers do not overcome Satan in their own strength.
Believers stand because Jesus empowers believers to stand. Believers overcome Satan because Jesus empowers believers to overcome Satan. Verse Nine if anyone has an ear, let them hear. Every other time we've seen this phrase in Revelation, it's been followed by the phrase what the Spirit says to the churches. Why don't we see that here?
Because it's not for us. The Church will be in heaven. In the Great Tribulation. This is an exhortation for the man or woman who is reading Revelation after the Rapture. It's an exhortation to understand what will happen during the Great Tribulation and to choose the Lord's side.
I cannot imagine the gravity these words will hold for the person who opens its pages, seeking answers after the Rapture and seeing things unfold exactly as they are written. Verses Ten he who leads into captivity shall go into captivity and he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the Saints. Now this doesn't translate well into English, but here's the gist of what the Lord is saying. Those who turn to me after the Rapture will not be called to an armed resistance against Antichrist in His agenda.
Their hope will be in knowing and understanding that I am ultimately in control. They are called to trust their souls and their lives to me and stay faithful to me, even to the death. There will be no miraculous earthly deliverance for these Gentile tribulation Saints on the Earth. Satan will overcome them. But in eternity they will overcome Satan.
As we've been studying through revelation, I hope you've realized that we are so close to the rapture. I hope you've begun to see the plans of God unfolding around us as the signs of the times increase in both frequency and intensity. And I also hope that you've noticed something else important. We are not called to try and stop these signs of the times from appearing. We're not called to armed resistance against the plans of God.
When teaching his disciples about these things, Jesus told them. See that you are not troubled for all these things. Here's the key. All these things must come to pass. Our hope is not in getting our preferred political candidates elected.
Don't get me wrong. I still vote in every election. I vote for the lesser of two evils. It's my civic duty, but my hope is not in getting my preferred candidates into office. Our hope is in Jesus and in the knowledge that he has a good plan that will result in us being with Him, enjoying His presence forever.
That's our hope. And until that day, we are called to do what Christians have always been called to do. Faithfully follow Jesus, obey His commands, preach the gospel, love the Saints, and most importantly, abide in Him. Hear me on this, please. Some of you desperately need to really hear me on this.
Jesus has not called us to stop governments and redeem the global political system. It's not in the Bible. The only time that happens is when Jesus comes and does it. Jesus has called us to establish His Kingdom in our little personal worlds. Hear me.
Hear me. Hear me, please. On this. We are called to establish His Kingdom in our hearts. First of all, in our marriages, in our families, in our homes and in our churches.
That's what we are called to do. And you know what? Let me be honest. We need to humble ourselves and admit the truth. That's a big enough task for us.
That's enough. That's a challenging enough calling to keep us busy for the rest of their lives. Establishing the Kingdom of Jesus in our hearts, our marriages, our families, our homes, in our churches. The Kingdom of God will be established on the Earth. When when Jesus comes back to the Earth and establishes pushes his throne in Jerusalem and his Kingdom across the Earth.
That's when that will happen. Maranatha, let's pray. Would you buy your head and close your eyes? Jesus, thank you for your word. And I know this is kind of a dark study today into Antichrist and the future schemes of Satan.
But, Lord, I pray for each of us that we would not be consumed by an obsession with these things which you told your disciples must take place. Lord, I pray that we would not be deceived into putting our hope in political candidates instead of you. Lord, our hope is that there are things underway in our world that are ordained by you that have a good ending. Our hope is in the fact that things get made right on the Earth. When we return to the Earth with you and you rule and reign and justice and righteousness rules and reigns on the Earth.
Lord, we can't wait for that. So, Lord, I pray that instead of looking all around us and pointing fingers and pointing out all the injustice and wickedness that we see in our world systems, Lord, I pray that we would cast our focus on the few areas where you have given us influence. And you have given us a measure of authority. And, Lord, we pray that our focus would be on establishing your Kingdom and your throne first in our own hearts. Lord, that you would rule and reign absolutely in our lives.
Lord, we ask that you would rule and reign in our marriages, that they would be governed by you. And by your word, Lord, we ask that your Kingdom would come and be established in our families and in our children and then our grandchildren and our great grandchildren. Lord, we pray that your Kingdom would be established in our churches, that you would reign, that your word and your desire and your instructions would reign in our churches. And, Lord, we know that's enough. That's enough.
That's enough of a challenge. But we thank you that you've empowered us by your spirit to see your Kingdom come in our little world, the little sphere of influence that you've given us. So help us to be faithful there, Lord. And may your Kingdom come in the places where you've given us a measure of authority and the places you've given us influence. Come and reign, King Jesus and come back soon.
We love you. It's in your name. We pray. Amen.