Good evening everybody. The faithful remnant that have
blown on in tonight. Let's let's stand together and
we'll pray and then we'll open God's word.
Father in Heaven, we thank you for this place that we're able
to gather now in your name and we thank you for your word that
we're able to open and have you speak to us through.
We pray and ask your blessing upon us now gathered here and
those joining us online and and those yet to view this after.
We pray that Lord God, your Holy Spirit would speak with the
clarity that you provide. We would have ears ready to
hear. We love you, we praise you, we
honour you. These things we ask now in Jesus
name Amen. You may be seated open your
Bible to the Book of Revelation chapter 13.
The title of tonight's message is the counterfeit Kingdom.
As you're turning to Revelation 13 we live in a time where you
and I, we can purchase a lot of copies for most items.
You know some of us we do this knowingly.
It might be a particular watch that's ordinarily out of our
purchasing power, but we can buy the the genuine fake copy.
It might be a particular garment or maybe a little fashion item,
some sunglasses or a purse or something, or a pair of shoes.
And we know that it's not real, but we're buying it just because
it has the appearance thereof. But then there's others of us
who have unwittingly maybe made a purchase that we thought was
genuine and it's arrived and we've looked at it and we've
gone. That is ridiculously fake.
I can't believe how duped I was. Or if it looks like the real
deal, inevitably what happens as you begin to use it, it breaks,
It reveals itself to be the fake that it is.
And so my point in starting in this fashion is that we when
that deliberate intention to deceive takes place, how do we
feel in response to that? We get frustrated, we get
annoyed, we're angry. I can't believe I was duped, or
I can't believe they would do that and take advantage, or how
silly of me. Of course, that price was too
good to be true. Well, Satan, the Bible tells us,
is the ultimate imitator. He offers nothing but cheap,
copycat reproductions of the authentic eternal truths of God.
And when he does so, he deceives.
When he does so, he destroys. He ruins.
He hurts. And in tonight's passage, we
come across probably his most vilest attempt at that.
Tonight, we look at the beast in Revelation 13.
The beast is known throughout the scriptures in other terms
that maybe you're familiar with. But what we won't see tonight is
glowing red eyes. We won't see head to toe black
A666 tattooed on the forehead and sulphuric steam coming out
of the nostrils or emanating from his body.
Rather, what we will read of and see is that this beast comes as
suave, magnetic, intelligent, engaging, charismatic, ushering
in peace. But it's all false.
It's a counterfeit. It's a copycat imitation.
He will be the Antichrist. And Antichrist not only means
typically as we understand it to be against God, but more so a
more accurate understanding of it is to be in place of in
imitation of God. I mentioned Antichrist and it
may be conjures Hollywood movies for for some people and for
others that may be wondered speculated who he is.
Some might even be asking why should I even care about this
topic or this subject matter. Let me give you one reason.
It's mentioned in our passage tonight and the Bible actually
pays great attention to this individual and I and I say him.
There are over 100 passages in the Bible detailing this
individual's origin, nationality, the career,
character, Kingdom, accomplishments, treachery, and
their doom, their demise. And that's what's the end for
this individual. As we read, it's covered in
Revelation, of course, we're about to read, but also in
Daniel, referenced in Second Thessalonians, discussed in
First John, the spirit of Antichrist specifically.
Let me give you a few scriptural references.
He is the little horn of Daniel Chapter 7, verse 8.
The king of fierce countenance of Daniel chapter 8, verse 23.
The Prince that shall come of Daniel 9, verse 26.
The willful king of Daniel Chapter 11, verses 36 to 45.
The one who comes in his own name, John 5 verse 43, whom
Israel will receive as their Messiah, the Son of perdition,
the man of sin, the lawless one of Second Thessalonians.
I mean, the sheer volume of Scriptures that's just a a
glimpse of those indicate that it's important and why we're
looking at tonight. But another reason is this
because he is defeated. It's always good to keep that
perspective when we read and consider this now, who is the
Antichrist from the outset? We don't know.
Don't let anyone deceive or indicate to you that they know
who the Antichrist is. It hasn't stopped people
speculating certainly about the Antichrist.
Could he be alive right now? It's very possible, very
feasible. What we can be certain of is
this is that each passing day brings his emergence closer.
Satan again, is the counterfeiter.
He, he, he, he's got no original thought.
He's always copying and imitating God.
John is writing in this passage of Revelation tonight somewhat
of a three fold application and interpretation that we can
consider. The original audience would have
found application in the Roman dominion.
No doubt Church history as we read through it has always
experienced this opposition evident of spirit of Antichrist
in it, but it also speaks of future events and entities.
We're going to hopefully cover all of chapter 13 tonight.
Let's read verse 1 to 9. Then I stood on the sand of the
sea, and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having 7 heads
and 10 horns, and on his horns 10 crowns, and on his head's a
blasphemous name. 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.
The dragon gave him his power, his throne and great authority.
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded,
and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marvelled and
followed the beast. So they worshipped this for the
dragon who gave authority to the beast.
And they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast
who is able to make war with him?
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies. He was given authority to
continue for 42 months. We've seen that period of time
mentioned again and again through Revelation, haven't we?
Sometimes in days, sometimes in time times and half a time.
But here 42 months, 3 1/2 years. Then he opened his mouth in
blasphemy, verse six against God to blasphemy His name, His
Tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
It was granted to Him to make war with the Saints and overcome
them, and authority was given him over every tribe, tongue,
and nation. All who dwell on the earth will
worship him whose names have not been written in the Book of Life
of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
If anyone has an ear, let him hear again.
I don't know what when reading this description imagery comes
to mind for you, but for me it reads a lot like a science
fiction film terminology. The references there, the
imagery, but don't let that throw you if it has.
John is using figures of speech here to describe his vision as
God is giving it to him. So let's look at this
description a little bit. The first sentence of verse one
probably better fits and sits at the end of chapter 12.
Some of the earliest manuscripts where it has I, as I read out of
the new King James, then I stood on the sand of the sea.
Some of the other manuscripts have then he stood on the sand
of the sea. And if that's the case, that if
it's not John that's being referenced, then who is the he?
That's why some suggest that it fits at the end of chapter 12.
It's in reference to Satan maybe.
And the idea in pointing that out is it might help US and
understanding that this beast mentioned in Revelation 13 and
his connection to Satan, it's like Satan is calling him out if
it's in fact a he there almost like the the sun or the spawn of
Satan drawing him out, conjuring up the beast.
At this point in time, the Antichrist as he's known and
many attribute the beast to be the Roman Empire.
They cross reference the beasts of Daniel 7, and I can
understand how and how the audience of John's writing would
have come to that conclusion too.
But that's not the only application though it is in fact
one because it's mentioned as he as opposed to an it in Daniel 7.
What that implies is more of a personal entity, a human
individual that we're in reference to with this, the
beast being spoken of now, he's rising up out of the sea.
It says. Now in Revelation 17 verse 15,
we're told what this sea is that it is in reference to a
representation of peoples and nations of the world, not just
the the physical Mediterranean Sea, given the location, but
indicative of the origins of this beast that he will be
human, having come from the sea, the the peoples, the nations,
humanity, but empowered in some way in some fashion by Satan.
Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9 says the coming of the
lawless 1 is according to the working of Satan with or power
signs and lying wonders. It's like the saying, maybe
you've heard it like father, like son.
So understand I'm speaking now of a futuristic interpretation
here. The Antichrist, it seems, will
be a demon possessed man rising up out of the sea of humanity.
So let's briefly discuss these verses that we've read in light
of some Old Testament and New Testament references that come
through it. We read here about lions and
bears and leopards. What is this?
You remember Daniel, remember Daniel's vision and Daniel is
often called the companion book to the Book of Revelation.
In Chapter 7 of Daniel, he is given a vision of four animals
representing 4 kingdoms. Future for him, Daniel, but
hindsight for us. And so we have the lion
representative of the Babylonian Empire.
The time in which Daniel receives the vision, it was
overcome by the Medo Persian Empire, representative of the
bear, overcome by the Grecian Empire, the likes of Alexander
the Great and the leopard. Interesting the characteristics
of each of those beasts and the way that those empires,
particularly their military might, would function a very
similar in characteristics to those animals mentioned.
But a fourth beast mentioned in Daniel 7 verse 7 has the
description of the Roman Empire. There's no 5th beast mentioned.
The Roman Empire I remember wasn't necessarily conquered,
but just kind of collapsed, defeated internally.
And yes, there are the attacks of the the the Goths and the
Huns and other empires, but it really just sort of
disintegrated within. So most commentators suggest in
studying this, that from the ashes of Rome somehow this
Antichrist rises. Daniel 7, verse 8 tells us I was
considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little 1
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.
And then Daniel chapter 8, verses 23 to 25.
And in the latter time of their Kingdom, when the transgressors
have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce
features, who understands sinister schemes.
His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power.
He shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive.
He shall destroy the mighty and also the holy people in
reference to the people of Israel through his cunning.
Verse 25. He shall cause deceit to prosper
under his rule, and he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of Princess, but he shall
be broken without human means. Further to this, Daniel Chapter
9 verse 26 speaks of the Prince to come will be from people
destroyed the temple Who destroyed the temple, the Romans
in AD 70. This ties in with 7 heads
pictured here in Revelation told in Revelation 17 verse nine that
these are seven hills. In the context of the time of
John's writing. Many suggest that Rome is in
mind here being that it was built on seven hills and quite
known. 10 horns are mentioned in the verses that we read,
explained in Revelation 17 verse 12 as 10 kings, 10 crowns are
mentioned, diadems, power that they're ruling with and that
these are given over to this Antichrist.
And so the idea when combining all of those aspects together in
a quick summation is this that the Antichrist will arise
somehow future being the leader of a revived Roman Empire, some
sort of 10 confederate Eurocentric state of entity,
almost like a a United Nations of some sort condensed down into
10 kind of European conglomerations.
That in Daniel 7 verse 23, we read Kingdom on earth, which
shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour
the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.
So the idea of the beast mentioned in Revelation is that
as Antichrist, he will accomplish what all other kings
of this world's empires dreamed of and rule the whole world.
A1 world leader. It sounds a lot like what the
world is crying out for right now.
In the day and age in which we live, there's seemingly a vacuum
of, of statesman, of politicians, of people in
government, in, in political positions of power that are able
to, to lead with any clout. I mean, we have to look at our
own Prime Minister this week and the nonsensical decisions and
statements that that he has made, you know, saying one thing
and contradictory the next day. And you just look and, and the
world, they're, they're crying out for someone who is able to
have some sense of authority and conviction.
This will be that man. Daniel 9, verse 27.
There's a little bit more and as he first comes onto the scene,
I'll read that verse in a moment that he comes and and seems to
solve that which the world is crying for.
Yes, finally a leader who is who is making things happen.
Finally a leader who is able to solve the Middle East crisis and
and bring peace in this situation and and figure out
sort of the economic situations that are going on in this world.
But Daniel 927 says he shall confirm a covenant with many for
one week. That time frame in the book of
Daniel is in reference to A7 year period of time.
But in the middle of the week, halfway through, he shall bring
an end to sacrifice and offering, speaking in reference
to a future yet to be built temple.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate
even until the consummation which is determined is poured
out on the desolate. So the idea is that he will
usher in a a peace treaty agreement, but halfway through
break it and announce himself and reveal himself to be the
counterfeit that he is. Daniel 11 verse 36 to 37 puts it
this way. Then the king shall do according
to his own will. He shall exalt and magnify
himself above every God, shall speak blasphemies against the
God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been
accomplished. For what has been determined
shall be done. So God ultimately is behind
allowing all of this. He shall, verse 37, regard
neither the God of his Father's, nor the desire of women, nor
regard any God, for He shall exalt Himself above them all.
He desires to be worshipped. Revelation 13, verse three.
He receives the world's wonder. Somehow at some point it seems
to indicate during the Antichrist reign that He will
die, or some kind of an assassination attempt might be
made against him or some kind of other upheaval seeking to
disrupt his his reign. But he'll be he'll be killed.
It seems to indicate a deadly wound.
It says mortally wounded in verse 3.
And seemingly as the world watches and mourns the death of
this very popular man, a miraculous thing it seems
happens. This dead man comes back from
the dead. He experiences a a resurrection
of sorts. Remember, he's an imitator.
It sounds familiar, doesn't it? Revelation 134HE receives the
world's worship as a consequence of this.
Whether this resurrection is real or just a bit of satanic
sleight of hand that's taken place, we don't know.
I mean, there's all sorts of things that artificial
intelligence can conjure up and and do.
I was playing around just yesterday with some photos of
ours that some AI generator was able to turn into video.
An altar and you know, my face turned into someone else's in
some way and fashion, but it was just instantaneous like that.
Who knows, maybe the technology could be there to, to conjure up
some kind of a thing like that to make it look like he was dead
and is now alive. I seem to think it to be more
akin to the fact that he's probably going to be killed and
come back, but this miraculous thing happens and, and people
will worship him. They'll actually give him their
worship. Verse 8, Revelation 13 kind of
consolidated that as well. All who dwell on the earth will
worship him, it says. And then in verses 5 to 6 of
what we read in Revelation 13, he's speaking these unbelievable
words of blasphemy against God, slandering anything and anyone
associated with God, making war on anyone, claiming allegiance
to be connected to God in verse 7 in some way.
We read on in the next part of the chapter here that the
Antichrist won't be functioning alone.
We're about to read of his sidekick, verse 11.
And then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and
he had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon.
And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in
his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it
to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed.
He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the side of man.
Verse 13. And he deceives those who dwell
on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in
the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and
lived. He was granted power to give
breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the
beast should both speak. And 'cause as many as would not
worship the image of the beast to be killed.
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and
slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their
foreheads, and that no one verse 17 May buy or sell except one
who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his
name. Here is wisdom, verse 18.
Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the
beast, for it is the number of a man.
His number is 666. Batman has Robin, Lone Ranger,
Tonto, the Dynamic Duo of the Antichrist and the false Prophet
here, and you add Satan to the mix and there's this very much
unholy Trinity going on. Satan, the imitator, the copier,
the counterfeit. Revelation 13 describes some
very dark times in which we've read during what I believe to be
the Tribulation period, the Great Tribulation, the time of
Jacob's wrath as we read of it. And here we see that Antichrist
does not work alone. This false prophet almost like a
spiritual sidekick alongside and he promotes the agenda of the
Antichrist. Where Antichrist presents as a a
political military leader. This guy is more of a religious
leader, spiritual guy. How so?
We're we're the first beast. Antichrist is mentioned as
ominous powerful with 7 heads, 10 horns and 10 crowns.
Speaking of vast political power and kingdoms behind that, the
second beast we just read of is mentioned more of a a lamb with
two horns. Lambs often synonymous with
religious sacrifice, evoking religious connotations and and
thus the idea of a religious leader emerges.
But he looks like a lamb and talks like a dragon, speaks with
the voice of Satan and speaking words that sound great and
glorious and wonderful. But these will be the words of
Satan. Think of those images that
you've seen on TV of of of Hitler at his height of
popularity of words spoken in the euphoria going with it, but
but the the demonic presence behind that.
Additionally, it seems that this this other beast is able to
perform miracles and signs this prophet verse 13, including fire
from heaven. It says and that's a good time
for you and I to be reminded of this fact that miracles do not
necessarily always come from God.
Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24 verse 24.
He said for false Christs and false prophets will rise and
show what great signs and wonders for what purpose to
deceive, if possible, even the elect Jesus words.
Paul spoke of this in Second Thessalonians chapter 2, that
the coming of the lawless 1 is according to the working of
Satan with all power, with all signs and lying wonders
Revelation 1314 to 15. We read of it and it's sort of a
reminder of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 3, isn't it, of
him and, and just this kind of ego and, and power there that's,
that's given to him and, and there's a linkage there and it
builds on and versus 16 through to 18.
We read the conclusion of it, how it just has this, this
dominion and, and sets this capacity where people are
restricted in whether they're able to buy or sell unless they
receive his mark. If you're to Google search 666,
you get over 559,000,000 results.
You'll probably find over 559,000,000 different ideas of
what 666 means. I don't think that we can answer
this definitively. It conjures all sorts of
hysteria. Certainly you know, people
sometimes will see a number plate 666 and freak out on the
road or a phone number with six six in it.
I ain't ringing that number. Or purchase something that comes
to $6.66 and they freak out. And you know, for hundreds of
years people have been trying to figure out based on verse 18,
who and what by assigning numerical value to letters and
so on. In a general sense, I understand
where that's come from. There are numerical aspects to
the Scriptures and significance in the numbers. 6 is the number
of man. Mankind was made on the 6th day.
Repetition in the Bible often spoke of emphasis.
That's why it says holy, holy, holy in reference to God.
And to emphasise 666 emphasises the absolute failure and
imperfection of mankind. And, and think about
specifically the Antichrist and what I started this sermon with,
that Satan is always trying to imitate God, that mankind's best
efforts, even empowered by the enemy, Satan pales in comparison
to the perfection that is God and Jesus Christ.
The idea here is that the Antichrist introduces some kind
of a cashless society controlling economics.
People can't buy or sell unless they have the mark of the beast.
Can you imagine a scenario like that in our time?
Yes, 40 years ago it seemed implausible the way that society
is trending, especially since COVID.
You know that we were recently visiting in California and there
are certain places that still, what are we now five years away
from? When the intensity of COVID and
lockdowns and shutdowns happened, They were using the
excuse of COVID to not allow me to pay with cash while we were
there. We see all sorts of government
control that are now part and parcel of society and the
overreach of totalitarian governments and the decisions
that they're making. So with much economic
uncertainty today, it seems very feasible and realistic that
people will buy into the lie and the selling of this messaging by
the Antichrist and his false prophet.
That people worried about theft, worried about transactions in
different currencies, about people stealing their identity
in the day and age of artificial intelligence and deep fakes and
all of that. And what an inconvenience it is
having those details stolen and, and something happening.
So. Well, it makes sense.
Yeah. I'll receive that mark if it
means that I can conveniently buy and sell and function and
and work and all of that. I think our world is ready to
embrace an idea like this today on the way to when all of this
is going to be a not too distant reality.
So this has been a bit of a fly by shooting of this chapter
tonight with the time that we've got.
But I have no idea who the Antichrist will be or who they
might be nor the, you know, the the names and the places and
necessarily their their originality and and neither does
anyone else. I think it's a bit of a waste of
time to kind of speculate the the fun it might be sometimes,
you know, guesses have ranged over the years from Nero and
that certainly made sense in the time of the rioting and the
other Roman Empire emperor since seems every Pope that comes out
could lay claim to that Hitler, certainly Stalin, Gorbachev,
remember him, the Russian leader with the the birthmark on his
forehead. Just about every U.S.
President has been claimed as that and some even claim the the
future prophetic Mahdi of the Islamic prophecies.
But over the years people have come up with all kinds of
theories. So here's what I think on this.
Spend our time focusing on Jesus the Christ.
He's the real deal. He's the genuine.
He's the authentic, not Antichrist.
The fake, the copy, the imitator, the deception.
Many, many years ago when I was working throughout university
and taking a job with a supermarket chain that would
have us be very familiar with cash, touching it as part of our
training and and knowing it. So that then when a counterfeit
came across our hands and they did, we would know from our
familiarity with the genuine, with the real, that there was
something amiss with this fake. Not only did it look different,
but it it to to the touch was different.
And there were subtleties because we're so familiar with
the genuine. So that's our commendation.
You know of these events that we've read off tonight.
Jesus said this. When these things begin to
happen, look up, lift up your heads.
Why? Because your redemption draws
near. That's in Luke 21 verse 28.
You didn't say this when they're happening, look up, but when
they begin. That's just another reason why
we we hold to more of a pre true premillennial view here in our
understanding of in unpacking revelation.
And we're not in the beginning of this yet that we're reading
of, but we're certainly seeing the foreshocks.
We're seeing how society's trending and going.
It's time then for you and I to what?
Look up. Look to Jesus who is calling us
home very, very soon in the twinkling of an eye to be
snatched up. Jesus said in John 14 that I go
and I go to prepare a place for you.
He said in the way that you see me go, I will return, but when I
return, I come back to take you to be with me, that you will be
with me forevermore. John 14 verses one to three.
You can have a look at that to get the exact wording of that.
But soon and very soon, Jesus is calling you and I home.
Let's have Jesus the Christ be our focus so that when the real
deal is questioned, or is counterfeited, or is copied, or
is imitated, we would not be deceived, but that we would know
Jesus the Christ.