Bob Josey - Antichrist Sept 8, 2019

Post date: Sep 9, 2019 11:32:31 PM

The Antichrist & the False Prophet

 September 8, 2019

The Role of the false prophet in the Tribulation period (Revelation 13:1-10)

Revelation 13:8 – John reiterates again that everyone on the earth will worship the antichrist. This is what he said in verse 4. However, in this verse he made a clarifying statement that is very important – “everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” So, only unbelievers in the Messiah will follow and worship him. Of course, as it is today, most people on the earth are unbelievers and it will be no different then. The Lamb’s Book of Life apparently only has names of believers in it from the beginning of creation until the end of the Messianic Kingdom. The people whose names are written in it are written in the book because those who lived in the Old Testament era trusted in God and those from the cross until the end of the Messianic Kingdom trusted in Jesus. They trusted in Jesus because He was slain as a substitute for our sins. The bottom line is that unbelievers will worship and follow the Satanic trinity and believers will not.

13:9 – This is a common statement used by Jesus in the Gospels and John in Revelation chapters 1-3 that deals with the seven churches. This is one of many statements used by Jesus, by characters in the Bible, and Preacher and teachers today. A Few examples are “listen,” “are you listening,” “behold, ”truly, truly I say to you “surely,” “pay attention,” “take heed,” “beware,” “lend an ear,” “give heed to,” etc. The warning and what is to follow is not addressed to the church but to the entire world.

13:10 – Now that John has tried to get their attention, he lays out exactly what the warning is.  If someone is destined is to be taken into captivity, then to captivity he must go. If anyone slays with the sword, he himself will be slain with the sword.

The verse is made up of two quotations. It begins by quoting from Jeremiah 15:2, where Jeremiah is told to tell the people that those who are destined for pestilence will go forth to pestilence; those who are destined for the sword will go forth to the sword; those who are destined for famine will go forth to famine; and those who are destined for captivity will go forth to captivity. The idea there is that there is no escaping the decree of God.

The verse then goes on to quote the saying of Jesus in Mt 26:52. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when the mob has come to arrest Jesus, and Peter draws his sword to defend him, Jesus says: ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’

Those who persecute believers during the Tribulation period and lead them into captivity must in turn suffer the righteous wrath of God. This may occur during the judgements the Lord pours out on unrighteous men and women on the earth and/or the final judgement of God on the wicked at the Great White Throne Judgement after the Messianic Kingdom has ended. his assurance that God will execute justice should encourage the saints to persevere steadfastly and to trust God during this period of intense persecution and martyrdom. This is called the law of divine retribution. This is an assurance for those believers who will live during the Tribulation Period, but also for us today in an ever-changing world to include the United States. This assurance that God will execute justice should encourage believes in the Tribulation and today to persevere steadfastly and to trust God during periods of intense persecution and martyrdom.

The Role of the false prophet in the Tribulation period (Revelation 13:11-18)

The false prophet is the third member of the pseudo-trinity. He is the false or pseudo equivalent to the Holy Spirit. As we shall see, he will be religious leader and cheerleader of the last false religion that will ever exist. 

Revelation 13:11 – After seeing the first beast appear, the Antichrist, John now sees a second beast. John uses the term “another” to describe the beast rather than the term “second.” There is a good reason for his choice of words. There are two words in the Greek Text that can be translated “another.” One Greek word means “another” of same kind and the other Greek word means Greek word means “another” of a different kind. It’s like telling someone you traded in your Honda and bought another car. Did you buy “another” car of the same kind, a Honda, or did you buy “another” car of a different kind, a Toyota? Which word do you think John used to describe the second beast - the word “another” that means a beast of the same kind or the word “another” that means a beast of a different kind? Yes, John used the word that means a beast of the same kind. The false prophet is called a beast of the same kind as the Antichrist because he wants his cohort, the Antichrist, to rule and dominate the world at all cost to the human race. He is of the same kind because he is just a ferocious as the Antichrist. This second beast will become the world-wide spokesman and propaganda chief for the antichrist. He will become the right-hand man of the antichrist.

In contrast to the Antichrist, the false prophet will ascend from the earth not the sea. Some think that the second beast is Jewish because sometimes the Greek word translated earth is translated land in some contexts that specifically refer to Israel. However, I think the word earth is the best translation here because of several reasons. First, the false prophet being Jewish again does not fit the profile of someone persecuting and murdering his own people.  As with the antichrist, a Gentle who torments, tortures, and murders Jewish people fits the historical profile better.  Second, concerning the type of literature that we are reading (apocalyptic), the people who lived in Johns day, viewed a beast ascending from the earth as secondary or subordinate to a beast or sea monster ascending from the sea.  They believed that a land beast did not compare in magnitude with monsters from the deep, so coming out of the earth in itself showed a degree of inferiority. Therefore, I think it’s better to just see the false prophet because he will arise from the earth as subordinate to the Antichrist because as we shall see, the Text of Revelation 13 indicates just that.

Did you notice that the false prophet looks nothing like a dragon or the seven headed sea monster? The second beast looks like a lamb with two horns that seems quite normal at first glance. He will appear innocent, harmless, mild, meek, attractive, and lovable. Most people will be attracted to him; no one will fear him. There will be absolutely nothing about his appearance to frighten anyone. People will be drawn to him and want to touch and embrace him just as onlookers feel drawn toward a little lamb. He will be a religious leader. Just like a lamb, he will appear to be religiously clean, free from evil and violence and wrong and ungodliness.

However, one discovers with a further look that the lamb that seemed quite normal is actually a ferocious beast. His voice is going to betray him. He will speak as a dragon, like the Satan speaks. What he has to say will reveal that he is not a prophet of God, but a false prophet. Jesus warned the people of Israel about this type of person in Matthew 7:15-19; Mathew 24:1; and 24:24. Since he speaks as a dragon, he will manipulate and deceive the masses on the earth. He will have all the technology needed and available to him to reach the masses on the earth.