Revelation 13:1-14:5
The Four Beast of Revelation
#1. The Great Red Dragon
#2. The Composite Beast (Continued)

_______________________________

page l 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l

-6-

Revelation 13:2   The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

 

Revelation 13:3   One of the heads of the beast seemed to have a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished (at the wrath of God, the formation of the composite beast and they naturally) and followed the beast. 

 

Revelation 13:4   Men worshiped (obeyed) the dragon because he had been given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped (obeyed) the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him (and survive)?”

 

Revelation 13:5   The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority (making laws) for forty-two months.

 

Revelation 13:6   He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.

 

Revelation 13:7   He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

 

Revelation 13:8   All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.”

 

For 890 days, the composite beast will rule over the world and in spite of all the persecution and trouble for mankind it produces, it will claim a huge success.  Religious leaders will exclaim, “We have saved the day! No more judgments have fallen!!!”     

 

How foolish.

 

Ironically though, the longer the composite beast exists, the bigger a particular problem becomes. This problem will be one of “religious superiority.”

 

As time passes, a great debate will escalate within the leadership of the composite beast… “Which religion correctly reflects the will of God? Somebody has to be wrong.”

 

But, the leadership of the composite beast can’t resolve this question because one man cannot prove the superiority of his religious faith over that of another. Yes, all men are created equal: They are equal in arrogance and ignorance. So, there’s no way to convince a Muslim that Catholicism is a superior religion or vise versa.  

 

Diversity of religion always creates a hate-full environment. Such is the nature and one of the properties of false religion.

 

Consider the setting:

 

By the end of the 890 days, (2/3 of the 1,335 days allotted for the Great Tribulation),the composite beast will be consumed with conflict from internal fighting.

 

The composite beast will find itself at a religious impasse and the political rulers of the Earth will despise the composite beast. (Yet, they remain submissive for fear of God’s wrath.)

 

The composite beast will be so confused and conflicted from withinand its “sin-less” laws are so stupid that many compare it to “a mad dog.”

 

Furthermore, by the end of 890 days, the advance of the gospel by the 144,000 will also be stalled. Most everyone will have made their decision to worship according to the demands of Jesus or worship according to the demands of the composite beast (to avoid punishment).

At this point in time, ready or not, the fifth trumpet occurs – the first of three curses – this is the physical arrival of Lucifer – who will settle the question of religious superiority by dissolving all of the world’s religions and making a new one-world religion.

 

Also, to establish “the kingdom of God” on Earth, he will select and install ten kings to rule over Earth.

 

When Lucifer appears, he will claim that he has come to establish a kingdom of peace and joy on Earth. He will proclaim that the kingdom of God will be among men for the next thousand years.

 

I have made three remarks because we now come in our study in this longer prophecy that begun with Revelation 12:7 to the arrival of the second beast in Revelation 13:11 – the physical appearing of Lucifer.

 

Revelation 13:11   Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

 

Revelation 5:6   Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

 

Revelation 12:3   Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.

 

Lucifer is the lamblike beast that ascends out of Earth (actually, he is released from the abyss).

 

Revelation 13:12   He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants (obey or suffer indescribable torture) worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

 

Revelation 13:13   And he performed great and miraculous signs, even calling fire to come down from heavento earth in full view of men.

 

Revelation 13:14   Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. (The religious wicked believed that he was God. Then, at the end of the five months of torture) He ordered them to set up an image (a likeness) in honor of the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived (a perfect union of church and state).

 

Revelation 13:15   He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak (laws) and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

 

Revelation 13:16   He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,

Revelation 13:17   so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

 

Revelation 13:18   This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.”   

 

When the devil appears, masquerading as Almighty God, he will perform incredible miracles such as calling fire down out of Heaven to destroy rebellious people. Billions of people will either be intimidated or deceivedinto believing that God Himself now lives among men.

 

Ultimately, the devil will demand that all religious diversity be eliminated and naturally so. The devil will proclaim himself to be God and having absolute authority, his word is the law – a law from which there is no further appeal.

 

At the end of the fifth trumpet, the devil will have enough followers to move forward to accomplish his goal. The Bible predicts the devil will terminate the seven religious systems of the world by setting up a new one-world religion.

 

This new religion is called “an image” or likeness of the composite beast in the book of Revelation. In other words, the composite beast will be modified so that there will be “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” instead of seven opposing religious claiming to have conflicting truth about God.

page l 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l

-6-

[TOP]