Perfectly Beastly

Perfectly Beastly

 One of the things that I like to do when I go to the coast is surf fish. I have not done it enough to know much about it, but it is still an enjoyable pastime. One of the interesting things is that you never know what is going to be on the end of your line. You will catch all variety of fish from the ocean. One of my more memorable catches was the fish that by the time I got it to the shore was half gone. Literally. It was alive when I started the retrieve. It was not when I landed it. It made me wonder just what I had missed. 

 Revelation 13 introduces us to something else that comes out of the sea. The sea here is a metaphor for the sea of humanity. What emerges is a beast, only not a sea monster. Now certainly its description with the multiple heads and an appearance at once like a leopard and a bear and a lion certainly make it seem to qualify as a monster. But this beast is a man, but not an ordinary man. This man will be the antichrist. One of the first things we understand is that he has a strong family resemblance to his father the devil. The description of the dragon in Revelation 12 and the beast in Revelation 13 leave little doubt that this beast is Satanic to the fullest extent. 

 The news about the beast in this chapter is not good. The news is that the beast is going to rise to world power and exercise authority to persecute and blaspheme for 42 months. That is three and a half years. And during his reign, he will exert his power in the most profane way. V. 10 is one of the most frightening verses in all of scripture: “If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” If you remember last week, I used the illustration of the British squad that found themselves behind enemy lines with no air support. That is essentially the message here. There will be no air support for Christians during this last 42 months. But here is the great news. While the antichrist may rule for 42 months, Jesus Christ will reign forever.

The identity of the beast, Rev. 13:1-2

Who is this guy? The beast is not given a name here, nor is his nationality identified. But we learn enough about him here to give us some strong clues. He is a world leader of a confederation of 10 nations. Most commentators associate it with Europe. The seven horns can mean seven mountains, and Rome was the city built on seven hills. That could be true. He has risen to prominence through powers of persuasion, brokering a deal to settle the Arab-Israeli problem by making a covenant with the Jews to protect them for seven years. We learn this from Daniel 9:27. That enables the Jews to rebuild the temple and to reinstitute religious rituals. But here in the middle of that seven-year time, he is going to break the treaty and set up himself as god in the temple. Again, see Daniel 9 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. The symbolic description of this beast reveals something about his origin and his character. In Genesis, men are described as being made in the image of God. Here this man is made in the image of a wild animal under the control of Satan. He is certainly a man, but he is energized from hell. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, and this man will be Satan in a human body. In Daniel 7, Daniel looked forward into the future and saw four beasts: a lion, which stood for Babylon; a bear, which stood for Media-Persia; a leopard, which stood for Greece; and finally a terrible beast. John saw them in reverse order because he was looking back, and he saw them all united as one. The final world empire will be rooted in all the previous empires and unite in one in their evil and power.

Today, Europe essentially has one currency. Seven national currencies were replaced in 2002 with the Euro. The history of the European Union traces back to the 1950s. The first six countries to join that union were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. At latest count there are 27 member states. There may certainly be more freedom of travel and trade in Europe now, but there are still disparities. Consider the financial peril of countries like Greece. Bible scholars have watched the EU with interest because of the 10 heads, or 10 countries. Is it possible that the antichrist will emerge from an European confederation? It has long been thought so by Bible scholars, and now it seems more likely.

But beware. John Lennon wrote the anthem, Give Peace a Chance. The familiar chorus is: “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” It is certainly an appealing, alluring dream. A world without war. Revelation promises that there will arise a world leader who will promise a world of peace, and actually deliver for a short time. But the last 42 months of his reign will reveal him for the sham he is. Praise God it is only 42 months. The reign of Christ is forever. 

The influence of the beast, Rev. 13:3-8:

The wonder of the beast

One of the keys to his worldwide power will be the wonder of the world. They will be fascinated at his rise to power, but also at his recovery from a fatal head wound. This wound is mentioned three times in this chapter, so it must be important. Commentators differ as to whether the wound is really fatal or only appears to be so. Given the seemingly miraculous surgeries that we have read about, coupled with numerous stories of people coming back from the dead, it is plausible that this antichrist can come back from the dead. Or it could be another great deception by the great deceiver. Either way, it is just another attempt of the great imitator to mimic Christ.

Beware: Our children gave us tickets to the Cirque du Soleil in Atlanta right after Christmas. It is an amazing show, full of acrobatic daredevilry. One after another the performers stunned us with the things they did. Of course, that did not make us want to follow these people into battle. But the antichrist will hold sway over people. He will be a charismatic leader. Remember, by the time this chapter takes place he will already have negotiated a treaty between Israel and its enemies. People will wonder at the antichrist. But his wonderment is limited to 42 months. The wonder of Christ will reach into eternity.

The worship of the beast

 The one thing that Satan has wanted above all other things is to be worshiped, in the place of God. And because of the beast, the dragon will be worshiped. And so will the beast. What we will see in the end of the chapter is that the beast will have a second beast who will organize a world religion to worship the antichrist.  He will be so impressive that people will ask what they assume is a rhetorical question: “Who is like the beast and who can fight against it?” That is the wrong question. But the correct answer is that Christ is greater than the beast and not only can He fight against it, He will defeat the beast. 

Beware: When there is trouble, people are looking for a savior. They are looking for someone who has an answer for hopelessness, despair and chaos. The beast will be such a character. But remember, those last 42 months will show his real colors. It’s just 42 months. Jesus is forever.

The words of the beast

Words: V. 5 tells us that the beast was given a mouth to utter “haughty and blasphemous words.” The antichrist will blaspheme God, blaspheme His name and blaspheme His dwelling.

It seems that almost all dictators rise to power on the strength of great oratory. They have the power to control people with their words. Adolf Hitler was able to mesmerize the Germans with his speeches. From our position 70 years in the future, we are prone to smugly look back at the power that Hitler exerted over the German people and insist that we are beyond that. How could he get the German people to annihilate their neighbors? People who have studied his methods say that he adopted a five-step strategy to convince people to murder the Jews. That strategy could be repeated again.
Emphasize different stereotypes: Hitler was successful in creating an “in” group and an “out” group. This propaganda does nothing but demonize a class of people with lies and rumors. 
Blame all problems on the “out” group: Hitler was able to place the blame on the Jews somehow. He was able to convince a nation that if the world were rid of the Jews, the problems would disappear.
Deny the humanity of the “out” group: They were described in terms that made them seem subhuman, irrational, unthinking. The American nation was guilty of this, both in its enslavement of Africans and in its conquest of native Americans in the West. Read old literature and see how often these people were referred to as inferior, as hardly even human.
Segregate the “ins” and “outs”: The concentration camp was meant to alienate the Jews from the “Aryans.” The less interaction, the more likelihood that the stereotypes can be believed. Of course, the South is still dealing with the wrongheadedness of this strategy.
Get the “ins” to murder the “outs” as necessary for the common good: The final step was the execution of millions of Jews and Jewish sympathizers. Because Hitler had succeeded in each step along the way, he was able to get otherwise moral people to make the leap to be a party to the extermination of a class of people.

Beware: Can you foresee how these strategies could be used against Christians? Stereotyping believers: “Bible thumpers, child beaters, government haters who would rather their women die in childbirth than abort a baby.” Blame: John Lennon’s song, “Imagine” has become an anthem for people who believe that a world without religion would be a superior world. Deny the humanity. Believers are called ignorant, superstitious fools who just need some sort of crutch to get by. Segregation. There is more and more emphasis to eliminate Christianity from the public arena. So far, we have not reached the point where non-believers are murdering Christians. For 42 months, it will happen all over the world. But only for 42 months.

There will be war

 V. 7 says that the beast will be allowed to “make war on the saints and to conquer them.” This is not one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible. This is not a promise that your children are memorizing in Vacation Bible School. That v. 10 reinforces that when they come to capture you, you will be captured. And when they decide to cut off your head, off it will come. The verse ends this way: “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”

 During China’s Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, locked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground.  Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot.  Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free.  But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act.  Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad.  Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining 92 students followed her to the firing squad.

Choose sides carefully: V. 8 divides the world into two groups: earth dwellers and those whose name is written in the book of life. You are one or the other. If you are the latter, as I interpret scripture, you will be spared these days because you will be raptured. But if you are alive in the end times, if you come to know Christ then, you may pay with your life. But better to endure 42 months of hell than an eternity of hell.

The instruction to the saints

Listen: There is a phrase in v. 9 that we have heard before in Revelation: “If anyone has an ear, let him hear!” When John was writing to the seven churches in chapters two and three, he ended each of the letters with this phrase. It is his way of grabbing us by our shoulders, looking us dead in the eyes, and saying, this is important. And then he lays out the Christian response to the antichrist. It is not to retreat to the mountains behind an armed camp. It is not to build a retreat in Waco, Texas. It is not to rise up with political pressure. It is this: to understand that your capture, your death, is in the will of God. V. 10 concludes, “This will call for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.”
Be steadfast: Our natural tendency during a crisis is to “fix it.” The concept of trusting God or patiently enduring seems so foreign. But that is exactly the instruction here. I have been reading a book by J.D. Greear and he has something called the gospel prayer, and the second part of it is this: “God, Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.” It is a reminder that we will not base our contentment on the circumstances around us. For these 42 months, God in His providence is allowing the antichrist to have his wicked way, but He is still with believers. 

Listen to Isaiah 41:10: 
fear not, for I am with you; 
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Or Psalm 27:1: 
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid? That is a promise for 42 months, and for eternity.

 In the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill said, “This is a war of the unknown warriors. The whole of the warring nations are engaged, not only soldiers, but the entire population, men, women and children.  The fronts are everywhere.  The trenches are dug in the towns and streets.  Every village is fortified.  Every road is barred.  The front lines run through the factories.  The workmen are soldiers with different weapons but the same courage.”

 Churchill was talking about World War II. But he might as well have been talking about the terrible reign of the antichrist. In today’s world of improvised explosive devices and jet planes as suicide bombs and mad gunmen in schools, summer camps and movie theaters, we are all too familiar with living on the front lines. In such a world, is there hope? In the world to come with the devil personified ruling, is there hope? Gloriously, the answer is yes. “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid Rock, I stand, All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

The devil will have his way through the beast for 42 months. For 42 horrible, seemingly never-ending 42 months. But just 42 months. And in comparison to eternity, it is but a breath in the wind. Just make sure that you are standing on Christ, the solid rock.