Satan's Counterfeit

Revelation 13. Time nor space, on a blog-devotional like this, will allow us to fully develop this chapter or any of these chapters of Revelation. Again, if you are in the local area, I invite you to join us on Sunday nights at Sand Hill Baptist where we are preaching through Revelation chapter by chapter. With that said now, this chapter focuses on the Anti-Christ. You will remember that Anti-Christ began his career as a peacemaker riding in on a white horse (Rev.6:2). Daniel tells us that he confirms a covenant (of peace in the middle east) for seven years (Dan.9:27). This covenantal protection would permit Israel to rebuild the Temple. But in the middle of this seven year period, the Anti-Christ will break that covenant, and set himself up as god in the temple (see Dan.9:27 and 2 Thess.2:1-12). Once Satan presents his great "masterpiece", the counterfeit Christ, to the world, what will happen next? We'll use Warren Wiersbe's outline to tell us:
1. First, there will be wonder. 13:3
The seven heads represent seven kings of the seven kingdoms. Anti-Christ or "the beast" is one of these seven kings, and at this point in the Tribulation, he is mortally wounded. He descends into hell, and then he ascends from hell indwelt by Satan himself in what appears to be a miraculous resurrection (13:12). Do understand that Satan tries to imitate and counterfeit everything God does. The Anti-Christ is a counterfeit "incarnation" with a counterfeit "resurrection". And thus the world wonders.
2. Second, there will be worship. 13:4
Worship is the one thing that Satan has always wanted (Isaiah 14:12-17; Matt.4:8-10), and he will receive it through "the beast". The second "beast", described in this chapter, will organize and promote the worship of Anti-Christ, making it the official religion of the world. Again, we see Satan's counterfeiting: The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ; the second "beast", is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit who glorifies the first beast, which is, of course, a counterfeit of our resurrected Lord. Thus Satan has an unholy trinity: Satan, Anti-Christ, and the Second Beast.
3. Third, there will also be words. 13:5-6.
Satan will make "the beast" a great orator, whose addresses will blaspheme God, His name, His tabernacle (heaven), and the saints in heaven. And yet his words will mesmerize huge crowds.
4. Fourth, there will be war. 13:7-10.
God will permit Anti-Christ to war against His people. Do understand that the church will be in heaven at this time. And when Revelation refers to saints, it is referring to Tribulation saints, those saved during this time. But there is a note of application here for us.
John says, "if anyone has an ear, let him hear." Reach up on the side of your head and grab your ear lobe. Do you have an ear? Then this applies to you, as well as those tribulation saints. You see, even before the seven year tribulation comes, you and I go through tribulations daily, weekly, even yearly. Difficult marriages, family problems, loss of jobs are all forms of tribulation. We have marital, financial, emotional, relational and yes, even spiritual tribulations. There are times when we are just spiritually dry. But he that has an ear, listen up. John says, "I don't care if you miss everything else, don't miss this! The forces against you are soon going to be done away with: The beast, the persecution, the problems, will undo themselves." That's why you and I need to read Revelation over and over again. It's not about trying to figure out who the Anti-Christ is or trying to decipher the mark of the beast. Revelation is written to give us hope and to bring us back to the fact that life is short and we'll be in heaven soon. That's the message to us: Life is short. The Lord is in control! We're going to heaven! In the end, we win! That's what this book is about. Praise God!