The False Prophet and the Mark of The Beast
The Lamb Who Talks Like a Dragon
Revelation 13:11–18
The False Prophet - His Person (vs. 11)
He is a false prophet He looks like Jesus and talks like Satan
He Craftily questions God’s Word
He lies
He lies to kill
He may arise from within the church
So how can we tell the difference?
This beast speaks like Satan, and Satan speaks against God’s word, blasphemes Jesus, and tells lies meant to result in the death of Jesus and his people.
Christians do not reject or speak against the Bible.
Christians do not blaspheme Jesus.
Christians do not tell lies to get other people killed.
The False Prophet - His Power (vs. 12-14)
He does signs that look like the work of God;
He uses the signs to deceive people into idolatry
He enforces the idolatry with the death penalty
There are four Christian purposes:
(1) to exalt Jesus,
(2) to impress on people their great need to believe in him and be saved by his death and resurrection because they are sinful and God is holy,
(3) to encourage people to read the Bible and heed its message, and
(4) to encourage people to love others and serve them so they can know the love of God in Christ by the power of the Spirit. (Hamilton)
The False Prophet - His Program (vs. 15-18)
Lead people to worship the Antichrist and Satan
Greer summarizes
The False Prophet Will Be a Deceiver (13:11).
The False Prophet Will Speak the Words of Satan (13:11).
The False Prophet Will Promote False Worship of Antichrist (13:12).
The False Prophet Will Use Miracles to Deceive the World (13:13–14).
The False Prophet Will Persecute Those Who Follow the Lamb (13:15).
The False Prophet Will Mark Those Who Worship Antichrist (13:16–17).
The False Prophet Will Lead the World to Worship a Mere Man (13:18).