Revelation 13:13-18

(Rev 13:13 KJV)
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Here is the ministry of the false prophet. In the Scriptures we read that God allowed His true prophets to perform miracles. In this verse we are given the example of Elijah calling down fire from heaven in the sight of all Israel.

(1 Ki 18:37-38 KJV) Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. {38} Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

The false prophet will enable his earthly false human prophets to have the same type of ministry. The false prophet will empower his people to perform false miracles and great signs. The Lord Jesus had warned that this would take place.

(Mat 24:24 KJV) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

A false prophet could never survive on words alone because they have to show some type of miracles to capture the hearts of their followers. Deception always puts on a good show. In India, a man named Sai Baba had over twenty million followers because he was able to do false miracles in front of them. These types of deception are not only on the outside of the church but also on the inside. Many charismatic preachers claim they have raised the dead and have healed people from crippling diseases so they can walk again. All these types of signs and wonders keeps people in captivity to the leader of their church or to some evangelist on the outside who claims great healing or miraculous powers. Whenever we hear or see any signs or wonders, be warned that it is the second beast at work.

(Rev 13:14 KJV)
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

The false prophet will be deceiving all the unbelievers on earth which are designated as “them that dwell on the earth.” The real prophets of God received their power and instruction from the Lord Himself. The false prophet receives his power from the first beast and from Satan. The reason that we see this false prophet receiving his orders in the same way that the real prophets received their orders should be a wake up call to the Christian. Satan is imitating the true Gospel in the last days.

(2 Cor 11:13-15 KJV) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. {14} And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. {15} Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Satan is portrayed as some invincible being in Hollywood movies such as the Omen when he wreaks havoc on the world and the other horror movies which portray Satan as a vicious killer are not seeing him as he is coming today. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 shows us a great parallel to what we are studying in Revelation right now. Satan is empowering his false prophet to imitate the true Gospel, in fact, his false gospel will look so good that many will take it as the truth. Only those who are truly saved will know the differences and many of them will be very subtle.

Man has always been easily seduced into making images. In fact, before the end of the first century, the cities in which the seven letters of Revelation 2-3 were sent were all sold out to Caesar as their deity. No wonder the Lord said He knew where Satan’s seat was (Rev. 2:13). The word image in the Greek is “eikona” which carries with it the meaning of “likeness or appearance.” We get the word “icon” from it. The image of the beast is not just a large statue of some kind or some kind of religious relic. Since this beast deceives the dwellers of the earth, it is not just found in one part of the world. In China the image could be Buddha or even the communist government. In India it could be Krishna or Vishnu. In Roman Catholicism it could be Mary. The principle in understanding the image of the beast is to know that the first and second beast are primarily bringing deception. So whatever is deceiving the people of the earth, is the image of the deceiving beast. Now we know that billions are being deceived outside the church but what about inside the church? Raising the dead, healing sickness, prosperity, works, tongues, miracles, save the whales and the environment, Christian rock bands, systems like Purpose Driven Life built on New Age principles, acceptance of Sodomite clergy, modern bible versions which attack cardinal doctrines of the faith, these and many other things are taking over the church and are devouring congregation by congregation. What was once mighty congregations and denominations have become nothing more than religious collection agencies. The true Gospel has been expunged from many churches because they have served the image of the beast of the world system. One need not look hard to find the image of the beast, just listen to a talk show for few minutes.

(Rev 13:15 KJV)
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Here is the key to the success of the image of the beast. It is not just a dumb idol sitting in some hut in some remote place. The image speaks on college campuses when they proclaim atheism and evolution. The image speaks when God is expunged from the classroom. The image speaks when it becomes illegal to place a nativity scene on public grounds. The beast speaks when the name of Jesus Christ may be used as a swear word but not reverently in the work place. The beast speaks when TV teaches that you can drink, smoke, and fornicate without any repercussions. The beast speaks when your unsaved minister teaches that good works will get you to heaven. Now we see that the true Christian would never accept any of these but our verse teaches us that those who do not worship the image of the beast will be killed. This will definitely refer to physical martyrs as we have seen this throughout the whole New Testament period but in modern countries when Christians oppose these things, they may not be killed physically but their testimony and witness will be killed. They may be fired from work, tossed out of their church, expelled from school and these things would kill their witness in these places simply because they are no longer there. Then those unbelievers who are left in these situations will exude the merry spirit we saw in Revelation 11:10 because the Christians are no longer there to kill their fun.

(Rev 13:16 KJV)
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Now the beast causes all his people to have a mark and if you will notice the locations of this mark on the body are significant. First of all we see this mark on the right hand. (Psa 17:7 KJV) Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. In Psalm 17:7, we see that the right hand is associated with salvation by the power of the Lord. As we saw before that the beast will imitate the things which the Lord does. The mark on the right hand is associated with those who work deceitfully bringing a false salvation. The right hand will also be associated with those who do works for the beast, in other words, their life’s work will be in concert with the deceit of the beast. They will do the works that deceive others. Then the mark in their foreheads shows that their mind is given over to the work of the beast. So in this particular passage, we see that those who invent systems and then implement them in the world are those with the mark on the hands (works) and the mind (evil thoughts). (1 Tim 6:5 KJV) Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. The mind is Satan’s playground and he is very active with his people. It does not matter what a person’s social status is, Satan will deceive all his people. Now some people want to make this out to be some type of physical mark like a bar code but this is not what it in view. Sensationalizing verses only clouds the real meaning but of course, sells books.

(Rev 13:17 KJV)
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

To be accepted by the world system, a person must be one of those who has the mark. Only Satan’s people will have the mark of the beast and because Christians do not have this mark, instead they have the mark of God in their foreheads (Revelation 14:1). This means that Christians will be outcasts in the world because they hold the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their writings, their sayings, their teachings will all be rejected by the world system because they are in the world but not of the world. If Christians wrote on the same level as those of the unsaved, then they could buy and sell within the kingdom of Satan but, because they are the redeemed of God, they have nothing to buy or sell in the kingdom of Satan. Paul summed it greatly in the following verse. (Gal 6:14 KJV) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. The world holds no desire for the Christian and the Christian holds no desire for the world and that is why they cannot buy and sell in Satan’s Kingdom. It is interesting to note that modern bible versions are welcomed in the kingdom of Satan and are sold in that kingdom of the unsaved.

(Prov 23:23 KJV) Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

(Isa 55:1 KJV) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

(Rev 3:18 KJV) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

These three verses speak of buying the truth, even if you have no money. Having no money means a person is very poor which is representative of being spiritually poor. What is in view here is that God is speaking of salvation which is only available from Him and it costs nothing for us, which means no works, but all of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan’s kingdom does not allow the Christian to do business but these three verses are teaching us that those Elect still in the kingdom of Satan may come to the Lord at their appointed times and buy that gold which is salvation.

(Rev 13:18 KJV)
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Now this verse has been so ruined by prophecy pundits and Hollywood. The number of the beast being 666 is the number of man. It is the number which God gives to those who are following the beast. This is the symbolic number which the unbeliever has upon them. It is not going to be a physical mark. Millions are not going to be walking around with 666 on their heads. In the Greek the word is “anrwpou” (anthropou). It is in the genitive case also known as the possessive case. When this was translated, the Pope was touted as being the Antichrist and this may be the reason the translators used the term “a man.”

The place where “anthropou” is found in one major clause found in many verses with the term Son of man. “Of man” would be the proper usage for a genitive case noun.

(Mat 9:6 KJV) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

(John 5:27 KJV) And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

The Apostle Paul states that the Gospel he received was not “of man.”

(Gal 1:12 KJV) For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The indirect object “a” is used elsewhere in the New Testament when “anthropou” is used. Here are some examples:

(Mat 12:43 KJV) When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

(Mark 7:15 KJV) There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

(Acts 12:22 KJV) And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

(1 Cor 7:1 KJV) Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

(Gal 3:15 KJV) Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

(Rev 21:17 KJV) And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

What these six verses have in common is that they are all speaking of a generic individual man in their contexts but there is no specific man in mind. Revelation 13:18 is speaking, in context, of the entire unsaved human race. The verse states “and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” The word “his” should be translated as “its” because it is a personal pronoun but it is not masculine, it is in the “neuter” gender. So Revelation 13:18 should be speaking of the number of man being 666. The word “anthropou” is derived from “anthropos” which is the generic term for mankind. If a specific male was in view then the word should have been “anhr” (aner) which would be translated as an individual male, husband, man, or bridegroom. Since the context of Revelation 13:18 is that of the unsaved in general, then it would follow properly that the term should be “man” and not “a man.”

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