All right, hopefully we're all on Revelation 13, and we're gonna kind of pick up where we left off last time. If you remember last time, we started looking at the second beast that we find in Revelation 13, which actually describes two different beasts. There's a beast that rises up out of the sea in verse one, And of course we would identify him as sort of the Antichrist, the person of the Antichrist, as well as the Antichristian powers. But here in verse 11, were introduced to another beast. So again, in verse 11, John says, I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. I'm sorry, the earth. Obviously, it's clear that both of these beasts, the first in the first part of chapter 13, and then the second in this latter part of chapter 13, they work in concert together, sort of the hand in the glove, the Antichrist is the hand in the glove of this second beast. And of course, together they're, all in on the will of the dragon, who we were mentioned in chapter 12. So here we have that unholy trinity, which is really no trinity at all, because ultimately they are after trying to mimic the very work and word of God himself. So after John tells us about the presence of this beast again in verse 11, coming up out of the earth instead of the sea, he then goes on to give us a brief portrait of the beast. And so this is sort of a review of the outline that we did last time. You can kind of see that there on your lesson guide. The portrait of the beast is that verse 11 again. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spake as a dragon. And again, that already gives us just a little glimpse into the character and conduct of this beast as a deceiver. So he looks like a lamb, but he speaks like a dragon. And of course, as a dragon means that he kind of represents the dragon himself, which is the devil, right? Who we learned a little bit more about in chapter 12. Then in verse 12, we're given another glimpse of the power of this beast. He is a powerful being. That's one of the reasons why he has those two horns. He intends to use those horns and he uses them in verse 12 to exercise all the power, the authority of the first beast before him. And so in the very presence of this first beast, this second beast is going to exercise all the authority and the power of the first beast. work for him. And that means he'll perform his mission under the auspices as well as with the complete approval of the Antichrist. Again, sort of the glove to the hand of that first beast. And if you remember from last time, The main thing that marks this second beast, we said, was his activity. If you look there at verse 12 again, the Greek word for just doing something is found there for the first time in reference to this beast. He exercises. Another way you can put it is he just does the power or according to the power of the first beast. The Greek word is poieo. It is associated with this beast and his image the image that he has made some eight times Starting here in verse 11 and making its way all the way through the end of this So really this authority that he acts on and does and and does his will on? Is is sort of the main thrust of this this beast the the first beast? the main thing that we learned about him was his authority and And so when it comes to this beast, it's his activity. He always acts according to the authority of the Antichrist. And this then brought us to the purpose of the beast, which we also saw there in verse 12. It was so that he would make or cause, or again, there's that word to do, his activity is to make or cause the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. And so during the time of these beasts, blasphemy and idolatry will be all the rage in this world. I mean, it's already the rage now, but I think we're gonna see it come to a head during the time of both of these beasts. And this second beast will then be able to bring this idolatry about through his own practice. And this is what we started looking at last time, in verse 13. So what else does he do? Verse 13, he, that second beast, doeth great wonders, so that he maketh, or doeth, again, there's that poietto, he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. So the time of these two beasts will be a time of signs and wonders. And this has periodically been the case in the history of mankind. If you remember during the time of Moses, there were signs and wonders that were done by Moses, but also the opponents of Moses and the opponents of God. We come across Elijah, who we'll reference a little bit more today. That was also a time of miracles and signs, not just by Elijah, but even those who opposed Elijah and opposed God. And of course, the greatest time of signs and wonders was the time of the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, even the demons were actually actively involved in the ministry of Christ as far as him being them being cast out by him. Well, there's going to come another time. And it's been some 2,000 years since. But there will come another time of signs and wonders. And it'll be during the time of these two beasts, as well as the time of the two witnesses that we've already looked at in chapter 11. So periodically, there are these times of signs. And this will be another one. And yet, this second beast will use his signs and his wonders to convince the world to worship the Antichrist, that second beast. in just absolute idolatry and blasphemy against the true God. Now, the main effort of his practice will be these great wonders. We looked at this last time, the great wonders. This means that they will be significant not only in what he does, but in how many he does. The word is in a plural. So there's going to be many different kinds of signs and wonders and even miracles. So he's going to be able to do some seemingly miraculous things in order to wow and even woo the world into false worship of this Antichrist. And that's what he's going to be doing it for. It's all in service of this idolatry. But the main example of this practice is going to be even more significant and more amazing. And that is, if you look there at verse 13 again, he will even be able to make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And that's actually where we ended last time. And that's gonna be sort of where we pick up. This is the main example of his efforts and practices of doing great wonders. So there's more that he will be able to do. but this is perhaps one of the most significant things that he will be able to do. So this second beast can be seen Again, as one writer, Robert Mounts, put it, as a false Elijah to a false Christ. And that really is the background of this bringing from heaven fire onto the earth in the sight of the world. Again, in order to wow the world and then woo the world into worship, false worship of this first beast. Now, again, the true Elijah provides the background for the main example of this apparent miraculous power and practice. In fact, keep your finger here. We're going to go back to some of these verses that remind us of what the true Elijah did, right? So keeping something here in chapter 13, go back with me, first of all, to 1 Kings. 1 Kings chapter 18. Of course, this is that very famous and familiar story of when Elijah, the prophet, confronted the false prophets of Baal. And again, we're going to keep that in mind. We have a contest going on, right, between a true prophet of God and the false prophets of Baal. And this all happens at the top of Mount Carmel. We'll not take the time to read the entire episode, but if you look at verse 37, so this is after he sort of made that Arrangement, you know, he says you make your altar to your God I'll make my altar to the God and then we will put wood on that altar and we will you know put the animals on that altar and then we'll just pray for our Respective gods to bring fire down from the altar and the one who does that is the one true and living God and of course We know what happened to the prophets of Baal They did all they possibly could to get Baal's attention in order to bring fire from heaven and nothing happened. Well, then when Elijah did that, instead of just going on and praying and asking God to bring the fire from heaven to burn that altar and to burn the sacrifice in the altar, he said, bring a lot of water, buckets and buckets and barrels and barrels of water and just pour it in. And so now it's his turn in verse 37. It took them all day and they got no answer. But in verse 37, Elijah, the true prophet of God, says, 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. And what happens immediately? Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Now that's amazing. So it wasn't just the burning of the sacrifice, it took care of everything else around the sacrifice, even to the very last drop of water. And what was the response of the people? Verse 39, and when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, the Lord, that is Yahweh, Jehovah, he is the God. The Lord, he is the God. So what God did through the first and true Elijah in the Old Testament, now when we think in terms of chapter 13 of Revelation, this beast, this false prophet, will actually be allowed by God to imitate the first prophet, Elijah, in order to bring the world to fall on their faces before the first beast. Now again, We don't know, we can't fathom God's purpose and plan in all of this, but ultimately it will work out for the best and good of his people and for the best and good of this world. But ultimately what's gonna happen is, yes, this false prophet is going to do acts and miracles and signs and wonders like the first Elijah in order to deceive the world. And so obviously we know that that fire is not of God. It's not of God itself. There is another episode in the life of Elijah that also might be included in this reference. If you go to 2 Kings chapter 1 now, 2 Kings chapter 1, so just a few pages from where we are. And of course, we know that Elijah was really not a friend or the favorite of some of the kings of Israel because of his stance for the word of God and the testimony of the Lord. But when this evil king of Israel in 2 Kings 1 sent some of his army to find Elijah and then to arrest Elijah, there are two out of three times we're told, if you look at Verse 10, we're told that Elijah answered and said to the captain of the 50. So again, it's not the whole army that the king of Israel is sending, but just a portion of that army. And in fact, with one of the main captains of 50, they're going to get Elijah. They're going to arrest Elijah. And Elijah answers and said to him, the captain of the 50, if I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy 50. And what happened? Exactly what he said. And there came down fire from heaven. and consumed him and his 50. And that's actually repeated a second time in verse 12. And of course, by the third time, the third captain of the 50 starts to figure out what's going to happen to him if he doesn't come with a little bit more meekness and actually requests Elijah to come. And so he kind of got out of dodge on that front. But when we come back to Revelation 13 now, so we keep that in background, this false Elijah, will be allowed to, in some way, copy this miracle, if you will, even out of the playbook of the true Elijah. But, obviously, we know that it's not of God. It may come down from heaven, it may come down from the sky, but it's not coming from the heaven of heavens. It's not coming from where God himself dwells. This is a mimic of what took place in the life of the true Elijah. And his whole purpose is not to bring glory to the God of heaven, but rather to bring glory to this false beast, this false Christ in this world, and to convince the entire world that he possesses divine power. And again, this is a mimic, a counterfeit of what God himself did. And yet, in addition to this, I think there's even more background to this. If you go to Revelation 13 now, again, just a page or two back from where we are, I think there may also be a contrast intended with the two witnesses that we learned about back in chapter 11. The two witnesses, if you remember, because if you look back at verse five of chapter 11, And of course we know, actually go back up to verse three, where we're first told about these two witnesses, and we didn't really know a whole lot about them until this verse, and God himself says, I will give power into my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth, and he explains who they might be in terms of Old Testament scripture. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth, and then he gives them this power. This power, verse five, and if any man will hurt them. And of course, that's during the time of their ministry. Obviously, when their ministry is over, they will be allowed to be killed and hurt by the beast himself. But before that happens, if any man will hurt them, those two witnesses fire proceeded out of their mouth and devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. So there is this ability given to the these two witnesses. Likely, it is referring not so much from fire coming directly out of their mouth, but rather fire coming from heaven as a result of their mouth because of what they're praying to the Lord and saying about the Lord. It actually describes it not as two mouths, but as one mouth. So they'd be speaking for God together and praying to God together. So much like Elijah happened in the Old Testament, because of Elijah's prayer to God, God brought that fire down from heaven. So this is reminiscent also of what happened during the days of Elijah, but It's also one of the ways God will protect the witness of his prophets until the time of their testimony comes to an end Now one of the things that we noticed in chapter 11 is that the time of the two witnesses will also be the time of the beast All right, because if you look at verse 7 It says, when they, those two witnesses, shall have finished their testimony, the beast that is ascending up out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them. So it's the beast that won't be killed, but when their ministry is up, then they will be killed. So the time of the two witnesses will also be the time of the first beast, the Antichrist. Well, if the beast will be alive during the time of these two witnesses, that's confirmed for us here in verse 11. then the prophet of this beast will also be alive during the days of their ministry. And so we're not just gonna have the first beast, the Antichrist alive during their time of witness, but this false prophet will also be alive during the time of their witness. And so in effect, just like there was in Moses' day, just like there was in Elijah's day, there will be rival prophets on earth at this time. there will be this false prophet and the true prophets of God, the two witnesses that we have here in chapter 11. And so it may be that this false prophet will try and seek and really succeed in mimicking the miracles of the true prophets of God during the time of their ministry. And in doing so, they will be able to convince the world that his miracles authenticate his mission while the others do not. And if you remember all the way back in the time of Moses, wasn't that the whole point of those other magicians and those other people that appeared before Pharaoh, right? Moses would say, okay, God's going to do this, bring something into this land, darkness in this land, blood in the water. And then all of Pharaoh's magicians said, we can do the same thing. Look, we can do the same thing. And it's really, their whole goal was to convince Pharaoh, don't listen to Moses. He has no divine authority or power, but we do. And so, just listen to us. And so, the same thing's gonna be going on here, is that this false prophet is going to try to woo and wow the world into worshiping the first beast, the Antichrist, even while God's true prophets are preaching the gospel, sharing his truth, and still showing signs and wonders that ultimately were to convince the world of his truth. Now, we can't fully be certain as to why the world will be convinced by the false prophet instead of the true prophets, but I wonder if it might have something to do with the reasons behind bringing about their fire, okay? In chapter 11, the true prophets of God, when their fire is coming out of their mouths or coming, again, most likely from heaven because of what they say out of their mouths, the fire that comes is a fire of judgment. It really is. In fact, in verse five, we saw how it is going to devour their enemies, even who seek to kill them before their time. And so it's a fire of judgment. But for this false prophet, when we come back to chapter 13, verse 14, 13 and 14, the fire that he makes come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men. It's all meant to impress them and to convince them to believe and to turn to this false Christ as their Messiah, as their savior, as their rescuer. And so what we can see from this verse and the next verse in verse 14 is that he'll be very successful. He'll be very successful in his work of convincing the world to worship the beast. And again, Why is that? Well, perhaps, probably because the hearts of men is already bent that way. It's bent away from God and bent toward evil. It's bent toward the dragon. It's bent toward even the Antichrist. And so what we find in verse 14 is his pretense, his pretense, his deception, if you will. Look at verse 14 with me. So this false prophet, as we've been calling him, and we'll see why again here a little bit later, but he is deceiving them, that dwell on the earth by 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. So even though the true prophets of God, the two witnesses in chapter 11, and this false prophet are able or seem to be able to bring about the same miracle of fire on earth This time, the victory of the contest will go to the beast. Obviously, that was not the case in the time of Moses. That was not the case in the time of Elijah. But that will be the case in this time and just for a short period of time. Because we know who wins in the end, right? The reign of this beast along with the Antichrist is only for that three and a half year period of time when the Lord Jesus will come and show truly who is going to win this entire contest. And yet, we're told here in verse 14 of the truth and the reality of things. Because what is this beast really doing? He's deceiving. It's actually in the present tense. So the whole time he is deceiving them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles. He's deceiving them. He's not doing what is true. He's not doing what is right. He's mimicking, he's counterfeiting, and he's doing all he can, just like the dragon did, to deceive this people in this world. Now, we mentioned this last time, but I want to stress it again today. But what we find here in verse 14 is practically repeated in chapter 19, verse 20, where this beast is actually identified as the false prophet. And so that's why we are titling this lesson and why we can even call this second beast that rises up out of the land the false prophet. In fact, I want you to look at verse 14 while I read chapter 19, verse 20. Because you're going to see a lot of the same wording. In chapter 19, verse 20, of course, that's when Jesus actually returns and has victory over the beasts. And he says, the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, before the beast, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshiped his image. Basically, the thrust of chapter 19 is he's cast into the lake of fire. He's destroyed by the Lord. So again, we have this second beast, referred to as the false prophet, who wrought miracles before him, before the beast, with which he deceived them who dwell on the earth, that received the mark of the beast and them that worshiped his image. So once again, the deception of this false prophet is directed toward them that dwell on the earth. And I hope by now that phrase has become familiar to you. Because it is sort of a technical phrase that, throughout Revelation, describes unbelievers. And that bears out when you talk about those who dwell on the earth. It's referring to not those who have repented of their sin and turned to and trusted in Christ, whether it's before, during, or after the Great Tribulation. It's referring to those who are unbelievers. In fact, it's used four times in this chapter alone. And it's actually used two times in this verse alone. Again, if you look at verse 14, he deceives those that dwell on the earth. by the means of the 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." So anytime you see that phrase in Revelation, those who dwell on the earth, it's not talking about as a whole, believers and unbelievers. It's really focused on unbelievers because it shows where their hearts really are. There's no heavenly focus. Their whole focus and heart is earthbound. So not only do they dwell on earth, but the earth dwells in them, and that's why they will be led to worship this beast. We're also told here that the deception of this false prophet will be directed through those miracles. Those miracles, that's how it's put here in the King James, which he had power or authority, was actually given to do in the sight of this beast. Now, the word for miracle here is the same word that was translated wonders in verse 13, so Just the translators chose to do it a little differently for variety sake It's the exact same word and it comes from the same word for sign So in Revelation when you see the word sign or wonder or miracle They're all translations of the same Greek word, which is same a on which means that he's doing it for a purpose He's trying to point the world to this first beast as their Christ, which we know to be the Antichrist And we're also told in this verse that the second beast is still doing all of these signs and wonders and miracles in the sight of the first beast. This is actually the same description that we found in verse 12, where again, for variety's sake, the translators puts it a little bit differently. If you look back at verse 12, it says that this first or the second beast exercises all the power of the first beast before him. And I mentioned last time that it's not talking about sequentially or chronologically, but rather in the presence of. The Greek word is enopion in both of these verses. And the idea is that he has the approval of this first beast, the Antichrist. Basically, he has a stamp of approval. He's doing everything he possibly can. So in a world that seems to have such great conflict, in Revelation. I mean, there's so much conflict going on in this book, yet there are two, really three, that are acting fully in concert with each other to fulfill the will of the devil himself. So you've got the dragon, you've got the first beast, you've got this second beast, the false prophet, and there is an unusual unity between them in this world in order to wow and to woo the world into worshiping this planet Christ. Now, why would the world believe the miracles of the false prophet over the true prophets? I think that's probably a question that we would have not just then, but really for all time. Why is it that in Jesus's day, with all of the miracles that he did and performed, why did people not listen to him, not learn from him, not obey him? Of course, some did, obviously, but for the vast majority of them, even if they were followers of him for a short period of time, many of them turned on him, even to the point of his death. Well, again, I think the answer is in this verse. Their hearts will be in tune with the hearts of the beasts. Remember, they're dwellers on earth, and the earth is dwelling in them. That's their depraved heart. That would have been our hearts had not the grace of God reached into our heart and transformed it and changed it and give us a heart of flesh in order to listen to and learn from and love the Lord our God. their hearts will be in tune with those of the beast. So they'll be ready, not for the witnesses of the prophets of God, but to this false prophet. But I think also God himself will let the world get what their hearts desire most. This is something that is part of the judgment of God. Sometimes God begins his judgment on sinners in this world. We see this in the book of Romans. We also see this in the book of 2 Thessalonians, and I think especially in 2 Thessalonians 2.11, it is referencing what is going on here in chapter 13 of Revelation, where it says, for this cause, God himself shall send them, that is the people of the world, the dwellers of this earth, shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. And it's not that their hearts aren't already blinded, because they already are. And basically, God is just going to say, OK, you want something that is earthly? I'm going to give you something earthly. You want a God that you can see? Well, I'm going to let you have that God that you can see. And that God is no God at all. It is the very Antichrist. And it's not against their will, it's because of their will. And it's part of the very judgment of God that God is saying, okay, the time's up. My mercy and my long suffering has been for thousands of years. And the time is up. The time is up because I'm going to set up a new kingdom with a true Messiah that will actually have eternal consequences with a new heaven and a new earth eventually that will be full of righteousness and holiness. And so the time of this world and the way that this world has been since the time of Adam and Eve and their sin will be no more. And so the time will be up. And so God starts his judgment even on those who have chose to follow after their own will and the will of the devil. Now, I do find it interesting that after everything else the devil has used to deceive the world. I mean, and he has deceived the world in so many ways. And a lot of it has to do with saying, well, you know, getting us to question God's true word, right? I'll start in the Garden of Eden. Did God really say that? Well, after doing everything else to deceive the world, the devil himself will use counterfeits of the very truths that are found in Christ. Isn't that interesting? That instead of going a different route, he will take the Christ that the world has rejected since the beginning and present a different Christ that the world will accept and worship as a counterfeit. So you didn't want a Messiah to save you from your sin, but I'm going to give you a Messiah that will save you from the problems of this world. And so the things that really are focused on what is true and what is right, he's going to twist and turn and counterfeit and say, here you have it. What an interesting way that this deceiver is going to trick the world. And yet, both the beast and the false prophet will be so convincing that the deception of the false prophet will then be directed, once again, you look at verse 14, to them that dwell on the earth, and what is he going to get them and convince them to do? that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword and did live. So this is really his goal. He wants the whole world to worship the beast, and one of the best ways to do that is for them to build an image to the beast. So the false prophet, in service to the first beast, will deceive the world and cause them to make this image. Now the word for image here is the Greek word for icon. An icon is simply an idol. It's an image of something that is an idol of something. And yet the false prophet here is going to have the world, the people of the world, produce an image to this beast, an icon to this beast, which probably means it will be something like a statue that will resemble the features of the beast in some way. It kind of reminds us of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had made in Daniel chapter three. And there's some background in Daniel chapter two and three that probably kind of gives us a picture of what will go on here as well. But in Daniel chapter 3, if you remember, Nebuchadnezzar had this dream that was given to him by God that there was this image made up of all kinds of different materials, right? The head was of gold, the, what was it, the shoulders, torso was silver, and then you had the thighs of bronze and on down. And they represented different world empires starting with Babylon and working its way down to Rome and and then in chapter 3 Nebuchadnezzar decides, you know what? I'm gonna make a statue and More than likely it was supposed to resemble the statue that he had his dream But instead of making it the way his dream was he made it all of gold in pride Said I'm not just the head of the gold. I'm the whole body of gold and it's not just Babylon for a small period of time It's going to be Babylon forever. And so he made this image after the image that he had in his dream. And of course, he then caused everyone to do what to that work, to that image? To bow down and worship. And of course, we know that Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the Babylonian names. And I think it was what? Mishael, Azariah, and forget the other one. You remember the other one? Hannah and I, thank you. So I don't know why we always call and remember them by their Babylonian names. I think we prefer the Jewish names, right? But what do you say? Okay, well, everybody has to bow down. And if you don't, you'll be put into a burning, fiery furnace. All right? So obviously this is gonna recur again. This is gonna happen again. And so the false prophet will convince and cause unbelievers to make this image, and it says here, of the beast. But actually, if you look a little closer into the way it's put in the underlying manuscripts, it's actually to the beast. So it's not just of the beast, but it's to the beast. That is, it becomes a very means of their worship of the beast. Now, if there's a statue of the beast in one place, unless you're gonna go to that place, you know, it's gonna be harder to worship this beast, right? And so it's gonna seem like we're gonna have this one statue, but maybe I want my own little statue of this beast so I can worship him as well. What this means is that all of this will be used for worship, and what we can just say is crass idolatry. Now, in a world that is, people say, postmodern, where, you know, We don't have any room anymore for those old-fashioned ideas or superstitions or religions or anything like that. We've come a long way. We're more intellectual than other people. We think differently than those people. We understand what's going on in the real world. That was kind of the case back in the late 1700s during the time of the French Revolution, which I was kind of astonished to read a little bit about this last week. where basically all of the establishment of society of that day, the people of France turned against that. And that was royalty, having a king, and also the religion, having a Roman Catholic Church. And they turned against those things in order to have liberty and freedom for all. And in the name of freedom for all, countless thousands had their heads cut off by the means of the guillotine. I was reading a book, and I didn't have time to really dig in and research, and I plan to, but he made a comment how that there were, during the French Revolution, they ended up making statues called Freedom and Liberty. And they said, okay, we're not gonna worship these religions anymore. We're not gonna worship God. We're not gonna worship in a Catholic way. We're not gonna hold to the institutions of government and the king. We're not gonna bow to them, but we're gonna bow to liberty. We're gonna bow to even the statue or the idea of liberty. And so, in effect, people started bowing down to an idol that they thought was not an idol. And the writer even said that one man finally was looking around and thinking, this is crazy. Y'all worshiping an idol! And they said, bow down to it, or we will have your head. So, in our society, is it possible for the world as a whole to enter into, once again, crass idolatry, where they're going to hold to an image of a beast or an antichrist and say, this is our God? It's entirely in the realm of possibility, because Men's hearts are the same as they have been for 2,000, 6,000 years. There's nothing new under the sun. In fact, the very reason for this idolatry seems to be given to us again there at the end of verse 14. And it's all because he had the wound by a sword and did live. That first piece, right? Remember, we talked about that. He had a wound. And he did live, but here we're told he had a wound by a sword and did live. And so in some way, that Antichrist, that first beast of the first part of chapter 13, seems to be killed in a violent way, even by a sword, perhaps to become a martyr-like figure. before he comes back to life as a messianic figure for this world. And that will be the thing that brings all men to wow and to worship that first beast and want to make an idol to him and go back down that path of idolatry. You see, the idolatry of the world would be so strong and so devout. If you go back to chapter nine, if you remember, after all the trumpet judgments are given to us and they're meted out, and again, this shows us the cycle, the secular pattern of revelation. So what happens here in chapter 13, is not necessarily after what happens in chapter 9. In fact, it's probably happening during chapter 9, during some of the judgments of the trumpets. But if you look at verse 20 of chapter 9, after all the trumpets have been meted out, it says, And the rest of the men that were not killed by these plagues, that would have been part of the judgment of God, they repented not of the works of their hands, And what were the works of their hands? That they should worship devils and idols, icons of gold and silver and brass and stone and of wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk. This might indicate that even though there will be one main image of the beast somewhere in this world, that the false prophet will convince the people of this world to build, it seems like everyone will want their own copy of that idol, make it from whatever they have on hand to show their loyalty to this beast. And they will not repent of it, no matter how much judgment comes on them during the time of the trumpet judgments. But from this, as we turn our attention to verse 15, we're then told more about the project of this false prophet, which is this image, all right? In fact, the word image, icon, is found three times in this verse. So he, the false prophet, had power to give unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast, second time, should both speak and cause that as many should not worship, the image of the beast should be killed. So this is the main project, all right? Obviously he's serving the Antichrist, he's serving that first beast, but this idol now, this icon, this image, is now one of the main projects of the false prophet. But here is yet another great wonder of the false prophet. Remember, not only could he call fire down from heaven, but here we're told that he had power to give life unto the image of the beast. So the image that the people made to the beast after being deceived and convinced by the false prophet will then be able to have life in some way. Now, that's interesting. Now, the word for life here, some of your translations might put it a little differently, because it is actually the Greek word for spirit. The Greek word is pneuma, all right? It's reminiscent of God's work of creation, which seems here to be the false prophet is mimicking and mocking, if you will, all right? You say, if you're a Christian, you believe that there's a God who created life and put spirit in the mouth and heart of men. Look what I can do, the false prophet says. I can do the same thing, which means I am the true prophet of God. And yet, just as God created man in his own image and in his likeness from Genesis 1, so this false prophet will convince the world that he can do the same to this image of the beast. In Genesis 2, verse 7, it says that God, after he formed man out of the dust of the ground, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, or the spirit of life, if you will. Even though it's Hebrew there, it's not Pneuma, it's Hebrew, but it's the same idea. It's the breath of life. So now the false prophet will seem to be able to convince the world even more of his power by breathing life and spirit into this. Now, obviously, it's not going to be walking like the rest. It only has a few things that it will do, but it's still very, very powerful. But I also think in doing all of this, he may intend to bring credibility to all idolatry of the past. We mentioned that there's no new thing under the sun. And we know that the scriptures teaches that idolatry is wrong, it's sinful, it's wrong-headed. I mean, it's just not, doesn't make sense, you know. But in making alive and giving spirit to an actual idol, I like how Alan Johnson puts it. He goes, he may be giving idolatrous worship the appearance of vitality and reality and power. In other words, his whole point is saying, you know what? Back when Moses was doing all of those so-called signs and wonders before Pharaoh, and the magicians of Pharaoh were doing the same thing, it was the magicians of Pharaoh that were right. Not Moses. Or during the time of Elijah, and the time of the prophets of Baal. You know, remember all that? No, no, no, it wasn't Elijah that was right, it was those prophets of Baal. Because look at this idol. It has life to speak. It has life to command. It has life to do all of these things. And so all of the idolatry of the past was true and right. No, everything that Elijah and Moses and even Jesus was standing for was wrong. And so again, you see the twists and the turns that he's doing to deceive the people. Now, whether it's the devil, here or even a devil that might be involved in this image. We know that this is not a creative act. God is the only one who can create life. Instead, it's a counterfeit act to cement the world's worship of the beast. Again, it's probably very likely a demonic possession of this image. in order to actually convince the world even more to worship the first beast. So what will this image be given life for? There's two things here in verse 15. First of all, for the great impression of the world. It's going to impress the world that it can speak. This image, this idol, this statue. Imagine if you were to go to Washington, D.C., which is so full of statues, right? And imagine if you were standing before one, and all of a sudden, its mouth starts doing this, and it's talking, and it's making sense, all right? Hmm. That's bizarre. But that's what's gonna happen here. And it's gonna be very impressive. This gives us the result and really one of the main reasons why the image was given life. It is so that he might communicate the will of the beast into the world of men. And I think that, you know, we talked about how it's a sort of an unholy trinity where the dragon represents God the Father and the Antichrist, the first beast represents, again, Christ. And then we would have here sort of the false prophet mimicking the role of the Holy Spirit in that he will use this image to convince the people to do the Antichrist's bidding. Now, if you remember the description of idolatry that we looked at back in Chapter 9. In fact, why don't you go back there with me? Chapter 9. At the very end, it talks about all these things that these people made, idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, wood. And look at the next phrase. I think it's very telling. They can either see, nor hear, nor walk. But notice what's missing. It doesn't say anything about them not being able to talk, right? So I wonder if these images that they made actually could talk. because it represents, and they would be icons, again, of that great statue that can talk, and maybe it functions as the role of their own Holy Spirit, so wherever they're at in the world, if I wanna know the will of the Antichrist, all I've gotta do is pick up my copy of the idol, and he'll tell me, and I'm gonna listen, and I'm gonna do, and I'm gonna obey. And again, it's a crass copy and mimic of it all. Well, for an image to speak would be a very impressive thing. In ancient times, even in Roman times, there were attempts to make it seem like statutes and idols could speak. They would do all kinds of ventriloquism. They would do forms of magic. But unlike something the Roman world might have been acquainted with, this seems to be altogether different. It seems to be in a supernatural way, but even not supernatural from heaven. yet a demonic way. Is it any wonder that Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 that there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders inasmuch as if it were possible they should deceive the very elect before I have told you before. So it will be impressive to this world and they will not be able to explain it away. But it will also be given for the great intention that we find in the rest of this verse. The great intention Because not only will he speak, but this very image will seek to, here's the word, cause, or to do, he will cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Now, the way that this is put, it's not the false prophet causing those who don't worship the image to be killed, but it's actually the image itself that is causing the people that won't worship him to be killed. So it's no doubt true that the words of the image of the beast will be according to the will of the prophet of the beast and the beast himself. But I think the way that this is put is just to show again the true supernatural nature of this beast. It is actually the image doing and causing the people to be killed if they don't worship the beast, if they don't worship him. So nothing less than absolute allegiance to the beast is going to be tolerated. And again, that's an echo from Daniel 3, right? Burning fiery furnace. We find later in Revelation that the chosen method of execution of those who won't worship the beast is beheading, which again is reminiscent of what took place in the time of the French Revolution. Now, to worship the image of the beast will be considered to be the equivalent of worshiping the beast. So again, we see the tie-in between all of them. But I think this also implies that there will be those who won't worship the image of the beast or the beast himself. And of course, that shows us that there is still grace and there still is hope in the wilderness. See, even though this image will be able to order the deaths of those who will not worship him, it's clear from other places in Revelation that others will carry his orders out. And there will be believers that will not bow. There will be part of the elect, if you will, and they may not believe in Christ yet, but they will. they won't bow the knee to this beast or this image. And I think this probably is that main trial of the great tribulation that God's people will be called to go through during the time of the beast. And we already saw that referred to back in chapter seven. But ultimately what takes place here is going to be a time of trouble for God's people like they've never faced on earth before. And yet, of course, this is only one part of the power of this living idol. We'll learn about more of that as we go through this. But as we sang just before our lesson, I think we need to remember that question. How can I fear when Jesus is near? Right? How can I fear with Jesus? This is a fearful chapter. It's a difficult chapter. but ultimately we know what happens in the end. And that's why we put our faith in and trust in the Lord, even when we learn more about this fear. So that is more about the false prophet, this beast that rises up out of evil. Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you again that yes, we don't have to fear what we're learning about this chapter. And that is because even if your people are called to go through this, And Lord, we know that there will be some that are called to go through this, whether it's us or others. Yet, Lord, we know that you have our times in your hand, that you will not allow us to enter into your presence any sooner than that time is for us. We see that in the life of the two witnesses, which, of course, is another representation of our own lives and times before you. So, Father, I pray that you'll help us to maintain faithfulness to the very witness and word that we have as your church, as your people in this day and in this age, even knowing what yet might come to pass. So, Father, I pray that you'll help us to bring as many as we can with us to know the great hope that there is in the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what might happen to the bodies, yet the soul can be safe with you forever. Father, we thank you again for your word. We pray your blessing on our surface to follow in Jesus name. Amen.