“THE FALSE PROPHET”

Revelation 13:11-17; 19:20

INTRODUCTION:      First Beast--political ruler of the world who sets himself above God.

                                 II Thessalonians 2:3, 4

                                 Second Beast-religious ruler who promotes the kingdom of the political

                                 beast.

  I.        HIS POSITION 

        A.  A Jew from the land of Israel - v. 11

        1.     Sea = Gentile nations, cf. 13:1

        2.     Earth or land = Israel (Palestine)

        B.  A prophet of the Antichrist - v. 11

        1.     Horns like a lamb

        2.     Has a counterfeit ministry of that of John the Baptist - cf. John 1:29

        3.     He points to the beast as the world’s hope as John pointed to Christ as

                the world’s salvation.

        C.  An underling of Satan

             1.        Receives his authority from the devil - v. 12

     2.        Does the will and bidding of the devil.

        D.  Takes a secondary place to the Beast - v. 12

        1.     He promotes the worship of the Beast.

        2.     He has the same aims, methods, and authority.

 II.        HIS PURPOSE

        A.  To promote the worship of the beast - v. 12

        B.  To create a one-world religion - vs. 14, 15

        C.  To deceive the unbelieving world - v. 14

        1.     His message is of one who can solve the world’s troubles -

        II Thessalonians 2:8-10

        2.     He set us an image in Jerusalem, thus making the city the religious center

        of the world - v. 14, cf. Matthew 24:15

III.       HIS POWER

        A.  The power of the miraculous - vs. 13, 15

        1.     To make fire come down from heaven - v. 13 

        a.        Counterfeit of Elijah - I Kings 18:37, 38

        b.        To deceive the unsaved into believing that he is Elijah as the

                   predecessor   of Messiah - Malachi 4:5, 6 

        B.  The power of death - v. 15

        1.     Over believers saved during that age - cf. v. 7

        2.     A power that not even belonged to Satan until he was cast into the earth -

                cf. Job             2:6

        C.  The power to control the lives of everyone in the earth - vs. 16, 17

IV.       HIS PROSCRIPTION - Revelation 19:20

           CONCLUSION:          What is the cause of this terrible time of judgment?

                                            REJECTION of Christ and the message of salvation.

                                            cf. Zechariah 11:12, 13

                                                                                                              END