The Antichrist’s One World Order – Revelation 13:1-18

This chapter documents the fearful, one world order of the Antichrist that will dramatically increase in scope and power during the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week. The Antichrist will control the world politically, spiritually and economically.

Revelation 12 and 13 introduce us to the unholy, satanic trinity – Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet.

In this chapter we are introduced to another two key players in the tribulation period – the beast out of the sea (antichrist) and the beast out of the earth (the false prophet). “Revelation 13 describes the Antichrist’s worldwide kingdom from God’s perspective. In the eyes of fallen man, these two personages will be majestic and fascinating and brilliant and worthy of the highest praise, but in God’s eyes they are mere beasts made to be cast into the fire.” (David Cloud)

The idea of a one world government is now mainstream as the world hurtles towards the end time kingdom of antichrist. Illustration: Former UK Prime Minister Gordan Brown’s call for global government to tackle COVID-19.¹

We will divide the chapter into 3 sections for our study.

A One World Ruler (Vs. 1-10)

This section introduces us to the first beast in John’s vision, the Antichrist. From man’s perspective he will appear as the world’s wonder man but from God’s perspective he is a monstrous beast and instrument of Satan. Other names for the beast in Scripture are ‘antichrist’ (1 John 2:18), “little horn” (Dan. 7:8; 8:9-14); “the prince that shall come” (Dan. 9:26-27), “vile person” (Dan. 11:21-45), “man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:3), “son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3) and “that wicked” (2 Thess. 2:8).

The Description of the Beast (Vs. 1-2)

His Ascent (Vs. 1a)

1. The beast is pictured as rising out of the sea. The imagery is similar to Daniel 7.
2. The sea represents the mass of humanity (See Rev. 17:1 & 15).

His Appearance (Vs. 1b-2a)

1. Resemblance to the Dragon’s Visage (1b).
   1. Note the family resemblance! Rev. 12:3 “…and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” Rev. 17:3 “…a scarlet coloured beast…”
   2. “the name of blasphemy” = blasphemy is one of Antichrist’s chief characteristics and one of the key features of his reign. So blasphemous is the Antichrist that from God’s perspective, blasphemy is imprinted on his very person.
2. Resemblance to Daniel’s Vision (Vs. 2a)
   1. Refer Daniel 7:1-8. The lion represented Babylon, the bear Medo-Persia and the leopard Greece. In Daniel they are listed in reverse order to Revelation as Daniel was looking forward in time whereas John was looking back in time.
   2. Antichrist’s world kingdom will incorporate aspects from the previous 3 world empires.
   3. John Walvoord: “The fourth empire gathers all these elements and characteristics into itself and is far more dreadful in its power and blasphemy than the preceding empires. It will have the majesty and power of the lion, the strength and tenacity of a bear, and the swiftness of a leopard.”
   4. John Phillips: “The beast of Revelation 13 is both an emperor and an empire. He is both a real person and a representative person.”
3. His Authority (Vs. 2b)
   1. He is energized by Satan – ‘power’ (dunamis) He is given supernatural power from the devil.
   2. He is enthroned by Satan – “seat and great authority”. The word ‘seat’ is the Greek word ‘thronos’ (qronoV). His seat/throne comes with tremendous authority that will be world-wide in its scope.

The Deification of the Beast (Vs. 3-4)

The Beast’s Deception (Vs. 3a)

1. This resurrection story is at the heart of the beasts deceiving of the world to worship him. It is mentioned 3 times in the passage (Vs. 3, 12 & 14). Twice it is referred to as his “deadly wound” and once as “the wound by a sword.”
2. As Antichrist he mimics the death and resurrection of Christ. The phrase “as it were” indicates that this involves Satanic deception and seduction. Satan is not a creator; he is an imitator. He is the master counterfeiter.

The World’s Devotion (Vs. 3b-4)

1. They Wonder after the Beast (3b)
   1. The word ‘wonder’ means to marvel at, hold in admiration. The Antichrist will be the world’s wonder man.
   2. John Phillips: “What a man he will be in the eyes of the world! The world will go delirious with delight at his manifestation. He will be the seeming answer to all its needs. He will be filled with all the fullness of Satan. Handsome, with a charming, rakish, devil-may-care personality, a genius, superbly at home in all the scientific disciplines, brave as a lion, and with an air of mystery about him to tease the imagination…a brilliant conversationalist in a score of tongues, a soul-captivating orator, he will be the idol of all mankind.”
2. They Worship the Beast (4)
   1. They worship the Dragon, the invisible personage behind the antichrist (4a). Satan has always craved the worship of man (Matt. 4:9) and he will get his wish in the tribulation on a level far greater than any other time in human history.
   2. They worship the beast (4b). In the estimation of the world, the Antichrist will seem incomparable and invincible.
   3. Illustration: History shows that when God is removed from a society, Satan fills the vacuum with his substitutes. The history of Totalitarian regimes are an example of how a man can be deified and worshipped (refer presentation).

The Defamations from the Beast (Vs. 5-6)

His Boasting (Vs. 5a)

1. “a mouth speaking great things” = he will be a powerful and persuasive orator, hypnotizing his listeners with his mesmerizing speeches.
2. This is an exact quotation from Daniel 7:8 “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”

His Blasphemy (Vs. 5b-6)

In the first half of the tribulation the antichrist veils his true character and deceives the Jews into believing he is their Messiah (pictured in the white horse of Rev. 6) but in the second half, his true character will be made manifest. His blasphemy is threefold:

1. He blasphemes God’s Person – “against God”
2. He blasphemes God’s Position – “his tabernacle”
3. He blasphemes God’s People – “them that dwell in heaven”
4. Phillips: “Blasphemies will well up from the dark satanic depths of this man’s abysmal soul and will flow like sulfurous lava from his lips.”
5. Note: We live in a blasphemous world that is being conditioned for the Antichrist’s reign of blasphemy. The name of Christ is dragged through the mud daily and used in combination with heinous swear words. Evil men pour out their blasphemies against God in their T.V. shows and programs.

The Dictatorship of the Beast (Vs. 7-10)

He wages war against the Saints (Vs. 7a; 9-10)

1. The conquering of the saints (7a)
   1. He slaughters the 2 tribulation prophets (Rev. 11:7).
   2. He makes war with the remnant of Israel’s seed (Rev. 12:17).
   3. He makes war with the saints and overcomes them (Rev. 13:7).
   4. The persecution against the tribulation saints will be fierce and brutal. Many will lose their lives but some will survive until the second coming of Christ as indicated at the sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25.
2. The comfort of the saints (9-10) This verse outlines God’s Divine law of retribution. “Those who persecute the saints and lead them into captivity must in turn suffer the righteous wrath of God. This truth serves as an encouragement to believers and as a warning to their persecutors.” (Walvoord)

He receives worship from the world (Vs. 8)

1. “all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him” = the worship of the beast is global
2. “whose names are not written in the book of life” = the reason they worship the beast. True believers not in this category. The Book of life is mentioned 8 times in the N.T., 7 of which are in Revelation (Rev. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 15; 21:27, 22:19; Phil. 4:3). Appears names are removed from this book (Ex. 32:32; Ps. 69:28). They have chosen to worship the beast rather than the Lamb so their names are permanently erased from the Book of Life.
3. Cloud: “The lust for a one-world government, which is the dream of so many today, will be realized in the day of the Antichrist. In the last 75 years we have seen the rise of the Federation of Nations formed after World War I, and the United Nations, formed after World War II. Globalism and Internationalism is in the very air today, but it was a dream that began in ancient times in the days of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). The Antichrist will fulfill the devil’s dream of ruling over the world, over all nations, all languages, and all kindreds. The technology and infrastructure to achieve this objective exists today in the form of satellite communication, international electronic banking, the fast-approaching cashless society, rapid mass transportation, electronic passport control, the ubiquitous presence of surveillance cameras, etc.”

A One World Religion (Vs. 11-15)

In this section we are introduce to the second beast who has a supporting role to the first beast. Three times in Revelation he is called “the false prophet” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:20). He is the mastermind behind bringing the world together into the Antichrist cult. He employs two tools of deception:

Deceitful Words (Vs. 11-12)

The cloak for his words (Vs. 11a)

1. He has the appearance of a lamb.
2. Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

The character of his words (Vs. 11b-12)

1. His voice is the dragon’s voice. His words are satanically inspired and empowered.
2. His focus is on leading the world to worship the first beast (Antichrist). The false resurrection story is at the heart of his message. He proclaims the so-called death, burial and resurrection of the Antichrist and the majority of the world will fall for it.

Deceitful Wonders (Vs. 13-15)

Deceitful Imitations (Vs. 13-14a)

1. Lying wonders are a part of Antichrist’s kingdom. 2 Thess. 2:9- 10 “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
2. He makes fire come down from heaven (Vs. 13). He imitates men like Elijah and the two tribulation prophets (Rev. 11).
3. He performs miracles in the presence of Antichrist (Vs. 14a).
4. He uses miracles to lure the world into the antichrist cult.
5. Note: Satan has the power and ability to do miracles. During Moses’ day the devil was able to turn a stick into a snake (Ex. 7:10-11), turn water into blood (Ex. 7:22) and bring up frogs upon the land (Ex. 8:7). The performance of a miracle does not automatically mean something is of God. Everything must be subjected to the scrutiny of the Lord’s great standard of truth, the Word of God.

A Deceitful Image (Vs. 14b-15)

1. He leads the world to make an image/idol of the beast, adding another dimension to the cult of Antichrist and becoming the center of the false worship of the world ruler. It is mentioned 3 times in this chapter and 6 more times in Revelation (Rev. 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). It is this image that the Antichrist will setup in the temple at the half way point. The event described by Christ as “the abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15).
2. He gives power to the image to do two things:
   1. To speak – perhaps it will be some sort of satanically empowered artificial intelligence.
   2. To kill – the image of the beast will have the authority and perhaps even the ability to take the lives of those who refuse to worship it.
   3. Note: Repression of Christianity, control of conscience and a state enforced religion are hallmarks of totalitarian regimes.

A One World Restriction (Vs. 16-18)

The Enforcement of the Mark (Vs. 16)

1. All people of every class are required to take the mark of the beast.
2. The mark is to be either on the forehead or the right hand, both visible places. The mark appears to involve the name and number of the beast (Vs. 17) and is some form of identification.
3. Thomas: “The locations of the hand and forehead, places most conspicuous to the observer, also attest that the mark’s purpose is its visibility. The mark must be some sort of branding similar to that given soldiers, slaves, and temple devotees in John’s day. In Asia Minor, devotees of pagan religions delighted in the display of such a tattoo as an emblem of ownership by a certain god.”

The Economics of the Mark (Vs. 17)

1. No one will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast. This represents a one world economic system under the control of Antichrist. Economic coercion will be used to further enforce the worship of the Antichrist.
2. This will be easily achieved with modern computerization and the shift to a cashless system.
3. History shows that people will quickly trade their freedoms for basic necessities such as food.
4. Newell: “Satan’s own Prophet now springs the double jaws of the Great Dragon’s awful steel-trap on the souls of men. Between the jaw of damning miracle-backed soul-delusion, and the jaw of bodily self-preservation, man is caught! He cannot escape if he would, for he must eat to live on this earth; and he would not escape if he could, for, like the flame-dazzled moth, he has fallen in blinded worship at the feet of his destroyer! No pen of any language can describe a doom so awful, a fate so fearful.”

The Exhortation about the Mark (Vs. 18)

1. This verse contains an instruction to the tribulation saints in order that they might readily identify and recognize the Antichrist when he becomes a public figure.
2. They are instructed to ‘count’ the number of the beast and it will yield the number 666.
3. The number 6 is the number of man as it falls short of God’s perfect standard represented in the number 7.
4. Phillips: “The Greek and Hebrew alphabets have numerical values attached to the letters of their respective alphabets. The Beast’s name, when it is known, will yield the number 666.”
5. True believers will refuse the mark of the Beast (Rev. 20:4).

Conclusion

Who will you choose? Christ or Antichrist? The mark of the beast or the mark of a born-again child of God? (Eph. 1:13)

References

1. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/26/gordon-brown-calls-for-global-government-to-tackle- coronavirus

Sermon 24 of 38 in Revelation Series