And Revelation 13 verse number 1, it says,
And I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea.
The total for the sermon this morning is the beast, the beast.
You see the beast rising out of the sea mentioned here.
Now, Revelation 13, don't completely detach it from Revelation chapter 12.
You know, as we're going from Revelation chapter 12,
we saw that we've seen much symbolism, right?
The woman and the woman representing the entire population of the world and the dragon,
and that's being the devil.
But even on the dragon, you may recall that time.
In fact, just quickly have a look at there in Revelation chapter 12 and verse number 3,
it says,
And there appeared another one day in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his head.
And I just briefly touched upon that, saying that those crowns,
those horns all represent kings and kingdoms.
And I'm going to elaborate on that a little bit more in this chapter.
Now, look at Revelation 13 verse number 1, it says it again,
And I stood upon the sand of the sea and I saw a beast, all right,
rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns.
Now, the dragon also had seven heads and ten horns, you may recall.
But here's the difference between the dragon and the beast.
It says here,
And upon his horns, ten crowns.
Whereas the dragon had seven crowns on the seven heads,
this beast has ten crowns on the ten horns.
Okay, so it's very similar, yet different.
And then it says here,
And upon his heads, the name of blasphemy.
Okay, so this beast is blasphemy.
When we say the word blasphemy, we're saying that they speak,
or that they despise or they speak words, cursing the Lord God.
So this is not a righteous beast or a godly beast in any manner of the word.
But I do want you to notice that it's very similar, seven heads, ten horns.
Again, I'm saying that because I don't want to completely
detach it from the dragon we saw earlier.
But it is still a separate beast.
Okay, it is still a separate beast.
Now, I remember when I used to, you know, read for the book of Revelation,
the hardest thing for me was understanding the beasts, the horns, the crowns.
Okay, and I think there is still quite a challenge to understand these things.
And I'm going to do the best I can to teach this.
But what really helped me understand what this is all about,
is these beasts represent kingdoms.
Okay, this beast coming out of the sea represents a kingdom.
But it also represents the king of that kingdom.
Now, when I say that, it's not the king and the kingdom are not one the same thing.
But these beasts, these symbols do represent both of these things.
But the king is not a kingdom necessarily.
For example, you might have the kingdom of, let's say the Roman Empire,
that was a powerful kingdom on the earth.
But there were many kings over that kingdom.
And so there could be a succession of kings of that kingdom.
But when we look at these beasts, we look at these creatures, these symbols,
they often represent both the king and the kingdom.
That's the first thing I want you to, that will help you understand what this is referring to.
The other thing that you could read over, and I used to read over it all the time,
was the crowns.
And the crowns are so important to understand.
Again, if you just compare Revelation 12, let's go back there again.
Revelation 12, 3, it says,
And there appeared another one in heaven, behold a great red dragon,
look at this, having seven heads.
Okay, the beast in Revelation 13 also has seven heads.
And 10 horns, the beast of Revelation 13 also has 10 horns.
But again, where do the crowns sit?
The seven crowns upon the heads.
So again, the crowns are upon the heads with the dragon.
But the crowns of the beasts are upon the horns.
That's why there's 10 crowns rather than seven crowns.
And what is, you know, when you think of, you know, a king being coronated,
you know, what do crowns represent?
It represents the seat of authority.
Okay, so what we're seeing happening from Revelation 12 to 13 is a transfer of power,
a transfer from the crowns being upon the seven heads,
to now the crowns being transferred to the 10 horns.
There's a transfer of power, or a change of system,
if you want to look at it like that, okay.
And I'm going to elaborate more on this again when we get to Revelation 17.
Okay, so we're seeing different beasts, dragon is Satan,
the beast is ultimately going to be the Antichrist and his power base.
But we're seeing a transfer of power from an old system to a new system.
Okay, now let's identify the 10 horns.
The 10 horns are the easiest ones to identify.
So come with me to Revelation chapter 17.
Revelation chapter 17, okay, this transfer of system
happens on the second half of the seven year period, okay.
The last three and a half years, we see this transfer of system.
In Revelation chapter 17, verse number one, you know,
this speaks of the great hall mystery Babylon the great,
it says in Revelation 17, one, and then came out of the seven,
sorry, yeah, sorry, let me go that again.
And that came out of the seven angels, which had the seven vials,
and talked with me saying unto me, come hither,
I will show unto thee the judgment of the great hall,
that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth
have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth
have been made drunk with a wine of her fornication.
So he carried me away in the spirits into the wilderness.
And I saw a woman, now, I'm not so fast about the woman right now,
but look at the beast she sits upon.
And the woman, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast,
full of names of blasphemy, like the first, like the beast we saw in Revelation 13,
having seven heads and 10 horns.
So we know we're talking about the same beast.
You see that?
The seven heads and the 10 horns.
Now drop down to verse number 12.
We get the description of what these 10 represent.
It says in verse number 12,
and the 10 horns, which thou sawest, are 10 kings.
Now notice the next phrase, which have received no kingdom as yet.
Okay.
So they don't have a kingdom as of yet, as far as what we read about here.
But of course we're living in a time of,
we're living before any of these things happen right now.
So these 10 kings don't have power as of today.
Okay.
They're 10 kings that we start to learn about in the second half of Daniel's 70th week.
So that transfer of power has not yet happened.
Does that make sense?
We're still operating under the system of the seven heads and the 10,
sorry, the seven crowns upon those 10 heads.
That transfer of power has not yet occurred.
Okay.
And then it says here, as it continues,
but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
So they do receive power.
They don't have it yet.
They don't have any power just yet,
but they do receive power one hour with the beast.
Verse number 13.
These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Now the beast there is referring to the Antichrist.
And that's the thing you need to separate between a beast,
which is referring to a kingdom or a power base,
but also it refers to the king over that power, which is the Antichrist.
But again, the Bible also differentiates between the kingdom and the beast
or the king in that scenario.
So what we see play out here in Revelation chapter 12,
we get introduced to the dragon.
Okay.
With the crowns upon the heads.
That's the old system.
In fact, we're introduced to that dragon at a point
shortly before Christ be born into the world.
You may recall that, right?
Because then the dragon tries to kill that child.
Okay.
So this is a system that's been operating even from the time of Christ.
And that system is still operating today.
But in the future time, in the end times,
there's going to be a transfer system from those seven to the 10.
And then another transfer from those 10 to the one,
which is the beast or the Antichrist.
Okay.
This is how the Antichrist gets full power, full control of the earth
from an old system to a new system.
And then that new system give its complete power over to the Antichrist.
Okay.
So I hope all that kind of makes sense to you.
Now let's go back to Revelation 13 verse number two.
Revelation 13 verse number two.
So again, the 10 horns represent these 10 kings that have no power yet.
They will have power in the end times.
We'll talk about the seven heads and what the old system represents
when we get to Revelation 17.
Okay.
Now verse number two.
In fact, verse number two kind of gives us a clue about the old system as well.
Okay.
It says in verse number two,
and the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard
and his feet were as the feet of a bear
and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon, which is the devil,
gave him power and his seat and great authority.
All right.
Now the way this beast is described is written in a way
to bring our attention back to the book of Daniel.
Okay.
So if you can keep your finger there and come with me to the book of Daniel chapter seven.
Daniel chapter seven.
So it's like a leopard, but the feet are like a bear
and its mouth or its face if you want is like a lion.
Okay.
Leopard, bear, lion.
And we saw that the dragon gives him power and his seat and great authority.
So the first, like this whole chapter is really teaching us about the antichrist,
teaching us about the beast.
And the first thing that we learn about the beast is that
all political power will be given to the beast.
Now there is a system, there's a transfer of power.
It doesn't just happen automatically.
Okay.
But we see that the beast is attempting to take political power upon himself,
complete political power.
This is why we often talk about a one world government.
Okay.
Where these 10 kings are ended up just giving all that power over to one man.
And then we have a one world government that political power is given to the beast.
Now in Daniel chapter seven and verse number one,
Daniel chapter seven verse number one,
it says in the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon,
Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed.
Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.
That Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night.
And behold, the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea.
And that's what he says in verse number three.
And four great beasts came up from the sea.
So in Revelation 13, the beast that we saw also comes up or rises out of the sea.
So we have that first parallel there.
Okay.
Then he says, diverse one from another.
So all of these beasts are different from the other.
Okay.
They don't look exactly the same.
He says in verse number four, the first was like a lion.
Okay.
Now I don't have time to prove this.
If you know the book of Daniel, you'll know what I'm saying is true.
But this first, that is a lion, represents the Babylonian empire.
Okay.
It's the Babylonian empire of the time of Daniel.
Daniel is in captivity as it were for those 70 years,
as well as other Jews under Babylonian power.
And so the lion represents the kingdom, but then it says this,
and had eagle's wings.
The idea of wings is to be lifted up and to fly in the air.
These eagle wings represents the pride of Nebuchadnezzar.
Okay.
We know that Nebuchadnezzar became a very proud man.
And then what does God do when Nebuchadnezzar becomes a proud man?
He turns him into an animal.
Remember that?
Well, not really an animal, but you know, he loses.
He goes insane is what happens to Nebuchadnezzar.
Okay.
And that's why he continues there.
It says, I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked.
So God removed the pride of Nebuchadnezzar and it was lifted up from the earth
and made stand upon the feet as man and a man's heart was given to it.
Okay.
So then God restores sanity and a sound mind back to Nebuchadnezzar.
And so what I'm trying to demonstrate just there from that very first,
that verse number four there is the lion is the kingdom,
but it also represents Nebuchadnezzar.
That's what I'm trying to say.
These creatures, these symbols represent the kingdom
as well as the man in power over that kingdom.
Let's keep going there.
Verse number five, and behold another beast, a second like to a bear.
So the first was a lion.
The second is a bear, right?
And it raised up itself on one side and it had ribs in the mouth of it
between the teeth of it.
And they said thus unto it, arise, devour much flesh.
Verse number six, after this I behold and lo another like a leopard.
Okay.
Which had upon the back of its four wings, upon its back of it,
four wings of a fowl.
The beast had also four heads and dominion was given to it.
Okay.
Don't worry about all the details right now.
What I want to show you is that these kingdoms, okay,
these kingdoms that come out of the sea is a lion, a bear and a leopard.
And the beast that we saw coming out of Revelation 13 had all those characteristics.
Okay.
So it's, it's, it's essentially following the same line of all these other creatures.
It's, it's almost a, what's the word I'm looking for?
A culmination of all of these powers that have come before.
Now very quickly, just for your information, the lion is the Babylonian empire.
The bear represents the Medo-Persian empire.
The leopard represents the Grecian empire.
That's the kind of the order that we see play out throughout in the Bible,
but also throughout history.
And then in verse number seven, he says this,
after this I saw in the night visions and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible
and strong exceedingly and it had great iron teeth.
Okay.
Now for the sake of time right now, that is the Roman empire.
That's the next empire that's on the agenda here.
But you see, not only is it the Roman empire, but we see something more play out.
Like we start with this beast, but then we get drawn,
our attention gets drawn toward a different aspect of the beast.
It says here, it devoured and break in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it.
And it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it.
Then it says this, and it had 10 horns.
So again, you can kind of see these beasts coming out of sea, like Revelation 13,
but then this fourth beast has 10 horns, which then draws our attention.
Hold on.
That's what we know about in Revelation, you know, 13, 12 and 13 and so on, right?
Now these 10 horns are 100%, the 10 Kings that we read about in Revelation.
Okay.
That are identified in Revelation 17.
This is why, remember the 10 Kings gave their power to the Antichrist.
Well, look at verse number eight.
Daniel says, I considered the horns.
It's all right.
His attention turns from the beast.
Okay.
Now he goes, what are these horns?
Like what's up with these horns?
Okay.
What I'm trying to tell you guys is there's been a change of system here symbolically
in these visions that he's received.
He says, I considered the horns and behold, there came up among them another little horn.
Okay.
So those 10 horns are already there, but then all of a sudden, almost outside of the norm,
it kind of just develops.
This little horn just comes out of nowhere, right?
He says, before whom there were three of these first ones plucked out by the roots and behold,
in this horn were like the eyes, sorry, were eyes like the eyes of man.
And the next phrase is so important about this little horn.
And a mouth speaking great things.
I want you to remember that phrase.
Okay.
This little horn has eyes of a man because it is a man.
Okay.
And a mouth speaking great things.
Please remember that phrase.
Okay.
Now come back with me to Revelation 13.
Back to Revelation 13 and verse number three.
Revelation 13 and verse number three.
Okay.
Now why are you going for all that pastor?
I hope it's not overwhelming.
I wanted to really help you understand what is happening here.
These, these beasts are symbolic of kingdoms.
Okay.
Of kings, of a transfer of power.
Okay.
These 10 kings operate from that fourth beast, but then we have this sort of little horn
that rises itself up out of that.
Okay.
And it also, as it rose up, it also mentioned that three of those horns were kind of plucked up.
It's kind of like the idea of when you have your adult teeth come through.
Right.
Like you lose your baby teeth and the adult teeth pops through.
But in this scenario, one horn comes through and then it knocks down three others on its way up.
Okay.
But verse number three in Revelation 13, verse number three.
It says, and I saw one of his heads.
That's one of the heads of the beast.
As it was, as it were wounded to death.
And his, so notice that one of those heads is a, his is a, is a person.
So it's kingdom and person again in a symbol, in a symbol of a beast.
Wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wandered after the beast.
Okay.
So this beast that is wounded to death, we've already seen this before, but it's the Antichrist.
Okay.
The beast of Revelation, the Antichrist, he gets wounded to death and the whole world
wonders and he's healed.
You know, the deadly wound was healed and the whole world wonders.
Okay.
Now I've already proven this before, but this is not just, he had a really bad accident.
He's on the point of death.
Maybe his heart stops and his brain stops and they revive him.
And then everyone's amazed.
No, what's actually happened.
He has died.
This Antichrist, this beast actually dies.
And the healing here is coming back from the dead.
Just once again, let me show this in Revelation 17 verse number 8.
Revelation 17 and verse number 8.
Revelation 17 verse number 8.
The Bible reads, the beast that the thesaurus was and is not.
Okay.
If you know the Bible that many times refers to passed away, dead.
Doesn't exist anymore as it were, right?
He was, is not because he's dead.
And then it says this and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit.
We've already proven that to be hell.
Okay.
So he's, when he died, his soul went to hell and then his soul comes out of hell.
You go, how is that possible pastor?
But here's the thing.
All souls that are in hell will come out of hell at some point and stand before the Lord.
And then those souls are going to be cast into the lake of fire.
Okay.
So it's not unusual for this to happen, but we see this happen specifically just
on a single nature rather than our multitude.
But he comes out, okay.
And it says, and go into perdition.
The word perdition means damnation.
So even though he's come out of the bottomless pits, his end is damnation.
He's gone forever.
Eventually he's going to be cast into the lake of fire afterwards.
Okay.
And then it says this, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder.
Okay.
Again, the amazing, wondering, whoa.
Because he's dead.
Like remember, he's the antichrist.
He's in the place of Christ.
He's trying to show himself to be God.
So he has this experience.
The devil has given him power, something that we've seen earlier.
And so somehow the devil has the ability to do this, to allow this man to come out of hell.
But it's not like he can come out of hell and go to heaven.
No, he's going to perdition his damned.
Like it's a short-lived experience of coming out of the dead.
Okay.
And it says here, but who wonders, who's like amazed,
those whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was and is not because he died,
and yet is because he came back to life.
Okay.
So who's amazed, who's wondering, wow,
this is amazing.
This is wonderful.
It's those whose names are not found in the book of life.
Now they're walking the earth, but the names have already been removed out of the book of life.
What does that tell you about the people living on the earth during this time?
They're reprobates.
Okay.
They're reprobate.
This is why later when God's pouring out his wrath.
Okay.
They don't, they don't repent from their evil works because they reprobate.
They hate the Lord.
Okay.
Now come back to me to Revelation 13 and verse number four.
Revelation 13 and verse number four.
So you have these reprobate.
Now we're going to talk about the mark of the beast toward the end of this chapter.
One thing that I, you know, if you don't agree with me with this, that's fine.
We know that whoever takes the mark of the beast,
have their names removed from the book of life.
Okay.
Again, they're reprobate.
But from what I can see here, they didn't become reprobate
the moment they took the mark of the beast.
They already were reprobate.
Okay.
Just like Romans chapter one.
You know, a homosexual did not become reprobate the moment they committed homosexuality.
They already were reprobate and then they started committing things that are unnatural.
Okay.
So it seems like that's the same process that we see of these people.
They're already reprobates.
And so, give me the mark of the beast.
Of course, I'll take that.
Like that's, you know, it's not even a question for them.
You know, they hate the Lord.
Okay.
But anyway, let's look at verse number four.
So we saw the people that wander after the beast.
Okay.
These are the same people in verse number four.
They're reprobate.
It says, and they worshipped the dragon.
The dragon is Satan.
Okay.
Which gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast.
That's the antichrist saying, who is like unto the beast?
Who is able to make war with him?
So what I understand from this is that we've seen major world warfare that begin
those three and a half years.
It might be that in that act of war, that's when the antichrist dies.
Okay.
But it comes back to life.
And they're like, well, who can make war against him?
All right.
And when it comes back to life, he's given even more power from Satan.
Okay.
Like you can't even kill this guy is what people on the earth are thinking.
Right.
Like it doesn't matter what kind of assassination,
doesn't matter what you try to do.
This guy is amazing.
Okay.
And the reprobate of the people worshiping the dragon and worshiping the beast.
This is why I don't subscribe to the teaching that I've heard many times in many churches.
That, you know, the tribulation saints at this time are going to have to decide,
are you going to bow down to the dragon?
Are you going to bow down to the beast?
It's the reprobate's doing it.
Like I don't see in the Bible, I don't see in these end times believers like,
oh, I don't know, what am I going to do?
You know, am I going to stand up for the Lord?
Or am I just going to bow down to the dragon?
I've heard that so many times, but that stuff is just conjecture.
Like it's make believe.
It's like, this is what may happen.
But if you pay attention closely to what God is actually telling us, these are reprobates.
The names have been taken out of the book of life already.
That's not you and I.
You know, God promises us that our names will never be blotted out of His book.
So this is not us.
This is not believers.
These are reprobates that are worshiping the dragon, the devil, and a man.
And this is why, you know, that's why I told you guys before, I love the end times,
but I also hate the end times because I hate a lot of the conjecture, the make believe.
Well, how will this happen?
How will that happen?
You know, man, people are going to struggle.
What if I'm tempted to take the mark of the beast and worship the dragon?
You're not, you're not a reprobate.
It's not going to happen to you.
In fact, the Bible makes it crystal clear that it's not going to happen.
And I can prove that so many different ways.
But one sure way to prove it is it's the reprobate, it's the reprobates that are doing this.
Okay.
And most of the world will be reprobate by this time.
Look at verse number five.
Now, before we read verse number five, remember the little horn where I told you to pay attention
when it said, it's given, he was given a mouth speaking great things.
We'll look at verse number five, and there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things.
So you can see, it's 100% the same things that we're talking about here.
Okay.
It's given the power by these 10 kings.
He's speaking great things.
What are these great things that he's speaking about?
Great things and blasphemies.
Okay, so he's speaking boldly against God, okay, against God's people, okay.
Don't forget that the first three and a half years has already taken place according to chapter 12.
Then the dragon, remember he was kicked out of heaven and his angels.
And the Bible says that the dragon had great wrath because he knows his time is short.
And so then he starts persecuting not the woman,
but those that have the testimony of Christ, those that are saved.
Okay.
And the vehicle by which the devil seeks to persecute God's people is by the Antichrist.
Okay.
So he's speaking great blasphemies against God.
And then it says this, and power was given unto him to continue 40 and two months.
By now you know that number, three and a half years, okay.
We're now talking about the next three and a half years, not the first three and a half years.
The next three and a half years is what we're dealing with.
So he's been given this power to just blaspheme God for the next three and a half years.
Verse number six, and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God
to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.
So he's blaspheming against God.
Let's skip tabernacle for a moment.
And then that dwell in heaven.
So those are the angels, the believers that are in heaven.
He's blaspheming against them, but also against his tabernacle.
Okay.
Now where is this tabernacle?
Quickly come with me to Revelation 15.
Revelation 15 and verse number five.
Revelation 15 verse number five, it says,
and after that I looked and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
So the tabernacle that is blaspheming against is the tabernacle in heaven.
Because God's in heaven is blaspheming against him.
The host that dwell in heaven is blaspheming against them.
He's also blaspheming against the tabernacle.
Okay.
That is found in heaven as well.
Now we saw that he's blaspheming against the Lord.
Come now with me to second Thessalonians chapter two.
Second Thessalonians chapter two and verse number one.
Let's compare some other scriptures that talk about this same events.
Okay.
We get a little bit more fleshed out in other scriptures.
So second Thessalonians chapter two and verse number one.
Revelation, sorry, second Thessalonians chapter two and verse number one.
Now if you don't already know this church is a post-trib pre-wrath church.
That's our doctrine.
That's what we believe.
I'm not saying that everybody necessarily within our church believes that.
You're welcome if you don't.
Okay.
If you're saved, if you're a brother of the Lord, I love you.
Okay.
We preach from the King James Bible.
But our position as a church is a pre-wrath.
We believe that the rapture will take place after the tribulation,
but before God begins to pour out his wrath.
And what we see here in this passage in second Thessalonians chapter two verse number one.
Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and by our gathering together unto him.
That's the rapture.
Christ is coming.
We're going to be gathered unto him.
No one debates that.
That ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word
nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand.
So I said, look, don't let anyone bother you, mess you up, confuse you.
That the day of Christ is at hand.
Like it's, it can happen at any moment.
It's just around the corner.
Don't let anyone deceive you like that.
Because it says in verse number three, let no man deceive you by any means for that day or day,
the day of Christ, the day of the rapture, that day shall not come
except they come a falling away first and the man, that man of sin be revealed.
Notice the next phrase, the son of perdition.
Remember the antichrist comes out of bottomless pits and go into perdition.
Well, when he rises from the dead, he's known as one of the titles is given is
the son of perdition, the son of damnation.
Like this guy's damned once again, just confirming
this guy doesn't have a chance to get saved or anything like that.
He's finished, he's done.
And so what we see here, the reason John will use that going to perdition
is again to just bring our thoughts back to what is written here in second Thessalonians chapter two.
Now, what do we learn about this man?
So when he's revealed the son of perdition, what is he doing?
What is this revealing?
Verse number four, who opposeth and exalts of himself above all that is called God.
So whatever anyone on the earth calls God, he says, he's above all of those gods.
Okay.
Then he says, all that is worshiped.
So anything else that people worship, many people worship trees.
I don't know.
I'm a God above all of these things.
So that he as God, he's not God, but as God sit up in the temple of God.
It's not the temple of God.
It's what he calls the God because he's God so-called showing himself that he is God.
Again, he's not God, but that's what he's showing.
That's what he's trying to claim.
That's his blasphemies.
He's blaspheming against the real God in heaven.
And then he claims to be God.
Okay.
And when does this happen?
Again, the son of perdition has given us the reference there.
When he comes out of the bottomless pits and go into perdition.
Okay.
So what we're reading about here is at the midpoint, because he's given 42 months to continue.
So we know that we're still in the middle of that seven year period.
That is when he dies, comes back to life and starts to blaspheme against the God of heaven.
Makes sense because the dragon gives him the power and the dragon was kicked out of heaven the same time.
Okay.
So Satan's obviously very angry at the Lord and then he starts to persecute God's people.
Okay.
The wrath of Satan begins, great tribulation, hatred toward God's people.
That's the beginning of great tribulation.
The rapture has not yet happened, right?
It says that day shall not come.
Except they come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed.
When does that happen?
At the midpoint.
Okay.
So the rapture is after the midpoint.
After the antichrist reveals himself and begins to blaspheme God.
Now come with me to Daniel 11.
I want to show you something else.
Daniel 11 verse number 36.
If this is going over your head, I just recommend go back to the previous chapters.
I'm trying to pull out new truths.
Okay.
But all of these new things that I'm pulling out are still consistent
because God's word is consistent with all of these events.
Okay.
Daniel 11 verse number 36.
It says here, and the king shall do according to his will.
And he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every God.
Same thing.
And he shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods and shall prosper
till the indignation be accomplished for that that is determined shall be done.
So again, what we're seeing here is a reference to the antichrist.
What we learn more about him in verse number 37 is this.
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers.
Some people say that reference is that he is a Jew.
Because sometimes in the Bible, God of the fathers refers to,
you know, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
It might be.
I mean, you know, you can argue that point if you want.
I just think it just whatever he could be, it might be.
I'm just saying, whatever his, whatever his fathers or forefathers or family
used to worship, he doesn't worship that God is just what it's saying.
Okay.
And then it says, nor the desire of women.
Okay.
So he has no desire for women.
You say, well, that's strange.
Is he a homosexual?
I guess it could be.
You could read that into it if you want.
But again, if this guy is trying to be like God,
and we see by his death and resurrection is trying to be like Jesus.
Obviously, Jesus did not have a desire for women.
Jesus did not get married, etc.
And so if this man is just trying to imitate Jesus or God,
well, that would make sense that he would have no desire of women.
You know, his focus is on his kingdom.
Like Jesus Christ's focus was on his kingdom.
The Antichrist's focus is on his kingdom and his power.
And then it says, nor regard any God.
So he doesn't care for any gods, right?
For he shall magnify himself above all.
But verse number 38 is interesting.
There is one God that he seeks for people to honor.
It says in verse number 38, but in his estate shall he honor the God of forces.
And a God whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver
and with precious stones and pleasant things.
So there's going to be worship of a God of forces.
This is the God that he's honoring.
And of course, the God that gave him his power is the devil.
Okay.
So as people are worshiping the dragon in these end times,
by putting this together, what I believe,
like, I don't take the impression that they are necessarily worshiping Satan by that name.
It seems like the people are worshiping the God of forces.
Like this is the God, right?
This is the God of forces.
And obviously here would be a manifestation of that God.
If he's trying to follow, you know, the, the, the likely, the, the likeness of God
with Jesus Christ being manifest in the flesh and things of this nature.
Okay.
So we see, look, what I'm trying to show you there,
it doesn't matter what you read about the Antichrist.
The Bible is crystal clear.
It's consistent.
Okay.
And you take the information that you learn in the book of Revelation,
then you take that to the book of Daniel.
Then you take that to 2 Thessalonians and that'll further
help you understand what is taking place.
Okay.
So if people are worshiping, if he's claiming to be God
and he's asking people to worship the God of forces,
not only did we see earlier that political power is given to the beast,
but now we see that religious power is given to the beast.
Every religion of the world, okay, is worshiping the Antichrist or the dragon,
or at least he claims to be a God above all their gods.
Okay.
He's blaspheming against the real God of the Bible.
And so he sends himself up to be the God of all religions.
Okay.
So all he's seeking all political power.
He's seeking all religious power as well.
Okay.
That's why people often talk about the one world governments, the one world religion.
Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that all other religions will cease to exist
and there'll be just a brand new religion, the God of forces religion,
the God of forces church or something like that.
It's just that every religion will be under, will ultimately have to acknowledge
the Antichrist and the God of forces or the dragon as the God above their religions.
Which is actually correct though.
Like the God of every false religion is the devil in the end in the first place.
Like, it's not like something's changed.
It's always been that.
But you know, they're going to have just all religions under that umbrella.
You know, it's not going to be seen like it is today.
It seems like, oh, that religion is different from that religion.
At the end of the day, they're all worship.
All these false religions are worshiping the dragon, not the real God of the Bible.
All right.
Back to Revelation 13 and verse number seven.
Revelation 13 and verse number seven.
Now, if all false religions in the world are worshiping the devil now,
or the God of forces, what about believers?
What about God's people?
Are we going to be worshiping the devil?
No, because we're not reprobating.
Okay.
We're not going to be doing those things.
Okay.
So there's, there's going to be some level of resistance, right?
And that's why in verse number seven, it says,
and it was given unto him to make war with the saints.
Now, this is not scary.
I was going to say scary, but I don't want to scare you.
It says here, and to overcome them.
Okay.
Look, the dragon, the beast, the dragon, all of these, whatever.
I'll just, it's all one to me now, the way I look at it.
But all they care about is warfare.
All right.
War on the earth.
War on heaven.
Now war against the saints.
You know, he couldn't win the war against the earth.
He couldn't destroy it all.
He couldn't destroy heaven, but he's saying,
well, I can destroy God's people.
And he has some level of victory and to overcome them.
He gets that power to overcome them.
Now, before you get worried about like believers,
the last generation of believers, many of them are going to perish.
Okay.
Don't get overly concerned.
Well, let's continue reading.
And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations.
We're sure that all that power was given to him by the 10 kings.
Okay.
Now, when you read there that he's going to overcome the saints,
please don't misunderstand.
If you can quickly come with me to Revelation chapter 12.
Revelation chapter 12, in verse 11.
Okay.
The Bible says in Revelation 12, 11 about the saints and they overcame him.
So you're saying, well, is the devil overcoming us?
Is he beating us?
No, no.
We will overcome him.
Okay.
In what sense?
By the blood of the lamb.
Everyone that has the blood of the lamb applied to them,
a believer is going to overcome the devil.
And another way that we overcome him and by the word of their testimony.
And they loved not their lives until the death.
So what, by putting these verses together, does he overcome us or do we overcome him?
Well, he overcomes believers in the flesh.
He has victory.
He has the ability to put some believers to death.
But even those, whether you die or you don't die,
we've already overcome the devil.
We're saved by the blood of Christ.
We will never die in real life.
Like if this body perishes,
we're just alive more than we've ever been in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Like, and again, you know, I don't want to instill fear into you.
Like, I don't want you walking away from the Revelation study and go,
man, that's going to be a scary time because I want to bring your attention once again
at the end of verse 11.
And they loved not their lives until the death.
Like believers aren't trying to protect themselves.
Oh, I've got to make sure I live till the rapture cakes place.
I'm going to try to hide.
And they're like, okay, believers of this time who have the blood of the lamb that are saved.
I don't want to use the word Christian right now.
I'm talking about saved, born again believers.
I don't care if you're post-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, pre-trib.
Look, if you're saved, you're going to overcome the devil.
If you're saved, you're going to have a beautiful testimony in his last days.
Like, I don't believe for a second because I'm post-trib, pre-wrath that I'm going to,
I'm going to do better in the tribulation than someone that's pre-trib.
Look, anyone that's pre, I'm talking about brothers and sisters of the Lord.
Okay.
Well, I'm not that proud to go, well, I got the right belief.
I'm going to do better than you.
We both have the blood of the lamb.
We're both saved.
And what else do we need that's going to help us?
Our testimony.
Our testimony is our life's testimony.
Like what the Lord has done for us, like our faithfulness, our walk with him.
Like, I'd rather fellowship with a brother that is pre-trib,
that has a good testimony, that is faithful to the Lord God,
than a brother that is post-trib, pre-wrath, just like me.
We believe the same thing.
We must be.
Yeah, but you're not faithful.
You don't have a good testimony.
You destroy your testimony, right?
You're fighting with the brethren.
You know, you're just trying to create conflict with the pre-tribbers over here.
To me, you've got a poor testimony.
I'd rather be hanging around the pre-trib, but with a good testimony.
Okay, they've got the blood of the lamb applied to them.
And I know they're not going to love their lives until they die.
Like, I mean that.
I mean that.
Okay.
Because, remember, we're not just hearers of the word.
We're meant to be doers of the word.
You hear post-trib, I believe that pastor.
Okay, well now live a good testimony.
Like, take the doctrines of God and now live a life that reflects Christ in your life,
in your workplace, in your family, at church, etc.
Again, I just, it's the preaching that I've heard sometimes.
Not normally from pastors, from other men.
I've got the advantage on post-trib pre-wrath.
You know what, I just see pride there.
And like, just talking bad.
Look, I hate the pre-trib rapture doctrine.
I hate dispensationalism.
I'll be honest with you.
But I love my saved brethren.
I'm not talking about Christians, whatever that means.
There's plenty of Christians that are not saved.
Obviously, they're just going to go over the world.
I'm not talking about those people.
I'm talking about saved people.
The blood of the Lamb.
Okay, well, but the pre-trib, they're going to think that the devil is,
the Antichrist is really Jesus, so they'll easily, but that's just the wisdom of,
stupid wisdom of man.
You know what I'm talking about?
Oh, because the pre-trib, they're waiting for Jesus.
But the Antichrist is coming first.
And so they're going to think the Antichrist is Jesus.
So they're going to worship the dragon.
They're not reprobate.
They're saved.
And guess what?
When the pre-trib rapture does not happen, guess what's going to happen to them?
Oh, it was post-trib all along.
Oh, I rejected pastor Kevin.
I better make peace with him or whatever.
I rejected that brother for being post-trib and that brother.
And we better at least, you know, go up to the,
Hey, can you fill me in now?
Like, I see what you're saying.
You were right all along.
Okay, but it's our, it's the blood of the Lamb.
It's our testimony.
That's going to give you strength, okay, during this time of tribulation.
Say, but I'm going to die.
You're not going to love your life.
We'll talk, we'll talk about that a little bit further as we keep going.
Come back to me, me to Revelation 13.
Revelation 13, verse number eight.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.
See pastor, it says all, that means even believers.
Comma, whose names are not written in the book of the life of the Lamb,
slain from the foundation of the world.
Who's all that are worshiping him?
Those whose names are not written.
That's not you.
I'm sorry if you've been misled to think in tribulation, you're going to be one.
Do I serve Jesus or do I serve the devil?
You're going to automatically serve Jesus.
You're not going to be deceived.
And you're going to have the power, I'll show you later on, to overcome all of that.
We've already overcome him in spirit.
Salvation can't be taken from us.
But those that are worshiping, again, those whose names are not written.
Okay, they haven't taken the mark of the beast yet.
They're already not written.
They're already reprobate.
That's why I feel like verse number nine, if any man have an ear, let him hear.
Look, the fact that's there, hey, pay attention to what is just written there.
Pay attention.
Don't just read it quickly.
Like what is God saying here?
That's why I like, that's why I hate a lot of end time discussion.
Because it's not real.
It's not based on reality.
It's like you've not heard, right?
You haven't read.
You're not paying attention to what God is saying.
We start making up ideas of God where God did not say.
So I'm going to try to fill those gaps.
But then those gaps might destroy or be in conflict with what God did say.
The fact that it says that if any man have an ear, let him hear.
This again should remind us because God uses this phrase seven times beforehand.
Okay.
One example, Revelation 2 7, I'll just read it to you.
He that have an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
All seven churches had the exact same thing.
He that have an ear, let him hear.
So when we get to verse number nine, if any man have an ear, let him hear.
Who is that to?
To the churches.
To God's people.
So God is telling us, look, this is something that God's people,
yea, even those that belong to a New Testament church, are going to go through.
A pastor once said to me, it just says, let a man have an ear, let him hear.
It doesn't say what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
So the churches have been ready, have been raptured long ago.
Is he building his doctrine on what it says or he's building his doctrine on what it doesn't say?
Or it doesn't say churches.
See, we're gone long ago.
That's what I mean.
Don't build on what it doesn't say.
Build your doctrines, build your beliefs on what it says.
Okay.
Verse number 10.
Now, this should give us comfort because if God's people are losing their lives against the
Antichrist, says in verse number two, he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.
So the people that are persecuting us or God's people might not be my generation.
I don't know.
Could be 100 years from now.
I don't know.
But whoever is doing that, they themselves are going to be put into captivity.
He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
So what's going to give us patience and help our faith in these end times?
Remembering that God is seeing all of these things.
As God's people are being put to death, God says, don't worry, they're going to be put to death.
As people see God's people being thrown into prisons or taken to captivity, God says, don't worry.
They'll be thrown into prison or they'll be thrown into captivity.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
God says in the tribulation, it's not panic.
It's not panic stations, patience.
Okay.
Faith.
Man, you want to get ready today for the great tribulation case of our life.
Learn patience and learn faith.
God is always faithful to us, but we're not always faithful to him.
Let's try to increase our faith in the Lord.
Okay.
In the midst of difficulties and God allows us to go for difficulties and trials today.
If we're not going to go for great tribulation, what we're about here in our lifetime,
we do go for other types of tribulations and troubles.
Okay.
And what's going to help you for those times of troubles and difficulties?
Patience and faith.
Okay.
God sees it all.
Okay.
If people want to hurt you, people want to attack you, God will, vengeance belongs to the Lord.
Okay.
Verse 11.
And I behold another beast.
So we had the first beast, which was this new power base, this transfer of power and the
antichrist, but now we have another beast coming up out of the earth.
This time it's not out of the seas, it's coming out of the earth.
And again, I just think because the seas are referenced with the beast and the other four
beasts that we read about in Daniel chapter seven, it's a little bit different.
Like this, the seas, you know, when we talk about the seas, we're talking about
about power across multiple nations because the seas are what, you know, are what separate,
I guess, you know, nations and powers.
But here we have him coming out of the earth.
So it's not sort of the same as the former.
Okay.
But it says here, this beast, it says, and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake
as a dragon.
Okay.
So this new being, this new person, it says he, so it's a person, is like a lamb.
Basically what this is saying is it's like a, he's like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Like the way we would term, you know, false prophets or false brethren that try to creep
into church.
He's got the appearance of a lamb, the innocence, right?
The like cute kind of innocent, you know, doesn't look harmful.
But when he speaks, he speaks as a dragon.
The dragon, of course, is the devil.
Okay.
He speaks satanic things.
All right.
So he deceives, he deceives people.
Verse 12, what's he doing?
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him and causeth the earth and
them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed.
This is kind of like, you know, in the United States, I have a president and then I have
a vice president.
Okay.
It's kind of the same thing.
Like if the president is, you know, out of action for whatever reason, you know, the
vice president kind of takes over.
And so this second beast kind of has given, has the same sort of power as the first beast,
but he's trying to get the entire world to worship the beast.
Okay.
And it kind of reminds me a little bit of like a John the Baptist figure.
Right.
So when Jesus Christ came to the world, first we had John the Baptist there pointing to
everyone, you know, behold, the lamb of God would take away the sin of the world.
You know, I feel like he's kind of doing something similar.
You know, some people refer to these three, the dragon, the beast and the second beast
as the unholy trinity.
You know, again, sort of trying to, you know, copy just a disgraceful copy of God's nature
in three persons.
So we have the dragon, the beast, and this other beast is known as the false prophet.
We often refer to him as that.
Whatever way you want to look at it, it doesn't matter.
At the end of the day, like the devil is just trying to imitate God.
Like again, whether you think of it as a John the Baptist imagery or you think of it as
a trinity, like our unholy trinity, it doesn't really matter.
It's just defiling the image of God and trying to follow some type of pattern that God has
done.
And verse number 13, it says, and he doeth great wonders.
This word wonders is like miracles.
Okay.
So that he make a fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
So he's got this power.
It's like a prophet.
He's got the power to cause fire means performing these miracles.
Of course, these miracles have been given to him, this power by Satan.
And look at verse number 14 and deceive of them that dwell on the earth by the means
of those miracles.
So again, miracles, wonders, miracles, which had, he had power.
Now I want you to notice that.
I think this is important for later on.
Those miracles, which he had power.
So he's got power to do miracles 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 they say, you know what we're going to, he convinces the whole world because that's
all these miracles.
We're going to set up an image.
We're going to set up an idol as it were.
Okay.
Let me just read it carefully.
Yeah.
That they should make an image to the beast.
So this image looks like the beast or represents the beast or represents the antichrist.
Now, when this image is set up, it says in verse number 15, now a lot of people have
had different ideas of what this means.
Okay.
I'll tell you what I think.
Okay.
Based on what we're reading, it says, and he had power to give life unto the image of
the beast.
So this idol, this image, whatever you want to, whatever it looks like, okay, is given
life.
Now you go, what is that?
Like, let's keep going.
That the image of the beast should both speak because you know, idols in the Bible are very
clear.
They have no mouths.
They can't speak.
They can't walk.
They don't have hands.
Like, you know, like, you know, God is often mocking idols because they can't do anything
for anybody.
But this idol, whatever it is, has the power to speak and cause that as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Okay.
So we learned something.
If you don't worship this image, if you don't worship this idol, whatever it is, you know,
the attempt there is then to kill you.
And of course, God's people are not going to be worshiping.
We already saw.
Those that are worshiping these things are reprobating.
We already saw that.
Okay.
Now, what do I believe is happening here?
I've heard different interpretations.
Some people say, well, this is some type of technological advancement, you know, some
hologram or some, you know, some robots, some cyborg, maybe it's AI, you know, it's Skynet
or something like that, you know, some technological advancement.
And from what I'm reading here, I don't see that at all.
I believe this is a miracle because in verse 15, let's read it again.
And he had power.
And then verse 14,
And deceived them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had
power to do.
This looks like a miracle to me.
Just keeping in the context.
Explain to me, pastor, I can't really explain miracles because that's why they're called
miracles, supernatural things.
Okay.
But this is not the first time we've seen something like this by the power of the devil.
Okay.
But it seems to me that this idol, whatever it is, okay, built from wood, gold, whatever
it is, you know, the false prophet comes along, does his enchantments, whatever it is, you
know, conjures up the power of the devil and all of a sudden this image begins to speak.
You know, it kind of reminds me of, you know, what you read, you know, you hear about the
Roman Catholics and they're weeping Mary's blood coming out of her eyes and seeping oil
and all this stuff, right?
I mean, I don't know how much of that is hoax and how much of that is just the devil.
I really don't know.
I don't really care to be honest, but keep your finger there and come with me to Exodus
chapter seven, Exodus chapter seven, please.
Exodus chapter seven, verse number eight.
Now, remember at the beginning of this, look, we're going to go well over an hour here.
I hope you don't mind.
We've got one service today.
Okay.
It's all good.
Remember that at the beginning of the midpoints, what we saw in Revelation 11, that there were
going to be two men, two witnesses, okay, preaching.
And as the antichrist is trying to wipe out all the saints, he can't wipe out these two.
And I strongly believe one of those is Moses.
Okay.
And these two are doing miracles themselves.
Okay.
So when we look at Exodus seven, verse number eight, we have a story of Moses, of course,
in the Old Testament, Exodus seven, verse number eight, it says,
So God has the power to cause an inanimate object, a dead object of wood, to actually
be given life, to actually became a serpent, became a snake.
Okay.
Now that's, that should amaze anybody.
I'm like, whoa, that's, that's crazy, right?
But then look at verse number 11.
So even these ungodly magicians, wizards or whatever, are able to take their rods, they
cast it, and they become serpents.
So they have the ability to give life to a dead object.
But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
So it just showed that the power of God is much more powerful.
Okay.
Like they may have dropped five rods or something like that too.
I don't know.
Right.
And they all became snakes, but the one snake rod from Moses and Aaron ended up eating all
of them up.
Okay.
But what we see here, like if this challenge to Moses, we can do it too.
Of course, the only way they could do that is by the power of the devil.
Again, can you explain that part?
It's a miracle.
All right.
Right.
I even have a hard time to explain to you just how God can cause that rod to become
a snake.
Right.
But then God created man from dust.
So I mean, you know, he created Eve from a rib.
So there are obviously powers and the devil is able to imitate those powers.
And so if Moses is once again, you know, on the scene with another, which could be Elijah,
again, there could be a push, like a Pharaoh could represent the Antichrist here, causing
the false prophet to imitate, do something similar.
They're calling fire from heaven like that.
He's calling fire from heaven and he's causing this object to come to life.
Okay.
There's this image, this idol.
So I feel that's in light of the scriptures.
We're not creating something brand new here.
We've seen that the devil has done this in the past, that it could be playing out in
the same way again.
So I don't think technology has to be the reason this happens.
Okay.
There's already amazing miracles taking place.
Supernatural things happening during all of this time, especially the, primarily the
last three and a half years of the seven year period.
Back to Revelation 13, verse number 16.
Revelation 13, verse number 16.
Okay.
Verse number 16.
Any cause of all.
Now, again, I just, I want you to remember, like when you read that, you go, well, that
means even believers, all, right?
But we've already seen that language being used before.
Okay.
And you all was referring to those whose names were not found in the book of life.
Okay.
But this is where sometimes as God's people would read that, who were all, that must be
me too, right?
Or if I live in this time, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive
a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads.
So this does appear to be some type of implantable thing, something that can be inserted.
But again, the reason we come to this conclusion is because of the technology that we're
aware of today.
Like for example, if I want to, and let's keep reading.
Listen to 17.
And that no man might buy or sell save he had that mark or the name of the beast or
the number of his name.
Okay.
So this mark allows you to now buy and sell.
There's no other way for you to buy and sell to participate in commerce unless you take
this mark.
And again, today, I really almost operate like a casual society.
I barely use cash.
I use plastic.
Okay.
And all my plastic, there's a little chip there.
And when I want to buy and sell, I just do whatever.
Bip, bip, bip, bip, bip.
So because of the technology we have today, we then when we read that, we get the idea,
which could be correct.
But see, what we live in today is going to influence how we read the scriptures.
And that's where sometimes I think we make mistakes many times.
I think we need to read the scriptures for what they say.
And then we can then look at our world in light of the scriptures rather than the other
way around.
Okay.
Because again, growing up in church and you know, the United Nations was supposed to be
like End Times Babylon or the United Nations or the European Union was meant to be, you
know, the kingdom of the Antichrist.
Those three and a half years passed away long ago.
Like, but people look at the current events and they're like, oh, this is it.
Or they'll look at the war with Russia and, you know, and Ukraine because, you know, the
Battle of Gog and Magog and all of that.
It's like, well, this could be it.
And so people are interpreting the Bible in light of current events.
But the best thing for you to just, what does the Bible say?
So, you know, again, because of current events, that's how I buy and sell.
I don't actually, I don't sell, but anyway, that's how I buy.
Okay.
So the idea that then there must be some type of chip like that, that would be then implanted
into my skin there and maybe implanted into my, into a forehead like that.
And again, I don't have a problem with that's your idea, but just understand that we don't
know what kind of technology, we don't know how the economy and the finances are all going
to be operating during this time.
Okay.
But it's very clear that you can only participate in this new system.
Okay.
You can only buy and sell if you take the mark of the beast.
Okay.
Or the number of his name.
Now, again, what if believers take the mark of the beast?
All right.
That's the, what if we're going to be tempted, we're not going to be able to buy and sell,
you know, we're going to be hungry, we're going to be starving, we're going to see our
children starving.
And so, yeah, we may not be deceived pastor, but we're going to be tempted to take it.
It's that kind of nonsense I hear sometimes, where's that in the Bible?
Like, if that was an issue, God will tell us, like God will tell us, there are saints
here struggling if they're going to take the mark or not.
We read these things and I hate that way of reading the Bible.
I hate taking my ideas and thoughts and let me read the Bible and let me interpret my
thoughts and ideas into the scriptures.
That's why I'm not a dispensationalist, because I saw what dispensation does.
This is how it works.
This is how you understand the Bible.
Now take dispensationalism and insert it into the Bible.
But we can do the same thing.
When we take our wisdom, let's take that and put it in there.
The Bible doesn't say that.
Now we already saw that we're going to overcome by the blood of the lamb, by the word of our
testimony, and we're not going to love our lives until the death.
I believe that's true for every saint, every believer, because every believer
has the blood of Christ upon them.
Can you come with me to Acts chapter two?
Acts chapter two, please.
Acts chapter two, verse number 16.
Now Acts chapter two, the first application is on the day of Pentecost.
On the day of Pentecost, people were empowered so greatly by the Holy Ghost that they were
then able to communicate the gospel in other languages that they've never spoken before.
That's a mighty measure of the Holy Spirit's power.
Can you just start speaking some other language or can you start interpreting some of the
language that you've never heard before?
That is a measure of a power that the apostles had in the early church to speak in tongues.
Okay, now I'm not saying that so we're going to be speaking in tongues.
But what we see here in Acts chapter two, verse number 16.
This is on the day of Pentecost.
This gets explained as to why they had this power.
It says,
And on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy.
You go, but that's Pentecost past, that happened a long time ago.
Hold on, hold on.
Semicolon.
Yes, there is an application to the day of Pentecost.
But then it says this in verse number 19.
And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath.
Blood and fire and vapour of smoke, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon
into blood before the great and notable day of the Lord come.
And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You cannot take that away.
That's not the day of Pentecost, the sun and moon being darkened.
You know that's the day of the Lord to come.
And what takes place before the day of the Lord?
The great tribulation.
So when we talk about God pouring out his spirit, he goes to all flesh.
He's talking about all believers.
The ability to do something amazing.
Like we all have a measure of the Holy Spirit today.
We've all been given gifts by the Holy Spirit today to serve in our local church.
Okay.
But God's making it very clear.
He's going to pour out his spirit in such a manner where even young people, children,
are just going to be prophesying when prophesying, preaching, right?
That's what it said.
And whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
They're preaching the gospel.
Guys, we are going to be so empowered.
If you're saved, I don't care if you used to be a preacher, right?
Anything like that.
If you're saved, God will begin to pour out his spirit on all flesh, all believers.
Such a measure.
Maybe even the ability to speak in tongues.
I don't know.
Okay.
But the emphasis that he's going to give us is to be able to preach the gospel.
That's what I see in the scriptures.
I don't see, oh, do I take the mark of the beast of the Lord?
I don't see that.
I see that today.
People go insane about the end times.
Crazy.
You know, if your life is just end times, end times, end times, end times.
I tell you what, you're going to go crazy.
Conspiracy, conspiracy, the devil, the antichrist, the mark of the beast.
If that's your life, you're going to go insane.
I'm telling you, I've observed it.
I've seen it.
I don't want to be known as the end times pastor or the, you know, the post-tree pre-wrath
pastor.
I want to be known as the pastor that preaches everything in the Bible.
And right now we're going for revelation.
It's just what we're up to.
So I don't have this idea.
You better believe right on the end times.
You know, I'm not going to break fellowship with you, but you're going to be like, you're
just going to be fodder, cannon fodder for the antichrist when he comes along.
I don't believe that at all.
I believe that God is going to be able to do something amazing in God's people.
Anyone that is saved, anyone that has the blood of Christ upon them.
And every preacher is going to be post-tree pre-wrath by this time.
They're not going to be deceived.
What else can I read to you?
Come with me to Matthew six, Matthew six, 31, Matthew six, 31, Matthew six, 31, Matthew
six, 31.
Because the other argument is again, I told you, but we're going to be starving.
We can't buy and sell.
We can't do this.
Why are my kids going to be starving?
I'm going to be so tempted to take them out of the beast.
You're not reprobate.
Relax.
Matthew six, 31, therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat or what shall we
drink or whether we've all shall, shall we be clothed.
Jesus saying, look, don't worry about what you eat and drink.
Don't worry about that.
That's not the emphasis.
That's not the main thing of your life.
Do you think these words are going to be true even in the day of great tribulation?
Do you think this promise that we're going to read does no longer apply now in the tribulation?
What does Jesus say?
Verse number 32, for after all these things of the Gentiles seek for your heavenly father
knoweth that you have need of these things, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
What if we're starving in the great tribulation?
You're going to have the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in such a manner.
Your focus and attention is going to be in the kingdom of God, his righteousness,
and God will take care of your food.
We already see miracles happening in these end times.
God might very well just rain manna from heaven for you.
Send you some quails or whatever it is, right?
God has given people what they need even in the middle of the wilderness.
You're not going to be starving.
Your kids aren't going to be begging and starving and dying.
I'm just going to take the mark of the beast to provide for my family.
No, because you're not reprobate and God will take care of you.
Oh, but I'm going to lack in faithfulness.
God's going to give you the Holy Spirit in such a measure
that you're not even going to love your life.
If you die, you'll be saying, just bring it on.
I get to be with Jesus even faster than the rapture.
That's the reality.
That's why I don't want to cause fear or emergency, anxiety.
That's what end times teaching can do.
But that's because that's the imagination of man trying to put that into the Bible.
I don't see that in God's word.
I don't see it.
You know, I see what God says and he's going to give us the ability to go for this time.
Even if you're a pre-triba today, you'll be fine.
Back to Revelation 13, 18.
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.
This is six, six, six.
First of all, this number six hundred threescore and six is just a number.
Six hundred and six, six, six is just a number, okay.
It's not like that's a evil number.
If you live on 666 Caloundro Drive, Little Mountain or something, it's not like your
house is cursed or something like that.
Or the devil lives there.
It's just a number, okay.
But obviously, I don't fully understand this.
Like, I look at it again.
If I'm going by today's, I don't fully understand this.
But I know that the believers that will go through this time when they see that this
mark is 666, the number of a man or, you know, the mark of the beast, it's the number
of the beast, it'll be obvious.
Oh yeah, that's what the Bible talks spoke about, okay.
Now, whatever that looks like, I kind of don't even care.
But I know that believers in this time are going to fully understand.
Just like, I don't fully understand the image coming to life.
Like, it's hard for me to picture that, what that will be.
But when you're going through that time, oh, that's it.
Okay, and like, it's hard for me to understand what the 666 exactly, it represents that man,
the beast, the antichrist.
But again, in that time, be like, oh, yep, the Bible said that's the number of the man.
That's the mark of the beast.
That's what they're introducing, right.
So what we saw with the beast, his desire is for political power.
His desire is for religious power.
And finally, for economic or monetary power on the earth.
That's why they often speak about one world government, one world religion, one world currency.
Okay, and that is his goal.
All right, let me finish on this.
I'm sorry that I've gone well over time.
Why, the question is, why would the world be willing to give all this power to the beast?
Okay, number one, they're reprobate.
Okay, many of them, majority of them at least, right.
But number two, come back with me quickly to Revelation 6.
Just, we'll read this very quickly.
Don't forget what happened in the first three and a half years.
Okay, we're talking about the second three and a half years now.
In the first three and a half years, let's just start with verse number three, Revelation 6.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, come and see.
And there went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sat there on
to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another.
And there was given unto him a great sword.
So in the first three and a half years, we have this massive warfare.
And later on in that chapter mentions that a quarter of the entire earth is destroyed.
Okay, the population just wiped out.
All right, so instead of warring nations, it would make sense to me, the Antichrist comes,
hey guys, I can promise you no more war.
Give all your power to me.
Instead of us being sovereign nations, let's just be happy.
Let's hold hands.
You know, we're all one people, whatever it is, right?
And let's never have war again.
I can see that being, but then it makes war against the saints.
But anyway, all right, you know, we're not going to believe the words of the Antichrist.
But secondly, let's keep going to verse number five.
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, come and see.
And I behold a lower black horse and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the full beast say a measure of wheat for a penny
and three measures of barley for a penny and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
And so we covered that being the fact that currency loses its value.
You know, a day's wage just gets to small amounts of wheat.
Okay, so currency collapses, or hyperinflation, however you want to term it.
And I can then see the Antichrist going look, the old currency system.
It's a failure.
It's failed us all.
The old system has just brought world wars.
Hey, line up with me.
I'll make sure there's peace, political power.
I'll make sure there's a currency that, you know, cannot be debased, however he thinks of it, right?
And you know, I'll have the answer to this.
And so based on the first three and a half years, I can see the world going,
hey, that sounds like a good idea.
The beast has the answers.
Let's give him that power.
Let's give him the ability to put these things into motion.
All right, brethren.
Title of this sermon was the beast, the beast of Revelation, the Antichrist.
I hope that's given you some further things to think about.
Let's pray.