1. Rev 13 & 14 Power, Wrath & the Eternal Gospel

2. And the dragonA stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"

3. 5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.B

4. 9He who has an ear, let him hear. 10If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killedC with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

5. 11Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

6. 15He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

8.  Beast is a man - His number is the number of a man v18  A political figure – horns & heads symbolise power & authority - derived from the dragon - Satan v2 (c.f. Ch 12v9)  Some see Beast as Roman Empire based on  Dan 7:2-7  Rev 17 v7ff Great Prostitute = Babylon = Rome... The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. - Rome trad built on 7 hills – Babylon is code for Rome.  Beast had blasphemous names v1 - Many Roman emperors assumed divine titles e,g, Domition Dominus et Deus noster ("Our Lord and God").  3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed - Nero-revividus myth

9. Problems: historical details difficult to fit with Rev 17 ; domination of the beast goes well beyond Roman power. Best to see Rome (and other great totalitarian powers) as prophetic precursors to an ultimate fulfilment in the final days.  Beast is totalitarian leader wields world-wide power.  He is the Antichrist of 1 Jn 1v18 (Greek anti = instead of )  Man of lawlessness 2 Thes 2:3-4. 3Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessnessA is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped

10.  Accepts satanic offer which Jesus refused in the wilderness temptation Mt 4:8-9  Anti-christ as against Christ  Power to make war against the saints  He overcomes them temporarily 13v7 - but they overcome him eternally 12v11  He has characteristics of other fierce beasts - leopard/bear /lion – probably he will arise from a federation of other political powers  Gains attention from surviving a semi-fatal wound (assassination attempt?)

11.  Horns like a lamb - symbolising a Christ –like figure – a quasi-religious leader.  Speaks like a dragon - like Satan – the power to deceive with great oratory  Supernatural power of signs & wonder  Power to deceive and coerce the people of the world to worship the beast and his image

12.  Major instrument of power is the control of markets v16-17  Christians excluded from economic life.  The number of the beast,.. is man's number. His number is 666. 7 the perfect number 6 imperfection 3 God’s number - 666 the false god of imperfection ?

13.  There have been/will be many anti-Christs before the Anti-Christ, the Beast  1 Jn 2 18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come  E.g. Roman emperors, Great Dictators

15.  When is the state to be resisted and when obeyed ? Rev 13 / Romans 13 debate.  Jesus said “ Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s ” Mt 22v21  Paul in Rom 13 of the Roman Empire says 13 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. ……4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.  John living under same Roman empire receives a frightening vision of the totalitarian state which is itself the evildoer, and coming under the wrath of God.  Is there a point when the state ceases to be the agent of God’s wrath, and becomes instead the agent of the evil one, a state to be resisted rather than obeyed?

16.  The terror of the vision of the beasts is counterbalanced in ch 14 by a vision of the Lamb (clearly Jesus) standing on Mt Zion – heavenly Jerusalem - Dwelling of God  Mighty worship choir with harps 144000 ( not as in ch7 ) - these are Christians in heaven  First fruits – representative of the great harvest of believers.  Undefiled by women  Blameless  Symbolic of purity, integrity & holiness - contrast to those deceived by the beast

17. A vision of angels who bring messages from God to men  1 st - proclaims `the eternal gospel’ to the whole earth, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."  2 nd Fallen is Babylon  3 rd : " If anyone worships the beast and his image …….10he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, …..There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image,  4 th shouts to someone like a son of man – Its harvest time!  5 th appears with a sickle in his hand  6 th directs the harvest of the earth  Series of angels with sickles - gather the grapes of the earth and throws them into the great winepress of God’s wrath - sea of blood - probably an anticipation of a great battle called Armageddon Ch 16v16

18.  Rev 15 & 16 - 7 angels dispense 7 bowls of Gods wrath  The essential message of this eternal gospel "Fear God and give him glory, - or else you will suffer the terrible wrath of God  Another way of saying,as Paul in Phil2 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord