REFORMED CHURCH BELLVILLE - MORNING
SERVICE - 24 FEBRUARY 2002
Our help is in the name of the Lord who created heaven and earth.
Beloved, grace and peace be with you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ through the mighty working of God the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Psalm of praise: 33:2 & 11
Confession of faith
Commandments
Psalm 51:5
Prayer
Psalm 103:3
Scripture reading: Revelation
13:1-11
Text: Revelation 13:1
And I
stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns and
upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Have you noticed how quickly we become accustomed to things which come
into our lives gradually? That is what is described here.
- The Anti-christ appears gradually and accustoms the people on
earth to him.
- When his appearance has reached the stage that they can recognise
him completely they are so used to his manner of conduct, that nobody
minds changing to his value system.
Two beasts that are in the service of Satan appear: One out of the sea
and the other out of the earth. The two co-operate in complete harmony
in Satan's service. This sermon deals with the beast arising from the
sea.
The sea simbolizes the nations. It is also known as the sea of nations.
See for example Revelation 17:15:
"And
he saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues."
The Bible often uses the image of roaring waters to indicate nations
that rant and rave in the violence and revolt in them. We may therefore
safely assume that it is exactly this which the Lord intends with this
image in Revelation 13.
The beast that John saw rising from the sea was terrible. It was truly
a monster! John relates each aspect as he saw the beast arising bit by
bit out of the sea.
The revelation has a clear message: The Devil is clever enough to
appear slowly to mankind. They must not immediately see the full
picture because they will then know what they are dealing with. He
appears gradually so that they may become accustomed to him.
- That is why John first sees the horns and then the heads.
- The beast first shows its crowns. The crowns are royal crowns.
They symbolize royal power and supreme rule.
- After the people (John also) have gazed in wonder at the crowns
(and probably believed that these beautiful crowns indicated an
authority one would want to follow!) only then do the heads with the
blasphemous names appear.
Verse 2 clearly reveals that the dragon - that is Satan - as described
in Revelation 12 gives the beast of Revelation 13 its power and its
throne and its authority:
"And
the dragon gave him his power, and his seat and great authority."
His authority and power are deadly and inspired out of hell!
- The beast from the sea is therefore the visible revelation of the
dragon. It is the body in which the Devil is to settle, it is his human
body, his earthly demonstration of power.
- The dragon is his spirit (imitator of the Holy Spirit and its
working!) and his manager.
- This beast from the sea represents the collective governments and
authorities which at that time will be over all the people of the whole
earth. It includes all nations and kingdoms and great political powers.
As is usual in the revelations of the Lord, this revelation also refers
back to previous visions which the Lord showed the prophets. Compare
the following visions as seen by prophets in the Old Testament or told
by them. For example, Daniel 7.7
"After
that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth
beast - terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron
teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot
whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it
had ten horns."
This revelation in Revelation 13 describes predators moving outside
their environment:
- they do not hunt wild animals but have become man-eaters;
- they are bloodthirsty and have become a threat to people;
- from the description it is clear that the predators mentioned are
exceptionally strong. They all devour their prey. Death comes violently.
This beast from the sea will have far reaching authority over the
entire earth. These will not be small powers. In John 12.31 the Lord
calls him the prince of this world.
- This beast will have the ability to induce people to follow him.
- He will rule (throne) with worldly authority which he will
enforce on every person who will be on earth in his time.
The situation in which the believer of the last days will find himself
is also described in chapters such as Ephesians 6:12 where it is
written that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The nature of the beast/anti-christ and how he will try to seduce the
believers is revealed by the Holy Spirit in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10.
"Let
no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is
called God, or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God - ... 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."
Satan thus allies himself more and more with governments and people who
exercise influence over the world (and especially with great powers)
the closer the end of time gets.
The Lord reveals more of these God-opposing rulers and how most people
on earth slavishly follow the beast.
"And I
saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound
was healed and all the world wondered after the beast. And they
worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they
worshipped the beast saying who is like unto the beast? Who is able to
make war with him?" (Verses 3 & 4)
See how the head imitates the Lord Jesus. Jesus was crucified and rose
from the dead. This beast was mortally wounded but it was healed of its
deadly wound and revived. These matters are related and show that all
these things of the beast belong together.
This verse also reveals that the beast has internal stress. The beast
will become engaged in a battle and be injured.
- one of its heads receives a mortal injury;
- the injury is so serious that the beast should die;
- the image the Bible describes is that this head received a
terrible blow with a sword or something similar resulting in an open
wound;
- but the wound is healed. The beast revives - the Bible tells us
that it revives.
"And
deceiveth them that dwell on earth by the means of those miracles which
he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell
on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which had the
wound by a sword and did live." (Revelation 13:14)
All the earth's people are amazed by this victory over death
demonstrated by this beast. The result is that the entire earth follows
this beast in wonder and worships it: it is not as simple as it sounds.
- the meaning of it is that the beast is declared to be God. The
worship owed to the only true God is now diverted to the beast;
- in stead of the beast being fought because it revolts against God
and blasphemes, everybody co-operates with the beast;
- in their joint revolt against God all people on earth subject
themselves to the beast.
Note that Revelation 13:3 clearly shows that both the dragon and the
beast are worshipped. There is no tension between the dragon and the
beast. There are also not two kinds of worship - the dragon is not one
object of worship and the beast another. It is the same worship and the
same religion.
The anti-christ is also worshipped. In all these "figures" Satan is
being worshipped.
One Bible commentary connects the worshipping of the dragon and the
beast and of the beast and the anti-christ to what is written in 1
Corinthians 10:20 and says that it is nothing else but pure and simple
worship of the Devil. The motivation is that the Devil is the power and
the will and the mover behind these other powers.
"But I
say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to
devils, and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship
with devils." (1 Corinthians 10:20)
The wonder and the slavish following of mankind is clearly shown by the
words: "who is like the beast? and who is able to make war with him?"
The beast shall operate for 42 months. This is the period during which
the beast shall have the opportunity to blaspheme and to dishonour God.
- the period of 42 months means that the beast is given until the
last day to slander God;
- he does not continue so long because he desires it - he continues
with his revolt within the limits set by God. He is totally limited in
what he does and can do;
- the practical meaning of the 42 months of blasphemy is that the
authorities here on earth the whole time will be doing or saying things
which are aimed at injuring the majesty of God;
- ths can include things which are implied but also matters which
are openly and powerfully aimed against God;
- the aspects which shall be attacked are:
- the acknowledgement that God is the source of goodness and
holiness;
- the greatness of the Lord;
- the majesty of the Lord;
- God's law.
We must note the choice of words of the Holy Spirit in the description
of these matters.
And
there was given unto him a mouth
This is the manner of saying that it received this mouth from God.
- This beast receives its abilities/power from the dragon.
- But its ability to make laws and judgments is received from the
Lord.
- The revelation that it was given a mouth means that its ability
to do what it must do comes from God.
- Without God's permission it cannot exist and do its work of
destruction.
Also note the exact description the Bible gives of the particular
occurrence.
- The Lord gives it its mouth. The rest it does itself because it
is so evil.
- The Lord does not give it a mouth so that it can blaspheme and
slander!
- it is clear that everything and everybody which receives a
mouth from God must use it to praise and worship God!
- but this beast uses the gifts which God gave it against God.
The mouth does what it should not do.
A number of very important characteristics of this evil authority which
will rule during the last days are revealed here.
- It shall abuse the gifts it has received from God.
- It shall be very conceited because it will have such a high
opinion of itself that it will raise itself up against God.
- It will overreach itself because it does not have insight and
vision - it glories in its own strength.
We must not think that the anti-christ has an image of God which
differs from what the Lord truly is!
- He knows exactly who the Lord is, because he knows the Lord from
His revelation.
- He knows the name of God and he knows of the tabernacle.
- He knows of the angels and who they are and where they live. His
attack is well-directed. He is embittered against the angels and he
wants to take vengeance on them because they refused to follow him in
his revolt in heaven.
The beast's power is limited. Because of this the Lord permits him to
make war on the saints. The saints against whom the war is directed are
clearly defined:
- they are God's elect who have been made holy through the blood of
Jesus Christ;
- they are all those who have received the victory from God in the
redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ;
- these redeemed come out of every people, tribe, tongue and nation
on earth.
It is obvious why the beast will attack them:
- they have one characteristic it does not have - holiness. That is
why it cannot bear the sight of them;
- in addition, it knows that it will suffer eternal death. The
saints will not. Note how often the devils begged the Lord Jesus not to
torture them before their time! They know that they will go to hell
when the saints will live in eternity.
The beast eventually receives world domination from God. (Verse 8) This
is a cruel and cold government without any moral standards. Why must we
go through this suffering? There are various reasons:
- God permits this persecution because it will serve to purify and
expand the church;
- all the "hangers-on" in the church will leave the church during
this persecution and join the beast out of fear for their lives;
- "Therefore they that were
scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." (Acts 8:4)
The second reason why the Lord permits it, is so that Satan (as he
reveals himself in the beast and the anti-christ) can show his true
colours to all.
Things such as the worship of Satan (Satanism) presently still is
something abominable and unacceptable to most people. Eventually this
will be the religion of the day. The whole world will practise it. This
shows how the anti-christ and his government will totally debase
mankind and turn people into animals.
- yet there will remain a few who will not participate and who will
refuse to have their ethics and faith in God deformed;
- they will not worship the anti-christ. Obviously this will be
accompanied by much pain and violence to them. (See Matthew 24:21-24)
NB This group is described in
the singular in the original text. That is to emphasize that there will
be so few that will keep the faith they will appear as if only one
person.
These few believers will survive the oppression because their salvation
is guaranteed in the predestination of the Lord and their names are
written in the Book of Life (cf Revelation 3:5, Rev 21:27, John 17:6
& 9).
This salvation and inscription in the Book of Life already existed
before the creation of earth (Ephesians 1:4, Revelation 17:8).
In verse 9 is written:
"If
any man have an ear, let him hear."
This is a general warning to the churches that they must listen to what
the Holy Spirit is revealing to them - otherwise they will end up in
the control of the beast. Then they will fall under its influence and
be lost.
We now wish to partake of Holy Communion because the Lord calls on us
to do so. With it the Lord points out to us that the reign of the beast
stands opposed to the eventual reign of God. Compare the following:
"And
they sang a new song, saying, thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God
by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation."
(Rev 5:9)
At the Lord's table we receive the assurance that we shall be the choir
of the hereafter! We are the ones who shall learn the words of the new
song! We shall be able to do so because we are saved through the blood
of the Lord Jesus.
We also receive the assurance that the death and resurrection of the
Lord Jesus has determined some issues absolutely:
- The beast and its power is limited and subject to His power. His
death on the cross was already the deciding battle against Hell. Then
Satan lost unto the eternal death.
- It was to support us in that we may die for the glory of His Name
and that the witness we may bear therewith against the power of hell
shall contribute to their damnation at the Last Judgment.
- His death was to ensure the arrival into life eternal of those
whose names are in the Book of Life.
Therefore, prepare yourself to sit at the table of He who lives
eternally and to receive from Him the assurance that you are reconciled
with God to live beyond temparal matters such as the reign and
short-sightedness of the beast. Be assured of your salvation and life
eternal.
Amen
Closing prayer
Hymn 45:1, 3 & 12
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen
Rev. M.J. du Plessis,
Reformed Church, Bellville,
24 February 2002.
Scripture quoted from NASB.