The False Prophet
May 24, 2021
Commentary
For the first time in history, there will be a super church, a one-world religion, with Satan incarnate receiving the world’s worship. In this apostasy, the Antichrist (The Beast) will have a helper, “the False Prophet” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10). He is the “second” beast of Rev. 13. This world religious leader will actively promote the worship of the Antichrist as God (Rev. 13:12). And with the power of punishment by death and economic control, the False Prophet succeeds. The Antichrist is deified as god. Thus, we see an Unholy Trinity—Satan, Antichrist, & False Prophet—at work during the time of tribulation.
2. The False Prophet (11-18)
a. He comes out of the earth. (Some say he is an apostate Jew) (v. 11).
b. As a religious leader, he supports the beast, the political ruler (v. 12).
c. He performs miraculous signs to get people to worship the beast (v 13).
d. He has power to give life unto the image of the beast who is able to speak, command worship and give out capital punishment (vv. 14-15).
e. He requires everyone to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead and without it no one can buy or sell the necessities of life (vv. 16-17).
f. The number of the beast is man’s number which is 666 (v. 18).
Application
I am so thankful that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (v. 8) and that I will escape all that takes place when the Beast and the False Prophet takes control.
Revelation 13:11– 18 (NET)
11 Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but was speaking like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. 13 He performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people 14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 15 The second beast was empowered to give life to the image of the first beast so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17 Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast—that is, his name or his number. 18 This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, and his number is 666.