History's most terrifying world leader

Good morning.

Welcome to the Turkey Telsky Buscan, but let's stand again this morning.

Come on, let your voice.

Come on, let's sing this out.

Who can stop the Lord Almighty?

Who can stop the Lord Almighty?

Who can stop the Lord Almighty?

No one Who can stop the Lord?

Come on, no matter what you're facing this morning.

Who can't stop the Lord Almighty?

Who can't stop the Lord Almighty?

He's the lion and the lamb, amen.

Come on, let's welcome each other to the house of the Lord this morning.

Now there's nothing in this world that can ever satisfy through every trial, my soul will see no turning back.

I've been set free.

Come on, lift your voice.

Christ is enough for me.

Christ is enough for me.

Everything I need is in everything I need Christ my all in all.

Joy in my salvation.

Heaven is our hope.

Through every storm, my soul will see Jesus is here to guide me the glory.

Christ is enough for me.

Christ is enough for me.

I have decided to follow Jesus.

No turning back.

No turning back.

I have decided to follow Jesus.

No turning back.

No turning back.

The cross before me.

Well behind me.

No turning back.

No turning back.

Cross before me.

Will be hand me.

No turning back.

No turning back.

It's enough for me.

Don't turn it back.

I have to die.

Don't turn it back.

Don't turn it back.

I happy die.

Don't turn it back.

Amen.

You believe that this morning?

Say man.

Give Jesus a clap offering.

Amen.

You know the Bible says in Luke.

Your grace is deeper still.

So she says, Yes, you don't spend.

You alone can lift us from the grave.

You came down to find us.

Let us out of death.

To you alone, beloved, the highest praise.

To you alone, beloved, the highest praise.

Do you alone beloved?

The highest praise praise.

Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin.

Jesus is calling.

Do you thirst for a drink from the well?

Jesus is calling.

The Father Son forgiveness was possible.

The precious God of Jesus Christ.

We're thankful for the blood that you shouldn't have.

Christ is ridiculous.

Tell the world of the treasure we found.

Jesus is calling.

So you and for me.

Jesus.

Father, we thank you this morning that we can come home.

We thank you, Lord, with all the just the fear and terror that's going on in our country and our world.

That God, we can come home.

And there's a place of rest and a place of safety and a place of peace.

Because God, we know that you're in control.

And Lord, how exciting to know that one day every knee's gonna bow and every tongue's gonna confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

So, Father, open our eyes to see this morning, open our ears to hear, and Lord, open our hearts to receive your truth.

God, reveal, unmask Satan, the Antichrist, the false prophet.

Let us realize that Satan's doing everything he can to have people to be drawn away from God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit to him.

So, Father, teach us this morning, and we'll give you the praise.

We'll give you the honor, we'll give you the glory because you are the rightful one.

And all God's people said, Amen.

Give him a clap offering this morning.

You may be seated and turn with me in your Bibles this morning to Revelation chapter 13.

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

And good to see some of you back.

It's been ever since the second Sunday in January, it's been like we have a group here and then a group sick.

Then the group that's sick gets well, then another group gets sick.

And uh so uh welcome for some of you back, and for you that are, I know there's a lot of people watching online this morning.

We love you, we miss you, and we're praying for you.

But I want you to turn again, like I said, to Revelation chapter 13, and uh we're gonna be looking at history's most terrifying world leader.

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

You know, in last week, in chapter 12, our study, we met and looked at Satan and kind of unmasked him.

So today we're gonna be looking at Satan and how he tries to imitate God.

And we realized in last week we saw that he really uh is the Antichrist, and we tried to consider what the Bible says about this coming world ruler.

He is also called in the scriptures the man of sin and the sin of perdition.

And the Antichrist gives us an opportunity, and he does, to see how Satan operates.

In fact, chapter 13 literally deals with Satan's plan, his mission, his methods, and his miracles.

This guy is powerful.

But let me remind you, and you can shout on this.

He has much power as he has, and he has more power than any ruler that's ever lived.

And bless God, he does not have all power.

Only Jesus Christ has all power.

And we'll see that today.

But again, the devil's an imitator.

He takes what God does and he tries to duplicate it.

I want you to see this verse in the introduction, 2 Corinthians 11, 14.

And it literally says, Satan transforms himself into the angel of light.

Now, what that means is it looks almost so truthful that you what?

You believe it to be true.

I mean, he's that masterful with his methodologies, the wiles of the devil in Ephesians 6, the tricks.

He's he's got powers unbelievable.

In fact, you and I do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and power, and hey, of the rulers of this darkness and of this world, Ephesians 6.12 tells us.

So we see Jesus right here.

He takes what God does and he tries to duplicate it.

You see, Jesus, the real Christ, is the revelation of God.

He really is.

He's God the Father.

You got God, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

In other words, Jesus Christ was and is God in flesh.

Can I get an amen?

In fact, that's the difference between any cult and true religion.

Or should I say, true Christianity is a better word.

Is that if two things, let me tell you, there's two questions you can ask that will unmask a cult.

Two questions.

Who is Jesus?

If they don't believe that Jesus is God, get out of their presence.

In fact, what did Jesus say?

Are you ready for this?

I am my Father are what?

One.

John 10, 30.

And then what did he say in John 14, 9?

He that hath seen me has seen the Father.

And the second question is, what do you believe about the Bible?

If they don't believe that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, hey, word of the living God, without error, complete, absolute truth, get out of their presence.

But Satan, ever since he was kicked out of heaven, and we saw the war last week, has been trying to duplicate everything that Jesus, well, actually everything that God himself has done.

And we see it right here.

Jesus is God incarnate, he is God in the flesh.

And in the Antichrist, we see Satan attempts to duplicate the same relationship between Jesus and God the Father.

And here in this chapter, we're gonna see it.

The Antichrist will be a living, breathing revelation of the devil.

He will be the devil incarnate, he will be the devil in the flesh.

And we know that our God is a triune being.

He is God who has manifested himself in three persons.

And now we see Satan trying to do the same thing.

So today we're gonna be introduced to the satanic trinity or the unholy trinity.

Satan imitates God the Father, the Antichrist, imitates God the Son, and the false prophet imitates the Holy Spirit of God.

So let's give our attention as we look at this powerful passage of scripture in Revelation chapter 13.

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

And as we look at history's most terrifying, unbelievable leader, the first thing we want to look at is you notice the beast from out of the sea.

The beast from out of the sea.

Look at verses one and two.

Then I stood, John says, Then I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horn ten crowns, and on his head a blasphemous name.

Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.

The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Wow.

First of all, look at what John says.

Look at his how Satan, or should I say, the Antichrist, how he originates.

We see this mysterious beast rises from out of the sea in this verse right here.

Now, this is a symbolic language.

The sea in the Bible represents the masses of humanity, the masses of people.

That's what we see here.

And what we also understand that this individual will come from among men.

He will be a man.

This is something that he cannot duplicate.

This person will be born of a woman, and he will also be born of a man.

And he cannot duplicate Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, but his father was a Holy Spirit of God.

But he.

So we must realize that this unholy Trinity person will be a man, just like you and me.

He will be a man, but he'll be a powerful, unbelievable leader.

But he'll be nothing more than a man.

The Antichrist now will be empowered by Satan.

Just like Jesus is empowered by God.

The Antichrist will be empowered by Satan, and he will uh yield tremendous power and authority.

But unlike Jesus Christ, he is nothing more than a mere man.

So here's the question: where will he come from?

And what will be his nationality?

Nationality.

Well, listen to this.

I have read so many books, and I've read so many commentaries on the Antichrist and about the Antichrist and about the false prophet.

And I have come to the conclusion, everyone thinks they know who he is.

It's kind of like describing the day the Lord is going to come back.

You know what?

Ever so often somebody predicts that.

We just recently had that.

And can I remind you, whatever day they predict, I can promise you he's not coming back on that day.

Because no man knows the hour or know the day.

And same way, if somebody tries to tell you that they know who the Antichrist is, I've got news for you.

It ain't him.

No one knows.

Some believe that it was Adolf Hitler.

Some believe that it was John F.

Kennedy.

And the reason they believe that, because he was shot in the head, and you're going to see here in a moment, that this Antichrist has a mortal wound to the head, and then he's resurrected from the dead.

Or a show of magic we don't really know.

Some believe that he was Judas Iscariot.

Because he was the only one that, hey, out of the twelve, that Jesus himself called him the devil.

Some believe that he was Henry Kitchener.

Because he was the one that performed the peace, the first peace treaty between Jordan and Israel.

So, I mean, the list goes on and on and on.

So today I want us to look at, and what I really do believe, and here's some insight, according to the Bible, let me tell you what we do know.

This Antichrist will lead a 10 nation confederacy that will look like maybe the revived Roman Empire.

Therefore, the Antichrist could be possibly, are you ready?

Be European.

Good possibility.

And there's another biblical insight found in Daniel chapter 11, verse 37.

Daniel 11:37

Tells us that he will not regard the God of his fathers.

This verse leads many to speculate that he will be Jewish by birth.

Good insight.

The fact is no one knows, and anyone who claims to is way off base.

But let's look at how he operates.

Verse 2 again.

He says he's got seven heads.

Now, this explanation right here is given in Revelation 7, verse 9, and I have that on your outline, and that can Jason can throw that up.

Revelation 7:9

But here's what it says the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

Now, that's interesting.

And Revelation chapter 17 is the passage about the great harlot or the apostate church.

Revelation 17 · chapter mention

The apostate church that will be birthed during the tribulation.

And it will dominate world religion during the tribulation period.

And now we are told, now look at this in that verse, that the harlot sits on seven hills.

Now listen, this is good.

There's only one city in the world that is built on seven hills.

Only one.

Rome.

Rome.

Again, indication that we feel like there has to be a reviving of the Roman Empire during this tribulation.

Then notice the second thing.

Look at the ten horns.

Horns are a symbol of power and authority.

Again, these horns are explained in Revelation chapter 17, verse 12, and we're told that the ten horns are ten kings.

Revelation 17:12

Ten kings.

And then look at the ten crowns.

These ten kings have great authority and power.

The Antichrist, no doubt, will arise from among the confederation of these ten powerful kings that I really believe will come out of the Roman Empire.

I believe that.

I didn't say that's for sure.

Now, but the Bible really gives us good indication here.

And then notice the names of blasphemy.

What we're saying is that these world leaders that will arise in the form of this confederacy will be totally opposite, opposed to everything God, hey, wants and God is.

Totally opposed.

There won't be any question who he is.

The Antichrist.

And again, many people believe this will be the revival of the ancient Roman Empire.

Why?

The land area, now here's some more good insight.

The land area occupied by these nations cover much of the same land area during the Roman Empire.

I think we will see this body produce the Antichrist, who will rule the world at the beginning of tribulations.

I really do.

Now, to understand this description of given that is given of this beast, now we got to go to Daniel.

You and Daniel, you probably already looked at it for you that are studying Daniel.

You got to go to Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

As we go to Daniel chapter 7, this is awesome.

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

We see the description in Daniel's vision.

He describes the great world empires that will follow one after another until the end of the world.

He describes these empires that are going to be revived during the Roman Empire.

Look at what he says.

Daniel speaks in verse 4.

Of a lion.

The beast pictures the Babylonian Empire.

Like a lion.

Ancient Babylonian was powerful, fearsome, and had a starving appetite for domination.

Rome was that way as well.

Now notice the word bear.

A lot of people try to make the bear in the north Russia.

But the bear in verse 5 speaks of Medo-Persian Empire.

Like a bear, it prescribes incredible power to crush its enemies.

And then we see the leopard in verse 6.

And it speaks of the Greek Empire.

And it is called a leopard because the Greeks were quick to dominate the world.

Remember Alexander the Great and how quick he dominated the whole world as a young man.

So we see then the fourth beast in verse 7.

And he or in reference to the Roman Empire.

And notice what it says with teeth of iron.

Iron, teeth of iron.

They dominated the ancient world.

Rome was the superior kingdom and nation during its time.

So we see the Bible's teaching us that the Antichrist will definitely possess power and the personality of all these ancient empires together.

He'll have all their strengths, all their fierceness, all their ability without any of their weaknesses.

That's a pretty powerful foe, folks.

Unbelievable.

The word beast here refers to a wild animal.

It means one out of control.

It is used as a metaphor of a man who is brutal, who is a savage, and who is fearsome.

He takes no prisoners.

The Antichrist will attack the kingdoms of the world and he will destroy anyone or anybody who gets in his path.

Now look at verse 2 again.

Look at how he officiates.

We're told that the Antichrist, look at it, rules the world, but not by his own power.

Oh, look at verse 2.

This is awesome.

You know, I call it, it is Satan's, the Antichrist is Satan's Superman.

The Antichrist is Satan's Superman.

I named it that.

And here's why.

Look at the three words they use here.

First of all, the word power.

We are told that Satan gives him three things.

First of all, his power.

And the word power there mean refers to strength, power, and ability.

Notice the second word.

We see, hey, his throne, his seat, which means he rules because Satan has given him the domain.

And then look at the third word, it says great authority.

And this word refers to the ability to do as he pleases.

In other words, he will be so powerful, so strong, no one, nobody will be able to stop him.

During this tribulation period.

Especially the last half of the tribulation.

When he decides to declare war.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

The Antichrist will.

In fact, you know what I thought about?

Man, this is good.

God, when I was studying this, you know what I see here, remember?

Satan tries to duplicate, hey, God the Father.

And remember what happened on the Mount of Temptation in Matthew chapter 4?

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Satan comes to Jesus, and what does he do?

He offers him all the kingdoms of the world.

Remember that?

If you will what?

Bow down to me.

And we remember the great three times he says, Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and for him only shall thy serve.

Matthew 4, 11.

But we see here, guess what?

Satan offers the Antichrist the same thing.

And this time the Antichrist accepts and bows down and becomes the ruler of the world.

Pretty good insight, isn't it?

So what a comparison there.

Jesus refused Satan's ridiculous offer, but the Antichrist accepted.

Now there's an interesting parallel here that I want to point out today.

In fact, I want us to go, I think, Jason, to Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3.

Ephesians 2:1–3

This is really good.

Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3.

Ephesians 2:1–3

There's a parallel here.

And I want you to see it.

And I put a note to myself.

The human heart has to be occupied.

And our human heart will be occupied by one or two things.

It will be occupied by the love of God and the word of God and the things of God, or it will be occupied by, hey, Satan and the lust of the world, and the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.

Now, how do you know this?

Look at what Paul says.

Ephesians 2, verses 1 through 3.

Ephesians 2:1–3

And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

You and I, before we got saved, were dead in trespass and sins.

In which you once, and he describes what that looks like, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.

Hello, Satan, the Spirit, who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also, watch this, we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of the flesh, the fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as others.

Now, that last verse, the New Living Testament, says it this way.

All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature, but our very nature, we were subject to God's anger just like anyone else.

In other words, we, before we got saved, our occup, hey, our hearts were occupied by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of the life.

And who is our master that what conducts that and leads us to be that way is Satan himself.

Wow.

Do you understand sometimes why you do what you do?

It's because you are tempted by the greatest, most powerful man in the world, Satan.

And he's to draw you to him, to cause you to reject God.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

And if you have never received Jesus as your Savior, then Satan is, guess what?

Your master.

You have one or two masters.

Either Jesus is your master or Satan is.

Now, people don't like that.

That's not popular preaching.

In fact, they don't even believe, a lot of people believe there is a Satan.

Because they don't believe the word.

But here we see this powerful foe that you and I face every day.

Now look at the second thing.

Not only here do we see the appearance of the beast, but look at his achievements in Revelation chapter 13 again, verses 3 and 4.

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

And listen to what he says.

This is unreal.

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.

And all the world watched, marveled, and followed the beast.

And then verse 4.

So they worship the dragon who gave authority to the beast, and they worship the beast, saying, Who is like this beast?

Who is able to make war with him?

Powerful.

Two things here.

Verse 3.

The Antichrist receives the wonders of the world.

They stand in awe.

Why?

This incident takes place.

This Antichrist that comes on the scene somehow is mortally wounded, maybe even to death.

Now we don't know if that's a real killing or shooting or the trick of the magic, powerful deception of Satan, which we know that the magicians with Moses, hey, with Pharaoh, were able to do a lot of the same miracles that Moses did.

Remember that?

So this is the power we're talking about.

So we're not sure, but either way, it looks like that he's killed and then he's resurrected from the dead.

And all people just stand in awe and they bow down and begin to worship this Antichrist.

Isn't it amazing?

Two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus died on a place called Calvary, was placed in an empty tomb.

Well, excuse me, placed in in a tomb, and three days he came up out, and the tomb was empty, and he rose from the dead, and everybody stood in all?

No.

People stood in disbelief and rejected God's son.

But in the tribulation, they will wonder and receive the Antichrist.

Wow.

Look what else happened.

Look what else happened.

Verse 4.

It brought the worship of the world.

Whether this resurrection is real, like I said, or just a bit of satanic sleight of the hand, we do not know.

But the world will bow before this hellish king and give him what they steadfastly refused to give God, and that was worship.

Remember John 1.11, Jesus came into his own, and his own what?

Received him not.

But they will receive the Antichrist.

Look at this deception.

Look at this power.

Unbelievable.

Satan will receive the worship of men through the Antichrist.

He will be getting what he's always wanted.

Men will worship the beast and the devil.

What a tragedy.

Now notice something here.

While heaven rejoiced over the fact that Satan in verse chapter 12 has been cast out of heaven, the earth dwellers here give their worship to the devil.

The world will declare the Antichrist to be undefeatable.

That's why they'll worship him.

They'll see him come back from the dead and they'll say, Nobody, nothing can defeat him.

So they'll bow down and worship him.

But let me remind everyone, Revelation chapter 19, verse 20.

Revelation 19:20

Then the beast was captured.

And with him the false prophet, woo-hoo, who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone.

Ladies and gentlemen, it just looks like during the tribulation that he can't be defeated.

But let me remind you, he's nothing more than a mere man.

And he will be defeated.

Satan has power, the Antichrist has power, but they will face one.

I'm about to have a spell in Matthew 28, 18, who has all power.

And guess what?

That same all power.

Now, if this this ought to make a dead Methodist Presbyterian shout.

You and I have that same power living within us.

Just as hey, they the, and you're gonna see this, the people in the tribulation are able to overcome Satan too.

Remember verse 11 that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and the love they had for God.

We have that same power.

Woo! Serpent, serpents, oh, snakes, nothing, nothing, no power can overcome you.

Luke 10, 19.

You can overcome the serpents.

And his power, Satan's power.

Wow.

Revelations 20:10.

Revelation 20:10

The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophets are, and the false prophet are, and they shall be tormented day and night.

Just don't get too glim.

Satan will defeat them, destroy them, and judge them.

Can I get an amen?

Notice the third thing.

The activities of this beast.

The activities of this beast.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

In verses three and four.

I mean, excuse me, verses five through eight.

The Antichrist will use his newfound power over men to feather Satan's agenda.

Notice what?

One, he defies God.

The Antichrist will be a man of great oracle, I mean, oracle ability.

He will be a charismatic leader.

Can I get an amen?

He will be a charismatic leader.

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.

And he was given authority to continue for 42 months.

Then he opened his mouth and blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwelt in heaven.

Wow.

And then verse 7, and he was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.

And hey, authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

And then verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb, hey, slain from the foundation of the world.

Tremendous.

Not only do we see, and I really believe this with all my heart, that he defies God.

You say something long enough, here's what Hitler said.

You say something long enough and loud enough, and people will eventually believe it.

That's what we're hearing on the news today.

All the newscasts, every one of them.

They keep saying the same thing over and over and over.

They don't care whether it's true or not.

They just know if they keep saying the same thing long enough, people start believing.

Isn't that sad?

You know what's sad?

We are that gullible.

We are that gullible.

And so we see right here, look at it.

Hey, he defies God.

In fact, notice what, when the Antichrist comes, he will galvanize, hey, the nations of the world.

Look at what it says.

With the power of his words, he it says he will speak great things.

We have been fortunate to hear some of the greatest orator speakers and orators in in history.

One of the greatest, and one of the one of one of the most powerful, influential man ever to live, is Martin Luther King.

He was able with words to convey the need for what?

For a whole nation to realize that what had been going on was such a discrimination.

And thank God for men like that.

But with that said, there are those that have that ability to bring evil.

Martin Luther King brought good.

But Adolf Hitler killed six million Jews.

He was able to bring a whole country to the point where they thought they were superior than, hey, more than any other nation.

And they would do anything he said.

Kill, I mean, literally try to bring distinction to, hey, I meant extinction through the Jewish nation and Israel itself.

God help us.

God help us.

And then notice what else, verse 7, he destroys the saints.

He will make it his mission to seek out and destroy anyone who still worships God.

Now, he will not be able to destroy the hundred and forty-four thousand evangelists until it's time.

He will not be able to destroy those two witnesses until God says it's time.

But he will seek out, and there will be people saved, mostly Jews.

I think there may be some Gentiles too, but mostly, that will be saved, and his whole mission during that horrible second half of the tribulation will be to seek out every born-again person and destroy him, kill him.

That will be his mission.

In fact, how do you know that?

Look at the next thing.

Verse 7 says he'll dominate the nations.

Every nation will come under his power and domination.

He will be the ultimate world ruler.

And then verse 8 says he deceives the masses.

Now, watch this.

I did a little word study here.

Notice that these worshipers are called all that dwell upon the earth.

Now I want you to see this.

You read it, you don't see it.

I didn't see it for a long time.

I want you to see this.

Notice what Jesus is saying.

You're going to shout.

And if you've ever believed, here's another powerful point to prove that the church is not here.

Okay?

This is powerful.

Watch what he says right here.

Notice that the worshipers are called all that dwell upon the earth.

Now the word dwell there literally means to settle down.

This phrase refers to people who have chosen to make this world their home.

They have decided that they are interested in heaven or anything God can offer them.

They have staked all their hope and their future in this world.

And let me remind you, James says, ye adulterers and adulteresses.

Know ye not that the friendship of this world is enity with God?

That means hostility with God.

James 4, 4.

Let me remind you, John said, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So we see this taking place.

Now watch this.

Here's what's scary.

God abandons them that choose the world.

Wow.

They want the world, and he lets them have it.

But also with all the consequences that come with such a decision.

Now notice the word earth dwellers.

They have refused God and his Messiah, and they've chosen Satan and the Antichrist, which is his Messiah.

They've chosen them.

God gives them up and lets them go after the world and the God they have chosen.

I want you to see this.

This is important.

Jason, 2 Thessalonians 2, 11 through 12.

Watch this.

And for this reason, God will send them strong delusions.

This is what we're talking about right here.

That they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

And then we know what he is saying here is that we're going to be deceived.

Which world will you choose?

The Lord will allow you to have the Christ you want.

You can have the Christ or the Antichrist.

It's your choice.

Wow.

Wow.

The Lord Jesus Christ, if you receive him, hey, if not, you may live in a world long enough to worship the Antichrist.

That's sad.

Do you know what?

That is so sad.

Now, watch this.

These next two verses really give us some unbelievable insight and truth to why the church is not here.

Watch this.

Watch this.

Verse 9 says, If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Have you heard that before?

We heard that in the chapters what?

2 and 3, the seven churches of Asia Minor.

Remember?

Remember?

What did we say?

It said, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

We heard that in Revelation 2, 7, 11, 17, 29, chapter 3, verse 6, 13, and 22.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Now, do you see what is missing here?

Don't miss this.

What is missing right here in chapter 13?

Both the Spirit and the church, hey, right here, two things are missing here.

The Spirit and the churches.

It's not mentioned.

Not at all.

Both the Spirit and the church were removed from the world at the rapture.

The age of grace is ended, and the world is in the grip of the great tribulation.

I keep telling everybody that when we talk about the church trying to go through the tribulation, I said, there is no way God is not going to talk about the church during the tribulation if the church is here.

Notice what he said again.

If any man have an ear, let him hear.

He didn't say, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Powerful inside.

So what's the conclusion here with this, with these verses?

Well, let me show you.

Verse 10 drives the point home, and here's the point of verse 10 is that people reap what they sow.

Be not deceived.

God is not mocked, Ephesians 6, 7.

For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he reap.

In other words, you've got a choice.

I've got a choice.

We can choose Christ or we can choose the Antichrist.

We can choose God in the Word, or we can choose Satan and the world.

It's our choice.

It's our choice.

And he very vividly explains that.

If you live for the devil, you will reap the devil.

If you reject Jesus, you will be rejected by Jesus.

I wrote that to me.

The time to make a choice is today.

Right now.

Can I get an amen?

Right now.

Right now.

There will come a day when it will be too late.

Now here's the question: when will that be?

It could be today.

Could be tonight.

It could be tomorrow.

You know what Isaiah said about it?

Isaiah 55, 6.

Seek the Lord while he may be found.

Call to him while he is near.

Isaiah 55, 6.

Powerful.

Powerful.

If you're saved, verse 10 had a word of hope.

Look at what it says.

Patience and faith of the saints is the knowledge that in the end Satan and the Antichrist will be defeated in that day.

God in righteousness will reign.

Can I get an amen?

Folks, I've read the last chapter.

Woo! We win.

We win.

Yes, Satan has power.

Yes, the Antichrist has power.

Yes, the false prophet we're going to look at in a minute has power.

But bless God, they do not have all power.

Matthew 28, 18.

Man, that's good.

So here's the question: Are you an earth dweller?

Are all your hopes and dreams locked up in the world?

Are you a citizen of heaven?

And if you're a citizen of heaven, you're just, woo! You're just a stranger passing through.

Amen.

You're just a stranger passing through.

Notice the second thing.

We just now unmasked the Antichrist.

Antichrist is trying to imitate Jesus Christ.

He's the beast that rises from the sea.

But the second thing we see is the beast that rises from the earth.

Guess who that is?

That's the false prophet.

Oh, remember?

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Remember?

Satan?

The Antichrist?

Now, the false prophet.

The unholy trinity.

Satan has a trinity too.

An unholy trinity.

Each member of the Holy Trinity, God's Trinity, has a specific purpose.

What's this?

Now this is so good.

God the Father receives worship of his people through who?

His Son Jesus Christ.

And guess who facilitates that worship?

The Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit's our teacher.

He's the one that exalts Christ and lifts Christ up so that we will be drawn to Him.

So we got God, Jesus Christ.

Hey, we worship God the Father through Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

If you get that, say amen.

I don't want to go any further until you understand it.

I'm telling you, you're going to walk out of here and understand this.

It's going to be awesome for you.

You're going to know exactly how Satan works.

So now we come to the Satan himself, and then guess what?

Satan wants to be worshiped too.

So guess what?

Satan wants to be worshiped just like Jesus.

I mean, excuse me, just like God.

So what does he do?

He rises the beast out of the sea, who's the Antichrist, who will be the object that will be worshiped.

But in reality, when they're worshiping the Antichrist, the beast, they're worshiping Satan.

And now we come to the false prophet who will be the facilitator of that worship.

He will be the facilitator, the preacher, the Holy Spirit, hey, the teacher that draws everyone to the Antichrist.

You've got this Antichrist who's a vicious, savage, raging destroyer that takes over the world.

And then all of a sudden you've got this false prophet, you've got this gentle man, this religious man with kindness and patience and smooth talking.

Hear some of them today, don't we?

Hello.

No names, and I won't call names.

But they it just sounds so so so good.

But there's never there's never sin talked about.

There's never hell talked about.

There's never Jesus talked about.

Maybe a mention every once in a while.

Not a whole lot of exergetical teaching from the book, verse by verse.

It's philosophies.

Positive thinking.

And I'm a positive thinker.

Don't get me wrong.

You know why I'm a positive thinker?

Because my Bible says I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

Philippians 4 13.

But so we see.

Now notice, notice the personality of this beast from the earth.

The second beast is a man just as the first beast.

In fact, the word another there translated the Greek word.

It's the Greek word alis, A-L-L-O-S, Alis, and it means another is the same kind and quality.

In other words, he's just like Satan.

I mean, he's just like the Antichrist.

He's just like Satan.

Why?

Because he is.

He's a man, though.

His power from it comes from the same source that the Antichrist power came from.

Verse 2, the devil.

The world will accept this man as the man of God.

He will be held around the world as the greatest man of God ever, even greater than Billy Graham.

Wow.

That's power.

Unbelievable.

Notice the scope of his power.

The man will be the facilitator of the largest, most worldwide religion that's ever taken place.

You keep hearing him called the one world church.

Well, he'll probably be the one to bring that into being.

So we see right here, and boy, this is powerful.

He will convince the world that the Antichrist is a God and that he alone is to be worshipped.

Men and women from every conceivable religion will come, and the Antichrist becomes their leader through the teaching and preaching of the false prophet.

Even, let me tell you now, let me tell you how powerful he is.

For all these years, different world leaders have tried to bring, guess what?

The Arabs and the Jews together.

The Muslims and the Jews together.

No one's been able to do it.

Oh, they've had a treaty sign, but it didn't work.

But this man will make it work.

He will be the one that brings the whole, all the religions together under one ruler, one, hey, leader, the Antichrist, the God of Satan.

Wow.

This false prophet will lead the world to build an idol.

Now watch this, verses 13 through 15.

We see he will lead the world to build an idol.

Now watch this.

This is amazing.

This image will speak to the people.

They will be deceived by his power and his miracles, and they will fall down and worship the beast in his image.

Now, as false prophets will be marked by exciting and powerful miracles.

He'll be doing stuff that no one's ever done before.

Remember?

The miracles that the magicians and the and the witchcraft they did with Egypt.

The Egyptian leader.

And Nebuchadnezzar, remember, he built a statue very tall, which I think was of him.

That didn't say that he talked, but this one's gonna talk.

And I know what you're thinking.

Nah, that's impossible.

Oh, is it?

Well, let me tell you, a few years ago, one of the places Susan and I wanted to go, we wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, and we wanted to see the big dam.

So we flew into Las Vegas, stayed there in Las Vegas.

So one day we went to this famous mall everybody talked about that you walk through and you walk in, and it's got this beautiful sky ceiling, and it's really taking you down the couriers like you were walking down the Roman streets of Rome.

And guess what?

In the middle of that, that uh we couldn't get close enough because it was so amazing with the people.

On the top of the hour, you had two statues there, and all of a sudden they would come alive and start talking.

And they would start going through these actions, and people were spellbound.

I thought it was stupid.

But I got to thinking about it, there it is.

If they can do that with those statues, no telling what, hey, this false prophet can do.

And we know he's powerful because he goes on and he does the same miracles that Elijah does.

He calls down the fire from heaven to consume people and things, and when they see that, just like they did when Elijah called down the fire from God, they fell and worshiped Jehovah Jireh.

These people will fall down and worship the Antichrist.

What's his motive?

He does all this stuff for one sole purpose: forgetting the world to worship the Antichrist.

It will not be the United Nations that brings the world together.

Forget that.

They've never had a, they've never, they try, they've, I don't know how long they've been in existence, but it hadn't worked yet.

And it's not going to work.

But right here, it will be the work of Satan and the use.

Hey, and he uses the Antichrist and the false prophet to accomplish this goal of bringing the whole world together in one religion.

And one God, one leader, the Antichrist.

Who is ultimately who?

Satan.

The dragon.

The devil.

So that leads me to the last point.

When they fall down and they are convinced that they, hey, these earth dwellers, they take the world and reject Christ.

They get a mark.

It's called the mark of the beast.

We see that in verses 16 through 18.

For centuries, people have been trying to decipher the mark of the beast.

Thag people fear the number 666.

Any of you fear 666?

All of you do, you're just not going to raise your hand.

And the reason you fear it is you don't understand it.

I mean, I've had people, I've had people in front of me get the number be 66, they say, I'm not taking that number.

I think it's a great time to witness.

Because if you understand what I'm about to show you, it shouldn't scare.

Christians shouldn't be scared of 666 because we ain't gonna be here.

Hello.

Well, there's a mark.

Now see if you've been really studying and following my preaching.

Now, Satan wants to what?

Imitate God.

Right?

And what did God do at the beginning of the tribulation when he sent the 144,000 evangelists out?

What did he do to them?

Remember?

What did he do?

Come on.

You remember?

Come on, Sunday school teachers.

Huh?

He sent, well, no, no, but yeah, he sealed them.

But but but but he put a mark on their head.

Remember?

Come on, remember?

He put a mark on his people, which, as Susan said, that's the seal of the Holy Spirit, and we're gonna see that in a minute.

But he marked them.

So guess what?

Satan's an imitator, so now he's gonna imitate God, so what is he gonna do?

He's gonna put his mark on his people.

Except it's gonna be 666.

Now I know what you think.

How they gonna do that?

How they gonna do that?

Well, I got the right answer.

Are y'all ready?

I'm gonna tell you, I promise you my answer's right.

I know it's right.

You ready?

You really want to know?

I don't know.

And guess what?

You don't either.

Now there's a lot of speculation that's interesting, and I'm gonna give you a little bit.

Some believe that it might be a barcode system.

That is, oh, you're gonna, you people love tattoos, you're gonna love this.

It'll be tattooed into your skin.

Except you can't see it.

You'll have to go under the ultraviolet light.

Have you ever been to uh a six flags and they stamp you and you can't see it, and you have to put your hand under the ultraviolet lights?

Similar to that.

Maybe.

That's just one thing they say.

Oh, and here they call it lasers, tattoos can be produced that are invisible to the naked eye, but which show up under ultraviolet light.

Now, watch this.

Scientists, here's what I'm kind of leaning toward.

Scientists have developed tiny microchips the size of grains of rice.

Now, these chips can carry all of your medical and financial information, and they can be read with a simple scanner.

These chips are already being used in pets.

Thinking about very soon going into babies, children.

So that now, no, don't but now see it's good.

It's good.

That way, if they get stolen or kidnapped, you got them.

You know exactly where they are.

Go right to them.

So there's some good.

Do you realize we what what we're using for good right now one day can be used for evil?

It is possible that that kind of technology can fulfill this passage.

Who knows what the devil will use?

There are certain there they are certainly enough resources available to him, but now watch this.

It also has been suggested that the market of beast will actually be a credit card system or sort.

How many of you use credit cards?

Five of us?

I'm on.

Thank you.

How many of you use debit cards?

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's okay to use a credit card as long as you pay it off at the end of the month.

If you can't pay it off at the end of the month, cut it up.

Because you do need to build a little credit.

Oh, why?

Oh, no credit?

You can't get anything.

Don't need it.

Well, maybe you don't.

You don't need a house.

You don't need a car.

Unless you pay cash, you've got to have credit.

Amen.

Now, a lot of people pay cash.

I'm getting more that way myself for the last 10 years.

I just can't pay cash, don't need it.

But now watch.

Mmm, this is good.

Whether we like it or not, we're headed toward a cashless society.

In a little bit, in a few moments, you'll hear Benji Wilson.

Forgot your wallet.

You can give right now.

Hit this button.

This has already been used in many cases for food stamps, government services.

Whether we like it or not, we're headed toward that.

Again, whether we like it or not, we have already been reduced to a number.

You can't do anything without your social security number and your driver's license number.

Amen.

Can I remind you, computers don't like names, they like numbers.

So you can be sure that computers will be involved with whatever system the Antichrist devises.

There's no doubt in my mind.

So, as we close, one of the most practical lessons we can take away from this passage is this Satan always marks his people.

Hello.

Satan always marks his people.

But secondly, God always marks his people.

And I love it.

He says in 2 Corinthians 1.22, Ephesians 1.30, Ephesians 4.30, Revelation 7, 2 through 8, hey, be not deceived.

God is not marked.

Whatsoever man so it's that is your remote.

But then he says, be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, and all that on God's side.

But when God says he has sealed us unto the day of redemption, you've been marked for an eternity.

If the Holy Spirit's dwelling within your heart, you're saved forever.

You're sealed until the day of redemption.

There's a song that I used to almost have to make my trio, Susan and the two girls, sing.

And it came from Hebrews 7.25, which says, God, hey, intercedes for us, but we are sealed.

It literally says, we are sealed into the day of redemption.

And I love that song.

There's a song.

Sealed, huh?

It's titled, Saved to the Uttermost.

Oh, I love that song.

Have you ever heard it neither?

Great song.

Because, see, when God saves you, He marks you.

He seals you.

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're saved until the day of redemption, Ephesians 4.30.

So, to Satan, are you ready?

You're nothing but a number.

But if you come to God, Revelation 2.17.

Throw that up if we got it, Jason.

Revelations 2.17.

He knows your name.

He's given you a name.

Listen to what he says.

Is that not powerful?

Look at it.

He says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, to him who overcomes.

I will give some of the hidden manna to eat, and I will give him a white stone, and on that stone, woo, a new name.

Written, which no one knows except him and receives it.

Wow.

A census worker came to the door of a home and asked the lady of the house about a number, about the number of her children.

She said, I have several.

She began to name them out loud.

Let's see, she said.

There's Billy, there's Jimmy, there's Sally, there's Sue.

And all of a sudden he interrupted her and said, Madam, madam, ma'am, I don't care about their names.

I just want to know their number.

She said, sir, my children do not have numbers.

My children have names.

Ladies and gentlemen, the difference between a child of the king and a child of the devil.

My name's been written down.

I've got a name.

And God knows my name.

He knows it personally.

He knows everything about it.