The Antichrist's religion

June 15, 2020 (Monday)

 

    In Revelation 12 we see the Dragon. The beginning of Revelation 13 is about the beast from the sea. The second beast described in this chapter is having come up from the earth. This beast appears to be in charge of the Antichrist’s religion. We are told, “And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.” [Revelation 13:14 NLT] It deceives by the signs it is allowed to do in the presence of the beast from the sea.

    The earth will see great and miraculous signs, such as the healing of the beast from the sea. These are “lying wonders.” C.S. Lewis noted that a miracle is not necessarily authentic. There are variety of factors that go into understanding a miracle. The prime qualification is belief. In other words, how the individual chooses to interpret what happens is more important than the actual experience.

     In verse 11 John witnesses, “Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon.” [Revelation 13:11 NLT] The appearance of this beast seems quite innocent as a lamb that in essence imitates Christ. I’ve always wondered if this could be a Christian minister of some sorts. However, it distinguishes itself from Christ by the way it speaks its words. Notice that it speaks like a Dragon (like Satan, who is a liar). This false prophet speaks words that are plausible, popular, and prevalent.

     Yet this beast is false to the core. It makes an alliance with the first beast.  In verses 12 we are told something that seemed to only be possible in the early centuries, “He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.” [Revelation 13:12 NLT] We see religion serving government. In verse 16 we see this beast transforming people. “It forces everyone—the small and great, the rich and poor, the free and slaves—to have a mark put on their right hand or on their forehead.” [Revelation 13:16 CEB]

    One thing that happens here is that everyone becomes more or less the same. It forces everyone to take a mark on the hand or the forehead. Is this a literal mark? I doubt it. In the Jewish worldview the hand was symbolic of action, and the forehead was symbolic of thought. This is where the Orthodox Jews will tie the phylacteries. Deuteronomy commands, “Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.” [Deuteronomy 6:8 NLT]

    Verse 18 holds one of the most fascinating of any image in Revelation. It is the number “666.”  "Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666." [Revelation 13:18 NLT] The beast from the land focuses on humanity. If we are willing to understand this as a Ghematria (letters equal numbers), then the possibilities for 666 translating into a human name are just about endless. For instance Nero, Mohamed, Luther, Roman emperors Titus and Vespasian, Pope Benedict IX, Napoleon, King Louis XV, the Latin title for “Pope,” Hitler, Billy Graham, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, John F. Kennedy, Tiger Woods, Bo Jackson, Holy Bible, Catholics, and “the Messiah of Satan” have all been names that someone has figured adds up to 666.

     One problem that faces us in dealing with this number is that there is no article in the Greek before the word “man.” Literally it is the number of man rather than “a man” (a specific individual). Also, the number may be “616.” Thayer suggests, “The meaning of which is the basis of much vain speculation.” Vincent states, “The interpretations of this number form a jungle from which escape is apparently hopeless.”

     All this may seem frustrating to us but maybe should push us to a deeper commitment to faith that God. Perhaps the interpretation will become clearer during the events of Revelation 13, perhaps not. We need to be careful about claiming to understand things that we can only guess at.