Revelation 13: The Last-Days' Dictator

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb."Revelation 13:8

Opening prayer: Father, these visions are disturbing, especially in view of recent news reports. Open our hearts to understand these visions and know the truth about the last-days deceiver, we pray.

This is a continuation of our series on the Revelation of Jesus the Messiah. If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to study our previous lessons in this series:

Rev. 1: The Revelation of Jesus Rev. 2-3: I Know You! Rev. 4-5: Preview of Heaven Rev. Study: Prophecies of Daniel Rev. Study: Raptures and Resurrections

Rev. 6: Overview of the Tribulation Rev. 7: Some Special People Rev. 8-9: Danger! Rough Road Ahead! Rev. 10-11: Seven Thunders; Two Witnesses Rev. 12: The Woman and The Dragon.

Today's subject is perhaps my least favorite: the last-days dictator. This individual is better known in popular literature as "the Antichrist" or "the Beast." The term "antichrist" could be translated "substitute messiah" or "substitute deliverer." When this individual appears, he will not immediately appear to be against Jesus and Christians and Jews. But his true colors will emerge soon enough.

The book of Revelation doesn't begin to say much about this fellow until chapter 13, verse 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 names of blasphemy.

Our last lesson, on Revelation chapter 12, described symbols (or signs) in heaven: the woman representing Israel and the red dragon representing Satan. By the end of that chapter, the woman and the dragon were both pictured here on earth.

This chapter begins with John seeing a beast rising out of the sea, which represents a multitude of Gentile nations and peoples. There's quite a bit of information conveyed in this verse:

• The beast is pictured as having seven heads and ten horns, like the dragon in the previous chapter.
• The seven heads tell us that the beast is empowered and guided by the seven demonic personages that we described in the previous lesson. Six of these heads (personages) have energized six historic kingdoms that have oppressed Israel: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The seventh is still future (maybe) and will have a relatively short independent career before becoming part of the last-days ruling junta.
• The ten horns tell us that ten visible earthly kingdoms will be involved in this last-days kingdom or confederacy.
• Note that the crowns are on the horns of this beast. This is God's way of telling us that the focus is on the worldly kingdoms and leaders and their activities.
• Upon his heads we see "the names of blasphemy." Even though this beast will begin as a political leader and his crowns are on the horns (emphasis on worldly power), the heads are decorated with blasphemous names. In other words, the demonic creatures behind the beast are all identified with vile religious concepts and practices. There will be no "separation of church and state" when this beast rises to power.

Uh, teacher... What's blasphemy?

Blasphemy is to say something bad (or just plain lie) about God, His character, His power or His authority. Some examples:

• It would be blasphemy to call myself a god.
• It is blasphemy to blame God for stuff that Satan does.
• It is blasphemy to credit Satan for what God does.
• It is blasphemy to say that God is impersonal and doesn't really care about you and me. This is especially offensive to God, considering how high a price God paid to allow His Son Jesus to suffer and die for you and me.
• It is blasphemy to say that God must approve of our morality and lifestyle choices because we are experiencing material prosperity.
• It is tapdancing at the edge of blasphemy to say that God must be judging this or that person for severe sin because that person is experiencing severe health or financial setbacks (even if we have personal knowledge of that severe sin).
• It is blasphemy to stand and say, "Thus sayeth the Lord..." when the Lord didn't really say that.
• Most sentences that begin with the words "How could a good God..." are blasphemous, so please be careful what you say.

Blasphemy is a very common sin these days. My friends, we are surrounded by "nice" people who babble blasphemy -- concepts they've heard on TV or in public school classrooms or in godless support (whine and blame) groups. These "nice" people would be horrified if they knew how their words sound to God. Pray, deeply and sincerely, for your "nice" relatives and friends. God loves them as much as He loves you, and can give them a new heart and eternal life if they ask for it. Without a heart for God, "nice" people will be deceived by the blasphemous beast.

Jesus made a very peculiar statement about blasphemy in Matthew 12 verses 31-32:

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Bible expositors call this "the unpardonable sin," and lots of folks have complicated-sounding theories about what Jesus meant. I prefer a simple explanation: God can understand and forgive people who look at Jesus but don't get it at first, because He came in a visible (and probably ordinary-looking) body. But when Jesus worked the will of God, demonstrating the mighty POWER of God through the Holy Spirit, it was (and still is) blasphemy to say that the devil empowered Jesus. We'll talk more about this later, when we see the last-days dictator and his buddy indulging in the practice.

Back to Revelation 13, verse 2, which is pure symbolism with a familiar ring to it:

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Let's look at the second half of verse 2 first. This beast is not a nice person. He will be given unprecedented power and authority from the devil himself. A long time ago, the devil offered the kingdoms of the world to Jesus (see Matthew 4), and Jesus refused. The devil will make a similar offer to the last-days dictator in the near future, and the beast will gladly accept it.

The first part of verse 2 above sounds like the imagery from Daniel chapter 7, verses 3-8:

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and! it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Sorry, teacher: that doesn't make it any clearer.

I know. About all you can say for certain is that the fourth beast in Daniel 7 is a picture of the ten-kingdom confederacy ruled by the last-days dictator. The identity and significance of the lion, bear and leopard are not very clear. So let's go back to core principles and use Scripture to interpret Scripture. But what Scripture conveys a helpful meaning?

Most present-day commentators point to Daniel 2 and say that the four kingdom beasts in Daniel 7 are equivalent to and in the same sequence as the kingdoms described in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. IF that's true, then the lion represents Babylon, the bear is Medo-Persia, the leopard is Greece and fourth beast is both Rome AND the last-days confederacy.

That might be possible, except that in Daniel 7:11-12 the angel tells Daniel that the last-days beast would be fed to the burning flame but that the other beasts would have their lives preserved for "a season and a time." This means that the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece would have their existence extended into the Milennium period. This is especially troubling since later in the Book of Revelation, God spends two chapters detailing the destruction of Babylon in all its legacy forms: religious, political, commercial and artistic. If the lion with eagles' winds represents Babylon, how could any part of it survive?

Personally, I favor the interpretation that ALL FOUR beasts in Daniel 7 are kingdoms that are active in the end-times. In that case, we must look to other Scriptures (besides Daniel 2) to interpret the identities of these animals.

When you do a word search of the Bible, you quickly discover that leopards are only mentioned a half-dozen times total, including the two examples described above in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. Of the remaining four appearances, none are in a context that points to specific last-days kingdoms. However, two are in contexts describing judgment upon the nation Israel for its unfaithfulness, and a third is in a context describing the blessings to be brought by Messiah's reign during the Milennium. Let's look at the three promising passages and see if we can see any hints.

The best-known passage is Isaiah 11, verses 1-7:

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears. 4 But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow a! nd the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Surprise! One of the most-loved passages in all the Bible describes all three of these predatory animals. Suddenly we discover a new meaning to these familiar verses. Yes, there will be harmony in the animal kingdom, and harmony between humans and animals. But the most remarkable achievement will be harmony between the ethnic and geographic groups of humans.

Now let's look at Jeremiah 5, verses 1-6:

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. 2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. 3 O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. 4 Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the judgment of their God. 5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, [and] the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, [and] burst the bonds. 6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, [and] a wolf of the evenings shal! l spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings are increased.

In this passage, Jeremiah laments that the people of Israel, even the "great men" who "have known the way of the Lord," have all gone astray from the ways of God. Lions and leopards are pictured as God's agents of judgment upon His wayward people.

Now let's see Hosea 13, verses 2-9:

And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, [and] idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves. 3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff [that] is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney. 4 Yet I [am] the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for [there is] no saviour beside me. 5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. 6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. 7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe [them]: 8 I will meet them as a bear [that is] bereaved [of her whelps], and will rend the caul of their heart, and ! there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them. 9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me [is] thine help.

This passage exactly parallels Jeremiah's message, saying that Israel will suffer at the hands of the Lord because of their idolatry. Note that verse 9 says "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me [is] thine help." God is being strict with them, to get their attention. But He tenderly awaits the opportunity to receive them back as beloved, repentant children.

So how do the three passages relate to Revelation 13 and Daniel 7?

As this lesson is being written (early 2000), the nation Israel has not yet awakened to their Messiah. In fact, very few Israelites have much real knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Therefore, the days are fast approaching when the Lord will send the lion and bear and leopard countries to be part of the last-days group that oppresses Israel under the leadership of the last-days dictator.

After the dictator (the beast) is given a private suite in hell, the Messiah of Israel will establish His kingdom on earth, with Jerusalem as its capital. And Israel will be at peace with the nations (including the countries represented by the lion, bear and leopard) that formerly oppressed her.

Sentimental folk love to read about the upcoming harmony between former predatory animals, but peace among predatory people will be a greater miracle.

Let's continue with verses 3-4:

And I saw one of his heads as it were slain, and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world marvelled after the beast. 4 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?"

Does verse 3 mean that the last-days dictator will be a man who comes back from the dead?

That's not what this passage says. Remember God is showing us a picture in symbols, and the symbols have consistent meaning. The heads of the various beasts represent the brains of the outfit, the demonic creatures who have been given specific geographic authority for a specific (and limited) period of time. Six have already come and gone from the scene of history. The seventh will appear and create havoc with Israel for a short time before being subjugated into the larger symbolic beast. We'll cover this in more detail later in this lesson. Likewise, we'll talk more about the deadly wound later in this lesson.

For now, just remember that one of the heads had a fatal wound. Since spirits don't die, the symbolism of the deadly wound must describe one of the heads (a demon creature) being removed from its position of authority. (Today we'd say he'd lost his franchise.) In other words, the kingdom or empire ruled by this head has already passed from the scene of history and (as we learn in other Scriptures) the demon creature has been confined to the bottomless pit. But somehow, the last-days dictator will appear to represent the resurgence or resurrection of a long-dead empire.

Let's reinforce this point by looking ahead to Revelation 17, verses 7-13:

And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive! power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

This passage appears in the context of the beast giving a ride to the symbolic woman representing apostate religions. We'll explain the woman in a later lesson.

The key thing to note here is the timing:

• In verse 8, "The beast that thou sawest was..." It enjoyed a period of kingdom authority before John's day.
• "...and is not..." It was not energizing an empire in John's day.
• "...and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit..." At a future time, it will be released from its prison in the bottomless pit to be the head demon (of the seven) behind the last-days dictator.
• In verse 10, "And there are seven kings: five are fallen..." The seven heads represent seven demonic creatures, of which five have already enjoyed kingdom rule and been imprisoned by John's day. The five (as stated earlier) energized kingdoms/empires in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece.
• "...and one is..." The sixth "king" was energizing the kingdom of Rome at the time the angel was speaking.
• "...the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." The seventh "king" will energize a short-lived kingdom or confederacy just before the last-days dictator arises to power. The seventh "king" might have been the energizing power behind Nazi Germany, or the Soviet Union, or it might still be in prison, awaiting the opportunity to energize a future kingdom. At this point in our study, we can only speculate. But remember this guy for later.
• In verse 11, "And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven..." Strange as it seems, one of the five "fallen" kings will emerge from the bottomless pit and be the head guy once again. His kingdom or confederacy will create the appearance of an eighth kingdom, distinct from the previous seven. The angel persistently calls this guy "the beast that was and is not" -- so the last-days dictator cannot be primarily energized by the Roman beast, although the Roman beast (and part of his geographic territory) will participate in the last-days confederacy. Therefore the key beast must be one of the five fallen kings.

Which one?

This passage doesn't tell us which, but some passages in Daniel give us some strong hints. At this point, I strongly suggest you review the Study on Daniel, because of the wealth of detail the Lord chooses to reveal in that book.

Remember that our charter in this study is to minimize speculation by only using Scripture to interpret Scripture. My goal is NOT to persuade you that my view is correct. My goal IS to encourage you to develop YOUR OWN practice of studying Scripture. You owe it to yourself (and to your spouse, your kids and your neighbors) to read the Bible yourself and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding. If you do, He will.

Having said that, here are some of the clues in Daniel concerning the geographic roots of the last-days dictator:

• As we've already seen above, Daniel chapter 7 describes four major end-times power centers: the ten-horned beast representing the last-days dictator and his key buddies, plus three other predators that represent other kingdoms aligned with the big beast.
• In Daniel 8:9-14, we see a "little horn" arising from one of the four notable horns, which represent the four parts into which the Grecian empire split after Alexander's death. This vision has no animal or horn representing Rome. It jumps straight from the remnants of the Grecian empire to the last-days beast who will be destroyed by Jesus at His coming. This points us toward the Grecian empire for the geographic origin of the last-days dictator.
• In Daniel 9:27, we see the beast making "a firm covenant with many" for a seven-year period, then violating the treaty (and desecrating the temple) at the 3 1/2 year point. So chapter 9 gives activity clues: the last-days dictator will be prominent in brokering the "peace process" between Israel and "many." Keep an eye on your newspapers.
• In Daniel chapters 11-12, you'll discover a wealth of history that God revealed in advance. These chapters trace the history of the two strongest survivors remnants of the Grecian empire: the King of the North (the Seleucid kings, based in the area now occupied by Syria, Turkey and parts of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon) and the King of the South (the Ptolemy kings, in Egypt). God eventually zeroes in on the King of the North, and shows THAT vile person doing the activities of the last-days dictator. This tells us that the beast might originate in the area formerly ruled by the king of the North. Keep your eyes on this area, especially Syria, which is the major antagonist of Israel today and which is spearheading the "covenant with many" being negotiated as this is written (early 2000).
• Based on the clues in Daniel 8-12, I'm inclined to believe that the last-days dictator will arise in the geographic area formerly ruled by the Kings of the North. This is consistent with the concept that the key "head" of the beast will be the demonic creature that formerly (and briefly) energized the Grecian empire and Alexander the Great, but which now is penned up in the bottomless pit. The world has never experienced conquest as swift as that of the early Grecian empire under Alexander. But the world is about to see a remarkable comeback. Personally, I plan to be watching this from a safe distance -- upward.

Back to chapter 13 -- verses 5-10 fill in some more details about the coming dictator:

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

This passage is pretty simple, so we'll just point out a few quick points:

• Like Hitler, this man will fill people's minds and egos with his "great things and blasphemies."
• He will have absolute control of his realm for 3 1/2 years, the second half of Daniel's 70th week.
• His blasphemy and lies will be directed against all that is good and holy: God Himself, God's temple, the good angels, and those of us who have been airlifted to safety at some point before his rise to power.
• He will make war with the saints -- the people of Israel, plus all the Gentiles who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus during the tribulation period.
• Those who come to know Jesus, the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," will not be fooled by the beast and his lies. They will not worship him. Everybody else will.
• Verses 9 and 10 are a wartime code message to those brave souls who come to know Jesus as Messiah and Lord during the tribulation period: Be patient and firm in your faith, despite the persecution, and God will repay you richly, forever.

Now let's meet the beast's buddy, in verses 11-13:

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. And he had two horns like a lamb and spake as a dragon. 12 And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him; and he causes the earth and all who dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

Hello. Meet the False Prophet. Doesn't he look nice? See, he has two little horns like a lamb: he will look very meek and gentle, like Jesus. He will be a VERY religious man. He will give glory to his god, and quote selected passages from the Bible. All your neighbors will be energized and inspired by his talks on TV. He will speak the very words of the devil himself.

Have you ever heard somebody say, "My religion is a very PERSONAL subject." Mister False Prophet will say something like that, too. His religion will be very personal: worship of a very vile person, the last-days dictator. And Mister False Prophet will shove his religion right down your throat.

Make no mistake: this fellow will be VERY convincing. In fact, he'll be a miracle worker. No kidding. Fire from heaven. Just like Pokemon. Your kids (or grandkids) might enjoy his show, unless they have learned better from you.

What about the miracles?

Some denominations teach that miracles and the gifts of the Spirit came to a screeching halt as soon as the original apostles died. They believe that all present-day manifestations of miracles are from the devil. That's nonsense, variety number one. People who believe this run the risk of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Now the other side of the coin. Some years ago, I visited a church that had started with strong Bible teaching, but (under a new pastor) grew progressively fixated on "miracle services" with visiting "evangelists" who would work up a sweat exhorting the sheep with semi-Biblical preaching, and pushing on people's foreheads as a cue to be "slain in the spirit." They believed that all present-day manifestations of miracles are from God. That's nonsense, variety number two. Again, this is borderline blasphemy, because we KNOW much of the televised charismania is staged and fake.

Forget other people's opinions, including mine. Read the Gospels and the Book of Acts and the epistles for yourself. Notice all the references to the power of God, working through the lives of submitted believers. God's revealed plan (the Bible) hasn't changed one bit since then, nor has He lost any power. Fewer miracles just means that there are fewer submitted believers.

Jesus said, "Follow me." Jesus worked miracles wherever He went. Jesus also arose every morning before daybreak, and prayed fervently to His Father. Every morning, He met His Father in prayer, and every day, His Father revealed His will to Jesus. Take a hint.

If we search the Scriptures daily for God's revealed will, His Word will be fresh in our minds and hearts. If we earnestly seek God's face in prayer, we will experience His presence and will be touched by His Holy Spirit. If we earnestly seek to know God's will, and settle for nothing less, God will speak to us. If we have prepared our hearts, the Holy Spirit will guide us to know God's will in every situation, including those where He wants to do miracles. If we know His will, we can pray confidently for His will to be done. Sometimes the results appear miraculous. At other times, the results are more subtle. Either way, God's miracle-working power can work through you to do His will. If you are unsure of how to pray this way, click here to read our series on prayer.

If we neglect our daily times of Bible study, God's revealed Word is less fresh in our minds and hearts. If we neglect our daily prayer, we hear less from God. If we have not prepared our hearts to know and submit to His will, we are vulnerable to the lies and half-truths of the dragon. If we do NOT earnestly seek to be filled and guided by the Holy Spirit, we are vulnerable to other spirits.

Make no mistake: the other spirits have power. Their powers are limited (compared to God's power and authority), but even limited spiritual power looks impressive to us earthlings. Maybe YOU are an experienced miracle worker, but I've never been able to make fire come down from the sky. The False Prophet "maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." This glory hog will make sure everybody is watching, especially the TV cameras. Your neighbors will be very impressed -- unless somebody teaches them the truth beforehand.

Notice that God again describes the first beast as someone "whose deadly wound was healed." In the earlier mention of the deadly wound, the emphasis was clearly on the demonic creature who energized the last-days dictator. In this passage, the emphasis isn't as clear. In the next passage, we'll see a different emphasis.

Let's read verses 14-15:

And [he] deceiveth them that dwell on the 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. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

In verse 14, God repeats the concept of a deadly wound. This time He describes it as a sword wound, and this context appears to attach it to the visible person, the last-days dictator himself.

This is consistent with the imagery we see in Zechariah 11, verses 15-17:

And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee again the instruments of a useless shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, [which] shall not look for the lost, neither shall he seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still. But he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

This passage absolutely jumps off the page in its context of prophecy, even when you're not looking for the last-days dictator. The expression "idol shepherd" is an exact, literal translation of the Hebrew, and it must make the Hebrew readers cringe. Zechariah put the word "idol" (Jewish people abhor idols) together with "shepherd" (the imagery of their messiah). Even in the English language, the verse shocks the sensitive reader.

These verses describe a very vile person. He introduces himself as a shepherd. He comes to bring peace. He will help you achieve your highest dreams. He will help you realize your highest potential and tap your own inner divine powers. He will eat you for lunch.

Just to be sure you recognize him, God describes him in gory detail. The word "sword" in this passage refers to the common sword of the Israelites -- usually short and bronze. This was the most-common personal weapon of the day.

Yes, this beast will apparently survive an assassination attempt from somebody wielding a personal weapon, either sword or handgun. The wound will be severe enough to have killed him, yet he will rise up from his apparent death bed. Don't be fooled.

For your homework, I suggest you read all of Zechariah 11 through 14, because the bulk of it concerns end-time prophecy.

But what about that image? What's that?

Whatever the image is, the False Prophet will have people make it -- or them.

A century ago, Bible commentators and translators figured the "image of the beast" was a statue, and that this statue would be made to talk like a ventriloquist dummy. None of the commentators had a clue how beast worship could be enforced -- unless there was a talking dummy (and religion police) in every town.

Six decades ago, some folks thought motion pictures (remember movie theaters and drive-ins?) would be the enabling technology. Movie goers would watch their weekly newsreel of beast-speak and declare their worship to the religion police -- maybe by an arm salute like the Nazis were using in Germany.

Three decades ago, Bible commentators figured the image of the beast had something to do with television. By then, some pioneers were testing primitive forms of interactive TV, which would enable watchers to push buttons and send signals back to the TV station. This technology would enable the beast's religion police to monitor which households were pushing the "Worship" button and which were not.

These days, the Internet has become an enabling technology. Streaming audio and video enable us to see moving pictures and send messages to and from anywhere. Anybody can pull up an image of the beast on any $200 computer or Web-TV box. Web pages can have "Worship" buttons.

So is the Internet (which a certain politician claims to have invented) going to be the enforcement media for the False Prophet? I don't know, and I don't care. When the time comes, it will be VERY obvious. Just don't push any "Worship" buttons, even if they're given some sugar-coated description.

Hey, teacher! I don't believe modern-day folks will worship this guy.

You don't? Are you the only other adult (besides me) in North America who doesn't own a TV and VCR? Maybe you haven't noticed, but hero worship has become a world-wide addiction and television is the primary altar of worship. The Internet is gaining, but still trails the tube by a lot.

Hero worship?

Yes. Hero worship. Remember that our English word "worship" is a contraction of "worth-ship." A modern-day worship service is an activity where people gather and spend time singing and giving honor and offerings to their god(s). By this definition, baseball and football games qualify. Ditto basketball games and music concerts. Ditto for cable TV and movies.

We love to find and enshrine heroes. When Michael Jordan retired from basketball, the sports journalists offered endless prayers (in print!) for some other player to step up and become the next media idol. When Tiger Woods plays in a golf tournament, TV ratings are 35-50% higher than otherwise.

We love to give offerings to our gods. Just follow the money trail. We buy their books. We buy tickets to their games and their concerts. We watch their TV programs and movies. We sing their songs, buy their exercise videos, follow their diets, contribute to their political campaigns.

And we worship ourselves. Have you ever seen a house without a bathroom mirror? Have you seen many ads appealing to your modesty and humility? Our culture does not glorify weak or poor people. Our magazines do not publish articles advocating helplessness and powerlessness. You have probably never seen a plastic surgeon holding a cardboard sign saying, "Will cut for food."

When the last-days dictator rises to power, people will be awestruck at the fellow. He will appear to be a man of peace. He will say words that make people feel good about themselves. In fact, his message will probably sound quite a bit like the devil's pitch in Genesis chapter three: "Follow this easy path to enlightenment, and become gods yourselves!"

Nobody would fall for that old line.

Don't be so sure. Adam and Eve had direct, personal knowledge of God, and THEY fell for it. My parents raised me in a God-fearing home, but I fell for those lies and spent several years following gurus and doing horoscopes and palm-readings. I know and love many people who have not yet overcome the seductive lies of "Thou art God!" and "Follow this path to enlightenment!" It breaks my heart, but all I can do is pray for them.

History tells us of many madmen with occultic backgrounds who led entire nations astray by appealing to their egos. The people of Germany were among the best-educated in the world, but they fell for Hitler's lies about being a superior race. In fact, many people (outside of Germany) thought Hitler was the antichrist; even after his death, the tabloids published articles speculating that Hitler would recover from his deadly wound and come out of hiding to assemble another world empire.

You can be sure, from your own experience with human nature, that people will worship this last-days dictator. He will be an impressive public speaker. He will be an incredibly persuasive statesman. He will appear to bring peace. He will build political and military alliances so powerful that no country on earth would dare attack him. He will appear to be a sincerely religious man. He will make people feel good about themselves. And he will be a damned liar, like his mentor, the dragon.

Now the False Prophet's crowning accomplishment, verses 16-18:

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

The False Prophet will be the devil's agent for instituting the Antichrist's trademark: "The Mark of the Beast." Let's look at what God chooses to reveal about the mark in this passage:

• This will not be a voluntary process. Everyone will be commanded to take the mark.
• They will take the mark on their right hands or their foreheads. Some people might not have intact right hands, but everyone has a head.
• This mark will be the ultimate ATM card and ID card. Our grocery stores and warehouse stores already have card readers for their discount cards and membership cards and for payment cards. The gas stations and liquor stores and restaurants already have scanners for credit and ATM cards. You can use your ATM or credit card almost anywhere. Even most Internet transactions are credit-card based. How nice of all these companies to perfect the technology in advance! (A sign of the times: A recent TV commercial for a technology company shows a young man apparently stealing items in a store and hiding them in his coat; on his way out the door, a sensor detects his cargo. The security guard stops the man and says, "You forgot your receipt." The point is that we already have the technology to scan everything in the store -- including YOU -- and immediately charge the right bank account. How nice of all these companies to warn you that the False Prophet's technology is available already!)
• The mark will be a unique identification system. It will identify you TO the beast. It will also, somehow, identify you WITH the beast. In ways that aren't clear in this passage, taking the mark (or name or number) OF the beast is an act of submission TO the beast.
• The number of the beast is six hundred sixty-six. It is not of divine or satanic origin. Instead, "it is the number of a man." Verse 18 exhorts the reader who has wisdom and specific understanding to count (literally to calculate) the number. This is a huge hint that the False Prophet will not be putting tatoos on people reading "666" in plain numbers. However, a person with some discernment (and maybe some computer skills) will be able to figure out how the beast's name or mark can be traced to the number 666.

Hey, teacher! What will the mark be?

Nobody knows for sure, because there are several different technologies to choose from! Since the early 1990s, pet owners have been able to put a tiny "smart" pellet (about the size of a grain of rice) under the neck skin of their pet. The identity of the pet is immediately discernible when the pet stands near a scanning device. These pellets, though, are relatively limited. Newer chips with active processing power can be injected under human skin. Some of these are semi-passive: they only operate when within a certain distance of the scanning device. Others (developed in Israel, of all places!) are full-time computing devices and are powered by chemical interaction with human body fluids. As we'll see in a future lesson, the False Prophet will choose the WRONG technology.

Don't worry about trying to figure out the mark in advance. It will be obvious to everyone that the "new" universal, mandatory, forgery-proof ID system is a method of submission to the power of the one-world government. Refusal to take the mark will mean physical death, but eternal life for believers in Jesus. Accepting the mark will mean a temporary extension of life, but eternal torment, as we shall see in a later lesson.

Whatever it is, don't take it. Don't even think about it.

What else does the Bible tell us about the Last-Days Dictator?

Quite a bit, actually. We'll see more in future lessons. But we absolutely must include some information from Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonians, because it sheds light onto his timing and his character.

Paul describes the beast in 2 Thessalonians, starting with verses 3-5:

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; 4 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, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Paul calls him "the man of sin." He will be the very embodiment of evil and blasphemy. But the world will be absolutely charmed by him -- at first. Then he will desecrate the rebuilt (and still future) temple in Jerusalem by standing in the Holy of Holies, as Jesus predicted, declaring his divinity. That will tip off the smart Israelites (those who paid attention to the 144,000) to run for the hills.

Paul continues, verses 6-12:

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now restrains will continue to restrain until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: 9 Him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

These verses tell us:

• This vile person (and the demonic creature behind him) cannot appear until the Restrainer be taken out of the way. Nothing can restrain sin in this world but the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the lives of believing Christians. Therefore, this last-days dictator will not be revealed until AFTER you and I are airlifted to safety in the first Rapture. Even then, the full extent of the beast's vile nature will not be revealed until the middle of the seven-year period. By then, even the 144,000 and the "numberless multitude" will have been taken out of the way.
• At God's chosen time, the evil beast will be revealed and will operate "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and will all deceivableness of unrighteousness."
• The beast's coming will be welcomed by "them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." You can probably look around your office and figure out who's going to be taken out of the way, and who is likely welcome the beast (unless somebody makes the love and power of Jesus real for them before then). Pray for them. God put you in that office to give them a chance.
• God allowed the Pharaoh of Egypt to be hardened in his persistent rebellion, so he could receive the just reward for his arrogance. Likewise, God is storing up just rewards for the white-collar thieves and thugs and murderers and religious apostates. They will finally get the political and religious leader they deserve.

The Love of the Truth

Jesus loves you, personally and passionately. His love and power are the best protection you have against the forces of darkness that will soon rise to power here on earth. His truth will make you immune to the seductive lies of the beast and the False Prophet. My hope is that you've already come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, the true Messiah of Israel.

If you aren't sure of your relationship with Jesus, please click the "mail-to" link below to send us an e-mail. Explain your concerns and we'll respond as quickly as we can.

Now two quick offers before we close:

• For an overall timeline of last-days events, click here.
• If you disagree with some (or all) of my conclusions -- GOOD! I'm pleased that you have the intellectual fortitude to think for yourself. Just click here to see some positive steps for continuing your study of Scriptures.

Closing Prayer: Lord, every day I see news stories and hear blasphemous statements from people who don't have the love of the truth. Please make Your love and Your truth real for me, that I can help make Your Son, Jesus, become real to others. Amen.