By Marv Rosenthal
This is the third of a 3-part series. Read Part 1 here; read Part 2 here.
This series is a follow-up to the series “The Antichrist is Coming.” Read Part 1 here; read Part 2 here.
Note: Part 1 served as an introduction to the False Prophet – the Beast Out of the Sea – and how he “fits in” with Satan and the Antichrist. In Part 2, we looked more closely at the role he will play in the End Times.
A Counterfeit Elijah
Regarding the False Prophet – the Beast out of the Earth – we read:
He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people (Revelation 13:13).
John the Baptist was the herald, or forerunner, of Christ in connection with His first coming. The prophet Elijah, who will be one of the 2 witnesses for God during the Last Days, will be the herald of Christ at His second coming. He will be to the second coming what John was to Christ’s first coming.
It was Elijah (along with Moses) who was present on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). According to the Lord, the events that occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration were a preview of the manifestation of His glory which will be revealed at His second coming (Matthew 16:27-28).
Through the prophet Malachi, God told Israel: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5). The Malachi text is speaking of the precise time frame being discussed in Revelation 13.
It is this same prophet Elijah who, in the Old Testament, encountered the 450 prophets of Baal. It was a terrible period of time in Israel. Wicked Ahab was ruling with Jezebel and idolatry had come into the nation like a flood.
The Israelites were at a critical juncture in their history. Were they going to worship the Lord God of Israel or the pagan deity, Baal? In the end, Elijah would call down fire from Heaven to settle the matter (1 Kings 18:20-35).
At the end of the age, Elijah the true prophet of God and the False Prophet of Satan will be in conflict during the last 3½ years of this age. Nothing will have changed. The False Prophet will call down fire from Heaven to sway people to his side.
So great will be his power that, unlike the prophets of Baal, empowered by Satan he will succeed in calling down fire from Heaven. No wonder the Lord Jesus, speaking of those days, warned:
For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect (Matthew 24:24).
In this context, how grateful I am for 4 words uttered by my Savior. He said, “if it were possible,” they would deceive the very elect. By God’s infinite grace, it won’t be possible. God’s sons and daughters will not be deceived.
The Mark of the Beast
Under the Mosaic Law, God said idolatry was to be strictly forbidden. No person had ever seen God (who is Spirit), and so no one knows what God looks like. Therefore, no idols were to be made (Exodus 20:4).
That command by God notwithstanding, humanity, in its fallen state, has a powerful inclination to make idols to its gods and then build magnificent temples in which to house the gods its hands have made.
Therefore, at the end of the age, the False Prophet will command the world make an idol “to the beast [the Antichrist] who had the wound of the sword and has come to life” (Revelation 13:14). After all, he appeared to conquer death and so humanity in its unbelief and folly will worship his image.
This image will be extraordinary:
And it was given to him [the False Prophet] to give breath to the image of the beast [the Antichrist], so that the image of the beast would even speak [communicate] and cause all who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed (Revelation 13:15).
In addition to demanding all people worship the image of the beast, they will be required to take a visible “mark on their right hands or on their foreheads” (Revelation 13:16). This mark will be an outward sign of loyalty to the Antichrist and, by association, to Satan.
But more than an outward sign of loyalty, men and women will be required to take the mark or they will be unable to buy or sell. The most basic things of life such as food, housing, transportation, and medical care will be denied them without it. The mark itself will allow the False Prophet and Antichrist to control all these things.
The mark of the beast is in some way associated with “the name of the beast” or “the number of his name” (v. 17). We are told by John:
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six [666] (Revelation 13:18).
Volumes have been written in an attempt to interpret the meaning of John’s words. The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin alphabets all assign numerical values to each letter of the alphabet.
Using this method, some theorists have identified Nero, Caligula, Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and others as the Antichrist. But this system is totally subjective, unimpressive, and easily manipulated to come up with many names to fit the interpreter’s leanings.
Others have suggested the number 7 is the perfect number and is the number for God. In contrast, the number 6 is the number for man. Using the number 6 one time makes the statement that the Antichrist is a man; using the number 6 a second time emphasizes that statement; using the number 6 a third time is the superlative and makes the statement emphatic in the same way the prophet Isaiah said of God, kadosh, kadosh, kadosh, meaning “holy, holy, holy” is the Lord of Hosts.
The triple use of the word “holy” made it a superlative statement. John may not have been saying “six hundred and sixty-six.” He may have been saying “6-6-6” meaning, the Antichrist is not God; he is not the Savior; he is not holy; he is simply a man – a fraud, empowered by Satan – and never to be worshipped. There are other theories as well; some reasonable, some farfetched. Of these things, however, we cannot be certain.
For more on this, read the article, “Examining the Number 666.”
A careful examination of Revelation Chapter 13 indicates three important principles:
First, the Antichrist wants to be the leader of a global government – most likely centered in the Middle East.
Second, the Antichrist wants to be the object of worship in a global religion – most likely Islam.
Third, the Antichrist wants to control a global economic system – most likely through an Islamic Caliphate comprised of 10 nations.
If successful, Satan – who empowers the Antichrist – will fulfill his dream of world domination. But be of good cheer, Chapter 13 is not the last chapter in the Book of Revelation. Both Satan and his dream will be crushed.
Marv Rosenthal, founder and President of Zion’s Hope, was an acclaimed international Bible teacher for almost 6 decades.
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