Place: Lurgan Baptist: 9:3:2004

Reading: Revelation Ch 13

EXPLORING THE FUTURE

19. THE WORLD'S LAST DICTATOR

Centuries ago there lived in Greece an eccentric philosopher named Diogenes. He lived in a tub and had other whimsical ways of protesting against the rampant materialism of his day. One day at high noon he was found wandering about the crowded streets of Athens, with a lighted lantern in his hand as if searching for something. People laughed at him. " What are you doing, Diogenes ?" they asked. He answered, " Looking for a man." One wonders whether he had been reading the prophecy of Jeremiah. It contains this similar passage, " Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man." ( Jer 5:1) " Looking for a man." This is what the modern world is doing. It is looking for a man and it is looking for him in various fields. The modern world is looking for a man.

(1) IN THE FINANCIAL FIELD:

Writing some time ago in the Wall Street Journal a leading American financial critic observed, " What we need on Wall Street today is a superman someone who has supernatural knowledge to help us out of the mess we are in."

(2) IN THE SOCIAL FIELD:

British historian Arnold Toynbee has told us, " by forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons and at the same time making the world more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of distress that we are ripe for the deifying of any new Caesar who might succeed in giving the world unity and peace."

(3) IN THE COMMERCIAL FIELD:

Words spoken by Henri Spaak, then secretary-general of the Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( Paris 1957 ) have often been quoted. He said, " We do want another committee, we have had too many already. What we want is man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people's and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he God or devil we will receive him. The modern world is looking for a man

(4) IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD

J. Robert Schnaetzel for some years U.S.A. ambassador to the E.E.C. remarked in a reported interview, " In the whole process of European construction .... there is no acknowledged leader to whom the good and true can turn for guidance as what to do next. The U.S.A. administration desires a partner with whom the U.S.A. can deal on a more or less equal plane. There is no single person .... who can speak with the same authority as the President of the U.S.A." So in the field of International Diplomacy the world is looking for a man.

And finally,

(5) IN THE ECCLESIASTICAL FIELD

The world is looking for a man. Some years ago a Methodist spokesman said, " The invisible Christ is not enough. We need a leader we can see. Why not the

Pope ?" Now in all these various ways the modern world is looking for a man. And the beast that ariseth out of the sea in ( Rev 13 ) is a man. Look at ( 13:18 ) Let's get this into our minds this .... this is a man. Look at

( 13:4-5 ) This is a great personality who is coming to our world. Look at ( 13:5 ) Now look here are three words that we want to grasp. " Man, mouth, months." Look at ( 13:2 ) That’s Might is it not, for this beast is energised by the devil. Are you beginning to see his

picture ? There is coming a man and he's got a mouth and he will continue for 42 months, energised by the might of the devil. My .... this is The World’s Last Dictator. You see, Satan will try to prevent Jesus Christ from setting up his earthly kingdom by setting up his own under Antichrist. Now I've divided this study into three.

(1) THE ANCESTRY OF THE BEAST

John says, " And I stood .…,” ( 13:1 ) Some texts read,

" And he ( Satan ) stood upon the sand of the sea." The sea here represents the sea of humanity, it speaks here of the peoples of the world. ( 17:15 ) From one of the nations Satan will bring his super-leader, the man we call " Antichrist." ( 1 Jn 2:18 ) Now if there was ever a man whose father was the devil, this is the man. His Ancestry goes right back to the devil. Did you notice:

(a) THE FAMILY LIKENESS:

When a little baby is born, what do you usually say ? She's like her Mummy ! Who is the beast like ? Well he's described as having " seven heads and ten horns."

( 13:2 ) Who is that like ? Look at ( 12:3 ) There is no mistaking the family likeness in the number of heads and the number of horns. Do you recall that when the Lord Jesus walked on earth He said, " He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." ( Jn 8:9 ) Christ was the exact representation of His Father. You could see God by looking at His Son. And when the beast comes, he will be able to say, " He that hath seen me has seen my father," for the beast will be the visible expression of the invisible devil. Whatever Satan is in his person, his nature, and his personality so is the beast. Every line of Satan's character is faithfully reproduced in the character of the beast. Did you notice he has seven heads, ten horns and ten crowns ? The heads would speak of Wisdom, the horns of Power, the crowns of Ruling Authority! Indeed these ten horns represent ten kingdoms ( 17:12 Dan 7:24 ) For it appears that this beast will head up " A United States of Europe," a revived Roman Empire before taking over as world dictator. So much for (a) Notice:

(b) THE FAMILY LINEAGE:

Look at ( 13:2 ) This takes us back to ( Dan Ch 7 ) Let's have a look at this great passage ! Now ( Dan Ch 7 ) provides us with a remarkable outline of the " Times of the Gentiles." The " times of the Gentiles," begin when God's people are taken from Jerusalem and the " times of the Gentiles," end when God's Son returns to Jerusalem. In ( Dan Ch 2) these 4 great world empires are seen from Man’s point of view. When man looks at them they are impressive, awe-inspiring, but in ( Ch 7 ) they are seen from God’s point of view. When God looks at them they are as wild, ferocious beasts continually fighting and devouring one another. So you can see here the first beast is the Lion, Babylon ( 7:4 ) the second beast is the bear, Medo-Persia ( 7:5 ) the third beats is the leopard, Greece ( 7:6 ) the fourth beast which cannot be identified is Rome. ( 7:7 )

Now the interesting thing about this fourth beast is that it has got ten horns and these ten horns symbolise ten kings. ( Dan 7:24 ) Now although the rise and fall of the Roman Empire is a matter of History, the appearance of the ten horns is a matter of Prophecy. For never in the past has Rome survived under ten kings and never in the past has Rome survived under ten kings at one given time. Look again ( 7:7 ) Now down to the word “it,”

that was the Roman Empire in its First Phase. " And it had ten horns .... great things." That is the Roman Empire in its Final Phase. Now even as I speak the nations of Europe are deciding on a European Constitution. By the month of May the number of countries will have gone up to 25 members.

Some years ago Newsweek said this,“ The path to a single market will be paved with sloppy compromises and missed deadlines. Inevitably, though, a Europe without internal borders will emerge. Europe’s economies need it to compete and survive. And it is the absolute precondition for accomplishing the long term European dream, a real political union that will restore Europe to its role as a world power.” A world power will need a strong leader, and the devil will have his man.

Now do you recall what I said about the Beast in

( Rev 13 ) ? He's a man with a Big Mouth! Well, look at ( Dan 7:8 23-25 ) Now when John says that this beast in ( Rev 13) is like a leopard, a bear, and a lion he's simply saying that the Antichrist is going to inherit all the beastly characteristics of those three kingdoms. So you can see (a) (b)

(c) THE FAMILY LEGACY:

It is summed up in one brief sentence, " And the dragon .... authority." ( 13:2 ) The dragon is Satan, and he plans to leave his son, the Antichrist, a legacy of great power. Do you recall what Paul says in ( 2 Thes 2:9 ) concerning the man of sin ? Speaking of this person, he says " whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” The word for

" power," is ( dunamis ) power to do anything, untrammelled, unhindered power. My .... the reason the Antichrist, if he is alive today, does not have full power is because he is restrained by the Holy Spirit.

( 2 Thes 2:7 ) The mighty Spirit of God, is holding back Satan, but at the Rapture with the church gone, and the Restrainer no longer hindering in the direct way He is today, Satan's masterpiece will be turned loose on the world with all his lying power and false wonders. (1)

(2) THE AMBITION OF THE BEAST

What a man he will be in the eyes of the world. He will be the seeming answer to all its needs. He will be the idol of all mankind, but he will filled with all the fullness of Satan. What will be his ambition ? I think we can say that:

(a) HE WANTS TO IMITATE CHRIST:

" The devil," says Martin Luther " is God's ape." His age long policy is counterfeit and caricature the Divine. He is a specialist in the spurious and expert in fraud, fake and forgery. Of everything the Lord does and is he is the Impious Imitator ! Now I believe we get a glimpse of this in ( 13:3 ) Now whatever this is, it must be important for John mentions it three times. ( 13:3 12 14 ) Some Bible teachers believe that the wounding of one of the heads of the beast is a reference to the fact that the Roman Empire as such seemingly died and is now going to be revived. Others see in the Antichrist a man who has been here on earth before and has died, but whom Satan will raise from the dead. Judas Iscariot, Nero, Hitler and Stalin, take your pick. Still other's believe that the beast, being a real man will be slain and brought back to life again. ( 17:9-11 ) Thus he will imitate the very Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ !

I am inclined to believe that all of this is an Imitation, a fake. I say that for two reasons. The first is the wording of the text. Look at ( 13:3 ) " As it were." The second is that its questionable if Satan has the power to restore to life, one who has died, even though his power is great.

I wonder will this be all a bluff, something that will fool the world, and cause the world to wonder after the

beast ?

A satanic imitation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ ! Its strange how a man's popularity can be enhanced by an event like this. President Kennedy's popularity went away up after he was assassinated. The same thing happened to Regan after an attempt on his life. And this is what will happen to the Antichrist. It will seem like a miracle and the whole world will wonder after him. He will seem to be a marvel, and with this master stroke, the devil will bring the world to the feet of his messiah. (a)

(b) HE WANTS TO ELEVATE SELF:

" And they worshipped .... him." ( 13:4) He wants to Deify Himself. He longs to be worshipped. Paul tells us that he is going to sit in the temple of God, showing himself to be God. ( 2 Thes 2:4 ) You may wonder if people will believe that a man is God, but the world is putting the stage in order for the coming worship of the beast. In the 1940's the German people worshipped Hitler. There are some eight hundred million people in China and Mao Tse-tung has transformed into dutiful, obedient puppets. The little red book which contains his sayings is the Bible of a quarter of the earth's inhabitants. Even in the Western World we have all sorts of swamis and cult leaders who have convinced some poor souls that they are divine. My .... it has always been Satan's desire to be worshipped. (a) (b)

(c) HE WANTS TO CASTIGATE GOD:

Do you see what he's doing ? ( 13:5-6 ) Everything in any related to God is the subject of this man's blasphemous tongue. He cannot lay a finger on God, nor on the heavenly sanctuary, nor on the glorified saints, but he can and does revile them with his tongue. So far as the Person of God is concerned, so far as the Position of God is concerned, so far as the glorified People of God are concerned the beast is impotent. He is reduced to name calling. But look again for this beast wants to do something else.

(d) HE WANTS TO ANNIHILATE SAINTS:

" And it was given .…,” ( 13:7 ) In the will of God, many believers in Christ among both Jews and Gentiles will become martyrs during this awful time of great tribulation while others are preserved in spite of all the beast can do. ( 6:10 7:14 ) My .... this is the devils last fling against the people of God, as the beast extends himself to the utmost to rid the earth of every last believer in God. Bless God, because of their faith the saints will have patience or endurance ( Heb 6:12 1:9) and will not deny the Lord in spite of persecution and death. His final ambition is this:

(e) HE WANTS TO DOMINATE NATIONS:

" And power was given unto him over all kindred’s, peoples, and tongues and nations." ( 13:7 ) The dream of countless rulers in the past of conquering the entire world is here finally achieved by this last Gentile ruler. He will have global control, unifying the world with one world government. He will do it by dazzling some, dominating others, and murdering a few who get in his way. The world's population will be divided, those who are saved, with their names in God's book, will not submit to " the beast," .... those who are lost .... the earth dwellers will " worship the beast," and do his bidding. My .... for three and a half years preceding the return of Christ, the beast will hold universal sway and will delude the masses ! But you'll notice that in the closing part of this chapter we're directed to another beast. 1:2

(3) THE AGENT OF THE BEAST

For the Antichrist has got someone who works on his behalf. Look at how John describes him. " And I beheld another beast." ( 13:11 ) Who is this beast from the earth ? Well, have look at ( 16:13 19:20 20:10) My .... this is The False Prophet. You see while the Antichrist will attempt to mimic Christ, it would appear that the False Prophet will try to copy the work of the Holy Spirit. Now do you see the Satanic trinity at work here ? The Dragon or Satan is the Counterfeit Father. Do you recall what he said, " I will be like the most High."

( Is 14:14 ) " The Beast," is the counterfeit Christ, and the " False Prophet," is the counterfeit Holy Spirit and that completes the Satanic Trinity ! I want you to notice from the passage that this Second beast, the False Prophet is,

(a) THE WORKER OF WORSHIP:

For " he causeth the earth .... was healed." ( 13:12 ) One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ and lead people to trust and worship Him. ( Jn 16:7-15 ) This false prophet will point to Antichrist and his image and compel people to worship Satan through " the beast." My .... the devil is not opposed to worship. He thinks worship is fine. Witchcraft, the occult, spiritism, astrology, and new age thinking all tell us of Satan's desire to be worshipped. Man is inherently religious and the devil uses man's nature against him. When man refuses to worship The God who became a Man they are tricked into worshipping the Man who claims to be God.

( 2 Cor 11:13-15 ) The Saviour Himself warned that there would be False Prophets ( Matt 24:11 ) and this one will be the greatest. He will have the " character," of a lamb but the voice of the dragon. What a deceiver he will be .... and all the world will listen to him. But he will not only be The Worker of Worship, he will be:

(b) THE MASTER OF MIRACLES:

( 13:13-15 ) Make no mistake, Satan can work miracles. Just as The Witnesses summoned fire from heaven, the false prophet will do the same. When God turned Moses' rod into a snake, Pharaoh's magicians turned their rods into snakes. ( Exod 7:12 ) And ( Rev Ch 16 ) tells us that demonic spirits work miracles for the kings of the earth. By this time, the Jerusalem Temple will be rebuilt, and the beast having turned against the Jew, will march his troops into the temple, set up his image in the Holy Place and command that it be worshipped. This is " the abomination of desolation,” referred to by the Lord Jesus. ( Matt 24:22 ) My .... since Satan could not command worship in heaven, he will go to the next best place .... the Jewish Temple in the Holy City !

( Dan 8:9 ) But how does the Second Beast give life unto the Image of the first ?

The word translated " life,” in ( 13:15 ) ( pneuma ) would be translated " breath.” The intent of the passage seems to be that the image has the appearance of life, but actually it may no more than a robot. Do you recall those of you have been to Florida, going to Magic Kingdom, into The Hall of Presidents ? These life-like figures are the result of a robotic technology that was first developed in the 1960s and which continues to be improved from year to year. Do you recall Abraham Lincoln standing up and moving, speaking with near-human ease ? They nearly convince you they are alive. Will The False Prophet employ some Disney technology to " give breath to the image of the beast ?” Or will he employ out and out demonic magic ? One thing is sure he will be (a)(b) and he will be:

(c) THE CONTROLLER OF COMMERCE:

" And he causeth .... Six.” ( 13:16-18 ) In the days of the Roman Empire, a citizen had to offer a pinch of incense to the godhead of Caesar. That was all .... just a pinch of salt. Christians refused to do so, and were slain by the thousands. My .... in a coming day the last of the Caesars will make a like demand. He will require a simple mark, stamped on forehead or hand, as a token of allegiance. This special mark is the name or number of

" the beast," the mystical 666 ! In that Future Day, there will be a godly remnant who will recognise the beast for Who and What he is by the number of his name.

That is the beast's name when it is known will yield the number 666 ! Do you know who is this ? If so, please tell me after the service !

Let me just give you a few of the candidates who have been named. Caligula AD 39, Nero, Domitian, Muhammad. What about Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, Martin Luther ? What about the last own century ? Well, take your pick Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Pope John Paul 11, Mikhail Gorbachev.

One thing is sure they can't all be The Beast ! But when he comes, commerce will be controlled ! Everyone will be given a mark. Without it people will not be able to buy or sell. Do you recall some of you at least, that during the war it was necessary to have stamps or a ration book. Will during the great tribulation he will in control of commerce. It will be a case of no seal, no sale.

My .... we are already in a cashless society. Numbers are more important to computers than names. Pretty soon you'll be able to wave your hand under that light beam in the supermarket and they'll have the proper amount deducted from your account. They have all kinds of information on you this .... ! I wonder how long it will be before there will be identity cards and one super-credit card per person ? I wonder how long it will be before they plant a computer micro-chip on a person’s skin. They are already doing it in the animal and bird world. They are doing it in Europe this …. for an aptly named “ pets passport.”

My .... the stage is already being set for the coming of The World’s Last Dictator ! Hal Lindsey says, " I believe that this man lives right now somewhere in Europe.” Does he ? Dare one be specific ? One thing is sure the world is looking for a man. And Satan’s man will come ….. and go. But the " man Christ Jesus” will come and stay. When you go back to the Bible, you find the number 6 used on different occasions. Man was created on the sixth day. ( Gen 1:26 ) He is expected to work six days out of seven. Slaves were freed after six years of service. ( Exod 21:2 ) Fields were to be sown for only six consecutive years. ( Lev 25:3 ) You see, the most logical explanation for the mark is that the number six in the Bible is the number of man and the Antichrist represents the ultimate in human ingenuity and cleverness. He will be no fool. The children of the great composer Bach, found that the easiest way to rouse their father from a siesta was to play a few lines off music and leave off the last note. Apparently Bach would get up immediately make a beeline for the piano, and strike the final chord.

A similar story is told of the great preacher Donald Grey Barnhouse. He awoke one morning during the Christmas season, went straight to the piano and played “ Silent Night,” purposely stopping before striking the last note. He then walked into the hallway of his home and listened to the sounds coming from the children’s rooms upstairs. His eight year old son was trying to find the final note on his harmonica. Another of the children was singing the last note with great volume and enthusiasm. His wife called out, “ Donald, did you do that on purpose ?” You see, human nature demands the completion of the last note. The number 666 powerfully reminds us that something is definitely missing. That missing something is Someone. He is a seven, and that is the complete number, the number of perfection. God has His seven-horned Lamb as the second person of the Trinity. He has the seven Spirits of God as the third person of the Trinity, and He has His saints singing the sevenfold doxology. Satan has his six, but God is seven ! The fact is, Satan works hard, he tries hard, but he always comes up short. The old masquerader will never be able to fool all of the people, all of the time, he will only fool some of them some of the time. My .... the world has little use for Christ. He has been voted out of the counsels of the United Nations though a statue of Zeus adorns its vestibule. But there's a great day coming when “ the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven … and forever with the Lord.” ( 1 Thes 4:15-17 )

The outlook is black for the world but the outlook is bright for the church ! Maran-atha ! The Lord is Coming ! Are you ready ? Are you saved ? Christian, when He comes when you hear His " well done ?”