Revelation 13, verse 11, And I beheld another
beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb,
and he spake as a dragon. The title of the message this
evening is, The Second Beast and the Sealed Saints. the second
beast and the sealed saints." Now, as we have seen before in
our last study, the first beast in the beginning of chapter 13
rises up out of the waters, out of the sea. He is a monstrous
and hideous beast, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his
head there were names of blasphemy. And out of his mouth proceeded
blasphemies against God, against His temple, against His anointed. He was a hideous creature. And
this creature, as we have seen by prophecy further in Revelation
chapter 17, this is anti-Christian government. This is a picture
of all the governments of the world that are against Christ.
They come up out of the sea of multitudes of peoples and nations
and tongues. All those people and nations
whose purpose and aim is to persecute the church, to silence the gospel
of Christ, are a monstrous beast and a tool used of Satan." Remember,
in the previous chapter, we have the dragon, and he is persecuting
the woman. The woman is the church, and
God gives her a place of refuge. He gives her wings and delivers
her from the dragon. Like I said last time, in chapter
13, what we have now is a deeper look into the instruments which
Satan uses, which the dragon uses against the church. And the first one is a hideous
beast, that's anti-Christian governments. Those whose aim
is to destroy the church. And though all the world, all
men by nature, will follow and worship this beast, except a
certain group of people." This is the good news of the gospel. Eight, it says, "...all that
dwell upon the earth shall worship Him," now notice, "...whose names
are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world." This is the elect. These are God's
people. These are those redeemed by the
blood of Christ, called by the Holy Spirit. These will not bow
or submit to worship the beast or his master. But everyone else
will. Everyone else will. And see then the comfort and
assurance God gives His saints who are presently being persecuted
by this beast in verse 9. He says, if any man will hear,
let him hear. 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. Our faith is in Christ. Our faith
and patience rest only in the Son of God who redeemed us, called
us, keeps us. Our confidence then is in Him,
so no matter what the world does, no matter what these governments
put or take from us, our patience and faith rest in Christ alone.
So we're not moved. We're not moved by these things.
And notice, I mean, these governments, verse 7, it is given to them
to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And last time
we saw that this overcoming was not anything but an outward appearance. It appears that the church is
weak. It appears that Satan is winning. But it's only an appearance.
It's only how things are seen with these carnal eyes. The truth
is we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. More
than conquerors. There's a conqueror, but you're
more than that. You're more than conquerors through
Him that loved you. And so no matter the persecution
of this beast, no matter the trials or difficulties these
regimes bring, whose sole purpose is to retain power and glory
for themselves, And even though this power is given to overcome
our bodies and overcome our property, they shall never be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Never. Never. Now that, that's power. When you don't have anything
to lose, what can they do? What can they do? You see, we
don't have anything to lose by death. Matter of fact, we've
got everything to gain. We've got everything to gain
by it. So nothing can separate us. Jesus
said, "...no man shall pluck them out of My hand. The Father
which gave them Me is greater than all. No man is able to pluck
them out of My Father's hand." You see, our salvation. though
experienced in time, was born in the mind of God from eternity
by sovereign decree." Our salvation was not temporal. It's not temporal. It is eternal. God from eternity
purposed Ephesians 1, "...blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us
in Christ." before the foundation of the world. And this is the
reason He chose us, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him. In just a minute, you're going
to see who stood with the Lamb. In just a minute. Holy and without
blame is the 144,000. All of the elect of God are going
to stand before Him without blame. Why? Because God purposed it.
God decreed it. In the mind of God, it was done
before it was done. I don't know how to explain it.
I just get, I get confused when I start thinking about eternal
things. I just have, I can only think in process. Is He God,
purpose, that we should behold Him without blame before Him?
And this is the motivating cause, in love, having predestinated
you unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace. Do you see that your salvation
is so intertwined with the glory of God? God's glory, He has intertwined
His glory with your salvation. That's how sure that He is you
will be saved. Our salvation was in the mind
of God from eternity. Our salvation was purchased by
the blood of Christ. You know Hebrews chapter 9, verse
12, having obtained, having got it, Eternal redemption. Got it. Obtained it by His one
offering. Obtained eternal redemption for
us. And now we have been called. We have experienced the grace
of God and the calling and sealing of the Holy Spirit. Look at chapter
7 of Revelation and see our calling here. In verse 2 it says, "...the
angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God..." This is Christ. And he cried with a loud voice
to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and
the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the
trees." Until when? Until we have sealed the servants
of our God in their foreheads. And that's going to be very important
in just a little bit. The sealing of the saints. in
their foreheads. Therefore, let us by the gospel
truths encourage one another." This should encourage you. No
matter what this beast looks like, no matter how blasphemous
he is, no matter how dark things appear to be, this should encourage
you that your salvation is accomplished. It's finished. And God that called
you will bring you to Himself without question. Encourage one
another by this. And that's what he means by patience
and faith. He says, here's the patience
and faith of the saints. We know this, vengeance is mine,
I will repay, sayeth the Lord. Is that not enough? That should be plenty. If they
take everything you've got, that should be plenty. He that led
you into captivity, he himself be led away in captivity. He
that pierced you with the sword shall himself be pierced with
the sword." Okay. That should be enough. And we
should wait on our God. So then, are you persecuted?
Are you suffering? Does the beast tear your body
with his claws? Does his blasphemy ring in your
ears? Is his breath hot on you? I tell
you, we live in a country where it's not yet. I'm thankful for
the country we live in at this present time, that it is not
as yet hot as it can be or will be. I'm sure if the Lord carries,
it will be, just like it is in every other nation gone before. And I tell you, let not our prosperity
not cause our hearts to feel for the brethren that are being
persecuted. Don't let us be blind to this. There are believers
being persecuted for their faith under this beast. Don't make
no mistake about it. They are. God's children are
being killed every single day for this gospel. Isn't that glorious? Isn't that good news? We're not
all there is. God has a people. God has a people
everywhere. And listen to what Christ says
when it does come, believer. And this is something, again,
that if it's not happening now, just wait a minute. Just wait
a minute. If God tarries, it will. Look
at chapter 2 and what He tells this church of Smyrna concerning
the persecution of these anti-Christian governments, this beast. And the angel of the church of
Smyrna writes these things Say at the first and the last, which
was dead and is alive, I know thy works, thy tribulation, and
thy poverty. Isn't that comforting? I know your poverty. Matter of fact, I designed it.
What he's telling them, I ordained it. But, look, that's just an
appearance. Thou art rich. And I know the
blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, those that say they
are believers, those that say that they love God, those that
claim to be of Israel and are not, but are the synagogue of
Satan. Fear none of those things which
thou shalt suffer. Notice that. That's going to
suffer. It's future tense. He's saying,
you're going to suffer. Ordained suffering. Isn't that
something? Your suffering is ordained of
God. Thou shalt suffer. Behold, the
devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be
tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Now notice that. There's
also a limitation to what they can do. There's a limitation. God has ordained the amount of
time of our suffering, but be thou faithful unto death, and
I will give thee a crown of life." Be faithful unto this. Fear not. Our suffering is ordained of
God, and it is for His glory. Be faithful unto death. Now,
in our text, There is another beast introduced in verse 11. In verse 11 it says, I beheld
another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns
like a lamb, and he spake like a dragon. Now the appearance
of this beast is different, vastly different than the first. The first beast was open in his
blasphemy. He was hideous in his appearance. He came out of the sea. But this
one is in opposition to that in almost every respect. He is
not hideous, but rather he looks like a lamb. His appearance is
as a lamb. The first one openly blaspheming,
but this beast is more subtle. He seems docile and meek as though
a pet for a child. He does not come from the sea,
but from the earth. His horns are not as seven heads
and seven horns, but rather two small horns. This beast appears
harmless, but I tell you, he's not. Notice
his mouth, he speaks as the dragon himself. He speaks with the voice
of Satan himself. And in verses 13 through 15,
it says, And he doth great wonders, so that he make fire come down
from heaven, on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth
them that dwell in the earth by 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 of
the beast which had the wound by the sword and did live. And
he had power to give life to the image of the beast, and the
image of the beast should both speak and cause that many As
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed. Now this second beast was given
power to do great miracles. He was to do wonders. And what's
the purpose? I'll have you know that his purpose
is the same as the first. To draw men to worship the beast. The first beast. His job was
to draw men to worship the first beast. And all who refuse to
worship Him should be killed. And I want you to understand
this. The worship of the first beast is nothing less than the
worship of Satan himself. Look at that in verse 2. I'm sorry. Verse 3, "...and I
saw one of his heads were wounded to death, and the deadly wound
was healed. And all wondered at the beast,
and they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast."
So you see, Satan is the one instrument behind both of these
for what? Self-worship. That's his whole
purpose, is to be worshipped. Is that not what he tempted our
Lord with? Bow down and worship me. I shall
be his God. That's always been his plan,
to be worshiped. And so to worship the beast is
to worship Satan. And in verse 16 through 18, this
beast causes all men to be branded. Notice this in verse 15. I'm
sorry, verse 16. And He caused us all, both small
and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark
in their right hand and in their foreheads. 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. Here's wisdom. Let him that hath
understanding count the number of the beast. It is the number
of a man, and his number is six hundred and sixty-six." Three
score and six. Now, question then, who is this
beast? Who is it? What is his part in this persecution
of the church? This beast is a picture or a
symbol of all false religion or worldly philosophy. And this
is truly seen later in chapter 16 and chapter 19. He is the
false prophet. The false prophet. Go to chapter 16, read it with
me. I don't want you to be confused
as to who this is. It's just under a different name.
He's given the picture here of his character, but he is given
a name in chapter 16, verse 13. And I saw three unclean spirits
like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, one out of the
mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet."
Do you not see the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet
all there in that verse? So this beast is the false prophet. And notice his appearance. His
appearance is as a lamb. which shows that all false religion
does is mimic the true. They are a counterfeit to the
true. All false religion and false
prophets try to mimic or imitate the true gospel and the true
Christ. The anti-Christian religion,
may surely include Muslims or Buddhists or Mormons or Catholics,
but listen, that doesn't exhaust the list. This beast is anyone
who preaches a false gospel. Anyone. I don't care if you put
Baptist on it. I don't care if you put Calvinist
on it. Anyone who preaches a false gospel is here represented as
this meek and docile lamb whose mouth speaks as the dragon. All false religion is here pictured.
Now, those false religion, they may appear to be true and sincere
on the surface. They may do good works, feed
the hungry, visit the sick, build houses for the homeless, and
do all sorts of good works. But all those who would try to
use these works to merit salvation are nothing more than a false
prophet. Those that worship the beast. These false prophets profess
to be Christian. They use the same Bible. They
use the same words. We use grace, faith, justification,
sanctification, redemption. Jesus died on the Calvary. They use all these same terms
that we use. They profess even to believe
on Jesus Christ. And these false churches who
preach a false gospel may even perform great miracles. They may do great works. So then how then can we tell?
How do we know? Since this beast is so subtle. The other we could see coming
a mile away. He's huge, he's massive, he's blasphemous, he's
open. This one's subtle. How do you
know? How do you know? How do you know the difference? How can we tell the true from
the false? There's only one way. What they
speak. How could you tell this was not
the Lamb of God? Because He spoke like the dragon. How can you tell false prophets?
By what they preach. What is their gospel message? What are they preaching? Now
let me be plain and as clear on this point as I can. There
are only two religions in all the world. I just don't care what you put
on the door. Works and grace. No other. Salvation either by
works or by grace. There is no other religions because
you can't mix the two. It's either one or the other. The true gospel of God is this.
Salvation is by the free grace of God. And the false gospel
is salvation by the free will, works, religion of man. That
is the difference. Salvation by the works and will
of man is the false gospel. These two are polar opposites
and cannot be mixed. Go to Romans chapter 11. The apostle makes this plain
so it can't be misunderstood. Romans 11. In verse 5, even so then, at
this present time, there is also a remnant according to the election
of grace. How is election? By grace. By grace. And he says, well,
if election is by grace, it is no more works. Otherwise, grace
is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. They cannot be mixed. It's either
or. It's either or. Behold, believer, how harmless
false religion appears. I'll tell you this, they appear
harmless. They do. How they seem to oppose
Satan and by their good deeds, their programs, their pious attitude
towards sin. But you listen closely. Even
Satan and his ministers may appear as angels of light. Why? Because that's his nature
to deceive. To deceive. All those who seem to preach
Christ, who confess to be His ministers, but preach the gospel
of salvation by works, that Jesus has done all He can, that the
rest is up to you, you make no mistake, that is the voice of
Satan himself preaching. It is the voice of the beast.
The message of free will works religion is, make no mistake,
is anti-Christ. Now I know a bunch of people
running around looking for one guy. to put a tag on him and
call him Antichrist. They've been doing that for centuries,
been trying to find one. John says this, there are many
Antichrists already gone out into the world, so don't try
to pin it on one. Anybody that preaches the Arminian
doctrines is Antichrist. I don't care how pleasant he
is, how wonderful he sounds. He's Antichrist. Why? Because
it's against the Gospel. It's against the Word of God. That may be your family member.
That may be your friend. That may be your closest relatives. It doesn't matter. They worship
the beast. God doesn't hee-haw around about
this. Serious business. It's Antichrist. And notice His
appearance, it mimics, counterfeits the Lamb. So does all false religion just
try to counterfeit. We know this, that there is an
even more deceptive form being preached in our day that confesses
even the doctrines of grace. They say, oh yes, I believe salvation
is by grace. Oh, I believe election. I believe
particular redemption. I believe perseverance and preservation. I believe all those doctrines. Man, you've got to keep the law. You've got to sanctify yourself. You've got to be more holy. I just can't make it any plainer
than the gospel. If you be circumcised, Christ
shall profit you nothing. Any plainer than that, I can't
be. You add one thing of the law to Christ, you've ruined
the whole thing. You've defiled the sacrifice. Paul says, how foolish to think
you've begun in the Spirit and finished by the works of the
flesh? No! That's antichrist. Matter of fact, Paul said, those
guys that preach that gospel, let them go to hell. Said it
in chapter 1, verse 6 through 9. Let them be accursed. Let
them go to hell. And I'll tell you, these people,
these false religious church, they do many wonderful works. In that what it says, he says,
"...he doeth great wonders, so that make fire come down from
heaven in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell upon
the earth by means of those miracles." They do many wonderful miracles. I want you to be very careful
about this, because our Lord warned us of this. He said in Matthew 24, verse
24, He said, "...there shall arise false Christs and false
prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as
it were possible." We'll deceive the very elect.
Don't think yourself so superior to keep yourself from it. It
is attractive to the flesh. It is attractive to the flesh.
How do you suppose that martyr felt as he was hauled off to
the stake and they lined up his children to beg him not to go? That's a beast. tempting him. And I'll tell you what, if it
were not for Christ, he sure would have succumbed to that. Which of us is not capable of
doing that? May God keep us. I'm so glad
for that little word, if it were possible. False religion is beautiful. It appears pleasant to the flesh. False religion in the world appeals
to the flesh. The works of free will religion
are as natural to us as breathing. You see, you and I still have
not dropped this old man. He's still attracted to that
thing. You fill a hall full of people. Let the music be loud
and fill the halls. Everybody's emotional, people
weeping and throwing their hands up, singing, hallelujah, hallelujah. Don't think you won't get caught
up in that. You and I can. And I'll tell
you, if it were possible, we'd be deceived by it. Praise God
it's not. Praise God it's not. It's so powerful that it will
allure the whole world. So deceptive, it deceives the
masses. How is it that you weren't in
Rome this last week as they testified of the miracles of that vile
priestess of Antichrist, Mother Teresa? They made a big ceremony over
her. Oh, I'm sure that their praises and music filled the
halls, the smoke with their incense and beautiful robes. I'll tell you what, a lot of
educated people followed after that. And you and I would be
right on their coattails if God not saved us by His grace. Why is it that we were spared?
Because of grace. Because salvation is by grace. And I'm so thankful that the
Lord has given us sight to know that our righteousness is not
by our works, but by the work of Jesus Christ alone. That knowledge,
that understanding only comes from God. You didn't learn that because
you were smart. You've earned it because God gave it to you. And in verses 14 and 15, the
false beast, the false religious beast, he made an image of the
other beast and caused people to worship it. I want you to
know this. When it comes to persecuting
the church, government and religion go hand in hand. You know, Pilate and Herod were
enemies until they killed Christ. Friends. That's always the way it is.
Have you not noticed the church, so called today, how they are
making all of these abominations, sins, what they call tolerance
now. Well, that's just a carnal Christian. What are they doing? They're
taking all of the image of the beast and they're making it palatable
for the church. They make, not the beast, but
rather they make an image of the beast. One tolerable for
the church to endure. And then pretty soon, who was
the most, the anti-Christian church that most opposed abortion
or homosexuality the most? It was the Catholic Church. And
I tell you right now, they're ordaining women, homosexuals. It's all coming in. Why? They
made an image of the beast so that they should worship the
beast. That's what religion does. It only turns men back to themselves
and the world. That's all it does. Whereas true
religion turns us only to Christ. Only to Christ. Only to Christ. Always to Christ. And lastly, what is this mark?
I want you to see this. This mark that they are given
in verse 16, He calls them to have a mark on their right hand
and their forehead, so they can't sell or buy unless you have the
mark. Let this, hear the wisdom, let
him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for
it is the number of a man, 603 score and 6. Throughout history, Throughout history, this has
been totally misunderstood. They're running around looking
like they were for an Antichrist, looking for one man. They're
running around looking for a guy with a stamp or a tattoo where
he's just going to tattoo the number on your hand or on your
forehead. That's not what it means. How do I know that? Just the same way the Lord Jesus
Christ seals His people, where? In their forehead. Do you see
anything on my forehead? Yet I tell you this, I am sealed.
I am sealed. I've been branded. I'm His. And that's what this is. This
is a spiritual seal. It's a spiritual seal. This number six is the number
of a man. Man was created on the sixth
day. While seven is a number of completion, perfection. You know this? I'm going to give
you a math statement. Six is always one less than seven. Six will never be seven. It's always too short. One short. Six misses the mark, always failing
to obtain perfection. And so then the number 666 pictures
absolute failure. That's what it is. It's absolute
failure to obtain acceptance with God by your works or determination. That's all it is. If you're trying
to approach God by works, you have the mark of failure. You'll never make it. You have
the mark of the failure. This is the best that man-centered
religion can do, yet it misses the mark of the glory of God.
It misses perfection. Therefore, all who follow and
trust in this unholy mixture of works and grace by their obedience
to the law, Christ's death upon the cross, plus their free will
to make it effectual to the soul, all of these miss the mark. All
of these have the mark of the beast set on their minds and
on their hands. What is this? The mind, the heart,
And the hand has to do with the work. Everything they think and
do is nothing but an abomination to God. Why? Because they have not the Lord
Jesus Christ. They have not Christ. You who believe on Christ, you
have perfection. Not because you have it by merit. You have it because Christ gave
it to you. He obtained it and gave it to
us by grace. How dark then is the scene of
these two beasts, one vicious, one deceptive, both deadly. The whole world worships them,
They're beautiful, powerful, and they deceive the masses.
So great are their miracles that if it were possible, would deceive
the elect, but we are not deceived. Therefore, we continue to preach
the gospel of God's free grace in Christ without interruption.
Without interruption. Has this gospel been interrupted?
Ever in the history of humanity has this gospel ceased to be
preached. And it will not cease until Christ comes. So no matter
what the world does, no matter what the false church does, look,
in chapter 1 of verse 14, Lo, I looked, and a Lamb stood on
the Mount Sinai, and with Him a hundred and forty and four
thousand, having the Father's name written in their foreheads.
Not one of His people will be lost, despite all of the powers
of hell set against us. That's what this is teaching.
Victory is ours. Christ wins every time. Have I not preached this enough
to know every time Christ wins? Every vision that we've seen
in this vision, Christ wins every time. The elect are always brought
home. None are lost. no matter how
dark it appears. That's the message of this book
to the persecuted church. If you're not persecuted, just
wait. We will be. Then this book becomes more dear
to our hearts. I pray God will bless us. Let's stand and be dismissed
in prayer.