Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Revelation of Christ – Part 30: The Beast out of the Sea

The Revelation of Christ – Part 30:
The Beast out of the Sea
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION
The Book of Revelation, or the Revelation of Christ, is the most challenging book in the bible.

Because of this fact, many avoid it or ignore it altogether. Some fear lack of understanding; others afraid to misinterpret, which I guess it is better to avoid than dive in and get it completely wrong.

Many times, when a new believer comes to me for direction, they want to jump right into Revelation and find out what’s to come.

This is equivalent to deciding one day to learn Mandarin and sitting down to author a novel in Chinese that very same day.

Or, a kindergartener learning how to count, and then trying to calculate quantum mechanics calculations.

The words in Revelation have caused much debate on rapture, judgment, even some who claim John was writing about the events in his day in code rather than Jesus Christ revealing to him about the coming events and Judgment.

A special blessing is promised to those who read Revelation.

Although it may be a difficult book, we could all use a special blessing, reading this is good for us all, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will take the Revelation of Christ in small portions and gain understanding, little by little.

SERMON SERIES

THE THINGS WHICH ARE – The Church Age (Age of Grace)

Part 4 – Smyrna The Steadfast Church
Part 5 – Pergamos The Immoral Church
Part 6 – Thyatira The Careless Pagan Church
Part 7 – Sardis The Spiritless Church
Part 8 – Philadelphia The Favored Church
Part 9 – Laodicea The Church God Hates


THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment
Part 10 – The Throne of God
Part 11 – The Scroll and Seven Seals
Part 13 – The First Seal

Part 14 – The Second Seal
Part 15 – The Third Seal
Part 16 – The Fourth Seal
Part 17 – The Fifth Seal

Part 18 – The Sixth Seal
Part 19 – The 144,000 Sealed
Part 20 – The Great Multitude
Part 21 – The Seventh Seal
Part 22 – Trumpets 1-4
Part 23 – The 5th Trumpet (1st woe)
Part 24 – The 6th Trumpet (2nd woe)
Part 25 – The Mighty Angel
Part 26 – The Two Witnesses 
Part 27 – The 7th Trumpet and 3rd Woe 
Part 28 – The Woman and the Dragon I
Part 29 – The Woman and the Dragon II

TODAY’S SERMON - THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment
Part 30 – The Beast out of the Sea



SCRIPTURE READING

Revelation 13:1-10
The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.

10
“If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.


          I.      I STOOD UPON THE SAND OF THE SEA
a.   I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a Beast rise up out of the sea
                                     i.   This sand and sea is figurative.
1.   Genesis 22:17 “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.”
2.   Romans 9:27 “And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,”
3.   Hosea 1:10; Isaiah 10:22; Genesis 41:49
4.   Refers to people, too many too number
5.   Matthew 7:26 “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
                                    ii.   The “rock” is Christ and His Word, the sand, it is the beast (antichrist) and his lies.
                                   iii.   This “beast” (antichrist) rises up out of the sea of people, he is human, unlike the Dragon, who is Satan.

                                   iv.   Having 7 heads and 10 horns
1.   The 7 heads represent the nations which have persecuted Israel in the past, and on the seventh head, 10 crowns representing the nations the antichrist will lead against Israel in the future.

                                    v.   Upon his horns 10 crowns
1.   Showing these nations have come to power
2.   They will use that power to help the beast (antichrist)
3.   They will all be part of the Middle East, parts of Europe and maybe North Africa according to Daniel 7:7-8

                                   vi.   Upon his head the name of blasphemy
1.   The head representing “control’
2.   Upon that head, the name of blasphemy, in other words, Satan controls these nations

b.   And the Beast I saw was like a leopard
                                     i.   We know the dragon is Satan because the bible tells us, and we have just been introduced to the beast, who is the antichrist, and now we see the fallen angel who was let out of the bottomless pit, the one we were told ruled the underworld (Revelation 11:7)
                                    ii.   Although in the following verses both this fallen angel from the abyss and the antichrist are referred to as “the beast”, they are two different beings.
                                   iii.   The fallen angel from the pit is acting as the spirit of power through the antichrist.
                                   iv.   We are now being introduced to the Unholy Trinity!
1.   6 6 6
2.   Each less than 7, the number of perfection
3.   Our Father in Heaven being mocked by the Dragon Satan
4.   Our Lord and Savior who died and rose again for us being mocked by the antichrist (who had a headwound unto death, but was healed)
5.   And God’s Holy Spirit who empowers us to serve the Lord being mocked by the fallen angel from the abyss who works through the antichrist

                                    v.   The beast was like a leopard
1.   The fallen angel from the abyss will help the antichrist “speedily” conquer as Daniel describes in Daniel 7:6

                                   vi.   He had feet like a bear
1.   This hints to the Persian empire which was fierce

                                  vii.   His mouth like a lion
1.   Represents the finesse, grandeur and spectacle of the Babylonian empire

                                 viii.   And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority
1.   Satan, working through a human, the antichrist
2.   Satan allowing the antichrist to have all his power, and authority over nations of earth
3.   The same thing Satan promised to Jesus if He would have submitted to Satan
4.   Matthew 4:8-10 “the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, [b]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”


c.   And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death
                                     i.   And his deadly wound was healed
1.   Look, he was dead, but now he lives!
2.   Mocking Christ and His work, passing himself off as the savior

                                    ii.   And all the world wondered after the beast
                                   iii.   And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast
                                   iv.   And hey worshiped the beast saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”


         II.      THE BEAST WAS GIVEN A MOUTH
a.   And there was given to him a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies
                                     i.   Powerful claims will be made by the antichrist, and Jesus, as well as His teachings will be ridiculed

                                    ii.   And power was given to him to continue for forty-two months
1.   Referring to the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation


b.   And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name
                                     i.   And His Tabernacle (meaning Heaven, Gods abode)
                                    ii.   And them who dwell in Heaven
                                   iii.   The antichrist will use his power, authority, and all means at his disposal (radio, tv, internet, everything!) the blaspheme against everything of God including His very name!


c.   And it was given to him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them
                                     i.   And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations

                                    ii.   And all who dwell upon the earth (meaning those on earth living in the nations the antichrist controls, otherwise there would be no nations to war with) shall worship him, whose names were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world
1.   This hear means (and proves the previous statement about only those in the antichrists nations will worship him), those whose name is in the Lambs Book of Life will NOT worship the antichrist!


        III.      IF ANYONE HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR
a.   The ability to hear “spiritually” and understand
                                     i.   This can only happen through the Holy Spirit
                                    ii.   Hearing properly in this manner was taught by Jesus many times; Matthew 11:15; 13:9; 43; Mark 4:9, as well as in the beginning of Revelation with the seven letters to the seven churches.


b.   He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity
                                     i.   LIT – “If anyone a captivity does gather, into captivity he goes away.”
                                    ii.   Meaning, anyone who follows the antichrist, will also end up in captivity
                                   iii.   This speaks of the worst type of spiritual bondage
                                   iv.   Again, building their house (lives) on the sand of false doctrines as opposed to the Truth of the Rock, Jesus Christ, their houses (lives) shall be destroyed when the storm comes…that storm is now, the great Tribulation!



c.   He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword
                                     i.   This speaks of what we read weeks ago about the nations following the antichrist, and going to war for him, killing millions in his name.
                                    ii.   When the Judgment Day comes, they will be judged for serving the antichrist.

d.   Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints
                                     i.   Speaking of the patience and the faith of followers of God awaiting the Second Coming and Judgment
                                    ii.   Remember 2 Peter 3:3-7; 9-10 “you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”   

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.





CONCLUSION –
We now see the unholy trinity at work.  The counterfeit of God, trying, as he has always done;

Isaiah 14:13-14
I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”

This is Satan’s past, and one of the reasons he was cast out of heaven.
Currently he is at work attacking Christians (remember last week we read Satan failed at stopping Jesus’ birth, he failed at taking over heaven, he failed at stopping Jesus from going to the cross, he failed at destroying Israel).

Revelation 12:17 “the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”
And his future?

Revelation 20:10the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

The unholy trinity judged and sentenced for eternity.

NEXT WEEK: The Beast out of the Earth (the False Prophet, the fallen angel from the Abyss)




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