Descending into Greatness is Following the Lamb not the Beast. Part 1
“Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. 6 And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.” – Revelation13:5-6
The Bible defines blasphemy against God as claiming to be God and claiming the power to forgive sins. (See John 10:33 and Luke 5:21). There are many statements from this power claiming just that. All the names in scripture that apply to Christ are applied to the pope. They claim to stand in the place of God, and they claim the power to actually forgive sin.
The beast from the sea here behaves in a manner that makes perfect sense from a human perspective. If you want to be great, if you want to be highly regarded by others, you “talk big things” like the beast does here. Let everyone know how great you are. And it doesn’t hurt your image to swear a little, make everyone think how tough and how cool you are. And don’t forget to walk with a little swagger! Then people will think you’re really great!
How the gospel goes against the grain! The sea beast is attempting to take the place of Jesus Christ in the hearts of earth’s inhabitants. And to a degree, he succeeds. But for the real Jesus, greatness is not seen in big talk, swearing and swaggering. Real greatness is characterized by a basin and a towel and washing his disciple’s feet (John 13). Real greatness humbles itself, even unto death (Phil 2:5-8). True greatness does not come from following the beast; it comes from following the Lamb.
This passage states that the period of the beast’s persecuting activities through Christian history is 42 “months”. As we have seen, persecution of the pure woman lasted for “a time and times and half a time;” that is three and a half “times” or prophetic “years” (Rev.12:13-14; compare Dan.7:25). Forty-two prophetic “months” equals 30 days multiplied by 42, or 1,260 days/years (Rev.12:6). Therefore, “a time and times and half a time”, 42 “months”, and 1,260 “days” all refer to the same time period of 1,260 years. This phase ends when John sees “one of his [the beasts] heads as if it had been mortally wounded.” The subsequent healing of this “deadly wound” (referred to yesterday) points to a time after 1798 when the beast would be revived, and its power restored. The healing of the deadly wound draws the admiration of the world, and they worship both the dragon and the beast.
Revelation 12:17 marked a shift in Satan’s strategy as he tries to win the people of the world and even seeks to deceive Christ’s faithful followers.
Throughout Christian history, Satan has opposed God’s work of salvation, primarily by means of subtle compromise within the church and through coercion and persecution from without. History shows that, while successful for many centuries, this strategy was counteracted by the Reformation and the gradual rediscovery of Bible truth by God’s people. However, as Satan realizes that his time is running out, he intensifies his efforts and goes “to wage war” against God’s end-time remnant (Rev. 12:17). His attacks on the remnant will include a large element of deception. Demons working miracles and spiritualistic manifestations will be introduced (Revelation 16:14). This shift in Satan’s strategy corresponds to the transition from a historical to an end-time focus (Matthew 24:24).
It is significant that the word “deceive” is used regularly in Revelation 12-20 to describe Satan’s end-time activities. The word “deceive” begins (Revelation 12:9) and concludes (Revelation 20:7-10) the description of Satan’s end-time activities in Revelation.
The nature of his end-time deception can be reviewed in passages like 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, Revelation 13:13-14, and Revelation 19:20.
Revelation 12-20 portrays Satan, endeavouring to deceive the world (see Rev. 12:9, Rev. 13:14, Rev. 18:23, Rev. 19:20, Rev. 20:8). He uses, in turn, political and religious powers to do his work: pagan Rome, symbolized by the dragon (Rev. 12:4-5); followed by a power symbolized by the sea beast which identifies as papal Rome (Rev. 12:6-15; Rev. 13:1-8); and finally, a power symbolized by the earth beast (Rev. 13:11). Throughout the rest of the book, the members of this satanic triad – paganism/spiritualism as symbolized by the dragon; Roman Catholicism, symbolized by the sea beast; and apostate Protestantism, symbolized by the lamblike, or earth beast of Rev 13:11-12- are inseparably united in opposing God’s activities in the world. They work together to deceive people, in order to turn them away from God and to get them to side with Satan in the “battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:13-14). These false religious systems will be destroyed at the Second Coming (Rev.19:20), while the dragon, symbolizing the devil, who worked through these earthly powers (Rev. 12:9), will be destroyed at the end of the thousand years (Rev. 20:10). Revelation shows that the end-time deception will be so great that, tragically, most people will be led to choose the way of destruction (Matt. 7:13).
Twice in Revelation a call is made for wisdom and spiritual discernment in order to perceive and withstand the deceptive nature of Satan’s end-time activities (Rev. 13:18, Rev. 17:9).