Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 43:3–5 (ESV)

3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Revelation 13:1–18 (ESV)

1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marvelled as they followed the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.

6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.

And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth.

It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.

16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

Introduction

The connection between chapter 12 and this one is evident in the word dragon.

Satan appearing as the dragon dominates the scene in both chapters.

In the one (chapter 12) he persecutes the church, and in the other (chapter 13) his helpers are portrayed.

The beast arising out of the sea as the Antichrist reveals brute force, and the beast coming out of the earth appears as the false prophet p 376 who discloses the power of deception.

In short, chapter 13 is an explication of the preceding chapter.

Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).

Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol.

20, pp.

374–376).

Baker Book House.

Symbols – The Book is largely symbolical

Not Chronological – The Book is not a chronological account from Chap 1:1 to 22:21

Not Futuristic – The Book is not futuristic in that from Chap 4:1 we have a prophecy of what is going to occur at the end of the world.

As we read through the book, we cannot fail to be struck by the fact that it has certain natural divisions – natural, and not artificial, divisions.

1. Christ in the Midst of the Lampstands – Chapters 1-3

2. The Vision of Heaven and the Seals – Chapters 4-7

3. The Seven Trumpets - Chapters – 8-12

4. The Persecuting Dragon – Chapters 12-14

5.

The Seven Bowls – Chapters 15-16

6.

The Fall of Babylon – Chapters 17-19

7. The Great Consummation – Chapters 20-22

Each of these sections cover the same period of time from the first Advent to the second Advent of Christ.

Origin v1a

Appearance v1b-2a

Authority v2b-3a

Worshipped v3b-4

Arrogant v5-6

Conqueror v7

The Saints v8-10

1. Origin v1a

Revelation 13:1 (ESV)

1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea,

Isaiah 17:12 (ESV)

12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea!

Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!

The sea-born beast symbolises the persecuting power of Satan embodied in all the nations and governments of the world throughout all history.

World-dominion directed against God’s people wherever and whenever it appears in history, that is the beast.

Hendriksen, W. (1967).

More than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p.

145).

Baker Books.

2. Appearance v1b-2a

Revelation 13:1–2 (ESV)

1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

a. Horns, Heads and Diadems v1

These are all figurative portrayals of earthly powers; the numbers, the heads, the horns, and the crowns—all of these together exemplify a tremendous force that no one should take for granted.

Satan uses world powers to advance his cause on earth, for he knows that his time is short.

Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).

Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol.

20, p. 378).

Baker Book House.

Revelation 12:12 (ESV)

12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!

But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

b.

Blasphemous Names v1b

Revelation 13:1 (ESV)

1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

The term blasphemous names displayed on the seven heads of the beast points to a motto, slogan, or creed a government has adopted.

In John’s day, Caesar was revered as dominus et deus (Lord and God), which no Christian could confess.

Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).

Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol.

20, p. 378).

Baker Book House.

For his imagery in this chapter, the author of Revelation relies on Daniel 7. This verse also has its origin in that chapter.

In it Daniel portrays four beasts, of which three are named—a lion, a bear, a leopard (vv.

4–6)—and the fourth is described as terrifying (v.

7) These beasts depict four successive world empires: Neo-Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

But John combines them into one beast to denote all the world powers hostile to Jesus Christ.

Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001).

Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol.

20, p. 378).

Baker Book House.

c. Leopard, Bear and Lion v2

Revelation 13:2 (ESV)

2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

The first portrayal is that of the leopard, noted for stalking its prey, its amazing speed in capturing prey, and its swiftness in dealing the deathblow.