WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:01.439 Yeah, well again, my name's Sam. 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:02.879 I'm a student pastor here. 00:00:02.959 --> 00:00:08.480 Uh and yeah, I have the super thrilling task of talking about the mark of the beast with you. 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.439 So sorry, uh I think is the right thing to say there. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:13.039 Uh and yeah, happy moral day. 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:16.960 You're probably thinking, man, I almost went to the lake today, but instead I came to church. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:18.719 Uh and yeah, here we are. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:19.359 So welcome. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:26.320 And also, I had a little bit of a cold this week, so my throat kind of lost itself for two days, which was perfect timing to preach in Revelation. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:30.480 So I have a little water bottle, tiny water bottle, that I will be sipping periodically. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:35.359 Uh, and I just want to say, when I sip it, it will be quiet for a second, which might make you feel awkward. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.039 But I want you to know I don't feel awkward when I take this sip, so we'll be good. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.200 There'll be a couple sips throughout the sermon, all right? 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:42.799 So we'll be we'll be great. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:50.560 Um but yes, so in 2003 there was a man named Jay Spores who uh was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as a pitcher. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:56.960 Uh he worked his way through the minor league system, pitching several mediocre seasons, but then in 2008 and 2009, he killed it. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:02.960 Got his ERA down to like 2.27 uh one of those years, which is really strong for those of you that don't know baseball. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:03.840 That's real good. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:07.840 Um then he was finally moved out to AAA, which is like the section right below Major League. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:18.400 So he was working his way up, made it to AAA, and then wasn't pitching particularly well, but kind of got lucky and got a slot to come pitch in his first Major League game. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:24.959 So it's June 22nd, 2010, and the Tigers were heading up to Queens to play the New York Mets. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:28.719 The Tigers were coming out strong with Justin Verlander as their starter. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:35.359 Um, but after several iffy innings from him and an hour-long rain delay, they said, Okay, let's bring in our big guy Jay. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:36.879 All right, so Jay's coming in. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:38.239 It's the third inning, okay? 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:42.000 And at this point, the Tigers were down 3-0, okay? 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:47.840 So Jay just needed to come in, get him out of this hole, not give up any more runs, maybe, maybe pitch two, three innings, right? 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.680 Just get him out of this hole, and then we'll get the relievers in, right? 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:53.439 So it didn't go as planned. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:02:01.359 So Spores got his first batter to one ball and two strikes, and then pelted him in the shoulder, uh, as a nervous pitcher does, right? 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:04.719 Next batter, Jeff Francor, hits him right in the hand. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.920 Not only putting him on first base, but then bringing a run in, right? 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:13.840 So after that, next batter, Ruben Tejada, hit a shot down the third baseline that scored two runners. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:14.240 Okay? 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.360 Then Reyes hit a single up the middle to score another run. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:24.159 He struck a guy out somewhere in the middle of that, and then Angel Pagan hit a two-run single to finish at 8-0 Mets. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:32.080 So instead of letting Spores finish the inning, he was pulled, resulting in probably one of the worst pitching debuts in modern history. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:33.840 Uh here's his stat line. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:54.719 Uh so for my people that don't know baseball, he hit he faced seven batters, he hit two of them on the body, he uh gave up five earned runs, he did strike out a brother, uh, and then pitched a third of an inning-ish, and finished with a 67.5 ERA, uh, which is yeah, about the worst pitching debut in modern history. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:58.639 Uh so now this morning, you might be thinking, what on earth does this have to do with revelation? 00:02:58.879 --> 00:02:59.840 Glad you asked. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.039 So we have our resident 24-year-old student pastor getting his revelation debut. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:11.599 And so the prayer is that he does not get uh 67 ERA. 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:14.719 So if y'all just want to pray with me, uh, and then we'll dive in. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:16.319 So let's pray together. 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:17.840 Father, we love you. 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:19.120 Uh, thank you for the gospel. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:25.919 Thank you that our sin has been placed on the shoulders of Jesus and that your righteousness is placed on us in the Lord. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:30.479 Because of that, we're now fully, freely, and forever forgiven by the blood of your Son. 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:34.560 So, Father, I pray this morning that as we open your word, uh, you would speak to us. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:44.400 Father, I pray that your Holy Spirit would be poured out uh in this room today to give us clarity and understanding and conviction about the gospel of Christ preached through Revelation. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.879 Father, I pray that you would stir our hearts to love you more. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:48.639 Pray all this in Jesus' name. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:49.520 Amen. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:51.759 Well, we've been studying Revelation for a few months now. 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:57.039 Uh, and so just to catch you up a little bit, uh, we have a few things that I just want to remind you of before we really dive in. 00:03:57.199 --> 00:03:58.479 So I got four things for us. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:04.719 So, first, Revelation is a letter written to a specific group of people at a specific time and in a specific place. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:12.159 So, what that means is that we don't read into it our 21st century uh situation, but we read out of it the way that it was supposed to be written. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:21.519 Um, and then number two, Revelation was written by John to set the Christians on fire with courage and confidence that Jesus is victorious. 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:23.600 That's a big, that's a big point. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:31.199 It's not written to scare them or make them question their faith, and therefore it's not written to make us afraid or make us question our faith. 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:35.680 So he, John is reminding them and us that Jesus is coming back soon. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:43.920 That we don't need to fear, that Satan has lost, and it's a call for us to continue walking in this faith that we have known. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.399 Third, this book is not a code to be cracked. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:51.839 We don't need uh scientists from NASA to come crack this cipher of revelation for us. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:58.560 The God of the Bible inspired the Bible by the power of the Holy Spirit to be clearly understood by even the most common person. 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:04.000 So this isn't some crazy code, uh, Da Vinci code per se that we need to figure out. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.600 Last, there are a lot of views on this book and what it means. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:12.720 There's been a lot of ink spilled, and a lot of churches uh that have suffered trying to figure it out. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:19.120 But so we want to just kind of give you the view that we're gonna be teaching through because it informs every single passage in Revelation. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:24.800 So we're we're doing these three words that are big, so it's called the Covenantal Amillennialist View. 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.519 Um, didn't think you'd get that on Memorial Day weekend, did you? 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.560 Uh so covenantal amillennialist view, and here's what we believe. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:36.480 And here's what this says The end times are not some far-off future event. 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:44.959 But this view, and what we believe, is that the end times began at the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and are going on presently until he returns. 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:50.959 So, what that also means is that there isn't a literal thousand-year reign that we see in Revelation 20. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:56.079 There isn't some weird code we need to crack before your friend gets sucked up to heaven and you're like, oh, where'd my friend go? 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:56.560 Right? 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:01.600 And there isn't a weird tracker or tattoo that we need to watch out for, and that's good news. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:06.000 But what it does mean is that we are presently in what the Bible would say are the end times. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:16.480 And what that means is that there is a spiritual reality all around us, that there is a war going on that the Bible speaks of, and we most importantly believe that Jesus has won. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:19.040 So therefore, there's no fear for the Christian. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:24.480 And since Jesus has won, since Jesus has the victory, that means that you have the victory. 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:25.600 And that's the good news. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:31.120 And hey, if you hold a differing belief than us, we want to say, we're glad you're here, and we welcome you to hold that belief. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.360 This is a secondary issue, which means you don't have to believe a certain thing to get into heaven. 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:36.480 Praise the Lord. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:42.079 So this morning, we're gonna go all the way from Revelation 12.1 to Revelation 14, 6. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:43.439 So here we go. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:44.160 Are you ready? 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:44.800 Here we go. 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:47.040 So here's the basic outline: my type A's. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:47.600 Here we go. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:49.360 This is my one, two, three where we're going. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.600 All right, so we got two signs, two beasts, and one victorious lamb. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:54.319 Amen? 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:55.279 Amen. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:05.439 So, in any high-level sport like soccer, basketball, football, or strategy is vital, watching game film is paramount to success. 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:09.360 So, my wife, who played soccer at Kennesaw State, I married up, sure did. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:14.959 Uh, she said that they would have film meetings throughout the week to figure out the strategies and schemes of their opponent. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:22.319 So, what they would do is a couple hours each day, they'd watch game film to understand how the offensive strategy of their opponent would look like. 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:28.560 In the NFL, many players watch as much as two to three hours a day getting ready for their upcoming game. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.439 But no one matches the GOAT, Tom Brady, right? 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:36.720 Tom Brady credits so much of his success to his literal obsession with game film. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:43.759 Even Gronk, kind of joking, kind of serious, said that uh Brady would watch as much as 40 hours a week of game film. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:44.639 Why? 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:47.519 Because he wanted to master his opponent. 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:55.120 Watching game film is what took Brady from good to great, and even further from great to probably the greatest quarterback of all time. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:00.879 So we're in an interesting part of Revelation here, what a lot of scholars call the interlude of Revelation. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:10.959 And it falls right in the middle of the letter, and it's three chapters, uh, right in between the trumpets that we saw last week, and then what you're all really excited about, the seven bowls of God's wrath, right? 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:11.680 So that's coming. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:14.319 So we get this nice little middle passage. 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.240 And here's why John gave us Revelation 12 through 14. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:21.040 Here's the point to understand our enemy. 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:22.800 Understand our enemy. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:25.279 See, here's what's true about all of us. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:28.800 All of us, and especially those who follow and believe in Jesus. 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:34.320 We have a very real enemy who hates us and is seeking to destroy us. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.000 And gosh, he's good at it. 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:38.720 He's got 2,000 years of practice. 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:50.240 And so, my goal for us today is just to get to know him a little better, to figure out kind of some of his schemes and strategies so that we can continue to walk freely in the gospel of Christ. 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:53.919 And we'll see some game film of Satan as we kind of see. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:02.639 Uh, and so, like, and John writes in Revelation 13 and 14, we can walk in endurance, right, to the end, even though uh there are attacks all around us, right? 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:12.480 Paul in 2 Corinthians 2, 11, uh he writes this so that we would not be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:15.600 So, let's watch some game film together, church. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:17.679 So, Revelation 12, we have our first sign. 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:20.960 Remember, we got two signs, two beasts, one lamb, right? 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:21.919 So, first sign. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.480 This is a woman who gives birth to a son. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.399 It's a crazy nativity story, right? 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:28.320 We don't see this much on Christmas Eve. 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:32.960 Uh, and he gives birth to a son, and this son will rule over all the nations with a rod of iron. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.759 So clearly, this woman's Mary. 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:39.200 But she's not only Mary, as we'll see. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:42.080 John sees a woman who is no ordinary woman. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.240 She showed up, you would be afraid. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:51.440 Uh, and she is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crown of twelve stars. 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:57.120 Now, if you know your Old Testament even a little bit, you you might be thinking of a story that's coming to your mind right now. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.919 Remember our boy Joseph, back in Genesis, right? 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:09.360 Big Joe, he had this dream uh that he had this dream and told his brothers, bad move, and sent his brothers into a frenzy, selling him into slavery, right? 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.600 If you've had a dream like that, I haven't. 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:15.279 Uh but this is his dream, Genesis 37, 9 and 10. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:20.240 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.639 Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:30.960 But when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:36.080 Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you? 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:39.360 So in this passage, the son is Jacob, his father. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:45.840 The moon is Rachel, his mother, and the stars are his brothers who represent the people of God. 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:47.519 So we have two conclusions to this. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:53.360 This woman that we see in this first passage here is Mary, but again, it's not only Mary. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:56.480 She also represents the people of God. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:10:58.799 In other words, she represents us. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:10:59.919 Right? 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:07.840 So Revelation is written primarily in the genre of apocalyptic literature, which means that it's not necessarily supposed to be taken literally. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:14.799 But what the point is, is that these signs that we see, this woman, and we'll see the dragon here in a second, we don't just see them as literal. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.240 We see them as signs, which means they're pointing to something else. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:22.960 The signs are not the point, they point to something else, they point to a message. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.759 John wrote in this way to hook us, right? 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:32.559 Just like a good movie intro, it's to hook us and grip us emotionally, in a way far deeper than just, hey, look, it's Mary, right? 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:35.120 These signs are supposed to point us to the point. 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:39.679 And here is the point from this first sign, two signs. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:42.559 We have an enemy who is seeking to devour us. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:49.600 So the first sign is this woman who represents both Mary giving birth to Jesus and also the people of God. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:55.440 And we see that this woman is the primary target of this mad red dragon, right? 00:11:56.080 --> 00:12:01.360 And last note, we we still we saw in the passage that Russ read this kind of 1,260 days. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:02.399 I don't know if you remember seeing that. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:03.600 We've seen it all throughout the book. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:08.879 We see 1,260 days, 42 months, another phrase is a time, times, and time and a half, right? 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:13.840 All that means is the idea of the short period of suffering before Christ returns. 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.639 It's not a literal 42 months from our view. 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:23.039 It's not a literal 1,200 days, but it's symbolic of the time from Jesus' resurrection to his return. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:26.080 And John's all that John's saying is, he's coming soon, man. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:27.759 He's coming soon. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:35.840 So in 1996, the Denver Nuggets were playing the Utah Jazz on a brisk November night in Salt Lake City. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.279 The Jazz had won seven in a row and were coming in hot uh into this game. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:44.559 They were hype, they were connecting shots, they were connecting plays, but the Jazz came out cold. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:48.879 So cold, in fact, that they were down 36 points at halftime. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:52.639 So bad that their own fan base booed them into halftime. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:54.000 Uh pretty rough. 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:59.279 But during halftime, I don't know what happened, but something switched pretty severely. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:01.679 The Jazz were in fighting mode now. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:04.000 So much so that they were taking shots from everywhere. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:06.159 They were just going for it, right? 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:08.720 Don't hold back, take shots, make shots, right? 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:09.919 So they came back swinging. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:22.879 Long story short, and what is considered to be probably the most impressive comeback in NBA history, the Jazz outscored the Nuggets 71 to 33 in the second half, ultimately winning the game 107 to 103. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:28.480 So a couple verses down from where we see the woman giving birth to the son, we see this dragon, right? 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:30.639 This red, angry dragon. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:32.399 And this is the second sign. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:35.840 So I got two thoughts about this dragon. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.559 Number one, this is what we see about him. 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:44.399 There's gonna be a war in heaven where the devil, the dragon, is defeated and literally bounced out of heaven. 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:45.360 I love that. 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:52.799 And then number two, the urgency of the devil to go down swinging and bring down anyone he can since he knows he lost. 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:55.519 This is the second half for him. 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:58.159 The second, the last quarter, even. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:00.080 He knows he lost. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:02.240 He knows his time is short. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:04.240 And he's gonna go down swinging. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:06.639 He's not going out without a fight. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:12.000 So the questions that we're left with is why is there so much injustice in the world? 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:15.039 Why is there so much pain and depression? 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:21.840 Why is there racism, slavery, sex trading, school shootings, cancer? 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.879 Because we have a very real enemy who knows his time is short. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:33.519 And he is doing everything he can to take our allegiance and affections away from Jesus and place it on him. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:38.879 There's one major way I think John explains the attacks of the devil in this passage. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.840 And I think it's one primary thing, and it's accusation. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:43.200 We see it in verse 10. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:51.039 It says this, and I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come. 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:57.840 For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:00.639 Now, before we continue, I'm gonna take my sip, all right? 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:01.759 Sip one. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.120 You can tally if you want. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:06.399 That's fine. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.960 I think there's three ways the devil tries to accuse us. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.720 So we're just gonna work through them here. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.080 And they're all rooted in deception or lies. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:15.919 So, number one, guilt. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:24.480 The devil wants us to feel that we have outsinned the grace of God, and in doing so, that we would run away from God rather than toward him. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:28.559 He wants us to feel that we are still guilty before a holy God. 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:33.840 He wants us to feel it even though we're innocent, even though the courtroom has announced us innocent. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:35.600 And then number two, God's goodness. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:40.879 He wants us to not just have wrong beliefs about God, but he wants us to feel that God's not good enough. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.960 He wants us to feel that God won't be enough in the day of trouble. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:47.440 Kind of like Eve in the garden. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:49.679 And number three, access. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:16:00.720 He wants us to feel in our gut that spiritual maturity, a good prayer life, understanding the Bible, whatever all that means, is only for the spiritual elite and not for the common person. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:05.919 And so, because of that, he fills us with lies that, man, we I just won't ever be able to understand the Bible. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:09.039 I'll never know how to pray, I'll never know how to, whatever. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:17.279 Those are the lies from the devil, and they are accusations that go right against what God says is true about us in Christ. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:22.639 So those are lies, and so I'll just say those things so we know these are some of the ways he comes after us. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:28.480 And this leads us right into chapter 13, the two beasts, just what you were waiting for. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:33.279 So here's what I think John is doing in chapters 12 and 13. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:38.320 He's giving an image of a false trinity of Satan. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:45.759 And the goal of this false trinity is to mimic the true trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, because that's all the devil can do is mimic. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:47.600 He can't come up with anything new. 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:49.759 All he can do is mimic what is true and good. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:52.639 So here's the counterfeit trinity that we see. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:17:02.480 We see Satan, which is in verses 1 through 17 of 12, the Antichrist, which is chapter 13, 1 through 10, and the false prophet, which is 13, 11 through 18. 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:13.440 So again, this whole unholy trinity is meant to take each person of the trinity we believe in, mimic them, make them evil and wicked, and take our affections away from Jesus in the Trinity we believe in. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:14.480 That's the goal. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:16.160 So here's how they work. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:21.119 Satan mimics the uh Satan, the dragon, mimics God the Father. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.279 He has some level of power and authority. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:26.799 The first beast, the Antichrist, mimics God the Son. 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.200 His object is to capture the loyalties of men and women and take them away from Christ. 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.920 And then lastly, the false prophet, the second beast, mimics God the Holy Spirit. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:39.680 And his object is to show off the beauty of the Antichrist. 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.839 Alright, sip two. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:42.640 Ready? 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:45.759 Struggling, can't lie. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:47.839 Alright, let me be really brief here. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:53.119 There's been a lot of ink spilled about chapter 13, as you can imagine, because we have the mark of the beast. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:56.720 But I'm gonna keep this really simple, as simple as I can. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:06.000 So, with our view, in the amillennial view, we don't believe there will be a literal dragon that's gonna come one day and pour and rain fire upon us. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:11.599 We don't believe there will be a literal beast that will come up out of the sea or out of the earth to destroy you. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:19.440 But we do believe there is an actual enemy of ours, right, Satan, who is seeking to pull as many Christians away from Jesus as he can. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:27.440 And these two beasts that aren't literal beasts, but figurative symbolic beasts, are meant to take us away. 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:29.359 And these are the two schemes. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:35.680 So these two beasts are not some future scary thing we watch out for, but they are a present reality that we need to be aware of. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:38.319 And that's what I think John is getting us to. 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:40.240 So, beast number one. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:45.519 This beast looks almost identical to the beast in Daniel 7, back in the Old Testament. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:50.880 This beast in Daniel 7 and in Revelation represent the nations that rule over the known world. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:54.079 So in the Old Testament, it would have been like Babylon, Assyria, etc. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:19:01.039 Now, to these churches that received this letter, Revelation, it would have been Rome so clearly to them. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:05.519 They would be thinking, Rome, Rome, Rome, when they hear about this beast. 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:14.319 Because these people had witnessed some of the most brutal persecution any people group has ever seen under Emperor Nero in the 70s and 60s. 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:20.000 Christians under Nero were thrown inside the carcasses of dead animals, sewn up and fed to dogs. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:26.079 These Christians were dipped in wax and oil, put on poles, and set on fire to light the parties of Nero. 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:32.720 So as John talks about these beasts, the Christians are just thinking Nero, Nero, Nero. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.079 Rome. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:39.039 And while it does signify Rome, again, for us, it's not only Rome. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:42.400 The beast, to a certain extent, is political power. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:47.440 Whether that's a nation, a people group, some sort of weird Illuminati type thing, right? 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:48.160 I don't know. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:54.079 But the whole purpose is this the beast is trying to get us to bow the knee to anyone except for Jesus. 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:55.519 That's the whole goal. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:20:04.319 And Rome at the time, the Caesars and the other emperors like Nero were truly so narcissistic that they believed that they were to an extent divine. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:15.680 And so what they would do in Roman law, every citizen would have to go stand before a picture of Caesar, burn a pinch of incense, and say, Caesar is Lord, including the Christians. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:19.680 So we see some political things here that John is getting at. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:24.720 And so we can't say the Bible's not political because it's explicitly political for this people group. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:30.559 When Paul in his writings says Jesus is Lord, that's a political statement against Caesar. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:36.160 So John here is saying the world is going to try to steal your affections and allegiance away from Jesus. 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.319 And it's going to be convincing. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:40.160 It's going to sound right. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:42.640 So the whole point. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:45.599 We just have to be discretionary where we place our hope. 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:46.799 That's the whole point. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:51.359 No president, no man or woman can heal our nation or our world. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:53.519 No broken person can do that. 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:55.920 Only an act of the living God can. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:58.640 And that's something we have to figure out. 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:01.920 So we don't bow the knee to a president or a political party. 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:03.920 We bow the knee to Jesus. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:09.680 Number two, the beast's main job, the second beast, is to make the first beast look better, right? 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:13.359 Just like the Holy Spirit, whose goal is to make Jesus look beautiful. 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:16.480 The second beast's main goal is to make the first beast look beautiful. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:19.599 So as we see in this passage, this beast can perform signs. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:21.039 Whatever that means, I don't know. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:21.839 I'll be honest with you. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:22.640 I don't have a clue. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.240 This beast can deceive in a very convincing way. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:30.160 And this beast ultimately is really good at getting people to worship the first beast. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:31.359 He's really good at it. 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:35.200 Which again, get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the beast. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:36.319 That's the goal. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:39.519 Alright, now this is the moment you've all been waiting for, I know. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:40.640 The mark of the beast. 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:41.440 Here we go. 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:44.079 Revelation 13, 16 through 18. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:59.359 Also, it causes all the beast, uh, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 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. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.960 This calls for wisdom. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:07.279 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. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:09.200 Whew, awesome. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:14.559 I'm going to begin by talking about what the mark of the beast isn't, in order for us to understand what it is. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:25.119 Mark of the Beast, the number 666, is not a code to be correct, a special number that only the spiritual league can figure out, the COVID-19 vaccine, and your cell phone. 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:25.599 Okay? 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:29.759 It's not a tracking device that Elon Musk is going to put in your forehead, okay? 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:33.359 So we see where the mark is put in this passage, right? 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:35.839 In the forehead and on the right hand. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:39.279 So if we look in biblical terms, what those two things mean. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:43.279 The head symbolizes ideological beliefs, right? 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:45.279 So it's something that we believe actively. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.480 And then the hand is the way you live out these ideologies. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:50.640 Action based on belief. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:53.920 So, with the mark of the beast, here's the whole point. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:55.119 Here's the whole point. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:06.640 If you are living in the light of the gospel, resting and growing in the grace of Jesus and growing in your beloved identity as a son of King Jesus or daughter of King Jesus, you have the mark of the Lamb on you. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:18.160 But on the flip side, if someone is walking in obedience to the world, in rebellion against the God of the universe, and in submission to their sin, that's the mark of the beast. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:21.039 In other words, this mark is not a literal mark. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.559 It's not a literal tracking device or tattoo we need to watch out for. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:26.720 That'd be the enemy's way smarter than that. 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:28.480 Way smarter than that. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.000 It is the defining feature of our beliefs and actions. 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:34.559 That's what the mark is that he's talking about. 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:36.480 So, you can breathe. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.680 If you believe in Jesus, you don't have the mark of the beast on you. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:41.599 Thank the Lord. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:47.279 Now we're gonna land with our one victorious Lamb here in Revelation 14. 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:50.240 So Revelation 14, one through five. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:24:00.480 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:05.359 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the roar of many waters, and like the sound of loud thunder. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:14.559 The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:19.759 And no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:23.359 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women for their virgins. 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:26.400 It is these who have followed the Lamb wherever he goes. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:34.559 These have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:36.480 This is our hope. 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:58.079 The victorious Lamb, the one Lamb who rules and reigns over all kingdoms, who every president bows their knee to, to whom every knee will bow one day, and to whom, and upon whom your sin, your shame, your guilt, your past, your addictions, your present sin was placed on his shoulders. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:02.559 And as he died on the cross, the righteous requirement was satisfied. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:10.400 So that now, as he rose from the grave, your sin is now fully, freely, and forever forgiven by the blood of Jesus. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:14.480 So now there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:21.200 There's no fear of revelation that we need to watch out for a kamikaze fighter pilot coming down and raining fire on you. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:22.720 We don't need a fear. 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.920 But we see it in verse 1 there, right? 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:28.799 Where is Jesus' name and the Father's name written? 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:30.559 On their foreheads. 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:36.799 We don't avoid the mark of the beast by fear or by calculation or not getting a vaccine. 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:44.400 We avoid the mark of the beast by walking in the grace of Jesus, knowing the truth of the gospel, and submitting to the truth of his word. 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:46.720 That's the mark of the Lamb. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:51.039 I want to close with this quote from Charles Spurgeon. 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:55.359 He was preaching from this passage that we just listened to. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:56.960 And this is what he said. 00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:01.440 As the needle, sorry, last sip, gotta do it right. 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:04.559 Can't do my boy Spurgeon wrong. 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:15.119 As the needle once magnetized continues to seek the pole, so they who are once touched with the love of their dying Savior are sure to remember it and cannot long be turned in any other direction. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:19.759 As for the dragon's horns of power, the blood, the power of the blood is far greater. 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:25.279 Since we have been redeemed by Christ from under the power of Satan, he cannot regain his hold of us. 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:26.960 His power is broken. 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:30.079 As to the crowns which he wears, what care we for them? 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:37.839 We are delivered from under his power by being redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and Satan can never again have the rule over us. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:48.160 As for the energetic influence which is figured by his tail, he may quench the very stars of heaven and pull down the most brilliant professors and make them fall to the earth as apostates. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:55.359 But he cannot harm us, for because of the blood of Jesus, we are secure by the power of God through faith unto salvation. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:00.480 Cling to the cross, dear brethren, for there you are out of the reach of the old serpent's venom. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.039 He may hiss, but he can do no more. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:05.039 Let's pray together. 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:08.480 Father, we bless you in the name of Jesus. 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:09.440 Thank you for the cross. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:10.640 Thank you for the victory. 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:13.519 That's ours by the blood of Jesus. 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:17.599 Father, I pray that man, this would speak to us. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:21.359 Pray for the one who is anxious or weary in this room that they would be comforted. 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:24.880 Pray for the grieving, Lord, that they would be comforted. 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:30.559 Pray for the addicted and those stuck in sin, Lord, that they would find freedom. 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.839 That the chains of those have been set free. 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:40.079 Father, pray that you would stir our love for Jesus and that we would see the ways that we bowed up the knee to things other than you. 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:44.559 I pray that you would stir our hearts to bow the knee all the more to Jesus. 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.720 I pray this by your grace and for your name. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:47.519 Amen.