Peter Barnes | Revelation 13, 14
SERMON NOTES
Beware the Beasts
(Revelation 13-14)
1. The political beast from the sea.
– 13:1-10; he resembles a composite beast from Daniel 7
– compare 13:3 and 5:6; this goes back to Gen.3:15
– David Chilton says all this only refers to God’s judgment on Israel, but it is world-wide and for all time e.g. the Roman empire, Louis XIV of France, the Soviet regime, the Nazis.
2. The religious beast from the land.
– 13:11-18; this is the false prophet (16:13; 19:20; 20:10)
– signs and wonders and persecution
– ‘Jesus’ in Greek gives 888 (alpha is 1; beta is 2, etc); 666 is not specifically Nero. William Hendriksen says 666 is a picture of triune imperfection
3. The Son of Man will judge the earth.
– 14:1-20 – heavenly Zion (Gal.4:26; Heb.12:22); the 144,000 indicate completeness; the judgment will be complete (14:19-20)
– Christ as Lamb (14:1) and heavenly judge (14:14), the redeemer of the elect (13:8) who hold to the eternal gospel (14:6).