False Prophet – the Beast

The False Prophet – The Beast Coming up Out of the Earth

Both Daniel and John also saw political systems and leaders that they described using the term “Beast”. John sees this beast coming up “out of the earth.” Beast Coming up Out of the Earth, (see Rev. 13:11-12). Just as the sea of nations are Gentile, the use of the “earth” (land), is representative of Israel. “Land” with the definite article and not otherwise defined always refers to Israel. Israel is the Promised Land. It is the place where God chose to put His earthly Throne. It is the place where the Messiah will rule during the Millennial Kingdom. So, the false prophet is not a Gentile.

Satan is a counterfeiter. So, he has an “unholy trinity” that consists of himself, the Antichrist (the political, religious beast), and the false prophet (the religious, political beast). The third member, of course is Satan himself. It is Satan that gives the false prophet his doctrine. Satan is the one who enables both members of the unholy trinity to “speak great things,” perform “lying miracles, signs and wonders”, and call down fire from heaven.

According to Hal Lindsey, the earth (land), which will one day be the inheritance of God’s chosen people, is used symbolically to identify the false prophet as a Jew. Notice that the false prophet has horns as well. He has two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, the sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world. The dragon is Satan. That gives us the religious perspective of the false prophet. He will be a Jew, who is a counterfeit messiah, but his doctrine comes straight from Satan.

The Antichrist will resent the church and attempt to throw off these shackles is clear from the fact that he will destroy her in the middle of the Tribulation period and set up his own form of worship. To propagate that worship, the devil will provide a special man on the scene, the other awesome personage described (in Rev. 13), as the “beast coming out of the earth.” That these two beasts (the first beast that comes up out of the sea (Rev. 13:1), the Antichrist, and this beast that comes up out of the earth), are men is clear from what will happen to them when our Lord returns at the end of the Tribulation.

The greatest time of deception the world has ever faced or ever will face is the 7 year tribulation. Satan will go all out with deceiving spirits, signs and lying wonders potent enough almost to deceive even the very elect. Although that period has not come yet, it is highly probable that false teachers and deceivers committed to Satan are already in working their deceptive magic on the minds and emotions of people.

Supernatural Powers of the False Prophet: Every tribal witch doctor, false religious teacher, and false prophet has tried by magic, voodoo, trickery, or demonic power to deceive people by a display of supernaturalism. Religions of the world are bound by superstition. Only Jesus Christ is able to give us peace and confidence before God, and this is not dependent on supernatural displays or signs. None of the false teachers to the present time has ever possessed the supernatural powers that will be exhibited by the False Prophet on behalf of the Antichrist during the Tribulation period.

“And he performed great and miraculous signs” (Rev. 13:13). The word translated “miraculous signs” is the same word used by the Apostle John in his Gospel, describing the ministry of Jesus. This leads us to believe that the False Prophet will be equipped by Satan and the Antichrist with authority and power to do such supernatural miraculous signs as to “deceive the inhabitants of the earth.” (Rev. 13:14). This should come as no surprise to Bible students, for the devil has great power.

During the Tribulation period that Antichrist will have the power to perform “counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9). It does not seem surprising that the False Prophet will be able to reproduce everything that the special witnesses of God will be able to do, even to the point of reproducing the miracles of Jesus Maketh Fire Come Down From Heaven (see Revelation 13:13-15).

This predicted demonstration of supernatural, miraculous power should warn us of the significant truth that the mere display of supernatural power does not suffice as evidence that a matter or practice originates with God. All supernatural power is for the purpose of giving credentials to a person or a teaching. We have something far more important to stand as a test of all teaching, regardless of its accompanied signs, the Word of God. If a teaching is not in accord with that Word, it is false!

As we approach the end of the age and these signs in their initial stages begin to occur, we should not let miraculous power deceive us, but judge everything according to God’s word.

“But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image Rev. 13. (See verses 16-18 for the Mark of the Beast).

The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Rev. 19:20). This verse can apply only to the two beasts described (in Rev. 13). This first is the governmental leader, called the Antichrist, who will set himself up as God. The second is his religious leader, who will incite men to worship Antichrist.