The Beast Out of the Earth (The False Prophet)
Read Revelation 13:11-18
Satan’s war on the woman and her offspring has a two-pronged approach, and the first beast out of the sea will not act alone. The last half of Rev. 13 introduces us to another beast—this one out of the earth—commonly known as the “False Prophet” (see 16:13 and 19:20). The devil’s two associates in this chapter are merely puppets in the hands of their master, Satan.
Beast #2 is described as a lamb with horns (13:11). Again, horns imply power and authority, but a lamb is just the opposite (docile and gentle). In fact, this should remind us of how Jesus was described earlier in Revelation chapter 5. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth as the next sentence tells us this beast “spoke like a dragon.” In essence, this beast is a powerful evil in disguise!
Quiz: What did Jesus warn us about in Matthew 7:15? (Hint: Look it up).
This second beast is called the false prophet in Rev. 16:13. As this title suggests, the role of beast #2 will probably be religious in nature (which is also why he is described as a “lamb” in verse 11). John’s 1st century audience would have recognized the significance of this animal from their own religious history. So, if the role of a prophet is to speak God’s word to the people, then the role of this “false” prophet is to deceive the people with religious sounding promises and lies. His role will be to support and demand worship of the first beast. Or, to phrase it another way, to get people to worship something other than God, such as a person or a government. In fact, a careful reading of this passage makes it clear that this second beast will function in a supportive role and will deceive the world into worshipping the first beast.
Pastor Matt Chandler summarized it this way: “If the beast from the sea is satanic-manipulated political power, the beast from the earth is satanic-manipulated religious power and institutions.”[i] This beast will dazzle the world with miraculous signs and wonders and force the masses to bow down to the first beast. Keep in mind that Satan can engineer miracles, too (2 Thess. 2:9; Matt. 24:24), and what better way to deceive the masses than through religious miracles?
There are two other things to note about beast #2. His power and ability to call down fire from heaven (13:13) will mimic true prophets like Moses and Elijah, not to mention the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). And just as the Holy Spirit brings glory to the resurrected Christ, so this false prophet will bring glory to the “resurrected” first beast.
Notice Satan’s copy-cat theme of resurrection for his first beast. Remember, Satan wants to be like God, yet he is a counterfeit. He cannot create anything. All he can do is try to model his kingdom after what he saw in heaven (specifically the Trinity).
Mass Deception
Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you…” (Mark 13:5). Later in the same passage about the signs of the end of the age, Jesus continued with this warning. Read Mark 13:21-23 and consider carefully the full implications of His warning. (Why? What will false Christs and false prophets do? And who might be deceived (if that were possible)? We must not miss that Christ’s warning is still as valid today as it was back then, as all false teachers and false prophets engage in religious deception.
He is called the false prophet for a reason, and he made the people erect an image of the first beast so they could worship it/him. In fact, this second beast was given power to make this image come alive somehow (13:14), possibly through demonic powers, or through deceptive technology (such as artificial intelligence). Verse 13:2 says that Satan gave power and authority to the first beast, so it stands to reason he is also the power behind the second beast as well. Regardless of how it happens, those who refuse to worship the image will be persecuted and killed (verse 15).
Being forced to worship a dictator’s statue or image was nothing new to John or his first-century audience. In fact, each of the seven congregations in Revelation 2-3 lived in the shadow of temples dedicated to Roman emperors, so they were familiar with this form of idolatry and pressure. John had also experienced this oppression personally and was warning his audience in 13:9-10 that some would be captured and killed. The implication is that believers are called to resist the unholy beast and his false prophet, and to stand firm to the end, regardless of the consequences.
Finally, it’s not hard to see these two beasts in action today. In fact, waiting for a time in the future when they will supposedly arrive might be short-sighted because they are already here! Both John and Jesus made this very clear (re-read John’s words about antichrists and the spirit of the antichrist, and Christ’s warning about false prophets listed above).
In John’s lifetime, the Roman government persecuted Christians and forced their subjects to worship the emperor (not to mention other Roman gods and goddesses). But what about other examples throughout the church age? Where else have we seen these two beasts in action?
- The Roman Catholic Church throughout the dark ages held incredible power in Europe and was not always led by godly men who honored the Lord. For many centuries, the punishment for those who challenged the Catholic Church or the Pope’s authority was severe.
- The Islamic Empire grew exponentially after the death of Muhammad in AD 632, conquering lands and people through forced conversion to Islam… or death. Even today in many Muslim countries around the world, the government and religion are intertwined.
- In the last century alone, the Nazi’s murdered millions of people through religious persecution, as did the communist dictatorships in China, the Soviet Union, Cambodia, and elsewhere.
- Today, in the atheist country of North Korea, there are large statues erected in public areas to their current and past leaders, whom the people are forced to worship as gods.
For those who live in the west, we must wake up and not allow Satan to lull us into a deep sleep thinking this will only be a problem in the future. Beasts 1 and 2 are at work in our world today!
In the next lesson, we will discuss the infamous mark of the Beast!
[i] Matt Chandler, The Overcomers: God’s Vision for You to Thrive In An Age of Anxiety And Outrage. (Nashville: W. Publishing, 2024), 129.
