September 28: THE FIRST ALLY: AN OVERVIEW
And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea… Revelation 13:1
Who or what is symbolized by Satan’s first ally? Though there has been a consecutive lineup of earthly powers over millennia who have directly oppressed God’s people, John provides for us a description that assists the New Testament church to positively identify her last-day enemy. This enemy is the antithesis of Jesus Christ; the antichrist. The prefix “anti-” (Greek) or “ante-” (Latin) can mean against, before, or in the place of. In a real sense, all of these meanings apply. The archenemy of Christ is not for Him, he is against Him. The archenemy of Christ stands before Him, meaning between Christ and His people, in order to obscure the people’s view of Jesus. The archenemy of Christ attempts to put himself in the place of Christ. Let us look at some helpful parallels:
Jesus came up . . . from the water after His baptism (Matthew 3:16), marking the beginning of His ministry. John saw a beast rising up out of the sea or water at the beginning of his ministry.
The earthly ministry of Jesus lasted three and a half years (the amount of time between His baptism and His crucifixion). The unfettered reign of the beast out of the sea was a prophetic forty-two months (Revelation 11:2; 13:5), exactly as prophesied by both Daniel and John. Remember that in prophecy, the day/year principle applies (see Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6, Luke 13:32). During Jesus’s ministry He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3) and the beast out of the sea, working through men, mistreated faithful Christians during his ministry by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering (Daniel 11:33).
Jesus bears a likeness to His heavenly Father (John 14:9) and the sea beast bears a likeness to the dragon (compare Revelation 12:3 to 13:1).
Jesus was given authority by His heavenly Father (John 12:9; 14:10) and the sea beast receives authority from the dragon (Revelation 13:2,5,7).
Both the sea beast and Christ wear jeweled crowns or diadems (13:1 and 19:12).
Both wield swords (Daniel 11:33, Revelation 1:16; 19:15). The “sword” of Jesus symbolically represents His word (Ephesians 6:17). When tempted by Satan, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Every lying word inspired by Satan has a rebuttal found in God’s word, the double-edged sword and the law of God and the testimony of the prophets. To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20).
Both have horns (5:6; 13:1), symbolizing power.
Both receive a deadly, mortal wound followed by a resurrection. Both rise to greater authority and are worshiped after the healing of the mortal wound (Matthew 28:9,17; Revelation 13:3-4).
Both have followers who have inscriptions upon their foreheads, symbolic of their mindsets (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Revelation 13:16; 14:1). These writings are visible to angels (Ezekiel 9:4), while their outward actions are, to some degree, visible to the world.
Both Christ and the sea beast exercise global authority (Revelation 10:11; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15).
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do [now] and will do [in future] the things that we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5