Lesson Twelve • Antichrist

Devotion 1: Knowing the Beast

Patrick Bicknell

The Apostle John gives a very stark image of what the Antichrist will be like during the end times. Here in Revelation chapter 13, we see what John describes as someone seeking to be praised and to control the world. Some important things to note that this Beast will do is first and foremost the Beast wants to be in the position of God. At the end of verse 4, it says, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” John is saying that this Antichrist, or Satan, is going to deceive and he is going to do it well. It will be done so well that those who are not of the people of God will think that this is God. They will think that through the signs and wonders that the Antichrist performs, that it proves that this is the true Messiah. Jesus says in Mark, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect” (Mark 13:22). This beast will come saying they are God, and something that is made clear is that those who oppose him, and do not worship him, will be killed. It is going to be a Tribulation unlike any other, one that we are going to have to endure and be on guard against. So, how can we prepare ourselves for this?

First off, one important thing for us not to do is to study the Antichrist and what he will do. I think of the way banks can tell a counterfeit dollar apart from a real dollar. They do not study all the fakes in the world so that they know what the fake is when it comes to the banks. Rather, they study the real one so intently, that when a fake comes in they can know right away that it is not real. That is what we must do. We must study the Word so closely, and know who our King is so deeply, that when the Antichrist comes we know right away who the fake is. We do not have the time to go in deep about what Christ will be like when He returns, but I encourage you to go read Revelation 19:11-16. This section of Scripture describes what it will be like when Jesus returns, and there will be no question about it. When Christ returns the whole world will know that He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Secondly, we must be so firm in our relationship with God that no matter what persecution we face, or how intense the wickedness of the Antichrist is, we still do not turn away from God. John puts it in such an amazing way when he says, “If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain by the sword, with the sword must he be slain” (Revelation 13:10). This call for endurance and faith of the saints is to encourage them that God needs to mean more to them than being imprisoned or being killed. If God’s glorious plan for our life is to die by the sword for our belief in Him, then we shall say, “Bring the sword.” God gave us this revelation not to scare us, but to prepare us, so that we are not confused when it seems like evil is winning and that we trust in His sovereign plan to the end.