The False Prophet
David J. Nixon
This article is taken from a longer piece "The Unholy Trinity Operating in the Last Days" by David J. Nixon which can be accessed in full here
In Revelation 13 we are introduced to the third character in the unholy trinity of the False Prophet, who while initially called the “Beast out of Earth” (Revelation 13:11) is later referred to as “the false prophet” (Revelation 20:20). It seems that the Antichrist is the political and military leader of the unholy trinity while the False Prophet is the religious backer of the enterprise. He is depicted as a lamb with 2 horns and with the mouth of a dragon. Breaking down the images, we see a character with power as symbolised by the 2 horns and counterfeit heretical Christianity as expressed by the appearance of a lamb (the ordinary image of Christ) but with the mouth of a dragon (Satan).
The scriptures themselves are plain at explaining what the role of the False Prophet is: “exercises all authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast whose mortal wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12) If we stop here momentarily then it bears considering that one thing I deliberately held off discussing previously was the passage where John describes the Antichrist beast image as having “one of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marvelled as they followed the beast” (Revelation 13:3). Many take this passage to indicate that the Antichrist will stage some faux-resurrection after an attempt on his life (see the apparent description of an attack in verse 14b) to again mimic God’s design but with a twist – some go so far as to say that the post-resurrected Antichrist is really fully possessed by Satan and that is where his power comes from. Whatever the precise meaning, the effect is clear in that there grows around him a religious cult which the False Prophet then organises worship around. To substantiate the claims to deity that the Antichrist will make in the Temple in the Abomination of Desolation (2 Thessalonians 2:4) the passage goes to say: “it performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,” (a demonstration which mimics that of Elijah on Mount Carmel facing the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 and indeed a call to take Jesus’ warning to test all things seriously: “for false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24)).
The False Prophet causes the people to create an idol to worship the Antichrist and using some sorcery is able to cause this statue to speak and together they demand that all those who will not worship the Antichrist are to be killed (Revelation 13:15). Like Antiochus before him, Antichrist will likely set this idol up in the Temple, which is probably what is referred to as setting up an abomination on the wing of the Temple in Daniel 9:27. We read later that this method of killing likely will involve decapitation: “Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands” (Revelation 20:4). .
This leads us nicely into considering how the False Prophet initiates the Mark of the Beast system – likely one of the most recognisable elements in the popular knowledge of eschatology. It is set up as a way to prevent anyone who refuses to worship the Antichrist from taking part in the global economy and as a result make their lives very difficult to just survive (Revelation 13:17). Again if I can proffer a suggestion, just as Jesus says that we are to seek our daily bread from God and that He is the bread of life; Satan will similarly seek people to rely on worship of Antichrist and himself for them to be able to get their literal daily bread. The Mark itself is somehow connected with the name of the Antichrist, which is itself connected with his number 666 (Revelation 13:17b-18). I do not know the connection and I very strongly doubt any one today does, so I will not waste time here in idle speculation concerning it in any depth.
The Mark itself is to be taken on the right hand or forehead. Now there is some debate in eschatology over whether there will be a real mark or not because other passages talk about God placing a mark on His people during the 70th Week also, which they say does not have to be physical. I have set out in this article already to show that Satan has a way of perverting God’s design and so I would argue that he perverts God’s design by making it a physical Mark. Previously I have stumbled on these passages which are also illuminating to consider in our study: “And [Passover] shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of Lord may be in your mouth.” (Exodus 13:9), “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might…You shall bind [the words of this command] as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, 8). They show that there is a God given command for remembrance and worship of Him to be somehow symbolised as being worn on our foreheads and hands, and interestingly in the second passage it is the first commandment of absolute allegiance to God which we are meant to be remembering that is the focus. Is it not then interesting how Satan seeks to twist things in the Mark of the Beast making it himself and the Antichrist as the focus of the world’s worship and making it an actual Mark on the skin? Therefore, I think his placing the Mark in these places on the body is by no means accidental in light of these passages!
The eternal consequences of taking the Mark of the Beast and being a part of the False Prophet’s religious system are clearly set out: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshippers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name” (Revelation 14:9-11). Also more immediately they shall receive the full brunt of the suffering poured out in the Bowl of Wrath judgements (Revelation 16:2, 10-11)
The end of the False Prophet comes at the battle of Armageddon when Christ returns in the Second Coming: “And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur” (Revelation 19:20).
Between them, the unholy trinity will have caused vast multitudes of people to follow them into eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. At the end of such bloodshed and evil throughout human history, there then comes this hopeful and encouraging thought of what is ahead in God’s redemptive plan once the 70th week and Millennial Kingdom are over: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new hearth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away… Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning or crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1,3-4).
Third Temple
