An Unholy Trinity

Welcome back to our study in the book of Revelation. I titled our series “The Blessing Book” because its the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing on us for studying it and putting it into practice. The outline for our study and the best way to study the book of Revelation is to follow the outline Jesus gave us in verse 19 of chapter 1. “Write down what you have seen, (which was Jesus in His glory in chapter 1)—both the things that are now happening (which were the letters to the 7 churches in chapters 2-3) and the things that will happen” (from chapter 4-22). 

Of all the perspectives a person can take on the book of Revelation the view that makes the most sense to the majority of bible scholars is the futurist perspective which simply means the events we are reading out in the last book of the bible are yet to occur. The events are yet to be fulfilled but will one day soon, sooner than we think. The futurist view holds that Revelation 4–22 describes events still future to us—chiefly the seven-year Tribulation (Daniel's 70th week), the return of Christ, the Millennium, and the eternal state. 

The pretribulational position adds that the Church is raptured (1 Thess. 4:16–17; Rev. 3:10) before this seven-year period begins. Therefore, the "saints" of Revelation 13 are Tribulation-era believers—those saved after the Rapture—not the Church age believers who have already been removed.

This morning we find ourselves in chapter 13, where John will reveal to us the Antichrist, an evil world leader who has over 50 names in the Bible. Here in chapter 13 John calls him “the Antichrist”, the second person in Satan’s unholy trinity. The “false prophet” is the third person. The Antichrist will rule the world through deception and he will oppose God and His people.