True and False Religion

Image for a moment we are in ancient times and there is a great king that comes to your city. This great king comes through the city and enters the palace. And once there, he goes into a great throne room. The king invites certain individuals to come in with him to the throne room and sit at a large table. Then, the doors to the throne room are shut. This great king speaks with those at the table with very specific instructions, but those outside cannot hear what is said. What happens is those outside the doors began to speculate and wonder, and then rumors began. When the doors are open again, only those who are inside with the king hear what is said. Yet those outside the doors of the throne room run and begin to tell what they believe was said even though they were not inside the throne room with the king. At the right time, the king will destroy those false prophets for their iniquity. But in the interim there will be a war of words - those true and those false.

Now, as we come to Revelation chapter 13, I want to point out that the two beasts of this chapter go with the dragon. Together they form an unholy trinity. And as we go through this chapter I want you to keep in mind that the book of Revelation is about Jesus and his kingdom! Let’s read Revelation chapter 13:1-10.

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. ² And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. ⁴ And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

⁵ And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, ⁸ and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. ⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

¹⁰ If anyone is to be taken captive,
    to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
    with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

The first thing we notice is that the first beast rises out of the sea. Why is this significant? Well, it demonstrates the beast represents a gentile power, in this case the Roman Empire. There is a great parallel in Daniel 7. Do you remember where the four beasts of Daniel come from? Here is what the text says:

 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. ² Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. ³ And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. ⁴ The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. ⁵ And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ ⁶ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:1-7

I also want to read the interpretation of Daniel’s vision, this is Daniel 7:16-27. 

I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ¹⁷ ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

¹⁹ “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, ²⁰ and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. ²¹ As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

²³ “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,

there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
    which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
    and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
²⁴ As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
    and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
    and shall put down three kings.
²⁵ He shall speak words against the Most High,
    and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
    and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
    for a time, times, and half a time.
²⁶ But the court shall sit in judgment,
    and his dominion shall be taken away,
    to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
²⁷ And the kingdom and the dominion
    and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
    shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
    and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’”

So, here is my question, are Daniel and Revelation talking about the same thing? Yes! Notice in Revelation 13:2 it identifies three of the four kingdoms. What this means is the beast is an anti-God system composed of multiple kingdoms over time. Rome was a composite of the former gentile kingdoms, but it is very different and much worse than the former kingdoms. We also note in Daniel that the four beasts are also four kings. What this means is that the leaders of the kingdom and the kingdoms themselves are interchangeable in the text. Put another way, the beast is a system, but it also manifests in a single person as well. David Chilton notes, “This Beast, however, is not just an institution, but a person; specifically, as we shall see, it is the Emperor Nero. This is because, particularly the way the Bible looks at things, the two could be considered as one. Rome was, to some extent, covenantally identified with its leader, as the human race was with Adam; the Empire was embodied and represented in the reigning Caesar (Nero). Thus St. John’s prophecy can shift back and forth between them, or consider them both together, under the same designation.” (The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, pg. 329)

Now, something very critical to understand here is that the dragon, beast and false prophet are an unholy trio, they are a counterfeit of the holy trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Revelation 13, the beast is a mirror-image of the dragon - and even more than that the beast is a counterfeit of Christ. Vern Poythress in his book, The Returning King, notes the opposing parallels of Christ and the beast. He notes the following:

• The beast is an image of Satan, just as Christ is the exact image of God.
• The beast has 10 crowns, Christ has many crowns.
• The beast has blasphemous names written on him, and Christ has worthy names.
• The dragon gives the beast his power and authority, and Father God has given Christ power and authority.
• The beast is healed from a fatal wound, which is a counterfeit to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• The beast attracts the worship of the world, just as Christ is to be worshipped by all.
• Christ is a divine and righteous warrior, and the beast is a counterfeit and unholy warrior. (pg. 140)

And as we will see in the second half of Revelation 13, the false prophet counterfeits the works of the Holy Spirit.

Now, I want to just briefly mention the head and horns. I have discussed this at length when we studied Daniel and Revelation 17. However, to be clear, here in Revelation 13, the beast certainly is the Roman Empire. The seven heads represent the Caesars. We know heads represent leaders or kings, and Christ himself is the head of the Church. The ten horns are likely the ten senatorial provinces of Rome created by Caesar Augustus. Now, the head that has a mortal wound and is healed does seem to refer to Nero. And some commentators have noted that the Apostle John may have been referring to the Nero redivivus myth, which was a rumor that spread after Nero’s death that he would rise again to imperial power. But I think this is unlikely what the Apostle meant. Another idea is that the head is healed when Vespasian takes the imperial throne in Rome after Nero’s death. In 69 A.D. after Nero was gone, there were 3 emperors who came and went very quickly, and it appeared that the Roman dynastic rulers had ended. But when Vespasian became emperor order was restored and the head was healed.

However, there is another interpretation. Revelation 13:14 tells us the head wound was by the sword. So, what is this really talking about? Well, when we go back to Daniel, we know he prophesied that the beast kingdom would be destroyed by Christ and his kingdom. The text of Daniel tells us the kingdom of Jesus would fill the earth and replace the world empires. Just as foretold in Genesis 3, Christ came and crushed the dragon’s head. After Jesus ascended the gospel went out into the world. Churches were started and even members of Caesar’s own household came to faith. According to Tertullian (Apology chapter 5), Tiberus Caesar formally requested the Roman Senate officially accept the truth of Christ’s divinity. It looked as though the head of Satan had been crushed. And as we have already mentioned, Pontus Pilate was removed from his office about 36 A.D. And then Caiaphas was removed from the office of high priest. About a year later, Paul, who had been the Church’s greatest enemy and persecutor, was converted by a vision from the Lord Jesus. All of this happening at once gave the Church rest from persecution. The dragon had been struck a severe blow. Kurt Simmons notes, “Roman governors following Pilate appear to have afforded the Church the protection of law until the persecution under Nero.” (The Consummation of the Ages, pg. 257) So, the beast received a mortal wound by the sword of the gospel. However, this wound was healed and Nero releases the beast and makes war on the saints.

The text of Revelation tells us that the beast will exercise authority for 42 months. This 3 ½ year period appears to be from November 64 A.D. until June 68 A.D. when Nero died. This was an intense time of trial and tribulation for Christians. Now, I do want to point out that 3 ½ years or 42 months can symbolically represent a time of testing or persecution. And certainly can have a broader meaning. Within the context of Revelation and the time the book was written the text appears to refer to Nero’s persecution. And we can of course know this and still apply God’s principles of suffering and victory. We know the time of Nero’s persecution was one of many times when the Church has suffered under the Roman beast. And one final point before moving on to the next section is that Revelation 13:8 tells us that those who dwell on the earth or land worshipped the beast. And we are reminded that much of Revelation is about worship. The earth or land is symbolic of Israel. John 19:15 states, “Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’” The Jews chose idolatry. They chose to worship the beast instead of God. And if you are familiar with Roman times, you know emperor worship was part of the imperial system. The text of Revelation is specifically saying apostate Israel chose to worship Caesar instead of the true son of God – Jesus Christ.

Now, as we transition to the 2^nd half of chapter 13, I want to point out the sentence in verse 10 where it says, “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” This is a time of severe trial for the saints of God. David Chilton tells us the 42 months or 3 ½ years is symbolic for a time of trouble, when the enemies of God are in power. (pg. 333) God’s people are tested as they await the coming of the kingdom and the judgment on the beast. And of course this speaks to us today as well, when we experience times of intense trial, either personally or nationally, we hold on to our faith, knowing that God will set things right in the end. Our walk of faith is at times a test of our character and endurance. But we hold on because we know God is faithful and just. We patiently wait for his coming.

Let’s continue with the second half of chapter 13.

 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. ¹³ It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, ¹⁴ and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. ¹⁶ Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, ¹⁷ so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. ¹⁸ This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Revelation 13:11-18

So, now we have a second beast. This one is different from the first and the text tells us it is coming up from the land or earth. The first beast is a mirror image of the dragon, and this second beast is a mirror image of the first beast. Now, there really is no question who this second beast is, the text of Revelation identifies him later in the book. In both Revelation 16:13 and Revelation 19:20 the text identifies him as the false prophet. And we remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:11, “many false prophets will arise, and lead many astray.” And also Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” And we recognize here this beast is just like that, because the text says it was like a lamb but spoke like a dragon. So, who exactly is this false prophet? Well, this beast has two horns, and we know horns represent power and authority. They can represent rulers or kings. So we are talking about a ruling ecclesiastical power, and who would that be? Clearly, this beast represents the high priest and the Sanhedrin. So, in a general sense we could think of this beast as the Jewish leaders of the Apostle’s day. Kurt Simmons notes that the two horns could be the priesthood and synagogue because this was how the leaders exercised their power. Remember that the Jewish ecclesiastical system was armed with a court and that power was extensive. According to Acts 9 Saul who later becomes Paul was able to get letters from the high priest to the synagogues of Damascus, which gave him the authority to arrest Christians. This also demonstrates the power of this beast extended beyond the borders of Israel.

Now, the text tells us the land beast is in the presence of the sea beast. This is very significant. Whose presence does a true prophet stand in? Well, according to the Bible, the true prophet stands in God’s presence. David Chilton notes, “The prophet was privileged to enter God’s throne room in the Glory-Cloud as a member of the heavenly council, where the divine policy was formulated.” (The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, pg. 337-338) Henry Barclay Swete tells us in his book, Commentary on Revelation, “The true prophet lives in the presence of God, taking his orders from Him and doing His pleasure; the false prophet stands before the beast, whose interpreter and servant he is.” (pg. 169) So, what is the text telling us? That the Jewish leaders were in league with the beast of Rome. They were apostate leaders who served Rome, not God. This is a really strong statement, but we are reminded that Revelation 2:9 states, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” So, here the Apostle John is telling us that the leaders of the Jewish people are apostate and serving the dragon and Rome. It is a severe pretense, saying they are serving God, yet all the while they are serving Satan.

Now I understand this is very severe but it is the truth. And I want to stop here a moment and give an example of when it appears people are serving God, but actually are practicing evil. There is a story in 2 Samuel chapter 4 and this is right after King Saul has died and right before David is anointed king. Listen to what happens.

 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. ⁶ And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷ When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, ⁸ and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” ⁹ But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, ¹⁰ when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” ¹² And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. 2 Samuel 4:5-12

Here in this story there is a pretense of defeating the enemy, yet it was evil. And how does David respond? These two men murdered the son of a king and thought they would be rewarded because David was about to be king. Instead they are destroyed for their evil. And I think this is an excellent example of when people appear to be doing good, although in this case in a vengeful way, but are actually acting like a dragon.

Now, I want to go back for just a moment because the text mentions the beast who was wounded yet lived. We have already discussed this, but I want to go back to verse 1. The text tells us the beast has 7 heads and 10 horns. The heads do represent the Caesars as already mentioned. But there is more to it than that. When we studied Revelation 17, and I encourage you to listen to that teaching, I discussed this at length because this language is also in that chapter. I want to mention it here as well because in Revelation 17:9 it tells us that the heads are seven mountains and seven kings. The reason I point this out is because the seven mountains represent seven nations. And the wound that is healed is not just talking about Nero and Vespasian. It is also talking about nations. The Roman Empire did come to an end many years after Vespasian, but it was resurrected in the Holy Roman Empire, which was a Germanic Empire. Again, I talk about this in more detail in the teaching on Revelation 17, but the reason I mentioned it here is because I want it to be clear that while much of Revelation appears to be fulfilled in the events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The dual meaning of the heads of the beast reveal there is a fulfillment that would happen much later.

Now, let’s talk about the image of the beast. We are immediately reminded of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel when he erected a golden image and required all the people to fall down and worship the image. Refusal to do this meant death in the fiery furnace. Now the text of Revelation says the image of the beast might even speak. Well, David Chilton in his commentary gives us I think a good parallel to understand this. What we have here in the text is a Satanic counterfeit. Chilton defines the divine order in this way: you have the Father, Son (image of the Father), Angels/Bishops, Church (image of the Son). In Revelation 13, we have the counterfeit, the dragon, the beast (image of the dragon), false prophet, synagogue of Satan (image of the beast). It is hard for us to image the Jewish leaders falling this far from God. Chilton writes, “The Jewish synagogues enforced submission to the emperor. Indeed, their leaders’ charge against Christ himself was that He was a rival to the all-embracing authority of Caesar . . . they organized economic boycotts against those who refused to submit to Caesar as Lord . . . going so far as to put them to death.” (The Days of Vengeance: A Exposition of the Book of Revelation, pg. 341-344).

Another very interesting parallel to the land and sea beast is found in the book of Job. In Job the land beast is called Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and the sea beast is called Leviathan (Job 41:1-34). The Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Behemoth is Therion. This is exactly the same word that the Apostle John uses for beast in Revelation.

Let’s move quickly to the mark mentioned in the text, it says, “marked on the right hand or the forehead.” As with many ideas and themes in Revelation, I believe there is a duality in the meaning. First of all we know the intense persecution of the Church by the Jews found in the book of Acts. The mark of the beast is the antithesis of the “seal of God.” Throughout the Bible, we find God’s people are sealed. An example is Ezekiel 9:4-6. We also find this in Revelation 7:2-3 and 14:1. “Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” (7:2-3) Revelation 14:1 says, “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” So, the mark or seal is spiritual in nature, we are marked by God. David Chilton notes, “Israel has rejected Christ, and is ‘marked’ with the seal of Rome’s total lordship; she has given her allegiance to Caesar, and is obedient to his rule and law.” (pg. 342)

Another aspect to this mark is the ability to buy and sell. So, the meaning is spiritual but also it is literal. You may remember the image of the Caesar was on their coins as the past presidents’ image is on our money. This certainly could be the intended meaning since money in the hand would be used to buy and sell. According to Jewish law and custom when an individual was cast out of the synagogue they experienced enormous loss in privileges. The Jews could not have any dealings with those who were cast out and this could even mean the loss of land and property (Ezra 10:8). We know the Jews used this type of extreme coercion and intimidation. The New Testament tells us many were afraid to confess Christ for fear of the Jews. Remember in John 9 when the parents of the man who was born blind were afraid to say Jesus had performed a miracle. This is what the text says, “But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)” vs. 21-22

Now, as we wrap up Revelation 13, let’s read verse 17-18 and discuss the famous 666, “so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” There have been many theories to what the 666 means in this passage. As with other symbolism in Revelation, I believe there is more than one meaning. In ancient languages the letters also had a numerical value. This meant that the letters of a name also had a numerical value by adding up the numbers. Both Hebrew and Greek letters have numerical values. The early Church readers certainly would have identified Rome as the beast of Revelation and Daniel. But the text says, “the number of its name” and “it is the number of man.” Now the calculation to 666 could realistically represent many names, but within the context and time when the Apostle wrote Revelation, it seems clear it refers to Nero Caesar. This was veiled to some degree because the computation had to be worked out in Hebrew not Greek. Nero Caesar in Hebrew is Neron Kesar, which numerically adds up to 666. This appears to be the primary meaning of the numbers within the context of Revelation. It is important to realize, as I have stated before, that kings and kingdoms are often used in the Bible interchangeably - which means in essence that the ruler represents the kingdom. Kurt Simmons notes, “Nero’s name is used as the identifying mark of the beast because he held the imperial power and was the very incarnation of the beast; his signet served as the imperial fiat that gave the persecution life and power. The emperor’s persecution of Christians in Rome served as the example and authority for the presidents and provincial governors, giving the persecution universal scope. To fail to prosecute Christians would have been to risk imperial wrath and invite Nero’s vengeance. Among the Jews, the imperial signet was symbolically received in the mark of the Beast by all that obeyed the inquisition.” (The Consummation of the Ages, pg. 270-271) We know from history that Nero was beastly and severe persecution occurred under his leadership. Both Paul and Peter were executed during his reign.

But we should also realize that the number 6 has a meaning, it is the number of man, and is used extensively in the Bible. For example, both beast and man were created on the sixth day of creation. According to Exodus 21, slaves served for six years and then were released in the seventh year. Goliath, a type of beast, was six cubits and a span tall. The head of his spear weighed 600 shekels of iron. And interestingly enough, David killed Goliath by a mortal head wound. And remember King Nebuchadnezzar’s image that he erected, it was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits across. According to Ernest L. Martin in his book, The Original Bible Restored, it was 666 years after Nebuchadnezzar’s reign began (604 B.C.) that Israel’s last sabbatical cycle began (63 A.D.). This cycle ended seven years later with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. In I Kings 10:14 it says that King Solomon received 666 talents of gold in one year. This marks the king’s tremendous wealth and a high point in his reign. However, after this everything goes into decline and apostasy. The number 666 is always the number of man and never the perfect number 7. The numeric calculation for the name Jesus in Greek is 888. While Jesus was crucified on the sixth day, Friday, he was resurrected on the 8^th day. And eight of course means new beginnings or resurrection.

So, the number 6 or 666 symbolically represents man and in this case, the beast, the antithesis of Jesus. Yet, even though the powerful world empires seem to dominate, we know the kingdom of Jesus Christ conquers all. He conquered on the eighth day with his resurrection and ascension. The beast reigns for a season, but God’s kingdom lasts forever. “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever”. Daniel 2:44 

Now, we have covered a lot of ground talking about the beasts of Revelation 13. In closing, I want to focus very specifically on the land beast or false religion. This is one of the most dangerous things to deal with and is very destructive. It looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. You might ask, what exactly does this look like in reality? Here are a couple of examples.

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 13:1-4

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. ¹⁷ They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”

¹⁸ For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord
    to see and to hear his word,
    or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
¹⁹ Behold, the storm of the Lord!
    Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
    it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
²⁰ The anger of the Lord will not turn back
    until he has executed and accomplished
    the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

²¹ “I did not send the prophets,
    yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they prophesied.
²² But if they had stood in my council,
    then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
    and from the evil of their deeds.

²³ “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ²⁴ Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. ²⁵ I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ ²⁶ How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, ²⁷ who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? ²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. ²⁹ Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? ³⁰ Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. ³¹ Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’ ³² Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 23:16-32

A true prophet points others to God, he warns, and he proclaims the need for repentance.

 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. ⁵ My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. ⁶ True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. ⁷ For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. ⁸ But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, ⁹ and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” Malachi 2:4-9

A true prophet does not show partiality in his instruction – he tells the whole truth, that of repentance, correction and restoration. This is what the book of Jude says about false teachers. “Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.” (vs.11) Those that are false may know God, but are looking for gain for themselves instead of speaking the truth of God. In other words, they say what people want to hear to gain influence and wealth. The truth is there are the true prophets chosen by God, and then there are those who pretend to be. There are those who have learned to play the religious game who have never stood in God’s council. This is very dangerous, and God speaks very plainly about this in Scripture. When Amos, the true prophet prophesied, the false priest, Amaziah, told him not to prophecy, not to preach, and to leave Israel. You can read the response of the true prophet in Amos 7. In Jeremiah 28 you can read about the difference between a word from a false prophet and a true prophet. This is verses 8-9, “The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.” After this Jeremiah goes to Hananiah, the false prophet, and tells him, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’ In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.” (vs.15-17) False prophecy is very dangerous and God does punish this sin – there are consequences.

In Nick Needham’s wonderful Christian history, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power: The Age of Religious Conflict (volume 4, pg. 448-449, 555-558), he gives us a good example. One of the most powerful figures of the 17^th century was a man known as Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642). He became a bishop at the age of 21 and was Louis XIII’s chief minister. Richelieu helped make France a powerful nation-state in Europe. A major theme of his policies was an absolute monarch, where the French king was supreme in all matters of church and state. Richelieu was a great supporter of the Catholic Church, and his aim was to make France completely a Catholic nation. And even though Henry IV had in the Edict of Nantes in 1598 granted religious freedom to the Huguenots, Cardinal Richelieu destroyed all political and military independence of the Protestants. To be fair, the Huguenots were very powerful and had an independent state within France with its own army. The Huguenots were openly defiant and rebellious. Because of this there was war between the Huguenots and the French government. Richelieu destroyed the Huguenots and they existed only as a minority faith after 1628. Louis XIV wanted a Catholic France and would not tolerate the Protestants, and he persecuted the Huguenots to the extreme. Churches were destroyed, Huguenot schools and colleges were closed. The Protestants were cast out of trade guilds and barred from government service. Pastors could not live in the same area for more than 3 years. And the king made a decree that children starting at the age of 7 could become Catholic. This of course meant the government would forcibly remove children from Protestant homes. In addition, Louis offered generous financial rewards to the Huguenots if they converted to Catholicism. Guess what happened? That’s right, many of them converted. But Louis did not stop even at this, on October 17, 1685, the king revoked the Edict of Nantes. Protestant pastors were banished from France. Louis also created something called the dragonnade. This was when entire Protestant regions of the country were handed over to the military. This meant torture, imprisonment, death, and slavery. The children were sent to convents so they could be educated as Catholics. All of this caused severe hardship and unrest. Around 200,000 people fled to other countries. Entire regions of France were depopulated and terrible poverty resulted. Louis’ goal was never achieved and the warring between the government and the Protestants continued for many years. The Huguenots eventually came under the leadership of Antoine Court and became an underground movement which met in secret.

Here is my question? Was the religion of Cardinal Richelieu and King Louis false? Well, yes! A false prophet can be a king, a religious leader, or someone you have never heard of before. And when we violate God’s law, such as attempting to destroy people of faith, we are setting up a false religion – a religion that is not based on God’s word, his principles or Jesus Christ. Has there been this kind of false religion and false prophets throughout history? Yes! And I hope we can tell the difference between true and false religion! Revelation 17:4-6 states, “The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” Revelation 18:4 says, “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ’Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues”.

Beware of what looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. Be wise, repent, come out of false religion and into the pure light of Jesus. You may have to suffer, you have may some difficulties, but the reward God gives for a righteous life far outweighs the luxuries of this world.