Every prophetic event casts its shadow. While the event itself happens in a moment of time, there are visible shadows of that event prior to its occurrence. For example, the seven–year period known as the Tribulation will begin in a single moment with the Rapture of the Church. While the Church will not be on earth to experience the difficult days of the Tribulation, the storm clouds of that period will gather long before it begins. The discerning believer will be aware of and watching for the shadows of future prophetic events.

The events surrounding the Antichrist's False Prophet are found in Revelation 13 and occur around the mid–point of the seven–year Tribulation period. If the Rapture occurred tomorrow, the events of Revelation 13 would happen three to four years later. Given the short time frame, it is likely that the Church will witness shadows leading up to the actual events of Revelation 13. In fact, there are signs of shadows forming now.

The Description of the Prophet (Revelation 13:11–13)

Like the Antichrist, the False Prophet is described as a beast. In Revelation 13:11 we are told he looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. Satan will cause his False Prophet to appear meek and when he really has the heart of a destroyer. Jesus said to beware of false prophets who "come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). This False Prophet will be the epitome of every false prophet who has ever lived.

The Antichrist and the False Prophet are paired significantly: The former's focus is politics while the latter's emphasis is religion. In the Tribulation, with the absence of true religion, a false religion will be necessary to solidify the political power of the Antichrist. Wherever there is a vacuum of true religion, political power will marry itself to false religion to give itself a mark of acceptability. Even Communism has a religion called atheism or materialism. It grieves me when I hear someone say, "One religion is as good as another," because I know that person does not understand the Bible.

The beastly prophet will be a religious leader, pointing people toward the Antichrist, just as the Holy Spirit points people toward Jesus Christ. He will be like many false prophets of our own day—dispensing what people want to hear instead of the truth they need to hear. And he will attract large crowds as false prophets usually do. But in a day of trouble like the Great Tribulation, this seemingly peaceful preacher will suddenly metamorphosize into a monster.

During the Great Tribulation, Satan will use the religion of the False Prophet to unite the world under the leadership of the Antichrist.

The Deeds of the Prophet (Revelation 13:13)

The False Prophet will have the power to counterfeit some of God's miracles, including calling down fire from heaven. Not only is this power associated with God in the Old Testament, it evokes a strong connection with the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 2:11). Whatever God does, Satan is the master counterfeiter. Since God often revealed Himself by fire, the False Prophet will use fire to validate his own works.

The Deception of the Prophet (Revelation 13:14–15)

The False Prophet will deceive the people into building an image which can be used as a focal point for worship of the Antichrist. I believe this image will be set up in the city of Jerusalem as a counterfeit to the temple of God. We aren't told what the image will be, but I believe it will be a large structure, not just an effigy on a coin or some similar symbol. I believe it will become a gathering place for those coming to worship the Beast.

The False Prophet's powers will be impressive—he will make the image speak. Satan cannot give life, so the image will not come alive. It will only appear to be alive because of its speech. Some say it is ventriloquism; others say it will be a computer chip that speaks much as our cars and computers talk to us today. Through whatever means, the False Prophet will make the image seem to be alive. I can imagine people gathering at this location every day to hear what the image has to say. The media will carry the image's speeches each day in the news; it will become a focal point of every person's day. I believe this image is the "abomination of desolation" Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:15. When this image is set up in Jerusalem, the disciples of Jesus will know that the Great Tribulation is about to begin. At this time, Jesus said His people should flee Jerusalem because things will become much worse than they ever have been before. The image of the Beast is a signal for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

The Demand of the Prophet (Revelation 13:16–18)

In addition to his religious agenda, the False Prophet will direct the Antichrist's sweeping economic program. A keystone of this program will be the requirement for everyone to receive a mark on their hand or forehead. This mark is yet another attempt at counterfeiting God's power. During the Tribulation, the Lord will preserve His people who carry an identifying mark on their foreheads (Revelation 7:3; 14:1). What God does, Satan imitates.

The word used for "mark" in the original text (Greek charagma) refers to the Roman use of a seal or mark connected with the emperor which conveyed official sanction. So the Beast will use a charagma to identify those who are loyal to him. Anyone without the mark will be deemed a traitor and boycotted by the commercial system the Beast controls. Unable to purchase what they need, those without the mark will die from exposure or starvation or illness. During World War II money wasn't enough to buy certain item, so the government issued rations. Ration cards were required for purchasing scarce items. That rationing was a temporary means to support our country's war effort, but under the Beast's reign it will be permanent. All the money in the world won't be enough to buy bread if you don't have the mark of the Beast.

What is portrayed is a tremendous union in which capital and labor are both subject to the control and direction of one man. Anyone who is outside that vast combination will be ruthlessly boycotted; no one will work for him or employ him; no one will purchase his produce or sell goods to him; trade and commerce will close their doors to him. Bankruptcy and starvation face such a man.
—Fred A. Talford

The Decision Demanded by the Mark

We often think that only those without the mark will suffer, but those with the mark will suffer as well (see Revelation 14:9–11). People will face a choice: Reject the mark and suffer at the hands of the Beast; accept the mark and suffer at the hands of God. Each person on earth will have to choose which is worse—to suffer the temporary wrath of the Beast but receive the eternal favor of God, or receive the temporary favor of the Beast but suffer the eternal wrath of God.

The Distinction of the Mark

The most complex issue regarding the Beast and his mark is found in verse 18 where we are told that the number of the Beast is 666. Many fanciful observations have been made about this number. For instance, it first appears in the Bible in verse "18" which is 6+6+6. Goliath was six cubits tall, his spear's head weighed six shekels, and he had six pieces of armor. Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel was 60 cubits tall, six cubits wide, and six musical instruments summoned the worshipers. These and similar observations are just that—observations. They tell us nothing about the meaning of the number of the Beast. No one knows exactly what 666 means.

The Deficiency of the Mark

Numbers in the Bible do have significance. The number "seven" is associated with the completion or perfection of God's acts, so the number "six" is associated with man (created on the sixth day, must work for six out of seven days, etc.). To triple that number (666) could simply be a way to indicate the Beast is the ultimate in human ingenuity—the best man can be apart from God. It is interesting that six will always fall short of seven. Man will always, even at his best, fall short of the perfection of God. Whatever the number 666 means, and however the mark of the Beast will be configured and applied to humans during the Great Tribulation, it will encompass this: The evidence of man's attempts to glorify, even deify himself, as a final act of rebellion against God. Man's kingdom, instead of God's kingdom, will dominate the Great Tribulation.

I read a story once about Johann Sebastian Bach, the great German composer. Apparently he was a very sound sleeper who was difficult to wake up. His children discovered that the best way to waken him was to go to the piano and play a few measures of some composition but leave off the very last note or chord. Their father would instantly arise and go to the piano to strike the final chord. The one thing he could not tolerate was the incompleteness of a piece of music. It had to be brought to its proper conclusion. The great preacher, Donald Grey Barnhouse, from whom I heard that story, said he tried it in his own home. Playing "Silent Night" on the piano, he stopped just shy of the final note—then listened. Upstairs he heard his son trying to find that last note on his harmonica. Another of his children was singing the last line and adding the final note. Someone else called out, "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Six," especially "666," reminds us that something is missing—the end of the story has not yet been told. A man whose mark is "666" will arise on the world stage for a few short moments in the future and then be judged. Like a song without a final note, the Antichrist will not bring history to its final closure. Only the true God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, can do that. He is a "Perfect Seven," as are all who find refuge in Him for eternity.

Application

1. With lines, match the members of the divine Trinity with the members of the unholy, Satanic trinity that tries to counterfeit the work of God:

   Divine Trinity	Satanic Trinity
   God the Father	The False Prophet
   God the Son	Satan
   God the Holy Spirit	The Antichrist

2. How is the Antichrist coming back to life after being mortally wounded a counterfeit miracle similar to a divine miracle? (Revelation 13:3)

3. Read Daniel 3:1–30.

   • What did Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon set up in "the plain of Dura"? (verse 1)

   • What became the law in Babylon concerning the image? (Verses 4–6)

   • How did the people of Babylon respond to the law? (Verse 7)

   • How did the three Hebrew young men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–Nego respond to the law? (Verse 12)

   • How does this story so far parallel that of Revelation 13:11–14?

   • With what punishment did Nebuchadnezzar threaten the three, and how did they respond? (Verses 15–18)

   • What was the result of their punishment? (Verses 25–27)

   • How will believers during the Tribulation likely face a similar option as did the three in Babylon? (Revelation 13:15–17)

   • What have you already learned in this study about believers during the Tribulation? Does God rescue them as He did the three in Babylon? (Revelation 6:9)

   • How do you respond to the idea of being threatened for your faith? What would it take for you to resist submission to an ungodly edict?

4. What did Paul do on a regular basis in his ministry? (2 Corinthians 12:12)

   • What does the phrase "of an apostle" mean? What were the signs supposed to validate?

   • How successful had some false apostles been at gaining authority among the churches? (2 Corinthians 11:13–15) Who was behind their false authority?

   • Why is it not impossible to find people in awe of the False Prophet's power during the Tribulation? (Revelation 13:13)

   • How does James 1:16 serve as a timeless warning when it comes to displays of power?

Did You Know?

The idea that a government could assign a "mark" to the world's population should not come as a surprise. For decades, Americans have not been able to make large purchases or investments without a Social Security number. A newer development, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), is used to monitor the flow of goods and services, track farm animals, track passports, and monitor cars on toll roads. The technology consists of a tiny silicon chip that can be attached or implanted that responds to radio frequencies. They are so tiny that they have been attached to ants to study their movement. RFID chips are gaining increasing use in modern cultures for tracking commerce and allowing or disallowing activities.