Revelation 13:5
http://www.dailybiblestudy.org
Please at your convenience, visit the Daily Bible Study Amazon Store athttp://www.dailybiblestudy.org/amazon-store.html
5 And[kai] there was given[didomi] unto him[autos] a mouth[stoma] speaking[laleo] great things[megas] and[kai] blasphemies;[blasphemia] and[kai] power[exousia] was given[didomi] unto him [autos] to continue[poieo] forty[tessarakonta] and two[duo] months.[men] KJV-Interlinear
5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. NASB
We know several things from our Bible study.
First, Jesus Christ controls history. He controls history in three ways, by direct intervention (He created the universe, He creates life), by indirect intervention (through Bible doctrine in the souls of believers who do His will), and last by permission (allowing the free will of man to function in both good and evil as man chooses).
Second, Satan is the father of lies. Satan is the author of evil. Satan has been directing history through humanity since long ago, and he will continue directing history with his last leader, the anti-christ.
This anti-christ will assume rulership of planet earth immediately after the Rapture. The Tribulation is a seven year period, which will follow the Rapture, and is divided up into two halves. The first half is called Satan’s Failed Utopia, and the second half is called the Great Tribulation.
In the first half, the anti-christ will be seen as the white horse rider, the red horse rider, the pale horse rider and the black horse rider. All of these point to a leader that is perceived as the knight, the prince, the hero etc., through the white horse, and then the leader of war, death and famine, all of which point to a failed policy of human government and regulation. Recall that one-fourth of the world population will die as a result of these human plans. Utopia fails big time.
Then we know that Satan wanted to be ‘like the most high,’ since long before human history, Isa. 14:14. We have just recently studied that Satan will be kicked out of heaven and down to the earth.
Now, the anti-christ will be the ruler for the entire seven year period of the Tribulation, however, here, it is mentioned that he will rule for forty-two months, or three-and-a-half-years. This is a reference to the last half of the Tribulation.
When Satan is kicked out of heaven, he will have no choice but to assume direct control over planet earth. He will indwell the anti-christ, and assume control. Thus the anti-christ will now begin to exhibit the same attributes as Satan. He will take his seat in the Temple at the mid-point in the tribulation and presume himself as god (like the most high), 2 Thess. 2:4.
In the last chapter, we had a history brief of Satan and his war against Israel. Now we have a history brief of Satan and the anti-christ trying desperately to rule the world prior to the Second Advent.
The speaking of great things (lies) and great power, will all come from Satan.
Daily Bible StudyQuick Links
Donations
http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/m-donation.html
