CHAPTER 8

The Devil’s Man
 

In previous chapters we have studied about Satan and we have studied about the time of great trouble called the Tribulation. In this chapter we want to learn about the man that Satan will use in the Tribulation period.

When the Lord Jesus came to earth the first time, what man did the devil use in a special way (John 13:2)? ___________________ Did Judas do what the devil wanted him to do? ______ In this lesson we will learn about another man who will do Satan’s will.
 

In Matthew chapter 4 Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil. We learn in verse 8 that the devil took Jesus up into a very high ________________________ and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.

The devil then made an offer. He tried to make a deal with Jesus. What did the devil promise to give to Jesus (Matthew 4:8-9)? ________________________________________________________ The devil did not promise to give Jesus just some of the kingdoms of the world. He did not say, "I’ll give You the kingdoms of Russia and England and India and China, but that’s all."  No, Satan promised Him all the kingdoms! But according to the devil’s deal, what would Jesus have to do if He were to get these kingdoms (Matthew 4:9)? ________________________________________________________
Was Jesus willing to do this (Matthew 4:10)?  _____ Was Jesus willing to be a devil-worshiper? _____  According to Jesus, who is the only Person that we should worship and serve (Matthew 4:10)? ______________________________

Jesus said "NO" to Satan’s offer, but sometime in the future the devil will turn to another man and make the same offer, and this man will say "YES." Jesus rejected and refused the devil’s offer, but there will come another man who will accept it. The devil will say, "If you worship me I will give you all the kingdoms of the world." A man will come along who will accept this offer. The devil will find his man!
 

What will this man’s name be?   We do not know what his real name will be, but we do know what the Bible calls him. The Bible calls him by three different names (among others), and each name tells us something about this evil man:

1) The Beast

In the book of Revelation this man is called THE BEAST (see Rev. 13:1,2,4; 16:13; 19:19-20; 20:10). God sees this man as a BEAST! God sees him as a wild animal. When we think of a wild and ferocious animal, do we usually think of a gentle lamb or a graceful deer?   No, we usually think of a dangerous animal such as a lion, tiger, leopard, or bear. We think of an animal that has the power to kill and destroy. During the time of great trouble, Satan’s man will be very dangerous and he will have power to kill and destroy (Rev. 13:7,10).

2) The Man of Sin

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 this man is called "THE MAN OF ______."   We need to remember that sin began with the devil: "for the devil ______________________ from the beginning" (1 John 3:8). The devil was the very first creature that sinned against God. Instead of loving God and serving God Lucifer wanted to take the place of God. He even said in his heart, "I WILL BE _____________ THE MOST HIGH" (Isaiah 14:12-14).

The man of sin will copy Satan’s sin. He will also try to take the place of God. Instead of worshiping God, he will demand that people worship him (Rev. 13:12,15). Instead of serving God, he will try to force everyone to serve him. He will even present himself as GOD (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

This man’s life will be the opposite of righteousness. If you want to know what righteousness really is, then study the life of Jesus Christ the Righteous One (1 John 2:1). If you want to know what sin really is, then study the life of this man (THE BEAST) who is called the wicked one (2 Thessalonians 2:8). If sin could become a person, this man would be what sin would look like!

Note:  The word "wicked (one)" mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 actually means "the lawless one."  The Antichrist will not only be the man of sin, but the man of lawlessness.  He will have no regard for the law of God. He will be a rebel against all that represents God and His standards.  His greatest act of lawlessness will be when he presents himself as God (2 Thess. 2:4).

3) The Antichrist

John tells us in 1 John 2:18 that "ANTICHRIST shall C________."   John was saying something like this; "This man is not here yet, but he is coming!" The ANTICHRIST will come! The devil’s man shall come! In fact, it is very possible that he is alive today!

The word "ANTICHRIST" can mean two things, and both of these are true about this man:

1)  The word "ANTICHRIST" can mean "AGAINST CHRIST." We know that this man will be against Christ and against the people who believe in Christ. He will be God’s enemy! He will be a foe, not a friend. He will OPPOSE God (2 Thess. 2:11) and he will fight against everything that stands for God. He also has a BIG MOUTH that will speak against God (see Daniel 7:8; Rev. 13:5). The Bible says that he "shall speak marvellous things _____________________ the God of gods" (Dan.11:36).

2)  The word "ANTICHRIST" can also mean "To take the place of Christ." Jesus Christ is the One who should be loved and worshiped and adored, but this wicked man will try to get himself loved and worshiped and adored (2 Thess. 2:4). Instead of exalting Jesus Christ, whom will he exalt (Daniel 11:36)? _____________________ Instead of getting people to worship Jesus Christ, whom will he get people to worship (Rev. 13:15)? _________________________ And if people refuse to worship him, what will happen to them (Revelation 13:15)?  _______________________________________________________
 

How long will this evil man be in power (Rev. 13:5)? ________ MONTHS (or 3½ years). We learned in Chapter 7 that this 3½ year period is called the Great Tribulation (the time of great trouble). At the beginning of this period Satan will be cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-12) and he only has 3½ short years to cause trouble (Rev. 12:12). Where does the BEAST get his power (Rev. 13:2,4)? _______________________________________ Who is the DRAGON (Rev. 12:7)? ____________________ It is during these last 3½ years that the devil gives this man absolute power over all the kingdoms of the world. Satan is the one working behind this man (2 Thess. 2:9). People will not only worship the BEAST, but they will also worship the one who gives the BEAST his power (Rev. 13:5)!

Will anyone be able to make war with this man (Rev. 13:4)? ________ Will he have power over all peoples and nations throughout the world (Rev. 13:7)? _____ This man will be the RULER over the whole world! He will be the WORLD DICTATOR. He will be the earth’s king. He will be the most powerful and the most evil ruler the world has ever known.
 

There will be another evil man living during the Tribulation who will help the man of sin. This man is called the FALSE PROPHET and he is described in Revelation 13:11-16. He is also called a "BEAST" (Revelation 13:11):

The FALSE PROPHET will cause those who dwell on the earth "to _________________ the first beast" (Rev. 13:12). This man will do great miracles which will really fool people. What is one miracle that he will do (Rev. 13:13)? ________________________________________________________ Where do you think he will get his power to do these amazing miracles (Rev. 13:12; 2 Thess. 2:9)?  __________________________________________
 

MIRACLE NUMBER 1--The BEAST (man of sin) will be mortally wounded.  "Mortally" means that he has the kind of wound that results in death. How did he get this wound (Rev. 13:14)? ____________________ What happened to his deadly wound (Rev. 13:3)? _____________________________________ Even though he died from this sword wound, the Bible says that he "did L _________" (Rev. 13:14). Was all the world amazed at this miracle (Rev. 13:3)? ______   [How does this miracle imitate the resurrection of Christ?]

MIRACLE NUMBER 2--The FALSE PROPHET tells those living on the earth to make an image or statue of the BEAST (the man of sin). We read about this in Revelation 13:14-15. What was this FALSE PROPHET able to do to this image or statue (Rev. 13:15)? _______________________________________________________ By the power of Satan he will make a lifeless statue come alive and even speak!
 

God is a TRINITY. He is ONE GOD, but He makes Himself known in three PERSONS (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The devil tries to COUNTERFEIT and COPY God. He too has a TRINITY (three evil persons who all work together as one):

Can you find all three members or the devil's trinity in Revelation 16:13?
1. ______________________________  2. ______________________________
3. __________________________________
 

It does not pay to follow Satan and fight against God and God’s people. God never loses. Those who fight against God always lose.

At the end of the 3½ years of Great Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to the earth. When Jesus comes, what will He do to this wicked person (the BEAST)? We learn in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 that Jesus will D_______________ him with the brightness of His coming. This same event is described In Revelation 19:20. What will happen to the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET? _________________________________________ They will be the first two people to be thrown into the lake of fire. Who will join them 1000 years later (Rev. 20:10)? ____________________ It is in the Lake of Fire that the devil’s trinity will suffer and be punished forever and ever! All three of them!

The False Prophet will also cause people to receive the mark of the Beast (see Rev. 13:16). Where are the two places that this mark may be put (Rev. 13:16)? __________________________________________________________ A person must have this mark in order to do what important activity (Rev. 13:17)? ___________________________________________

Today many people use credit cards to buy or sell. The credit card has numbers on it and it can be handed to the clerk at the store. People living in the Tribulation will have credit "cards" also, but these credit "cards" will not be on cards. They will be on people’s right hands or foreheads. If they do not have the right mark, then they will not be able to buy or sell. How well would your family do if you could not go to the grocery store, the drug store, the gasoline station or any other kind of store? You would not be able to get the things that you need for daily living.

Note:  The mark of the beast will probably involve some kind of computer chip or RFID tag [radio frequency identification] attached to the right hand or forehead that will be able to be scanned at stores, etc.  Even today such technology exists and can be implanted under the skin.  It is quite amazing and a tribute to the divine inspiration of the Bible, that the book of Revelation mentions such a technology that was unknown to the world until the last part of the 20th century. It was not unknown to God who knows the end from the beginning!

What will a person be saying when he takes the mark of the BEAST? Taking the mark means that he has actually made this decision:

"I have decided to worship the beast (Rev. 14:9). I am rejecting Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and I am choosing to worship the devil and his man (Rev. 13:4). I do not want to be part of God’s kingdom, but I want to be part of the devil’s wicked system. My name will not be found in the Lamb' s book of life (Rev. 13:8), and I will perish in hell forever (Rev. 14:9-11). I am choosing Satan and I am rejecting God!"

Taking the mark of the beast, in that day, will actually be a deliberate choice to go to hell (Rev. 14:9-11).

Those living in the time of great trouble will have a great decision to make. Will they take the mark or not? Will they worship the BEAST or not? Will they follow Christ or will they follow the Antichrist? Who will it be, GOD or the DEVIL? Let’s think about this important decision and what people will gain and lose:
 

What Will He Gain? Will he be able to buy and sell (Rev. 13:17)? ______ Will the Beast persecute him and try to kill him (Rev. 20:4)? ______ For 3½ years the person who takes the mark will be protected by the Beast and by his government.

What Will He Lose? Will he be in the book of life (Rev.13:8)? _____Will he be punished forever and ever in fire (Rev. 14:9-11)? _______
 

The Person Who Refuses to Take the Mark of the Beast:

What Will He Lose?  Will he be able to buy and sell (Rev. 13:17)? ______Will the Beast be after him (Rev. 13:7)? _____ Could he lose his life (Rev. 13:5)? ______ Could he lose his head (Rev. 20:4)? ________

What Will He Gain?   If he dies in the Tribulation is he cursed or blessed (Rev. 14:13)? ____________________ Will he enjoy the kingdom of God (Rev. 20:4)? ______ He may suffer for 3½ years but he will enjoy the blessing of God forever (see Revelation 7:14-17).

It will not be easy to be a believer in the time of great trouble. It will be very easy to take the mark. God wants us to do what is right, even if it is not an easy thing to do. If we choose to do right, God will help us to do even those things that are very difficult.

Think about yourself and the decision you need to make. Are you going to reject Christ or receive Christ? Are you going to be part of the devil’s system or are you going to be part of Christ’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13)?   Whom will you choose--God or the devil?   If you choose to reject Christ, what will you gain?   What will you lose?   If you choose to receive Christ, what will you lose?   What will you gain?   Is it easy being a Christian today?  Why?  Why not?  Have you decided to follow Jesus? Why? Why not?

For an addition study on the Antichrist, see The Man of Sin as Personifying the Characteristics of the Last Days Set Forth in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 -Sunday School Lesson

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