Everyone speculates about the identities of the “Beast” and “False Prophet” in the book of Revelation. But, did you know the Bible tells us exactly who, or maybe more precisely, what they are? According to the Bible, the Beast and False Prophet are angels, fallen angels to be more specific.
Fallen angels are also known as “demons.” Let’s discuss what a demon is first. God created heavenly beings which we call “angels”. They are classified as different types in the Bible, and even into rank and order with specific duties. The Bible refers to several different types of angels. There is of course what we could call the common angel. Additionally, scripture mentions three other types of heavenly beings; cherubim, seraphim, and “living creatures”. It also differentiates common angels from “archangels” who appear to be angels with assigned authority. There are two archangels mentioned by name: Michael and Gabriel. There is also another angel mentioned by name: Lucifer. Lucifer, also known as “Satan”, is described as a covering cherubim in the book of Ezekiel. A covering cherubim, also called a living creature by Ezekiel, is an angel with a specific function to accompany and cover God. We see them described more fully by Ezekiel in chapters 1 and 10, and by John in Revelation chapter 4 as well.
Note: this verse is addressed to the “king of Tyre” but appears to actually be directed at Satan. "Son of man, lament for the king of Tyre and say to him, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone covered you: carnelian, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created. You were an anointed guardian cherub, for I had appointed you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you. Through the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I expelled you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and banished you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud because of your beauty; For the sake of your splendor you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground; I made you a spectacle before kings.” Ezekiel 28:10-17.
When Lucifer was cast out of heaven by God, he convinced a third of the other heavenly beings to follow him. We are not told what types of angels sinned along with Satan, but it is possible that cherubim, seraphim, and living creatures in addition to common angels and possibly archangels all joined in the rebellion and were cast out along with Satan. John refers to this event in the book of Revelation, and Isaiah describes the same event referring to Satan as “Star of the Morning”.
“Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven crowns. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth….” Revelation 12:3-4
"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” Isaiah 14:12-14
These fallen angels (demons) are also referred to as "evil spirits," "unclean spirits," and "angels of Satan" (Matthew 10:1; Mark 1:27; Revelation 12:9). Most roam free on the earth. Jesus encountered demons regularly in the scriptures.
“And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.” Mark 1:34
“And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. And they were pleading with Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.” Luke 8:30-31
The Bible also tells us that some demons are kept in “eternal bonds” in a place known as “the abyss”, “the bottomless pit”, and “Tartarus”. This place is described as a pit, perhaps a place located in the depths below Hades/Sheol. There is apparently a “king angel” of the abyss named “Abaddon”. Satan himself will be bound there for one-thousand years during the millennial kingdom period on earth.
“For if God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them into the pit (Tartarus) and delivered them to chains of darkness, being kept for judgment…” 2 Peter 2:4
“And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,” Jude 1:6-7
“And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. And they were pleading with Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.” Luke 8:30-31
“He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great furnace so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. ... They had as their king the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” Rev. 9:2,11
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.” Rev. 20:1-3
In the book of Revelation, John is told that the Beast and the False Prophet come out of the abyss. This confirms for us that both of these entities are in actuality demons. These demons are then given power and authority by Satan (the dragon) for forty-two months (1260 days) the last three and a half years of the tribulation period. The Beast is a demonic spirit that comes out of the abyss in the middle of the tribulation and inhabits the body of the antichrist. His first act is to kill the two witnesses of Revelation, most likely Moses and Elijah. The Beast’s next act is to desecrate the Holy Place in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Jesus speaks about this act, and points out that Daniel prophesied about this “abomination of desolation” committed in the temple during the last days. The False Prophet is a demonic spirit that comes out of the abyss at the same time and is described as looking like a lamb but speaking like a dragon (Satan). The False Prophet causes everyone to worship the Beast, and exercises the authority of the Beast. An interesting thing to note is the Beast is described as coming “out of the sea” and the False Prophet out of “the earth”. This may possibly be a hint that the Beast inhabits the body of the antichrist who is a gentile, and the False Prophet inhabits the body of someone who is Jewish.
"Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ... For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” Matthew 24:15-16, 21
“When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them.” Rev. 11:7
“And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names. The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it? " The beast was given a mouth to utter boasts and blasphemies. It was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It began to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name and his dwelling -- those who dwell in heaven. And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.”
Rev. 13:1-8
“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. It also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. It deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it is permitted to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. It was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And it makes everyone -- small and great, rich and poor, free and slave -- to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast's name or the number of its name.” Rev. 13:11-17
It is appointed for mankind to die once, and then judgement. Every person ever created will be resurrected bodily we are told...some to life and some to death. The wicked will face judgement at what is known as the Great White Throne of judgement. Those whose names are not found in the Lamb's Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.
"And just as it is appointed for people to die once -- and after this, judgment" Heb. 9:27.
"Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out -- those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation." John 5:28-29.
"Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:11-15.
But, in Revelation chapter 19 we are told about the Beast (antichrist) and False Prophet being defeated at the battle of Armageddon by the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming, which occurs at the end of the tribulation period. Both are "thrown alive" into the lake of fire. No judgement at the Great White Throne is mentioned. There is no mention of checking for their name in the Lamb's Book of Life. They are simply thrown directly into the Lake of Fire, created for Satan and his demons. After one-thousand years, we find they are still there when Satan is thrown into the Lake of Fire too.
"Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. ... then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army. But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur." Rev. 19:11, 19-20.
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…” Matthew 25:41
”When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Rev. 20:7-10
Why is this? Why are these two individuals handled differently than everyone else ever to exist in mankind who are included with the "wicked" according to God? What makes them different in that they are not sent to Hades/Sheol to await judgement like every other wicked person? Why are they not held until the Great White Throne of judgment and then condemned to the lake of fire after their names are not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life like the rest of mankind? I believe it is because, as we have seen in scripture, they are both demons, more specifically, men who have been totally possessed by the demons known as the Beast and the False Prophet, filled with power and authority directly from Satan himself.
“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one [of them] according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Rev. 20:10-15
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