Satan’s deceptive power becomes more and more evident as we trace his efforts against God and His people. His daring attempt to destroy God’s Holy Law reached its’ peak in his endeavor to substitute Sunday for God’s Sabbath which has deceived the majority of people. This issue is destined to become the central point of controversy in these last days when Satan is trying to deceive the “very elect”. It will divide the whole world into one of two classes.

Note: The law is sealed on God’s people or written on their minds. The forehead is the seat of the mind. We keep the law or covenant of God with our mind, symbolized by the forehead.

Note: God is going to seal His law among His disciples on their minds. A seal represents authority. God claims authority because He is our Creator. God set up a seal or memorial of creation in the seventh-day Sabbath

Note: We rest on the Sabbath day as a memorial for creation and our salvation. He who is the Creator is also the creator of our holiness. We have no holiness apart from God. This is in direct contrast to a religion that teaches salvation by sacraments or works. When we rest on God’s Sabbath we are resting in the perfect and complete work of God’s salvation for us. Salvation comes from grace alone (undeserved favor from God) and there is nothing we can do to earn it.

Note: God’s people obey His covenants and laws through the power of the Holy Spirit living in them.

Satan has a counterfeit for every truth that God has made known. Just as there is the Holy Trinity of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit so Satan has an “unholy trinity” that will make its debut in the very last days. In this lesson as well as the next we will explore who and what these three are.

Note: Blasphemy in the Bible means making yourself equal or greater than God therefore, this beast is one that is exalting itself.

Note: In order to decipher who or what the beast is we need to study the prophecies of Daniel. Daniel is the book of the Old Testament that points to the end time prophecies and Revelation is the book in the New Testament that also points to end time prophecies. Daniel sheds light on Revelation and Revelation expands the prophecies of Daniel. They need to be studied in light of one another.

Note: In Daniel 2, God revealed through his prophet Daniel that there would be but four great world empires. The fourth kingdom, Rome would then be divided into ten tribes. These were comprised of ancient Europe and history has confirmed this. Since Daniel 7 also tells of four successive kingdoms, it is apparent that this prophecy parallels the prophecy of Daniel 2. Because God identified the first kingdom in Daniel 2 as Babylon, we know that the other three would have to be Mede-Persia, Greece and Rome.

These beasts came out of the sea, or a thickly populated territory. Daniel saw a sea tossed bout by a strong wind. Winds depict strife and war (Jeremiah 49:36, 37). Thus each of these nations emerges from war and strife. Isn’t this usually how most nations make their debut? In contrast, the leopard-like beast of Rev. 13 came up out of the sea, but no winds were mentioned, for it was given its power from Satan.

Note: These ten horns are the same ten toes of the statue in Daniel 2 that speaks of the dividing of the empire of Rome. Ten barbarian tribes finally broke Rome’s long iron rule. These ten tribes ruled for a while and three fell away entirely. The remaining seven became the forerunners of modern Europe. This is the same beast (or nation) spoken of in Daniel 2 and 7.

Note: This power arises out of the divisions of Rome. This little horn power would be different from the first ten. They were all political powers; this would be a religious power. This boastful power is the same as the sea beast of Revelation 13. It is Papal Rome.

1. The little horn came to power among the ten horns, which was in Western Europe (see Daniel 7:8)

2. The little horn arose sometime after 476 A.D. (see Daniel 7:8). If it arose among the ten horns, then it had to arise after they already existed. The ten horns arose to divide the Roman Empire in 476 A.D.

3. The little horn uprooted three of the ten horns as it arose to power (see Daniel 7:8).

4. The little horn has a man at its head who speaks for it, a human leader who possesses its authority (see Daniel 7:8).

5. The little horn is a different kind of power than the ten horns (see Daniel 7:24).

6. The little horn will speak words of blasphemy against God (see Daniel 7:25). According to the Bible, blasphemy is when a man claims to be God (see John 10:30-33) and/or claims to forgive sins (see Mark 2:5-7).

7. The little horn exercises its power to persecute God’s people. It is a persecuting power (see Daniel 7:25).

8. The little horn will attempt to change God’s law (see Daniel 7:25).

Conclusion: The world is rapidly being arrayed under one of two banners, bearing the authority of God or Satan. To decide to be loyal is to invite opposition but the end result is inner peace and eternal life. The Bible is clear about Satan’s intentions. We will discover more about this in our next lesson.