One of the less talked about characters in the book of Revelation is the Beast who rises out of the earth (Rev 13:11), who is also called the False Prophet (16:13; 19:20; 20:10). As will be seen, the identity and work of the False Prophet is largely dependent on the identity and work of the Beast who rises out of the sea (the Antichrist).
The False Prophet is an ontological being like the Sea Beast (Antichrist). The False Prophet’s role is to deceive, threaten, and coerce those who dwell on the earth to worship the Sea Beast (Antichrist). The False Prophet exercises his authority between Jesus’ ascension and return.
The Work of the False Prophet: Deceit, Threats, Coercion (Revelation 13:11–18)
Once the Dragon has been introduced (Rev 12:1–17) and the Sea Beast (Antichrist) has been introduced (13:1–10), we are introduced to the Beast who rises out of the earth, also called the False Prophet (13:11–18).
The sole purpose and work of the False Prophet is to cause those who dwell on the earth to worship the Beast who rises out of the sea (the Antichrist).
“It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.”
REVELATION 13:12, emphasis added
When the False Prophet rises, he is permitted to use and exercise the authority of the Sea Beast, the Antichrist, much like the Antichrist is permitted to use and exercise the authority of the Dragon, Satan.
“And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it [the Beast] the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.”
“It [the False Prophet] exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence.”
REVELATION 13:2, 12, emphasis added
The False Prophet uses the Antichrist’s authority in three unique ways for the purpose of convincing the people who dwell on the earth to worship the Antichrist. He deceives, threatens, and coerces. Let’s look at each one.
The False Prophet Deceives to Gain Worshippers for the Antichrist (Rev 13:13–14)
The False Prophet deceives the non-Christian world into worshipping the Antichrist (the Sea Beast) by performing great “signs” or “miracles” (σημεῖα). The miracles are intended to deceive the inhabitants of the earth into believing that the Antichrist has ultimate power and is, thus, worthy of worship.
“It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.”
REVELATION 13:13–14, emphasis added
The book of Revelation presents these miracles that the False Prophet does as real, not fake miracles or trickery. Thus, the False Prophet (along with Satan and the Antichrist) has real power. The goal of the False Prophet is to convince the world that the Antichrist has the most power, specifically more power than Jesus. One of the purposes to the book of Revelation is to combat this false notion and to present the truth, which is that God, Jesus (the Christ), and the Holy Spirit have more power than Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet, and that God, Jesus (the Christ), and the Holy Spirit are worthy of worship.
Nonetheless, the book of Revelation reveals that most people on earth are fooled (deceived) by the False Prophet into believing that the Antichrist is the most powerful being in the universe and, thus, should be worshipped.
The False Prophet Threatens with Death to Gain Worshippers for the Antichrist (Rev 13:15)
The second way that the False Prophet convinces the inhabitants of the world (i.e., all non-Christians) to worship the Antichrist is by threatening them with death. Revelation 13:15 says the following:
“And it [the False Prophet] was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”
REVELATION 13:15
In Revelation 13:14, the inhabitants of the earth create an image (or idol) in the likeness of the Antichrist. In verse 15, the False Prophet gives life to the image for the purpose of deceiving the world by making it speak and for the purpose of killing those who would not worship the image of the Beast (Antichrist).
The threat of death for not worshipping the Antichrist is a strong way of convincing those who do not worship Jesus to worship the Antichrist, especially in light of the heavy persecution of Jesus worshippers (Christians) by the Beast (Rev 13:7, 10, 15).
The False Prophet Coerces to Gain Worshippers for the Antichrist (Rev 13:16–17)
The final way that the False Prophet convinces the inhabitants of the world to worship the Antichrist is by coercing them to do so. Revelation 13:16–17 states that the Antichrist has control of the markets throughout the world. Since the Antichrist has control of the markets throughout the world, he can limit the amount of trading that can be done, which is exactly what the False Prophet does in order to coerce the inhabitants of the world to worship the Antichrist.
“Also it [the False Prophet] causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”
REVELATION 13:16–17
Because the Antichrist and the False Prophet have control of the markets throughout the world, they can prohibit people from buying and selling. Thus, they can prohibit certain people from purchasing and selling houses, from purchasing and selling food, from purchasing and selling anything. This amount of control means that the Antichrist and the False Prophet can destroy a person’s life and relegate that person to the dregs of society. And this is exactly what the False Prophet does to those who do not worship the Antichrist.
The False Prophet forces those who want to buy and sell to take the mark of the Beast, thus coercing them to worship the Antichrist. In short, the False Prophet and the Antichrist will attempt destroy the life and livelihood of those who will not worship the Antichrist by cutting off their basic necessities, such as the ability to purchase food, the ability to operate and maintain a business, even the ability to obtain housing. Not getting the mark of the Beast (i.e., not worshipping the Beast) results in an extremely difficult life. Thus, non-Christians are coerced into worshipping the Beast. For more information about the mark of the Beast and the number 666, click HERE.
The Identity of the False Prophet
The identity of the False Prophet can be discerned by his relationship to the Sea Beast, the Antichrist. First, the False Prophet is described in similar terms to the Sea Beast, suggesting they are similar creatures. The False Prophet is also called a Beast, yet one who rises from the earth, not the sea (Rev 13:11). Since the Antichrist (the Sea Beast) is an ontological being like an angel, it reasons that the False Prophet is also an ontological being like an angel.
Second, the False Prophet exercises the authority of the Antichrist and serves the Antichrist by convincing the world to worship him throughout the time that the Antichrist has the throne and authority of the Dragon (Rev 13:2, 11–17), which means the False Prophet exists and serves the Antichrist beginning at Jesus’ ascension and ending when Jesus returns (click here to see my article on the identity and work of the Antichrist). Thus, the False Prophet cannot be a human because he exists for thousands of years like Satan and like the Antichrist. Further, the False Prophet functions in a similar capacity to the Holy Spirit, whose work is to convict the unbelieving world so that they will worship the Christ—Jesus.
Third, the False Prophet suffers the same fate as that Antichrist. Both the Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire when Jesus returns:
“And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”
REVELATION 19:20, emphasis added
The similar death of the Antichrist and the False Prophet suggest they are similar beings who exercise their authority for the same time period.
Summary and Concluding Thoughts
Based on the relationship between the False Prophet and the Antichrist, we can conclude that the False Prophet is an ontological being like the Antichrist who was given the Antichrist’s authority at Jesus’ ascension for the purpose of convincing the inhabitants of the world to worship the Beast (the Antichrist), rather than to worship the Christ—Jesus. The False Prophet is active until Jesus’ return when he will be cast into the Lake of Fire along with the Antichrist.
The False Prophet is an angelic being who operates in both the heavenly realm and the earthly realm between the two comings of Jesus. As such, the False Prophet is in the world now and is convincing the world to worship the Beast (the Antichrist) now through deceit, the treat of death, and coercion.
Together, the Beast and the False Prophet are behind every false religion in the world. Together, the Beast and the False Prophet are behind every murder of every Christian throughout history. Together, the Beast and the False Prophet are behind the hardships that Christians have faced throughout history and face today. As I mentioned in my article on the Antichrist (see it here), Revelation confirms what Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
EPHESIANS 6:12
Christians must use wisdom and discern that the number of the Beast, whom the False Prophet serves, is 666 (click here for the meaning of 666).