Who is the Second Beast?
False Prophet—He is the third member of the Satanic trinity, operational in the tribulation years. Satan is the first member, the Beast (Antichrist) (link) is the second, and the False Prophet (a.k.a., the Second Beast) is the third member. He causes the entire world to worship the Beast and take the number 666 (link) of the Beast.
The Second Beast (Revelation 13:11-18; 19:20)
His Role
“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon” (Revelation 13:11).
This passage introduces us to the third member of the unholy trinity, a.k.a. the False Prophet. Unlike the multiple references to the first two members, Revelation is the only Bible book that discusses this third member.
The False Prophet is part of Satan’s alliance to imitate, to be like, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Satan (the Dragon) imitates the Father.
• The First Beast (Antichrist), the Son.
• The Second Beast (a.k.a., the False Prophet), the Holy Spirit.
He’s like The First Beast, and though he looks like a lamb, he speaks the dragon’s words. And he has religious ties. His work mimics that of the Holy Spirit toward Christ in that he doesn’t honor himself but promotes The First Beast.
“He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell on it to worship the first beast” (Revelation 13:12).
His Authority
• He has all the ruling authority of The Beast.
• He makes the earth dwellers worship The Beast.
• He performs signs, including making fire come down from heaven, on behalf of The Beast to deceive earth dwellers. He counterfeits Elijah’s miracle against the prophets of Baal (2 Kings 1:10-12) and of God’s two witnesses (Revelation 13:13). The implication is that he frequently performs these signs.
• He gives life to the image of the First Beast (a counterfeit to Jesus’ resurrection) so it could speak and kill those who don’t worship its image.
He’s the enforcer. In hockey, he’d be the fighter who protects the star player. In Britain, he’d be the head of the Queen’s guard.
The False Prophet gives life to the image of Antichrist, so it speaks, and he slays those who don’t worship the image (Revelation 13:14-15).
He causes all … to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one may buy or sell, except he who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name (Revelation 13:16-17).
His Doom
Both he and the First Beast are defeated by Christ when He returns. They aren’t killed first but cast ‘alive’ into the Lake of Fire (Hell). As far as the Bible reveals, these are the only two humans who’ll ever be cast alive into the Lake of Fire. All others will have died first and then be sentenced there in whatever resurrection bodies God gives them. Somehow, that’s a more horrifying destiny–appropriate for their role in Satan’s plan.
“The beast was captured (by Jesus Christ) and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20).
Please watch the video on this page to find out how Jesus died for you as payment for all of your sins. You only have to believe in His name.