Revelation 13:11-18 The Second Beast: A Counterfeit Spirit (Part 1) (February 9, 2025 PM, Rev. Michael Grasso)

In Revelation 13:11-18 a second beast arises. Whereas the first beast is a counterfeit Christ, the second is a counterfeit Spirit. This beast seeks to bring glory to the first beast by promoting image worship. The connection to image worship and the emphasis on a counterfeit form of Christianity make it clear that Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and any other group that follows the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea are expressions of this second beast. Notes: The historical overview of the Second Council of Nicaea was taken predominantly from Philip Schaff’s History of the Christian Church, volume 4, sections 101-103. The arguments for discontinuity of the canons of Second Nicaea with the early church depend on Gavin Ortlund’s very helpful video. For a fuller argumentation on this point, see his video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ytYX4dXpRo&t=1897s