The False Prophet, together with the Antichrist, are two beings that the Devil uses to instil fear on the people during the Great Tribulation. Just like the Antichrist, the power of the False Prophet comes from the Devil.

(1)  False Prophet’s Power over Life and Death (Rev 13:15)

The False Prophet will demonstrate his power by giving life to the image of the Beast. The intent of this is to instil tremendous fear on the people on earth, and to cause many to believe in the power of the Devil so that they will forsake God and worship the Beast. Those who continue to worship God, and not worship the Beast, will be killed.

Jesus had commanded us, His children, to deny ourselves and to take up His cross (Matt 16:24). This is important as it is only by denying ourselves that we can follow Christ wholeheartedly. We must not have anything in our hearts that will cause us to compromise and not obey God fully (eg: our earthly possessions, families, loved ones, worldly status, etc). We are to remain stedfast in our faith in God and always obey His Word no matter what our circumstances are.

(2)  False Prophet’s Power of Deception (Rev 13:16–17)

The False Prophet will deceive the people on earth. He will convince every person on earth “small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads” (Rev 13:16) in order for them to be able to survive on earth. This great deception will cause the people to believe that they need the Beast more than God for their survival on earth.

As believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must study God’s Word diligently so that we will not be deceived by the Devil’s lies. With God’s Word, we can see beyond our physical afflictions on earth. We will then have the courage to overcome the Devil and suffer for Christ, knowing that our hope is not in this world but in God. And we will be with God in heaven when we die.

(3)  False Prophet’s Power is Limited (Rev 13:18)

The number of the Beast is 666. The number 6 signifies humanity. It means that the Antichrist and False Prophet are mere mortal men, and thus their power is limited. Once a man dies, he will not possess any more power. The Antichrist and False Prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire by God in their mortal flesh as punishment for their evil deeds and deceptions.

Therefore, we are to fear God, not the Devil.