“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon” (Revelation 13:11 ESV).
The false prophet who arises here in Revelation 13:11 serves to illustrate a truth that underlies an ancient adage: “looks can be deceiving.” This individual may bear some of the characteristics of a lamb, but his “…voice was like that of the dragon” (NLV). This should prompt us to consider two of Jesus’ messages from the gospel of Matthew.
In one exchange with the religious establishment of His day, Jesus directed His listeners to a fundamental spiritual truth: “…Your mouth says what comes from inside you” (Matthew 12:34 GW). Thus, our words, like fingerprints, eventually reveal who we are. In this instance, the beast who arises in the latter portion of Revelation chapter thirteen “…spoke like a dragon.” That quality pointed to his internal alignment with “the great dragon… called the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9). Thus, the things he says will give away his true intent.
Jesus also gave us the following admonition in Matthew 7:15-20…
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
This serves as an excellent designation for the beast who appears in Revelation 13:11 and helps explain why he has come to be known as the false prophet. The words he speaks, and the fruit produced by his works will bear the hallmarks of our spiritual adversary, no matter how benign he may appear. With this in mind, we can say that the message of our text from this passage transcends the events of a seemingly distant future. It also reminds us of the need to exercise diligence when evaluating the teachings we encounter today.
All false prophets (both ancient and modern) will find their culmination in the being who emerges here in verse eleven. Therefore, as we’re told in the New Testament book of 1 John, “Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is” (TLB).