Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship's Bible study in the Book of Revelation.  Tonight is study #3 of Revelation, chapter 13, and we are continuing to look at Revelation 13:1:

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

It is the last phrase of this verse that we will look at during this study.  It says at the end of Revelation 13:1:

… and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Again, the seven heads represent seven mountains or seven kingdoms and seven periods of reign, to represent the perfection of the reign of Satan throughout all of history since the fall of man into sin back in the Garden of Eden.

There is one “name” upon all his heads because it is consistent from one period of reign to the next, from the Old Testament to the cross and to the New Testament church age and to the Great Tribulation.  One thing that is consistent about Satan’s reign over the kingdoms of this world is “the name of blasphemy.”  This applies to Satan’s entire rule, from 11,013 BC when Adam and Eve fell into sin and down throughout time since then.  The blasphemy is characteristic of Satan’s kingdom and, of course, is against God.

What does blasphemy mean?  It is a word that is often mocked and ridiculed.  If someone says that something is “blasphemy,” you can be sure that people in the world will view it as being said by someone who is “holier than thou” or overly righteous.  It is a word that the world has identified as one of the words that “holy rollers” say.  They will mock the idea and they will make fun of it.  They will ridicule anyone that uses that word, but blasphemy is a very Biblical word.  It is found dozens of times in the Bible and it is basically a transliteration from the Greek and, in this case, there are three similar Greek words in Strong’s concordance: 1) Strong’s #988, the word found here in Revelation 13:1; 2) Strong’s #987; and 3) Strong’s #989.  They are all very similar words and they are translated as “blasphemy,” but they are also translated as other words it would be good for us to look at, because there are certain connotations that seem to go along with that word for many people.  However, there is a Biblical definition for that word.

What does “blasphemy” mean?  It is really not a hard word to understand.  It is pretty simple and basic (once we allow the Bible to define it), so let us do that.  First, let us go to Ephesians 4:31:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

The same Greek word that is translated as “blasphemy” in Revelation 13:1 is found in this verse I just read.  It is translated here as “evil speaking.”  When God is speaking to the true child of God who has the Holy Spirit within (and the previous verse tells us not to grieve the Spirit of God), this verse informs us of things we are not to do – things that would grieve the Holy Spirit: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you,” Or “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and blasphemy, be put away from you.”  Do not blaspheme and that means that we certainly can do that.  Have you ever spoken evilly of a person?  That is blaspheming them, according to Ephesians 4, verse 31.

Let us go to 1Timothy 6:4:

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

Where is the word “blasphemy” in this verse?  It is the word “railings.”  This is speaking of someone that is not a true believer, as they are proud in heart.  They do not have true knowledge in their soul, but they are Christian in name only, so they dote about questions and strifes of words.  And what comes of that?  There comes “envy, strife, railings and evil surmisings.”  Blasphemy is “railing,” and this helps us to gain a further understanding of what this word means. 

We are going to go to the Book of Jude and a few other verses.  We were looking at Strong’s #988, but we will also look at Strong’s #987, which is a very similar word translated in very similar ways.  There is basically no difference in how God uses these words.  It says in Jude, verses 8-9:

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

In verse 8, the term “speak evil” is from Strong’s #987, the word translated at “blasphemy.”  In verse 9, the word “railing” is from Strong’s #988, the related word.  So it would mean a “blasphemous” accusation.

Then it says in Jude, verse 10:

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Here, again, they “speak evil of,” or blaspheme, the things of which they know not.  What does the natural man “know not”?  He does not know spiritual things – things like the teachings of the Bible, because the Bible is a spiritual Book.  In order to arrive at truth, you have to compare spiritual things with spiritual and then God opens up our understanding and the Holy Ghost teacheth us doctrine, which is spiritually discerned from the spiritual Book, the Bible. 

The natural man does not understand any of this and when the natural man does not understand these things, he speaks evil of those things which he understands not.  He does not understand it, so he will “rail” upon it; he will put it down; he will speak against it.  Not only that, but he will say, “Oh, that is of Satan,” or “That is from a cult,” or “That is heresy.”  They take some words from the Bible or they take some words that have a religious connotation, like the word “cult,” and they label an individual or a teaching so it is revealed that they speak against it: “We speak against this teaching,” or “We speak against Family Radio,” as some said in time past, or “We speak against EBible and they do not have the Gospel and they teach no salvation.”  The slandering goes on and on.  It is Satan’s normative activity.  The “name of blasphemy” is upon all seven heads; it is what he has done all through history.  He speaks evil of the truth, and of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the people of God.  We saw that in Revelation 12, when Satan could not destroy the man child, he came after the “woman” to persecute her, which means to “follow after” her.  The “woman” does what comes naturally to God’s elect in sharing the truths that God has graciously opened up to her; then Satan speaks evil of it.  He is all prepared and he has his people that are “ready and willing” to assail the true doctrines coming forth from the Word of God.

In Matthew 27, we will realize that it is not just us that are being persecuted.  Remember what Jesus said, “If they have hated me, they will also hate you.”  It says in Matthew 27:39:

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

The word “reviled” is a translation of the word “blasphemy.”  Then it goes on to say in Matthew 27:40:

And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

They are full of mockery and ridicule and accusations.  They are full of disbelief and cast disparaging remarks at the Lord Jesus Christ.  They blasphemed Him by speaking evil of Him.

It says in Romans 3, there is an unusual translation, using two different English words for our Greek word #988 (blasphemy).  It says in Romans 3:7-8:

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

The words translated here as “slanderously reported” is a translation of the word for “blasphemy.”  You see, what the true believers were sharing of the true Gospel was being “slanderously reported.”  In other words, the hearers did not take care to get it right.  They heard what these Christians were saying and it sounded a certain way to them and that is what they told others: “Do you know what these followers of Christ are saying?  They are saying to “do evil, that good may come.”  They were not careful to get it right.

I have noticed that and I am sure you have, too.  I have heard people say what EBible is teaching and I think, “Where did they get that?  I have never said that and I do not know anyone associated with EBible that has ever said that.”  But there they are reporting on what EBible has said and, yet, we never said it.  It is being slanderously reported.  This is typical – very typical.  And, of course, to some hearing it that have “natural” minds that understand not these things, they are prone to evil speaking; they are looking for ammunition to speak evil and they do not bother to check it out.  They just say, “Oh, this is a fact.  This is what they said.”  Then they begin to speak evil of us, saying, “Look at what they teach!  How can any organization teach this?”  And it is nothing but the fulfillment of what Satan does – he blasphemes and has been blaspheming God, God’s kingdom, God’s people and the teaching of God all through history. 

It is nothing new, but it certainly has been magnified in our present time, especially with our modern means of communication – if you have a mind to do it, you can occupy yourself all day long with blasphemy and speak evil of the truth and go after someone.  Of course, they think they are right; they think they have God on their side.  But nowhere in the Bible do you find God supporting the idea of “speaking evil” of anyone for any reason.  Remember those verses we read in Jude.  Michael the Archangel, who is Christ, did not dare to bring railing accusation upon Satan.  Now if the Lord Jesus Christ would not blaspheme or speak evil of Satan (and if anyone is deserving of being spoken evil of, it is Satan), we can be sure we are never justified and never correct to begin “railing” upon anyone at all.  And we had better be careful that we do not “rail” on doctrine; that is a very dangerous thing, and if we have time before we end this study, we will look at a verse that shows why that is dangerous.

It says in Romans 14:16:

Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

You see, the word “blaspheme” is not a word that is unusual at all.  It is a very common in the Bible.  It is a word that has a very definite meaning and people do blaspheme.  They blaspheme when they speak evil of that which is good, or when they speak evil of God, or when they speak evil of the people of God.

It says in 1Corinthians 4:12-13:

And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

Where is our word “blaspheming”?  It is the two word translated as “being defamed,” or “being blasphemed,” or “being spoken evil of.”   But, we intreat or exhort and we do not let the blasphemy hinder us or stop us.  The truth is that man can, will and do say these things of God’s people.  It is how we are thought of and viewed by them and “so be it.”  If we are spoken evil of for the right reasons, then that glorifies God.  It says in 1Peter 4:12-14:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Now we can identify that phrase that means blasphemed: “On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.  So we continue; yes, you may slanderously report against us; yes, you may defame our character; you may accuse of many things; you may speak evil of us.

By the way, have you ever heard doctrines that were more spoken against as evil than the dual doctrines of the judgment on the churches and the judgment on the world?  Many spoke against the judgment on the churches and called the teaching heresy regarding the teaching of the Bible that the church age was over, the Holy Spirit had come out of the midst and Satan was ruling in the churches.  Those statements received much abuse and reviling from those in the churches, as well as others.  I think there is only one doctrine that has been even more spoken of as evil and that is the doctrine that God shut the door on May 21, 2011 and ended His salvation program.  That particular doctrine has been vilified and people have expressed tremendously vehement language against it and declared it to be the worst heresy ever set forth. 

Sometimes I just shake my head because this criticism is not coming from the people of the world or even from the people in the churches.  It is coming from some people that had listened to Family Radio prior to May 21, 2011, and then when “nothing happened,” they no longer want anything to do with “date setting” and they say, “No man knows the day or hour.”  They want nothing to do with the timeline of history: “Oh, that awful doctrine of no more salvation.”  On and on they go and they speak evil of it and they speak evil of those that uphold it – and those that uphold it are God’s people that are sharing these things from the Bible.

Here is the dangerous thing.  You cannot just speak evil of a doctrine when that doctrine is supported by many scriptures and then think that you are somehow not speaking evil of the One that has given the doctrine.  It says in 1Timothy 6:1:

Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

It is God and His doctrine.  When we compare Scripture with Scripture, who teaches?  The Holy Ghost teaches.  Remember what God said in Mark 13, in a chapter that deals with the Great Tribulation and the end of the world.  It says in Mark 13:11:

But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

When God opened up information during the “one hour” of the Great Tribulation concerning the end of the church age some people said, “That is heresy.”  When they speak evil against it, they are speaking evil of the doctrine of God.  They are speaking evil of what God Himself is taking full responsibility for revealing.  Who was it that moved in His people for years in advance of May 21, 2011 and utilized the resources of Family Radio, the most faithful ministry on the earth in that time?  They went forth into the world declaring Judgment Day as May 21, 2011, the day that the door of heaven would shut and salvation would be concluded.  It was God that brought forth that information from His Word to such a convincing degree that His people had absolute assurance that the Bible guaranteed it as the Day of Judgment. 

So it was proclaimed like never before in the history of the world.  The entire earth had this information placed before the forefront of its eyes.  There would be Judgment Day on the appointed day and they had up until that time to beseech God for His grace and mercy in salvation, if He would be so pleased to save them.  Then salvation would come to a close.  God is the one that did that.   God is the one that has also opened up the revelation since then, as He revealed information about the “righteous judgment of God” in these days after that Tribulation.

EBible Fellowship has put forth this Biblical information in study after study after study: from Revelation, Daniel, Matthew, Jeremiah, 2Thessalonians and many other places in the Bible that show what God did and what He is now doing, and here is how we can understand what took place on that day of May 21, 2011.  These things are being reviled and “railed upon,” and spoken evil against, like nothing has ever been before (that I am aware of or that I have ever heard of). 

Why is that?  Why are these things so evilly spoken against?  Does it mean that it is wrong and it is in error?  No.  Actually things that are in error, things that are a lie and things that are deceitful are widely accepted – they are embraced; they are taken into the bosom; they are loved.  People love the lie.  They hate the truth.  Satan has the “name of blasphemy” all throughout his period of reign and the characteristic the people in his kingdom have taken upon themselves is that “name of blasphemy.”  They do not speak evil of the lies.  They do not bother to speak evil of “free will.”  They do not bother to speak evil of “tongues,” and so on.  It is the truth for which their “venom” is reserved.  It is the truth that is pronounced as wicked and heresy.  It is those that are identified with the truth that are called “cults.”  It is those that follow the way of Christ that are being “spoken evil of” and the doctrine of Christ is being “spoken evil of” and “blasphemed.”