The Unholy Trinity, Part 1

Skeptics claim that demons aren’t real, but the Bible actually says otherwise. In the Scriptures are several accounts of these “unclean spirits.” See, for instance, Mark 1:23–27; 5:2–16; 9:17–27. The demons terrorizing these individuals inhabited their bodies, but the demons in today’s verse are slightly different.

They are specifically described as being “like frogs,” an image taken from the second plague of Egypt (Exodus 8:1–6). In that account, the pharaoh’s “magicians” were, like they were in the first plague, able to reproduce the frogs by “their enchantments” (v. 7). The Bible is warning us that the same power used by the Egyptian sorcerers will be used to beguile the world in the sixth plague.

While it may come in different forms and different names—witchcraft, the dark arts, the occult—it has not changed. It is Satan’s supernatural horde of demons. Satan has the same goal and the same target: He is making war against God and His people. At the very end of time, he will use his supernatural powers to call to arms every nation under the sun to train their crosshairs upon those with the seal of God.

Notice that these verses today are actually describing a resurgence of Revelation 13:13, 14. The demons are “performing signs” just like they did through the false prophet. In Revelation 13, these demonic miracles are used to convince the world to make the image of the beast; in Revelation 16, they are used to convince the world to go to “battle.”

And this time, they’re being sent forth with greater effort, not just by the false prophet but by an unholy trio of powers. In this counterfeit trinity is apostate Protestantism, symbolized by the false prophet, as well as Catholicism, symbolized by the beast, and also Satan, symbolized by the dragon. We’ll look further into this union tomorrow.

Almighty God, though Satan’s powers of darkness may be great, thank You that the everlasting power of Christ is greater still.

For Further Study: Deuteronomy 18:9–14; Zechariah 4:6; Ephesians 6:12

Key Bible Texts

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (Revelation 16:13 KJV)