The Book of Revelation
Chapter Thirteen
Preface
Several personages are introduced to the reader by the seventh trumpet, several of whom are in chapter 12. In this chapter two more are brought into focus. One is the beast coming “out of the sea” in verse 1, and the other is the beast coming “out of the earth” in verse 11. The Greek word for beast in these two applications is therion, which literally means “wild beast.” This Greek word is decidedly different from the Greek word zoa, which is translated “living creatures” that stand before the throne giving praise and glory to God in Revelation 4:6-9; 5:6; and 6:1. Whereas zoa beings constitute a part of the heavenly order, therion beings constitute a part of the hellish order. Therefore, therion (wild beast) is predominately used of lower animal life, particularly a “venomous creature,” and can never be the name applied to glorious creatures in the very court and presence of heaven.
There is ample disagreement among reputable Bible expositors as to the identity of these two beasts. But with an understanding and application of various Old Testament prophetic passages, such as Daniel 7; and along with a discernment of the descriptive techniques applicable to kings (heads) and kingdoms (nations), the identity of these two beasts will become apparent.
Revelation 13:1, 2
And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
Some late manuscripts have John, instead of the dragon, standing on the shore of the sea. In either case, John sees a beast coming out of the sea. The sea in its customary usage represents the nations or peoples of the earth. The late and respected W.A. Criswell, the renowned pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, and a past-president of the Southern Baptist Convention, interpreted the sea as the same one described in Daniel 7:2, the “raging sea,” which he says, in his Expository Sermons on Revelation, is “a symbol of the violent, chaotic masses of humanity in a day of crisis and revolution.” This interpretation has merit since the first beast in Revelation 13 coincides with the four beasts of Daniel 7 and the apparent continuing deterioration of world events. World affairs have always been in a progressively deteriorating uproar, they never seem to improve and today they are spiraling ever downward. As man continues to cry out for peace, he continues to rapidly sink into the quagmire of prejudice, hatred, revolution and war.
Out of this sea of humanity (the world) comes a beast that is a composition of the four beasts mentioned in Daniel 7. This composite beast represents a dichotomy (two-part) of meaning. It stands for the world government that will materialize and flourish during the Tribulation Period, and it also stands for the leader of this world government.
It is clear that the beast of the sea represents the last world government or political power because:
1. When the beast is destroyed in Revelation 19, it is the end of all world governments or political powers.
2. This is quite similar to the way the Holy Spirit in Daniel 7 utilizes four beasts or other strange images to describe various coming world governments as well as their leaders. In Daniel 2:38 the “head of gold” not only stood for the Babylonian Empire, but also for King Nebuchadnezzar.
3. It is defined as such in Revelation 17, where the “seven heads” are seven hills, describing the capital city; as well as seven kings. The “ten horns” are said to be ten kings, which have not yet received their kingdom.
It is also clear that the beast of the sea as well represents a person, the leader of the last world government because:
1. Revelation 19:21 shows the beast as a person who is eventually overthrown and then cast alive, along with the False Prophet, in the lake of fire.
2. Prophetic descriptions often equally indicate the person and the organization or people the person represents. There is no kingdom without a king. There is no empire without an emperor.
3. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Paul describes the Antichrist as the “man of lawlessness.”
4. In 1 John 2:18 John reminds his readers that the Antichrist is coming, just as many “antichrists” have already come. He goes on to speak about these as persons. It was common in the early church to teach about the imminent Rapture, the “last days,” the coming of the Antichrist and the eventual judgments. When Bible doctrine of this nature ceased, so also ceased the trend toward spiritual living and evangelical efforts.
5. Some details of the description of this beast can only apply to an individual, whereas others apply to his kingdom.
The dragon (Satan) stands on the shore of the sea, and it is he who brings out this terrible beast with seven heads, ten horns, ten crowns (Gk. diadems - indicates royalty) and seven blasphemous names. This will be Satan’s masterpiece, for this will be the leader who heads up the “restored Roman Empire,” which will consist of ten nations that most likely exist today. This wild beast is quite similar in description to the fourth beast, the composite or nondescript beast, in the seventh chapter of Daniel. There it represented the prophetic history of the Roman Empire. Although it appeared that it became dormant for a while, the emergence of the “little horn,” which overcame three of the beast’s ten horns on its seven heads, brought the beast back to full power.
J. Vernon McGee, the highly respected Bible expositor, says it this way in his Thru the Bible commentary:
At the time of the writing of John, much of the prophecy of Daniel had been fulfilled. The first three beasts-Babylon, the lion; Media-Persia, the bear; and Graeco-Macedonia, the panther-had all been fulfilled. When Daniel gave it, it was prophecy, but it was fulfilled by John’s time. Therefore, John centers on the fourth beast and upon the little horn because the fourth beast, the Roman Empire, had appeared. John was living in the time of the Roman Empire, having been exiled to the Isle of Patmos by the Roman emperor, Domitian. Already signs of weakness and decay were visible in the empire, and John was spectator to that which was still future in Daniel’s day. However, in the Book of Revelation the emphasis is upon the rule of the little horn of Daniel 7, and the little horn is set before us as a wild Beast, for he is now ruling and controlling the restored Roman Empire in John’s prophecy. The little horn of Daniel 7 and the wild Beast of Revelation 13 are identical. You can see that an understanding of Daniel 7 would be basic to understanding this passage.
The four beasts in Daniel 7 represented future kingdoms in the following order: lion-Babylonian Empire, bear-Media-Persia Empire, leopard-Graeco-Macedonia Empire and the composite or nondescript beast-Roman Empire. Before Daniel’s day only two “world powers” had come into existence, Assyria and Egypt. Since Daniel, the only “world powers” that have come into existence are the four described by Daniel, who wrote at the beginning of the chain of conquering empires. John writes his description when the last world empire (Rome) is in control; therefore, his description is in reverse order. Daniel sees the lion, then the bear, then the leopard and finally the composite beast; whereas, John sees the composite beast, then the leopard, then the bear and finally the lion.
This beast is defined by an angel speaking to John in Revelation 17, where the imagery of the seven heads are seen as both seven hills and seven kings and the ten horns are ten future kings (the tenfold division of the restored Roman Empire and the ten kings or leaders who rule over this tenfold division) who will receive their power, along with the Antichrist, for a brief period of time (three and a half years). This will be further discussed in a later chapter of this study-series. The fact that this beast not only represents the “final world government,” but also represents a “person,” the Antichrist-“the final world dictator,” is seen in the last verse of this chapter, where it is revealed that the “number of the beast” is the number of a “man.”
On the beast’s heads were blasphemous names. John doesn’t tell us these names, but we may surmise that they are names or titles that convey the underlying meaning of the term “blasphemy” in the days of John under Jewish law. An entire chapter could be devoted to the Greek word blasphemeo and its various meanings, i.e., to revile, to speak evil of, to slander, to curse, to commit sacrilege, etc.-all as they relate to Almighty God.
Here the “blasphemous names” or titles convey that the Antichrist declares himself God and thereby denies the one true God, as he demands all his subjects to worship him. This conclusion is reached due to the following.
1. By the context of this passage
2. By taking into account how the Jews applied the word in reference to Christ when they were about to stone him (John 10:33-for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.)
3. By the illuminating words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 regarding the “man of lawlessness”-the Antichrist (He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming to be God.); we may be fairly certain that all such names or titles will convey that he (Antichrist) is God and alone must be worshipped.
It should be remembered that symbolism is used in describing the beast, e.g., lion, bear, leopard, seven heads, and ten horns. These descriptions indicate the character of the wild beast, not his outward appearance. Just as Satan embodies all the evil character of this wild beast, yet is an “angel of light,” the summation of God’s glorious creation; so it is with the Antichrist. His character is pure evil, but the masses will see him as the most fascinating, the most scintillating and the most magnetic person that has ever walked on earth. The Antichrist is a person who accepts the gifts that Jesus spurned when Satan offered Him all of the glories of the kingdoms of the world. When the first seal is broken in Revelation 6 the Antichrist comes on the scene on a white horse with a bow and no arrows. He comes promising peace to a chaotic, raging, violent world of crisis and revolution. No wonder the nations are quick to turn over their power and authority to him (Revelation 17:13), if just for his promised peace, which is how he entices them into his “covenant with many” (Daniel 9:27).
The last part of this passage clearly states that it is the dragon (Satan) that orchestrates the restoration of the Roman Empire. He is also the source of all leadership power and authority of the beast that comes out of the sea-the Antichrist.
Revelation 13:3
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
It is seen in Revelation 17 that the seven heads represent seven kings. They represent five kings and their empires up to the time of John; the sixth, Domitian, was in power at the time of John, and the seventh will rise in the “end times” as the Antichrist. To be fair, it should be mentioned that there are other views regarding these seven heads. One interpretation is that they represent the forms of government through which the Roman Empire passed. Another view is that they represent the seven world empires of antiquity that blasphemed God: Rome, Greece, Media-Persia, Chaldea, Egypt and Assyria. The kingdom of the beast, which is yet to come, would be the seventh. Others believe the seven heads correspond to the seven heads of the dragon, which are said to denote exceptional wisdom.
All views considered, the one most likely is as first expressed above. The seventh head, who is the Antichrist (also the “little horn” of Daniel 7 and the eventual overall ruler described as the beast who is the “eighth king” in Revelation 17:11), will suffer a “fatal wound.” This fatal wound, which is described in the King James Version as “wounded to death” and “deadly wound,” employs the Greek words sphazo (used for the slaughter of animals by the cutting of the throat) and thanatos (meaning “unto death”). The very prominent Greek scholar, Kenneth S. Wuest, in his The New Testament-An Expanded Translation, translates this “fatal wound” as “to have been mortally wounded, the throat having been slashed.”
This all confirms that the Antichrist at or near the mid-point of the Tribulation will be slain. He will probably be subject to an assassination attempt in which his throat is cut. This event will lead to his death. But since Satan, from which the Antichrist receives all power and authority, is the great imposter and imitator of God, he (Satan) will be allowed to bring the Antichrist back to life. After the Antichrist’s spirit goes down into the Abyss, he will return from the pit alive and well (Revelation 17:8). This “resurrection,” which is allowed by the “permissive will” of God, may very well be the “powerful delusion” of 2 Thessalonians 2:11, which God sends to all the wicked on earth (those that have refused Jesus Christ) in order that they may “believe the lie” (that the Antichrist is God). So the “fatal wound” is “healed” and the “whole world is astonished and follows the beast.”
Revelation 13:4
Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
This is Satan’s supreme moment. From his very beginning he has wanted to supplant God and to be worshipped as God. At the mid-point of the Tribulation Period, when Satan is kicked out of heaven and the Antichrist is allowed to come back from the grave, Satan will indwell (personally take control of) the Antichrist and mankind will worship both the beast and Satan alike.
Revelation 13:5-8
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
From the middle of the Tribulation, after the Antichrist comes back to life, he will manifest even greater supernatural powers. In keeping with the blasphemous names associated with him, he will live up to the illuminating prophecy of the Apostle Paul as he speaks of the Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Should you think that there is a movement afoot today to rid God and all references of Him from our society, you, as they so colorfully say, “ain’t seen nothing yet.” Once Satan breaks his “covenant with many,” which up to that point will provide protection and peace for the Jews, he will unleash the most horrible and greatest effort of all time to rid this planet of the concept of the true Almighty God. He will slander and oppose everything that is associated with God. He will defile God’s Holy Temple by personally entering the Most Holy Place and proclaiming himself to be God. He will have a graven image (statue) of himself as the Antichrist mounted in God’s Temple. He will give life to this graven image and will utilize it to slay all those who do not worship his image. This will be seen more clearly later in this chapter.
The beast (Satan incarnate) will be given power over all the peoples of earth. God allows him this power by means of God’s permissive will. He will also be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them. These saints are not the church, which has been withdrawn by the Rapture before the Tribulation Period. But through the efforts of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and the “two witnesses,” there will be a huge number of saints at the disposal of the warring Antichrist.
This will be the darkest hour in the history of the planet. All the peoples of earth, except those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will fall down and worship the Antichrist and Satan who indwells him. All others, those who are in the Lamb’s Book of Life will suffer a horrible end as Satan slaughters them. Thank God, yea, truly thank God, that the Church will not go through this horrific period. The only “bright spot” in this passage, if indeed there is any, is that the time Satan is allowed to exercise this authority and power is 42 months (three and a half years).
Now for a word about the Lamb’s Book of Life, which is by far in this writer’s opinion the most significant book of the ages, along side the Bible. It is mentioned here and in Revelation 21.27, Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. In Revelation 13, it reflects the fact that only those whose names are not within it will be the ones who bow down and worship the Antichrist. In Revelation 21, it is the (only) passport into the Holy City and eternal life with Christ. The Lamb’s Book of Life differs from the Book of Life, which is the book containing all names of everyone who is born on this earth.
A person’s name is recorded in the Book of Life at his birth and will remain in the book throughout his physical life. At the person’s death and depending on whether or not the person has accepted Jesus Christ during his physical life, his name will either remain in (he accepted by faith alone Jesus Christ alone) or will be blotted out (he rejected Christ as his personal Savior) of the Book of Life. Therefore, at a person’s death, he may either have his name recorded in both “books of life,” meaning he is saved; or, he will not have his name in either of the books. To put it another way, at birth you will have your name in one book; but at death, you will either have your name in both books, or your name will be in neither of them.
The Book of Life is also mentioned in several passages of Scripture, and particularly in Revelation 20:11-15, If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. This passage is about the Great White Throne Judgment that takes place after the Millennium Reign of Christ and is the time when the lost are judged in accordance with their works, which are recorded in other heavenly books. But it is clear that no matter how many works are recorded in these “work-books,” they will not be able to justify keeping a person from God’s eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire. After all the works are reviewed then the Book of Life will be opened, and all who do not have their name written therein will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
This will be the most awakening experience of every person who has by the grace of God been allowed to be a partaker of God’s creation and to have the opportunity to listen to the “voice within” and recognize by faith his or her Eternal Creator. There will be many in this category. Instead of truly seeking God, they have turned from Him to follow their own philosophies, their own idols, their own pleasures, their own pride and their own temporary fortunes. When confronted with the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary, they have rejected Him and His sacrifice. They have forsaken God’s way of grace to believe in their way of works. They have refused to repent, which is to turn from all other methods or ways seeking the approbation of God and to turn in faith alone to Christ alone for their personal salvation.
Because of this and at their physical death, their names will be blotted out of the Book of Life. This will seal their doom for all of eternity. There will be no second chance. For this reason it most urgent for anyone who may be reading these comments to make certain that his or her name is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
This recording (of salvation) occurs the instant you recognize that (1) you are a sinner and doomed, (2) you cannot in any way do anything to save yourself, (3) you recognize that Jesus Christ did everything necessary on the cross of Calvary for your personal salvation (He took your sins and paid the eternal price for your sins) and died in your place but did not remain dead-He rose from the grave the third day and (4) you then simply and only accept by faith Jesus Christ and what He did for your salvation. Once you make this conscious and definite decision, you are permanently granted eternal life and your name is permanently recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life-and it will never ever be blotted out of the Book of Life.
Various scriptures regarding the Book of Life and the Lamb’s Book of Life are as follows: Exodus 32:33; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 21:27 and 22:19.
Revelation 13:9, 10
He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
This passage opens with the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear.” This phrase was used some seven times in chapters 2 and 3, but with an addition. While God is speaking to the churches in those chapters, He always included at the end of the phrase “what the Spirit says to the churches.” But at this point “to the churches” is left out. The reason is that the Church (the Body of Christ) has been caught up and out of this world at the Rapture, which is portrayed in chapter 4:1. It is well to remember that the Church is never mentioned from chapter 4 on throughout the Tribulation Period as portrayed in Revelation until it returns with Christ as “the armies of heaven” at the end of this time (Revelation 19).
But the phrase “he who has an ear, let him hear” embodies two significant theological doctrines. Here the reader sees the combination of “free will” and “election.” This phrase is also and correctly translated, “if any man has an ear, let him hear.” So who is “any man who has an ear?” The answer is anyone and everyone. God has from before creation ordained or elected that every person born on earth will have the opportunity to either accept or reject His plan of salvation, which is by faith alone. He also ordained every person to have free will, so that his or her acceptance or rejection of God would be meaningful. By God’s election everyone is offered God’s salvation, but not everyone chooses to accept it.
In this passage the phrase is directed toward those saints who will be alive during the Tribulation. Here He is letting these Tribulation saints unequivocally know that due to their faith they will be subject to captivity (which for certain will include torture) and death. These will be very dark days for Christians who go through them. They will be easily identifiable, because they will not have the mark of the Antichrist permanently etched on or embedded in their foreheads or right hands. They will not be able to buy or sell without this mark. They will not have freedom of travel. They will be hounded and captured, only to face torture and death. So in fact, “this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.”
Revelation 13:11-13
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
At this point a second beast appears, but this one comes “out of the earth” instead of out of the sea. Whereas the “sea” normally represents the people or nations of the earth, the “earth” normally represents Palestine. The second beast comes out of Israel, who most likely will be of Jewish ancestry, and is the religious leader that the Jews will easily accept due to his background. Jesus said, when speaking of the end times, in Matthew 24:24, For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. This prediction will culminate in this one-world religious leader, the second beast of Revelation 13. He will be the epitome, the personification, the quintessence of all false Christs and false prophets-he will in fact be the False Prophet and the personal religious leader of the Antichrist, who will actually be the leader of the movement to exterminate the one-world religion (called “Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth). The reader will see this more clearly, along with the False Prophet’s close connection to the Antichrist, in Revelation 17.
Since his power and authority is delegated to him from Satan by way of the Antichrist and since he is an “antichrist,” he is seen here as an imitator of Jesus Christ. He enters upon the stage of history appearing like a lamb, mimicking Jesus Christ who is frequently referred to in God’s Word as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Yet, he speaks like a dragon, a reference to the fact that it is Satan who uses him to promote the blasphemy of the Antichrist. He in fact may initially be instrumental in convincing Israel to cooperate fully with the Antichrist and his efforts to make a “covenant with many” at the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
For certain this False Prophet, which initially has the full support of Satan and the Antichrist, uses all his authority to convince the world to bow down and worship the Antichrist (the one who died and was brought back to life). He has supernatural powers to support his efforts, which he freely displays to that end. In fact, he can even call down fire from heaven to earth.
Now, as the Trinity is composed of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Satan has his own trinity. The first dragon is anti-God, the first beast is anti-Son and the second beast is anti-Spirit.
Revelation 13:14, 15
Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
Here it is seen that the False Prophet (the second beast) is immensely successful in turning the hearts and minds of the entire world toward the Antichrist and causing them to accept him as God. One way he does this is by creating an image (Gk. eikon-likeness) or statue in the likeness of the Antichrist and insisting that the entire world worship it. It will most likely be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, which then will probably be what Christ refers to in Matthew 24:15, “So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel ….” The False Prophet is given power to give life to this image, so this image-statue will be an idol that will be able to speak and will order the destruction of all those who refuse to worship the image-statue. As previously discovered, these who will be slain for not worshipping the image-statue (the representation of the Antichrist) will be those who refuse to take the mark of the Antichrist.
Revelation 13:16-18
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
The False Prophet forces everyone to have a “mark,” which is the “name of the beast” or the “number of his name,” to be placed either on the person’s right hand or forehead. Unless a person has this mark, he or she will not be able to buy or sell (everything or anything-food, building materials, vehicles, etc.) during the Tribulation Period. Here is seen a wedding between business and religion. Then there is the call for wisdom, stating that if anyone has insight, he can calculate the number of the beast, which is man’s number-which is “666.” Much has been speculated regarding this number, and it has been interpreted to indicate several evil personalities throughout history, such as Adolph Hitler, Mussolini, etc. The truth is that at this moment in time, man may not be able to see the entire picture or understand this number and its meaning. On the other hand, during the Tribulation Period, once the mark of the beast is imposed on unbelievers, this verse may come alive to believers and they will clearly understand it.
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