Introduction to Chapter 13 (Part I)
Chapter 13 Part II

 

Revelation 13 is an amplification of the scene in the 12^th chapter.  In chapter 12, we see a dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns pursue a women who gave birth to a “man-child”, who was caught up into Heaven to rule the nations.  This drama in the 12^th chapter is the background of the spiritual events that happen in the 2^nd half, (1260 days, 42 months) of the 7-year tribulation period.    John defines Satan as the dragon (Revelation 12:9) and the women as Israel. Israel gave birth to the Messiah, who is caught up to Heaven (Acts 1:9-11), Satan, the Dragon, then pursues the Women who is protected for 1260 days or 3.5 years. The identification of the participants is vital to understanding what is actually taking place in both the physical and spiritual realms.

The events taking place in the 2^nd half are a result of what takes place in Heaven at the Midpoint of the 7-year period.  Satan and his angels removed from their place in Heaven are then, hurled to the earth for their final stand.   Chapter 12 reveals the Heavenly view of these events and the battle of the ages between God’s plan of redemption, and Satan attempts to stop it.  Satan’s final method of assault on the women, and her offspring (the saved) are revealed to us in the 13^th chapter.

Satan on Earth will incarnate the leader of a “Revived Roman Empire”; this leader will have died, and resurrect, to the wonder of the world.  His resurrected body indwelt with Satan,  will assume control of the kingdom of the Beast.  Satan, portrayed as a 7-headed dragon in chapter 12, cast out of Heaven, is now the source of power and authority of the 7-headed beast arising from the sea, which John writes about.  Satan will assume the controls of this kingdom pictured as the “Beast”.  This future kingdom will focus on the glorification and exaltation of this “Satan-Man” and the persecution and destruction of those who refuse to accept his deity.  This period will last for 42 months or 3.5 years, and will end with the return of Jesus Christ when surviving Israel, finally recognizes Him as Messiah and calls out in prayer and supplication for his return (Zechariah 12:9-10, Matthew 23:39 24:30 and Revelation 19)

Going before the beast will be a false prophet who will perform great signs and wonders in the name of this world leader.  This false prophet will instruct the world to worship the beast. An image of the Beast, constructed by the false prophet will be the focus of worldwide worship.  All who refuse to worship the Beast or his image will be killed.  The False prophet is pictured as lamb with two horns, which speaks as a dragon.  He is probably the leader of the world wide religion in the first half of the tribulation which persecutes the believers, the saints. Later, this world wide religion is destroyed (Revelation 17:15-17) as the Beast and Satan, become the focus of worship in the second half of Daniel’s 70^th week.    

In order to enforce this worldwide religion of the beast an economic system will be established demanding total submission to this world leader.  Those who refuse will be killed and cutoff from society. They will be unable to buy or sell without total submission. 

 

Revelation 13

Beast out of the Sea: The Kingdom

¹Then ^I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having ^seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

 ²Now the beast, which I saw, was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Revelation 13:1-2

Then I stood…(other ms. “He stood”) The KJV source manuscript has vs.1 translated (I stood). Some earlier manuscripts read (He stood) meaning the Dragon from Chapter 12 stood on the sand of the sea.

Depending on your manuscript source, either John stood on the sand of the Sea and saw a “Beast rising” or the dragon stood on the Sea and John then saw a “Beast rising” out of the sea.

Regardless of the source manuscript, the meaning is not lost.

John’s witness of events now changes from Heaven to Earth.  Satan expelled from Heaven, pursued the women who escaped into the wilderness, now Satan is about to war with the offspring of the women. (Rev 12:17).  John is about to witness Satan’s method to his war.

Sand of the sea…. “Sand of the sea” is a phrase associated with population and growth of the descendents of Jacob. (Gen 32;12, Isaiah 10:22,Hosea 1:10, Rom 9:27).  The dragon’s pursuit of the women ends with frustration and the dragon pursuit stops on the “Sand of the sea”.  The next scene introduces the continuation of the Dragon’s work.

Beast rising up (Gr…“theôrion…a wild animal) The Beast is the same as the one described by Daniel 7 and later in Revelation 17. The Red Dragon of Revelation 12 differs from the Beast described here, because this resembled a leopard, lion and bear as opposed to a “Red Dragon.  The Beast here has “Seven heads” and “10 horns” like the Dragon. The “Red Dragon” has “Seven” Crowns as opposed to “ten”. From verse 2, we learn, the Dragon is the source of power and authority for the Beast.                                                                                               In Daniel and Revelation the Beast seen by both Daniel and John are portraits of the last Human government before the return of the Messiah.  When Christ returns the Beast of Daniel and Revelation will be the dominant force on the Earth.

²³“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces. ²⁴The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.²⁵He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute^ the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.²⁶ ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever.²⁷  Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

Dan 7:23-27

⁴⁰And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. ⁴¹Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. ⁴²And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. ⁴³As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. ⁴⁴And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Dan 2:40-44

The beast of Daniel will be a revived “Roman Empire”; we know this based on the 70 weeks of Daniel (Dan 9:24-27), Daniel 7 and Daniel 2.  The people who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple were the Romans, the “prince who is to come” is their descendent. (Dan 9:26). (See 70 Weeks of Daniel Paper)                                    Also in Daniel 2, the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar is linked to Rome, described by Daniel as the legs of Iron, this kingdom later extends to the 10 ten toes and feet of Iron and clay.                                                            Daniel revealed these kings (10 toes) the God of Heaven would set up a kingdom which shall never end. There is a gap of time between the Iron legs and the Iron and clay feet and toes, this gap is described in Daniel 9;26 as a period of “Desolation”.

          Daniel seven has one beast, with “Iron” teeth and 10 horns. This Beast is described as a “Fourth Kingdom”, different then all other kingdoms, with 10 future kings who will arise. They will subdue the whole earth.

Out of the sea…The Sea symbolizes the sea of humanity based on Rev 17:15, Dan.7

¹⁵Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. Rev 17:15

 

Seven heads and ten horns… (See Chart Below) The Beast has identifiers seen in both Daniel and Revelation.  The Beast described in Daniel 7 as having 1 Head and 10 horns differs from the  “red dragon” of Revelation chapter 12, described as having 7 heads and 10 horns, the same as the beast in Revelation 13 & 17.  To understand the meaning is not a mystery, since the explanation is within the texts.

1.       The Beast represents the fourth and final government on Earth.

2.       10 horns represent 10 future kings who turn their power over to the “Last-days” ruler. (Revelation 17:12)

3.      7 heads represent 7 kings or kingdoms.  Five are fallen in John’s day about 90 A.D., and one is and one is yet too come. (Revelation 17:10).  The Dragon, who pursues the women in Revelation 12, has 7 heads. These seven heads represent  the seven kingdoms from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob until the “end of Days” which tried to stop God’s plan of redemption by trying to stop Messiah’s birth, one way or another.

                 The Beast arising from the sea, is all seven kingdom in one collected in one final “World kingdom” with the same Dragon, as the source of authority and power.

 

10 "There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. 12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.  Revelation 17:10-12

 

On his horns ten crowns…Ten crowns or kingdoms make up the initial kingdom but at the Midpoint or earlier 3 of the 10 kings are subdued by the little horn.

Blasphemous name  (Gr. Blaspheômia...vilification (especially against God):—blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.)  Each of these kingdom have railed against the God of Israel in their own way. The Antichrist incarnated by Satan, will be the ultimate blasphemer. Demanding worship from the whole earth.

The beast which I saw….Verse 2, draws from the 3 additional beast of Daniel 7. 

³And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. ⁴The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

⁵“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

⁶“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

Daniel 7:3-6

The reason the beast of Rev 13 has characteristics from the 3 previous animals described in Daniel 7 depends on your understanding of Daniel.  Most interpret Daniel 7 in combination with the rest of the book of Daniel in foretelling the succession of kingdoms leading toward the final kingdom.

Ø          The Lion represented, Babylon

Ø          The Bear, Persia

Ø          The Leopard, Greece

Ø          The Beast, Rome

With Rome revived at the end, for the final conflict between Israel & the Messiah, and The World and Antichrist.

This combination of “animals” composing the final kingdom on the Earth in Revelation 13 means two things.

1. The final kingdom “Revived Rome” will have characteristics of the 3 previous kingdoms, Babylon, Persia and Greece.
2. The final kingdom “Revived Rome” will be a “world kingdom” ruling the lands of the 3 previous kingdoms.  Daniel 7:23 says this kingdom will, “shall devour the whole earth”

The kingdom of Antichrist will be a world kingdom with a world capital. Revelation 18 and Isaiah 14 confirm the rebuilding of Babylon as the capitol city of Antichrist. Revelation 17 demonstrates he will try to unite the world through a “World wide religion”.

The dragon gave him…The dragon is a reference to Satan who along with his angelic following was kicked out of Heaven.  Now Satan is the power behind the Beast and his Kingdom.  Satan before his expulsion from Heaven had tremendous power and influence in the kingdoms of Men. (Luke 4:5, 2 Corn.4:4, Job 1:12,2:6)   At his last stand, Satan and his forces concentrate their power in one final attempt to thwart God’s plan.

 

Beast out of the Sea: The Man

³And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

Revelation 13;3

I saw one of his heads…. The heads represent the succession of kingdoms throughout history opposed to God’s redemption through Israel’s Messiah. This Seventh head represents a “Revived Roman” kingdom, which has recovered from its mortal wound.  This head, the “Roman Head” is lead by the Antichrist, who is Satan himself.  John like Daniel focuses on the Beast’s appearance and notices one of the 7 heads.  Daniel notices one horn among the 10 and describes its appearance and actions.

"I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Daniel 7:8

Mortally wounded…. The Beast is somehow mortally wounded, and from Rev 17:8 we know he dies or appears to die, went into Hell and ascended out of Hell.  The Beast is a satanic counterfeit of Christ resurrection. The death of the Beast corresponds with the fall of Satan from Heaven. At the death of the Beast, Satan was able to indwell the body begin to rule the world thru the Antichrist.

8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Revelation 17:8

The mortal wound becomes the focus of worship during the last half of the tribulation.  (Rev 13:12)

All the world marveled…. The mysterious death of this world leader and his resurrection will give credibility to the next phase of Satan’s plan.  The world turns to the Beast not only as a political leader but also as “god on earth”.  Satan’s pride was his undoing, in Heaven he sought to be god; he will seek to be god on earth too.

¹The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, ²“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, ‘I am a god,I sit in the seat of gods,

In the midst of the seas,’ Yet  you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god.

Ezek. 28:1-2

 

³But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

2 Corn 4:3-4

Daniel foretells the character of this coming world leader; he is the ultimate example of man’s fallen nature as he seeks to glorify himself above all.

³⁶“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. ³⁷He shall regard neither the ^God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.

Dan 11:36-37

 

 

                                                                Contrast of Jesus to Antichrist                               

Christ came from above John 6; 38	Antichrist will ascend from the pit, Rev 11:7
Christ came in his Father’s name John 5:43	Antichrist will come in his own name, John 5; 43
Christ humbled Himself Phil 2:8	Antichrist will exalt himself, 2 Thess. 2:4
Christ was despised Isa 53;3, Luke 23:18	Antichrist will be admired, Rev 13:3-4
Christ will be exalted, Phil 2:9	Antichrist will be cast down to hell, Isa. 14:14-15, Rev. 19:20
Christ came to do his Father’s will, John 6:38	Antichrist will come to do his own will, Dan 11:36
Christ came to save, Luke 19:10	Antichrist will come to destroy, Dan. 8:24
Christ is the good shepherd, John 10:1-15	Antichrist is the “idol shepherd”, Zech 11:16-17
Christ is the “true vine”, John 15:1	Antichrist is the “vine of the earth”, Rev. 14:18
Christ is the “Truth”, John 14; 6	Antichrist is the “lie”, 2 Thess. 2:11
Christ is the “Holy one”, Mark 1;24	Antichrist is the “Lawless one”. 2 Thess. 2:8
Christ is the “man of sorrows”, Isa 53:3	Antichrist is the “man of sin”, 2 Thess. 2:3
Christ is the “Son of God”, Luke 1:35	Antichrist is the “son of perdition”, 2 Thess. 2:3
Christ is “the mystery of godliness: God..manifest in the flesh”, 1 Tim. 3:16	Antichrist will be “the mystery of the iniquity” Satan manifest in the flesh, 2 Thess 2:7

 

                                                                    Comparison of the Beasts

 

 

Religion of the Beast

 ⁴So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to ^continue for forty-two months. ⁶Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every ^tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:4-8

They worshipped the dragon….The religion of the earth will focus on the Beast, the man indwelt by Satan. The Beast and his image will be a central part of the religion of “kingdom of Satan”.  The second half of the tribulation will be an end to the “Women who rides the beast” of Revelation 17.  The Beast, Satan incarnates the beast and will demand worship from the Earth inhabitants, just as he tempted the angels, man and Jesus on the mount of Temptation (Luke 4)

Gave authority to the beast…. The dragon (Satan) was the force behind the Beast’s power.

The worshiped the beast…. The beast was Satan and the soul of the Antichrist both indwelling the same body.  After the “Glorious return” the Antichrist is cast into the “Lake of fire” and Satan is cast chained into the Abyss. (Rev 19:20,20:2)

  Who is able to make war with him….The kingdom of the beast will have military superiority over the Earth and will seem invincible in the eyes of the world.  Prior to the second half of the Tribulation, the Antichrist with “Great fury” meaning great heat annihilates many. (Daniel 11:44).  This battle corresponds with the death of 1/3 of the earth population, and the 6^th Trumpet.  This battle set the stage for world domination in the second half of the tribulation.              Probably during this period, three of the horns or kings rebel against his authority and are pulled up by the roots as described in Daniel 7:8.  “three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots”.

Forty-two months….1260 days, 3.5 years, the 2^nd half of Daniel’s 70 weeks

He opened his mouth….Satan is outraged at the position he is in, He is not used to being confined to the Earth and he knows his time is short, so he rages against Heaven.

Granted to him to make war with the saints… The saints are those who come to Christ during the 7-year period, those who were “Left Behind”. During this time, Satan intensifies his search for the offspring of the women who fled into the wilderness for 1260 days.  The women’s offspring both physical and spiritual are hunted destruction.  When Christ returns, the saints in hiding will be brought before Christ by the angels who will gather them from the nations.

³⁰Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24:30-31

What the purpose of the persecution? Through the saints persecution many will come to faith, and the sins of man will be manifest.  During the “Sheep and Goats judgment” (Matthew 25:31-46) the actions of those on Earth toward the saints will be revealed.  God will demonstrate his righteous judgments by the way the saints were treated.

 

 Persecution of Saints

⁹If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ¹⁰He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:9-10

If anyone has an ear….This is a call for understanding to those who are about to die. The ear is a “Spiritual ear” in much the same way the letters to the churches addressed those who had ears this is addressed to the surviving believers who are about to be killed.

An interesting point can be made here, the church is not addressed, but those who have an ear.  Since the church is not specifically mentioned, more then likely the church was raptured prior to the tribulation.

He who leads….God is allowing this to happen for a purpose.  In the 5^th Seal, we see those who are killed in the first half of the tribulation. Here saints from the second half are prepared for what is to come. Death is not to be feared because the very next phase for the martyr is Heaven in God’s presence (Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-11, 15:2) There is a place in Heaven waiting for their arrival.

Here is patience…. The ability to suffer for their testimony will bring many to a saving knowledge in the last days.  Much in the same way the early church spread under persecution, this last group of Gentile and Jewish faithful will grow through persecution.

God is allowing this persecution, because its only temporary and exposes those who dwell on the earth for who they truly are.  Daniel, also wrote about this future period of persecution for the believer. 

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.

Daniel 7:25

Daniel also saw this period as 3.5 years (Time and times and half a time), to be followed by a period when the saints would rule over the kingdom.  Because God would resurrect the martyred saints following this period of suffering, they were to endure.

 

26 'But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever. 27 Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

Daniel 7:26-27

13 "But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days."

Daniel 12:13

Chapter 13 Part II