REVELATION - CHAPTER 13 - The Dragon and the Two Beasts - 666
REVELATION 13
The Dragon and the Two Beasts - 666
Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
September 11, 2012, the Year of Our Lord
THE BEAST FROM THE SEA
Rev. 13:1: “I looked upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea…”
The beast from the Abyss, in Rev. 11:7 is thrown up like other chaotic forces of evil by the cosmic deep. At the time John wrote this, the symbolic beast here had to be the persecuting Roman Empire of the spirit of antichrist. However, sea means more than the sea from Patmos. The sea is symbolic of unredeemed humanity. The beast here is symbolic of a man and the end-time, imperial, anti-christ rising up out of the sea of humanity.
Daniel 7:1: Daniel spoke and said, I saw in the vision by night, and behold the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea.
The Lord has always used metaphorical language in speaking through His prophets. Daniel used animals to represent world empires. In Daniel 7, he depicts 4 world empires in the form of 4 beasts. Daniel’s 4th beast, far more terrible than the other three, had ten horns, matching John’s beast.
Rev. 13: l-b: “He had seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”
The ten horns identify this beast with Daniel 7:7, where the fourth beast in Daniel’s vision of judgment is so equipped. The horns of Daniel’s fourth beast (Dan. 7:24) are ten Hellenistic rulers between Alexander the Great (332-323 B.C.) and Antiochus IV (175 -163 B.C.).
The seven heads are derived from the dragon signifying that the beast’s authority is received from him; but they are further explained in terms of the seven hills of Rome in Chapter 17: 9 and seven Roman emperors (17:10) with ten crowns on his horns indicating their royal character.
The blasphemous name on each head not only indicates blasphemy of God’s name, but indicates their claims to divine honor and deity
John’s beast with its seven heads and ten horns, describes a man with the whole world in his hand. He is Satan’s man, as we’ll see---the personification of evil. The sad thing is the pagan world will love him, for he promises to satisfy every evil longing of the human heart.
Rev. 13:2: “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard…” The leopard is symbolic of the old Grecian Empire. “And his feet were as the feet of a bear…” He will also have characteristics of Medo-Persia. “And his mouth as the mouth of a lion…” which represents Babylon. John’s beast while it is mainly a combination of Daniel’s fourth beast has features or (a mixture) drawn from Daniel’s first three beasts.
“And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”
The dragon, of course is Satan. He was the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the fiery red dragon of the Book of Revelation. The reason he grew from a serpent to a dragon, is he has been eating dust (carnality) all of these years. Christians should always be leaving a trail of dust behind for the devil to eat. We don’t want to eat his dust.
Rev. 13:3: “I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast.”
Historically Nero was one of many rulers who had the spirit of antichrist. He committed suicide to escape the death to which he had been condemned by the Roman senate in A.D. 68. For some twenty years after his death, the belief persisted that Nero had not really died but was in hiding; that he would return one day at the head of the army of Parthians to recover his dominions and rule once more as emperor.
Several opportunists profited by this widespread belief to set themselves up as pretended Neros. The idea that Nero was still alive was eventually given up, but was replaced by the pagan belief that one day Nero would return from the dead and regain his sovereignty.
The persecuting rage of the spirit of anti-christ had already been experienced by John and his fellow-Christians, but when the imperial beast of the antichrist is embodied that persecuting rage will reach an unprecedented intensity. We are presently experiencing the early momentum of that rage with the anti-American public outcry by the Muslims against Christians and the U.S.A. in Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Muslims of Israel and the Indian region of Kashmir.
Ask the Christians in those nations as they are giving their life for their faith if they are in tribulation. In the United States, we are presently still safe from being killed for our faith in Jesus Christ. However, that window of safety is slowly closing. The spirit of antichrist is asking that we relinquish our rights to pacify the Muslim rage. The Muslims who came to the U.S.A. for freedom of religion are also making demands that we should pacify the spirit of anti-christ.
The anti-Christian factions of the Democratic Party conspired to remove God from the DNC platform in the 2012 election process. Again, this is the spirit of antichrist waging war with the saints.
Dake points out that only “one of his heads” is wounded to death.
He will have all the world wondering after him.
Rev. 13:4: They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
The dragon is Satan.
The antichrist will be a man who is a governmental ruler of many nations of the beast/world systems; inclusive of all of the four world empires represented by Daniel’s four-beasts. The pagan world will worship Satan and the beast.
He will be a supernaturally gifted orator.
Rev. 13: 5-6: There was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue 42 months. He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
The 42-months are the same duration of the little horn’s authority in Daniel 7:25. Three-one-half years are a metaphorical number used throughout the Holy Bible to represent a divinely appointed time. World-wide power is exercised by the beast and world-wide worship paid to him.
He will defy God and claim to be God himself. (Dan. 7:25; 8:25; 22: 36-39; 2 Th. 2: 3-4).
Rev. 13:7: It was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
It is clear here that he will be given power over ALL kindreds, tongues and nations. I do not read this as limited to the 10 kingdoms of the old Roman Empire territory. Nor can I align this with the pre-tribulation doctrine that the saints here mentioned are tribulation saints only.
One of the pre-trib theories (and there are many) believe a tiny remnant will be raptured before God’s wrath is poured out with the exception of the sealed 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the 2 witnesses and the Jews protected by God in their wilderness place.
It is my faith statement due to this scripture that the beast will be given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. This is an echo of Daniel 7:21 & 25. This conquest consists in the infliction of bodily death on them, but the ultimate victory is theirs. 15:2 I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
(Shortly after moving to Texas, I had a vision where I was walking on a sea of glass, below the glass were flames of fire.}
The model for the beast is the “little horn” of Daniel 7, who had a mouth uttering great things (boasts) and words against the Most High (blasphemies).
As hard as it is for Christians to accept, one of the key thoughts of the book of Revelation is dying for Jesus (whether physically or spiritually). The message to Christians throughout the book is---faith is going to be very expensive during the reign of the beast---it can cost you your life.
2 Thess. 2:4: …the man of lawlessness… opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped. He even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
World-wide power is exercised by the beast, and world-wide worship paid to it.
In chapter 6, the souls under the altar asked how long God was going to wait before avenging their blood. They were told to wait a bit longer until the rest of their brethren had been killed as they had been. Operating with the dragon’s authority, the beast is authorized to begin the slaughter of Christians---and receives the power to do it.
Rev. 13:8: All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Patient endurance, faith and faithfulness of the saints are rooted in their recognition of the sovereignty of God over the world of mankind. His righteous retribution and reward will assuredly be manifested in due course.
The command to worship the beast is universal. No one is exempt. This is the strategy for identifying the Christians. They are the only ones who won’t worship the beast.
Again, “saints” here means those who are “Most Holy”.
Rev. 13:9-10: If any man has an ear, let him hear. He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.
In plain English, John is saying: “You’ve got ears, so listen carefully! Anyone destined to be a prisoner will be arrested and taken to prison; anyone destined to die by the sword will be killed by the sword. This will require the utmost patience and endurance on the part of the saints.”
It is my persuasion that the remnant saints will not be raptured out prior to the reign of the antichrist and the Great Tribulation.
THE BEAST FROM THE EARTH
13:11: I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth…” Thus the unholy trinity of dragon, beast and false prophet is completed.
As the true Christ received His authority from the Father, so Antichrist receives authority from the dragon; as the Holy Spirit glorifies the true Christ (Jn. 16:14); the false prophet glorifies Antichrist.
He also will be a man. The Gr. “allos” for “another” means another of the same kind. The first beast is a man (Vs. 18), so the second one must also be a man. In Rev. 16:13; 19:20 and 20:10, personal pronouns are used of them, indicating they are persons.
That he will come out of the earth again means he is earthly and earthy not of the Spirit. The world-system that is without God.
In Asia Minor, the cult of Rome and Augustus flourished. The second beast is the embodiment of a cult, or the priesthood of an occult. It looks as harmless as a lamb, but its real nature is revealed when it opens its mouth, for it speaks like a dragon.
He will exercise all the power of the first beast or Antichrist before him Rev. 19:20; 2 Th. 2: 8-12). He will cause men on earth to worship the first beast.
This will be a man. However, we must also apply this to the liberal media who has a great mouth and exercises their power of propaganda to magnify the spirit of antichrist
World-wide pressure of every form, psychological and economic will be brought to bear by this beast/system to worship the Antichrist. The mighty works and counterfeit signs and wonders which according to Paul attend the presence of Antichrist will seduce unbelievers. They will then be manipulated by this second beast, who acts as Antichrist’s Minister of Propaganda.
Rev. 13:13-14: He does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. He deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
He will cause men to make an image of the first beast to be worshipped. The image of the beast recalls the abomination that causes desolation standing where he does not belong (Mk. 13:14).
He will have power to give life to the image causing it to speak and do personal acts. The image of the beast/world system is manifest through the camera on television, and social media.
13:15: He had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Again, the liberal media has this power now to create a positive image of their chosen politicians and their ideology. They are even now promoting the ideology and world-view of the spirit of anti-christ.
Mark of the Beast
Rev. 13:16-17: He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. No man can buy or sell, except he has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
The economic boycott of un-conformists is almost startling in its prophetic clarity. The mark stamped on the right hand or the forehead where Jews wore their phylacteries (Dt. 6:8), is the name of the beast worshipped by those who receive it---an unholy travesty of the seal stamped on the foreheads of the servants of God (Rev. 7:3; 14:1; 22:4).