Revelation

13.1-18

As the second half of Tribulation unfolds (v5, 42 months), two beasts are described: the Beast from the Sea (vv1-10) and the Beast from the Earth (vv11-18). Both are agents of Satan acting with and by his authority (vv4,12). The first will be the powerful leader the world has desperately sought, bringing peace and prosperity. John wrote in his first epistle you have "heard that antichrist is coming" (1 Jn 2:18). Paul similarly reminds us in 2 Thes 2:5 after describing Antichrist, "Do you not remember that while I was with you, I was telling you these things?". Revelation 13:1-8 is the most complete description of the Antichrist of all Scripture, although Daniel 7-11 gives the original source of biblical information. John lists descriptors of the Antichrist as a leopard (Greek), a bear (Medo-Persian), and a lion (Babylonian) (v2) as Daniel had in 7:3-7, but in reverse of Daniel's listing. Daniel was listing them in chronological order looking forward in time, while John was looking back. The Antichrist will solidify his rule in a miraculous recovery from a mortal wound. The world will be amazed and worship him (v3). With a new fanatical following, he will no longer hide his Satanic affiliation and desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem (vv5-6), and mercilessly attack believers in the one true God (v7). The final false prophet appears harmless as a lamb (v11), but by great signs (v13) and creating an idol (14), he will execute as many as refuse to worship the Antichrist (v15). His command brings the mark of the beast to be applied to the right hand or forehead of all (v16). Commerce will be refused to the unmarked (v17). There is wisdom in understanding the number of the beast "666" (v18). Six is the number for man. Repeated thrice, is to make it holy. Such was Satan's greatest sin - to make a god of himself.

CHAPTER 13

The Beast from the Sea

1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain fatally, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled and followed after the beast.
4 And they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”
5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great boasts and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
7 And it was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and he was speaking as a dragon.
12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13 And he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which were given to him to do in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, that they be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17 and that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of man; and his number is 666.