Evil and the Beasts

In Revelation 12, we discussed three of the major characters of the Tribulation period.

The woman who represents Israel.

The child who is Jesus.

The dragon who is the symbol for Satan.

Today in Revelation 13, we’re going to discuss two other major players.

Revelation 13 is divided into two sections. Verses 1-10 are all about the beast from the sea. Verses 11-18 focus on the beast from out of the Earth. Both of them are Satan’s puppets.

Revelation 13:1 NIV 13 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. ²The 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. ³One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴People 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 wage war against it?”

⁵The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. ⁷It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. ⁸All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁰“If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

Satan, we are told, stands on the shore as John sees a beast coming up out of the sea. Some theologians think this is literally a body of water, specifically the Mediterranean Sea, but others, including Warren W. Wiersbe believe that “the sea symbolizes the Gentile nations (Rev. 17:15).”[i]

The beast has ten horns with crowns on each and seven heads inscribed with blasphemous names. Other than the blasphemous names, this is the same description attached to the fiery red dragon in Revelation 12.

Ten horns, ten crowns, seven heads with blasphemous names. What does this symbolize? Fortunately for us, Scripture provides a cheat sheet.

We’ve discussed how Daniel was given many similar visions as John concerning the last days. In Daniel 7, Daniel has a dream about four beasts; we’ll talk a little more about this later. The last beast that Daniel sees in his dream is one with ten horns. He’s curious and terrified and wants to know what or who this beast is. “¹⁹“Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left.

²³“He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. ²⁴The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom.” (Daniel, Chapter 7)

John also explains the ten horns in Revelation 17 CEV “¹² The ten horns you saw are ten more kings, who have not yet come into power, and they will rule with the beast for only a short time. ¹³They all think alike and will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴These kings will go to war against the Lamb. But he will defeat them, because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings. His followers are chosen and special and faithful.”

The ten horns are representative of ten kingdoms. It seems that there will be a treaty made among ten sovereignties. Warren Wiersbe gets a little more specific in his theory when he says, “It appears that ‘the beast’ will head a ‘United States of Europe,’ a revised Roman Empire, before taking over as world dictator.” Wiersbe is not alone in his theory on this. Many others share this belief.

With the ten horns, we see confederated power. The crowns represent the ruling authority given to the beast.

The seven heads are also deciphered for us in Revelation 17. “The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰They are also seven kings.” (Revelation 17:9b NIV) It may be no coincidence that seven hills were used for the building of Rome.[ii] Here again, a hint at a revised Roman Empire. These seven heads will represent wisdom.

All combined, the beast will have great power, authority, and wisdom. “But all of his genius and ability only combine in blasphemy against. God.”[iii] So, who is this beast that comes from the sea?

This will be the Antichrist even though he’s not called that because interestingly, the word “Antichrist” is never used in Revelation. In fact, the word is used only four times in the entire Bible and is found in 1 & 2 John.

“¹⁸Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that theAntichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18 NKJV)

“²²Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22 NKJV)

“²By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:2 NKJV)

⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”2 John 1:7 NIV)

Depending on the translation you use, the word “antichrist” may be seen in two different ways. In the New King James, Holman, and New Living Translations, you’ll see Antichrist (with a capital “A”) and antichrist (with a lowercase “a”). It’s important to make the distinction because many antichrists have existed throughout history and even today, but there will only be one Antichrist.

The original Hebrew word for “anti” means “over against, opposite, or instead of”.[iv]

We know that Jesus has had enemies since the day He was born. People who didn’t like Him, those who wanted to silence Him, those who sought to kill Him, those who opposed Him. They are antichrists and they are many in number. Any person who subscribes to a life of evil is an antichrist. Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, Nero the Roman Emperor, and Jezebel, just to name a few.

But there will be one evil person who seeks to replace Jesus Christ in the end days, and he will be much more powerful than any other antichrist in the past. This will set him apart from the others and he will be the Antichrist.

“The Antichrist will come in [the] image of Satan, while Jesus came in the name of the Father. Jesus warned us about this one coming in His own name. ‘I am come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive (John 5:43).’”[v]

You may recall that the Antichrist was on the first horse (the white horse) that was released when the first seal was broken in Revelation 6. Later in chapter 11, the beast that rises from the abyss is who kills the two witnesses and this is believed to be the Antichrist.

Instead of using the word Antichrist in Revelation, John is inspired to describe him as a beast. “The symbolic description of ‘the beast’ enables us to learn something about his origin and character. God does not see him as a man, made in the divine image, but as a wild animal, under the control of Satan. He is a man (Rev. 13:18), but he is energized from hell, for he comes out of the pit (Rev. 11:7; 17:8). Just as Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, so “the beast” will be Satan in a human body (see John 13:2, 27).”[vi] Remember, on his own, Satan is a spiritual being.

All combined, the Antichrist will have great power, authority, and wisdom. “But all of his genius and ability only combine in blasphemy against. God.”^[vii]

In verse 2, John sees the beast and makes comparisons to three random animals. Leopard, a bear, and a lion. In Daniel’s dream in chapter 7, he too sees these same animals. It is widely believed that these animals represent different kingdoms that would rule in the future as Daniel sees it. Daniel was held captive by the Babylonians when Judah was overthrown. The lion is believed to represent Babylon.

Some years later, Babylon is overthrown by the Medo-Persian empire. The bear is said to be the icon of this empire. And it’s fitting because Daniel sees a bear who is raised up on one side, indicating dominance. This was certainly the case as the Persians were larger and more powerful. (Queen Esther period.)

However, many years later, the Medo-Persian empire fell, and the Greeks came into power. This would be Alexander the Great. The leopard represents the Greeks. When Alexander died, the kingdom was split into four separate kingdoms.

“The Greeks eventually fell to the Romans, who emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean world by the first century CE.”[viii] There again is the mention of the Roman Empire. Daniel sees this beast as the fourth beast that is not associated with a specific animal. It’s just simply called a beast which is precisely what John calls him. This beast is a “ more powerful empire, meaning the Revived Roman Empire. “[ix]

You can see that what John sees is what Daniel saw, just in reverse order. That’s because Daniel was looking into the future; John is looking into the past.

Verse 3 speaks of a mortal or fatal wound that has been healed. As you can imagine, there is a lot of speculation regarding this. The healed wound appears significant because John refers to it three times in this chapter. In fact, the healed wound seems to be what causes people to become awestruck with him because it is a fatal wound and yet, he’s not dead. Verse 3 tells us that the whole world is filled with wonder and begins to follow him.

Scripture doesn’t give us much more information on this wound so all we have is speculation. Some see this as symbolic of the fall of the Roman Empire that will experience a resurgence therefore a healing of that wound.

Some go so far as to interpret the Antichrist as “a man who has been here on the earth before and has died, but whom Satan will raise from the dead.”[x] Of course this idea opens up to many opinions on who that could be. Some of the names are Judas Iscariot, Nero, Hitler, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, many of the US Presidents, and many of the Roman Catholic popes.

Whatever theory you subscribed to really makes no difference because the main thread in this is that the Antichrist is one“who even imitates Jesus in His death and resurrection. The world will believe this, and it will add tremendously to his fame and power.”[xi]

Let’s meet the second beast.

Revelation 13:11 NIV “¹¹Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹²It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.”

Ahhh, the infamous 666. We’ll get to that in a moment.

This second beast is the False Prophet. Once again, there have been multiple false prophets throughout history, but this will be the False Prophet. “Like the first beast, he is a real person, a man who is subordinate to and dependent upon the first beast, as the first beast is subordinate to and dependent upon Satan.”[xii] As he is in alliance with Satan and the Antichrist, the False Prophet completes the unholy or satanic trinity. The False Prophet is the counterfeit Holy Spirit. “The false prophet will point to the Antichrist and his image and compel people to worship Satan through “the beast”.[xiii] Whereas the Antichrist is the leader in the political arena, the False Prophet will be the leader in the religious sector. Together, they’ll be like a dynamic, evil duo.

The False Prophet comes up out of the earth which is different from the origin of the Antichrist. Land or earth is often used in the Bible to refer to Israel whereas the sea refers to Gentile nations.[xiv] Based on that, many believe that it’s likely that the false prophet will be Jewish.

The false prophet only has two horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. Since the horns represent power, it’s safe to say that the false prophet has less power than the Antichrist. And, you may have noticed, he has no crowns which “indicates that his authority is not political.”[xv] John describes the false prophet “like a lamb” which gives the impression of a gentle and peaceful leader; however, his speech will reveal otherwise.

His sole purpose is to cause those left to surrender and worship the Antichrist. He uses deception, manipulation, and threats to accomplish this. He performs signs that were also performed by Elijah, as well as the two witnesses, which increases his popularity. Then he will order that an image of the Antichrist be built, possibly a statue or some type of sculpture. But then, to really manipulate the world, the false prophet will be empowered to breathe life into the image enabling it to speak and to kill. And then, he will threaten everyone to receive the mark of the beast. “The Greek word used for this “mark of the beast” is charagma, related to the brand seared into animals to denote their ownership. The word is also used of idols and other negative ideas. In contrast, the followers of God are “sealed,” from the Greek root word sphragis, referring to a proof or inscription. The symbolism of these words is powerful: God places a symbol of value on His people—Satan brands his followers like animals.”[xvi]

Without it, people won’t be able to buy or sell. Period. The implications of that are catastrophic if you think about it. Those without the mark will not be able to buy groceries, run a business, buy a car, buy gas, stay in a hotel, buy a home or sell a home, get medical attention, or have utilities including electricity, water, and cell phone service.

If you think about our tendency to be a cashless society, this wouldn’t be hard to implement. Our debit cards and credit cards most often have RFID chips which are linked to our bank accounts and personal data. It’s not unreasonable to think of similar chips being implanted in hands or foreheads.

Most people, whether they are Christians, Jews, Atheists, Agnostics, Satanists, Buddhists or non-denominational, know that 666 is associated with the Antichrist. But what does 666 mean? Honestly, no one knows for sure but that hasn’t stopped many from speculating. What we do know is that numerical values can be assigned to letters, words, or phrases. It’s called gematria. As Warren Wiersbe says, “Bible students have been attempting for years to unravel the mystery of his name and number. If you work at it hard enough, almost any name will fit!” There’s a numerical theory that the letter A=100, B=101, C=102, and so forth. By using that equation, the name “Hitler” adds up to 666.

Another thought is that the 6^th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “vav” which is pronounced more like a “w”.[xvii] The 666 in this case would convert to vav, vav, vav or www indicating that the internet is strategically involved.

Personally, I think the most logical explanation is this. “The Word of God says, ‘It is the number of a man.” We know that man was created on the sixth day. We know further that seven is the number of completion or perfection. Six then is short of seven, so that man at his zenith is still imperfect. We know that the Antichrist will be the fullest manifestation of man at his best, but any man at his best is a poor imitation of Jesus Christ.”[xviii]

As fierce, powerful, authoritative, destructive, and evil as these two beasts will be, they are still no match for our God! They will be used to separate the chaff from the wheat in the end days.

In Dr. David Jeremiah’s book After the Rapture, he writes to the ones who will be reading to understand and survive in the days of the Tribulation. This is what he writes to them with regards to the mark, but his words have meaning to us as well.

“You face a colossal choice. You must choose. There’s no getting around this. Will you follow Christ and be marked as God’s own in your heart and in your actions? Or will you be marked as Satan’s own? Will you stand for Christ, His Son, no matter the personal costs, or will you fall for the Antichrist? Will you take the mark or trust the Messiah? Will you endure any hardship or persecution for His sake? When you are forced to choose between standing with God by rejecting the mark or taking it to ensure the immediate safety and security of your family, which will you choose?

“Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, you must refuse the safe and easy path and choose to stand for God rather than bow to evil. It’s not easy. It never has been. But God has not changed. The God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego is your God if you have trusted in Jesus Christ. He will stand by your side just as He stood with them in the fire.

“I want to encourage you to obey God no matter what and leave the results and outcome with Him.”[xix]

Our daily choices make a difference, not only in our own lives but also in the lives of those around us.

Years ago, I was watching a football game much like I do any other sport. Not knowing much about the game, I depend on those around me to know when to cheer and when to “boo”. One thing I do know is that opposing teams wear different jerseys so I can tell who belongs to what team. One player on the opposing team confused me. He kept making moves on the field that benefitted our team. I kept watching him and the more I watched, the more befuddled I became. If he had not been wearing the opponent’s jersey, I would have sworn he was one of our players.

As Christians, we wear “jerseys” made up of our choices, our attitudes, the way we treat others, and the way we conduct ourselves. If we tell others that we are on God’s team, but we are rude to the server at the restaurant or we choose not to honor our word, then that can be confusing and befuddling to others watching us. If we brag about our church attendance and/or membership, but we are known for our gossiping tongue and frequent dishonesty, then our witness for Christ is severely impacted.

Every choice, every decision either scores one for God’s team or one for Satan’s team. We all make mistakes. We sin sometimes without even thinking about it. Jesus died on the cross for that very reason. But at the end of the day, whose team have you scored more points for? God’s or Satan’s. It may be sobering to keep a tally.

Choose God and obey Him. (Psst…..His team WINS!)

[i] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe

[ii] What are the Seven Hills of Rome? – WorldAtlas

[iii] Revelation by Lehman Strauss

[iv] Strong’s Greek: 473. ἀντί (anti) — over against, opposite, hence instead of, in comp. denotes contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence (biblehub.com)

[v] How Will Satan Work through the Man of Sin? (blueletterbible.org)

[vi] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe

[vii] Revelation by Lehman Strauss

[viii] From Babylon to Rome: The Rise and Fall of Empires in the Biblical World | Bible Archaeology (bible-archaeology.com)

[ix] What does Revelation 13:2 mean? | BibleRef.com

[x] Revelation by Lehman Strauss

[xi] Enduring Word Bible Commentary Revelation Chapter 13