And he took up a position
upon the sands of the sea shore
Then I saw a Wild Beast coming up out of the sea,
and he had ten horns and seven heads.
On his horns were ten kingly crowns,
and inscribed on his heads
were names full of blasphemy.
The Wild Beast which I saw resembled a leopard,
and had feet like the feet of a bear,
and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion;
and it was to the dragon that he owed his power
and his throne and his wide dominion.
I saw that one of his heads seemed to have been
mortally wounded;
but his mortal wound was healed,
and the whole world was amazed and followed him.
And they offered worship to the dragon,
because it was to him that the
Wild Beast owed his dominion;
and they also offered worship
to the Wild Beast, and said:
“Who is there like him?
And who is able to engage in battle with him?”
1. a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words
2. liberty of action granted him for 42 months
And he opened his mouth
to utter blasphemies against God,
to speak evil of His name and of His dwelling place
(that is to say, of those who dwell in heaven)
And permission was given him:
1. to make war upon God’s people
2. and authority was given him over:
a. every tribe
b. every people
c. every language
d. every nation
And all the inhabitants of the earth will be found
to be worshiping him:
everyone one whose name is not recorded in the
Book of Life
-- the book of the Lamb offered in sacrifice
from the creation of the world.
Let all who have ears give heed.
If any one is eager to lead others into captivity,
he must himself go into captivity.
If any one is bent on killing with the sword,
he must himself be killed by the sword.
Here is an opportunity for:
endurance
and
for exercise of faith
on the part of the saints.
13:1 Then 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.
- Heavenly CIA looks into enemy camp. The point of having it is to be prepared with it.
- Why is God revealing this to us? Because He is giving us the broad strokes of satan’s power base and his goals and
strategies. He is giving us the broad strokes in Revelation 13 and we really need to know and need to teach our
We don’t believe it is scary to teach them – we believe it is preparation and wisdom.
- Revelation 10-14 (especially 12, 13, and 14) are a unit. Revelation is the war in the spirit of satan against God – that
is the point of Revelation 12 to inform us that behind the scenes, satan has actively been in a state of war against God and
God’s people. The message is that the war began in heaven when Lucifer rose up and said ‘no’ to God and was cast out of
heaven. Then the war continued on the earth and it really picked up when God chose the nation of Israel – when God chose
the covenant nation that the Messiah would come out of that nation – the war went up in far great intensity.
- Revelation 13 is the most important chapter in terms of information about the antichrist and false prophet in the word
- of
God
- Satan’s primary strategy – not his only – his primary strategy – his centerpiece strategy to destroy the people of God
- is
to raise up two men who have demonic anointing with great resources. These two men will be fully human and fully
demonized.
- Chapter 13 introduces satan’s two evil accomplices: (1) the creature that comes out of the sea and (2) the strange
animal that comes out of the earth. Together, the three evil beings form an unholy trinity in direct opposition to the Holy
Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (LB)
- As the dragon is in opposition to God, so the creature is against Christ and may be seen as satan’s false
- messiah (LB)
- He has more: political, economic, military, and spiritual power than any other man. The combination of the four is
- more resources than any other man in history that has lived on the earth. So Verses 1 and 2 tell you: big army, big
- alliances of government (that’s political), lots of money, and lots of spiritual power.
- Beast from the sea – antichrist – false lamb – man of sin
- That the beast is a man, and not a system, or an army, may be seen from chapters 19:19, 20; 20:10 (W)
- Beast – man becomes “brutish” when he severs himself from God, the archetype and true ideal, in whose image he
was first made, which ideal is realized by the man Christ Jesus (JFB)
- Sea – nations. It is in the turmoil of the nations and the darkness of the vast and cold powerful forces. The earth will
be in turmoil.
- Sea – the confused, unstable, disorderly and rebellious multitudes of the nations from which arise the enemies of the
church. In Old Testament, the sea often used to describe a restless nation of people. It is human society estranged from
God and organized in hostility against His purpose and will. It is also the embodiment of a sad and perilous order of life
belonging to the present evil age. (TB)
- Out of the sea – out of the troubled waves of peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. The earth on the other hand,
means the consolidated, ordered world of nations, with its culture and learning (JFB)
- Sea means more than water: ‘the beast from the abyss’, as it is called in 11:7, is thrown up, like other chaotic forces
of evil, by the cosmic deep (Daniel 7:2) (Z)
- The ten horns and seven heads probably refer to the political powers that support the beast (W)
- Ten leaders later usurped by the antichrist (little horn); ten-nation power base the antichrist takes over (he kills the
three resistant kings)
- He will have a coalition of other rulers
- He will have a global theatre in a moment
- Horn – blasphemy, murder, social domination
- Horns speak of power. He will have power over the economy and religion. Positional power. He will look like a
lamb – he will appear mild, gentle, harmless, even soft. He will appear reasonable and as a man who can be entreated.
He is not a lamb – he is a beast and as cruel as the other man.
- Seven implies the world power setting up itself as God, and caricaturing the seven Spirits of God; yet its true
character as God-opposed is detected by the number ten accompanying the seven -- the seven kings, as peculiarly
powerful-the great powers of the world-are distinguished from the then, represented by the horns (simply called ‘kings’)
(JFB)
- One man is going to have more armies, more nations in unity, more money, and more false anointing – but more
power than any other man in history
- The word blasphemy on its forehead proclaims its direct enmity to the glory of God (MH)
- A name on each of the heads; blasphemously arrogating attributes belonging to God alone (JFB)
References: Daniel 7:2 (Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea),
7 (After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong, it had huge iron teeth; it was devouring,
breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns), 8 (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); 11:36 (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); Revelation 12:3; 17:3; Jeremiah 49:23 (Against
Damascus. Hamath and Arpad are shamed, for they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; there is trouble on the sea; it cannot be quiet.)
13:2 Now 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.
- Leopard … bear … lion – symbolic of the savage cruelty of this destructive person and his mighty army (W)
- John’s beast combined characteristics of Daniel’s four beats (NIV)
- World power is always able to command the homage of that worldly spirit to which it makes its appeal. Worldly power
is not only persuasive and threatening, it is also at times very attractive.
- The dragon is satan himself. His inspiration will be supernatural. He’ll have military and political genius.
- This beast appears to be satan’s figure-head; a man endued with satan’s power, knowledge, and wisdom (W)
References: Revelation 12:3, 9; 13:4, 12; Daniel 7:4, 5, 6; Hosea 13:7
13:3 And 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.
- Verse 3 tells us – satan’s advantage – there is this catalytic event – this dramatic wounding and healing and the
whole earth will be amazed. There will be drama that will give him credibility. So now he not only has more money, more
armies, more nations in unity, more false anointing, but now some spiritually orchestrated drama that the whole earth will
get swept into – not the whole earth because obviously there will be some who don’t fall for it – but the majority of the earth.
- The statement that the ‘fatal wound healed’ is parody of the death and resurrection of Christ (TB)
- He will say he is the savior and that he died and rose again and that Jesus Christ was the antichrist and fake.
- Mortally wounded – smitten to death (NAS)
- This drama will give him credibility – a spiritually orchestrated drama that the majority of the earth will get swept into
- So satan says he will raise up a man who will declare his death, die, and raise and the world will be shocked.
- The antichrist will be a counterfeit of Christ and will even stage a false resurrection (LB)
- The beast, healed of its temporary and external wound, now returns, not only from the sea, but from the bottomless
pit, whence it draws new antichristian strength of hell (JFB)
- A Napoleon, in one view, will be the antichrist, restoring the Jews to Palestine, and accepted as their Messiah at first,
and afterwards fearfully oppressing them. (JFB)
- Marveled – wondered – followed him with wonder and admiration as seen in the following verses. This person will
exhibit great knowledge, tact, and great personal magnetism, attracting multitudes and even nations to himself. (W)
- Followed with wondering gaze (JFB)
References: Revelation 13:12, 14; 17:8
13:4 So 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?”
- A man with a false anointing saying he is god will lead to global desolation. World power is always able to command
the homage of that worldly spirit to which it makes its appeal. Worldly power is not only persuasive and threatening; it is
also at times very attractive (TB)
- Verse 4 tells us what he is after – just so we know and there is no confusion: he wants worship. And he wants to
seek to remove the entire resistance movement in the nations. He’s going to have worship with intimidation. He’s going to
show his power so one group is awestruck, but one group is a little tentative he wants to intimidate them so that all the
resistance is gone. And he’ll just say something like this, “If you don’t get with the program, you and all your children will
go to prison, be beaten, and starve to death and you’ll be tortured. And if you find someone who is not going along with the
problem and you don’t turn them in, then you’ll be thrown into prison too.” It’s called intimidation. He’s really serious about
this. He will appear invincible.
- He will demand blasphemous worship. (DP) It will be worship with intimidation
- The world religion will be satan worship
- The crisis at the end of the age: a crisis of passion. Who will get the affection and worship of man?
- Two main goals in the war by satan: (1) to establish a worldwide worship movement, and (2) to exterminate the Jewish
people
- He is limited as to the persons that he shall entirely subject to his will. It will be only those whose names are not written
in the Lamb’s book of life (MH)
- He uses his power to manipulate others (LB)
- Who is like unto God – a parody of the name Michael (JFB)
References: Exodus 15:11 (Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?);
Isaiah 46:5 (To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?); Revelation 18:18
13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to
continue for forty-two months.
- Then verse 5-8 I call it his administration – its how he administrates his plan through the false prophet and the
antichrist and the way he is going to work this plan is that he is going to accuse God and kill Christians. It’s real simple.
He’s going to blaspheme God. He’s going to tell lies about God – he’s going to tell all kinds of lies and God’s answer to this
lies – yes, it’s the word of God – but there is more to the word of God. It has to be open, read, and received by people and
proclaimed. So it is the word of God proclaimed. God is raising up forerunners right now – messengers – that with such
clarity they will be proclaiming this. So the lies – blaspheme God – he will say: “I’ve already defeated this Christian God who
has orchestrated all the pain of the human race anyway. “ And he’s going to have facts and figures and a presentation that
will be very compelling and make God responsible for the murder and the pain of the human race in the eyes of multitudes.
And he’s going to blaspheme the name of God – His character. Number one God doesn’t care about you. He’s unrighteous
in His judgments. It says he’s going to blaspheme the temple where all His judgments come from. They are going to
blaspheme everything that is related to the tabernacle of God: the temple and the altars – the place where the judgments
come. And this evil man is going to blaspheme all the judgments that come from the tabernacle. And God says, “I’m not
worried. I’m going to have my faithful messengers all over the earth – anointed in power and walking in the truth and
revelation of what they proclaim.”
- Was given – four times in the text of verses 5-7 the passive “was given” occurs, emphasizing the subordinate role of
the beast (NIV)
- Continue – make war (NKJ)
- He mocks God’s character. He tells lies about God. And he’s going to have facts and figures and a presentation that
will be very compelling and make God responsible for the murder and the pain of the human race in the eyes of multitudes
- His vision grand. His ideas compelling and powerful. He will have anointing to speak with supernatural clarity.
- Starts out offering peace and security and soon takes over
- He is limited in point of time (MH)
References: Daniel 7:8, 11 (I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast
was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame), 20 (and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up,
before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his
fellows), 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); 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (Let no one deceive you
by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition); Revelation 11:2
13:6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle,
and those who dwell in heaven.
- Opened mouth – the usual formula in the case of a set speech, or series of speeches (JFB)
- When the antichrist governs the political systems of the world using demonic signs and wonders then declares himself
to be God. Because he will be in the top position as world leader, the stakes are very high. The essence of the abomination
is that he uses his political position to force the whole earth into satanic worship. This abomination is backed up by demonic
signs and wonders
- Blaspheming His tabernacle – is the place where the judgments of God are loosed. He will accuse God of being the one
causing trouble.
References: John 1:14 (And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth); Colossians 2:9 (For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily); Revelation 12:12; 7:15
13:7 It 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.
- Saints – true believers – holy ones (NAS)
- Martyrdom escalates for three and a half years
- Satan overcomes saints physically; saints overcome satan spiritually
- His authority is granted to him by God. We cannot bind him in prayer because God grants him authority. Why?
To purify, refine, and make radiant the people of God
- The woman, who had been protected during the first 1260 days of the tribulation, is given up to death during the last
1260 days of the tribulation. The universality of the beast’s dominion is here plainly declared. (W)
References: Daniel 7:21 (I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them), 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); Revelation 11:7, 18; Daniel 11:33-35
13:8 All 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.
- Written in the book … slain from the foundation of the world (NAS)
- He was slain in the Father’s eternal counsels. Whatsoever virtue was in the sacrifices, did operate through Messiah’s
death alone. (JFB)
References: Exodus 32:32 (Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written);
Revelation 17:8; Matthew 25:34 (Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.)
13:9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
- Christ’s own words of monition calling solemn attention (JFB)
- Four great enemies of people of God: (They are dealt with in reverse order)
1. Devil – goes to Lake of Fire
2. Antichrist – thrown into hell at Armageddon
3. False prophet – thrown into hell at Armageddon
4. Babylon – falls
References: Revelation 2:7
13:10 He 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.
- Faithful believers can expect persecution and suffering but they are not to defend themselves by the use of a
sword. (TB)
- Those to be persecuted by the beast in various ways, have their trials severally appointed them by God’s fixed
counsel (JFB)
- John affirms the principle upon which God’s government of the word operates: sin must bring its reward of suffering
and ultimate frustration. Christian insight into history consists of holding on to this clue. All power belongs to God and He is
still in control even when evil appears all-powerful.
- Patience – perseverance – steadfastness (NAS)
- As the first beast is to be met by patience and faith, the second beast must be opposed by true wisdom
(verse 18) (JFB)
- This verse seems to mean that the desolating leader and his armies have soon to face the same sad conditions that
they have forced upon others (W)
- We will defeat him through patience and faith (trusting love) in the place of intercession, in the place of embracing
physical death, in the place of sacrifice and serving.
References: Isaiah 33:1 (Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; and you who deal treacherously, though they have
not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered; when you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will
deal treacherously with you); Genesis 9:6 (Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man);
Revelation 14:12; Jeremiah 15:2 (And it shall be, if they say to you, “Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord” “Such as
are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity,
to the captivity”); Jeremiah 43:11 (When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to
captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword.); Matthew 26:52; Hebrews 6:12 (that you may not be
sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises)