May 18, 2024
Satan is angry. His dreams of reigning supreme in the universe have come to nothing. Christ has resumed his place on the throne and Satan no longer has access to heaven. He now turns his attention to earth and those who have chosen faithfulness to God. His sole purpose is to destroy and he will use every weapon in his arsenal: persecution, coercion and deception to accomplish his goal. From this point on, deception will be his main weapon of choice.
Throughout history, Satan has always had collaborators. Specifically, religious or political powers who have joined forces with him to suppress and oppress God’s people. As earth’s history comes to a close, he will, once again, have collaborators: The Sea Beast and the Earth Beast.
The Sea Beast (13:1-10)
John watches as the Dragon (Satan) stands on the shore of the sea. Suddenly a Beast arises from the depths. It has 10 horns and 7 heads and 10 crowns – each head has a blasphemous name. As the Beast slowly appears, John sees that it looks like a leopard, has feet like a bear and the mouth of a lion. Power is given to it by the Dragon.
This Beast mirrors the description of the Red Dragon (12:3), the Scarlet Beast (17:3) and the 4th Beast of Daniel 7:7, 24.
It also looks a whole lot like all the Beasts in Daniels vision (ch. 7) but in reverse order:
o Daniel: lion, bear, leopard, beast.
o Revelation: beast, leopard, bear, lion
Christ has the character and agenda of the Father and the Sea Beast has the character and agenda of the Dragon because, “The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.” (compare with Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:12-14; 12:10)
At some point one of the heads of the Sea Beast received a deadly wound, but the wound has been healed.
The death and resurrection of the Sea Beast also mirrors the death and resurrection of Christ (the same Greek word used for the slaying of the beast is used for the death of Christ).
The resurrection of the Beast prompts amazement among the earth’s inhabitants. In admiration they worship both the Sea Beast and the Dragon (Satan).
The worshippers ask, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” (Rev. 13:4):
• “Who is like the beast” stands in contrast to “Who is like God” (Ex. 15:11; Ps. 35:10; Mic. 7:18), which refers to the incomparability of God and the name, Michael, which in Hebrew means, “Who is like God.” This end-time ally of Satan is a true counterfeit of Jesus.
John describes the Sea Beast as having a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies to exercise his authority for 42 months:
• He blasphemed God, slandered his name, his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
• He was given power to make war with God’s people and overcome them.
• He was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation and all the inhabitants of earth will worship this Beast – “those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb.”
Which is very reminiscent of the Little Horn Power in Daniel 7.
This religious/political system appeared at the chaotic end of Roman Empire and was fully developed by 538 AD. It exercised authority and power during the prophetic period of 42 months / 3 ½ years / 1260 days, suppressing the knowledge of God and oppressing God’s faithful people.
• In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9, Paul states that this apostate power would take “its seat in the church of God” and exalt itself above God, displaying itself as God and manifesting itself in all the power of Satan – finally coming to its end at the Second Coming of Jesus.
Finally, John says, “Listen up. If someone is to go into captivity, into captivity he goes; if someone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed,” implying that the Sea Beast will eventually receive judgment proportionate to the harm he has done to God’s people.
The description of the Sea Beast suggests that it is a representation of all religious/political world powers that have oppressed God’s people throughout history.
• Egypt
• Assyria
• Babylon
• Medo Persia
• Greece
• Rome
• Medieval Church
This Beast, having the character and agenda of the Dragon (Satan) has always been active through one of its heads.
The head that received the mortal wound represents the Catholic Church. A study of history reveals that the Institutional Church of the Middle Ages enforced a system of belief that distorted the truth of God, sought to claim the prerogatives of God and created a priesthood that replaced the atoning ministry of Jesus to further its own political and religious agenda.
I also want to make clear that ANY religious group that compromises with the world, trades the Truth of God for human traditions and uses religion/politics to hold people spiritually hostage also reveals the character and agenda of the Dragon (Satan). I don’t care what name is on the door.
The power of the Institutional Church was broken (deadly wound) when Pope Pius VI was removed from Rome in 1798, but we are told that the wound will be healed and that brings us neatly to our next Collaborator.
The Earth Beast (12:16; 13:11-17)
The vision now shifts and John sees a Beast coming out of the Earth. This is the same entity that protected God’s people at the end of the 1260 days of prophetic time.
The Earth Beast:
• Has 2 horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon.
• Exercises all the authority of the Sea Beast and makes “those who dwell on the earth” to worship the Sea Beast, “whose fatal wound had been healed.”
• Performs great and miraculous signs – even causing fire to come down from heaven in full view of all men – deceiving those who dwell on the earth.
• Orders the inhabitants of earth to set up an image to the Sea Beast.
• Is given power to give life to the image, so that it speaks and causes all who refuse to worship the image to be killed.
• Forces everyone, small, great, rich, poor, free, slave to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead. No one can buy or sell unless he has the mark – which is the name of the Beast or the number of his name. It is a human number – 666.
This lamblike entity is a new player on the world stage and functions exclusively as an end-time power – arising sometime after 1798.
In contrast to the Sea Beast, it is friendly to God’s faithful people. However, it displays the same satanic spirit of the Sea Beast (Religious Power) and speaks like the Dragon (Satan).
In the same way the Holy Spirit exercises the authority of Christ, the Earth Beast will exercise “all authority of the beast that came before it” (John 14:26; 1 Thess. 4:8; Rev. 13:12).
The Earth Beast deceives the people in 2 stages:
• Miraculous Signs – Through the rest of Revelation the Earth Beast will be referred to as “The False Prophet” and will work miracles on behalf of the Sea Beast, the greatest of which is bringing fire down from heaven. These signs and wonders have a specific purpose: to counterfeit the power of God and deceive the people into worshipping the Sea Beast (see Deut. 13:1-4; 1 Kings 18:38; Acts 2:3).
• Coercion – The Earth Beast will persuade the inhabitants of the earth to worship an image/copy of the Sea Beast. Images lack life, however, and it is here that the Earth Beast plays a decisive role – it gives life to the image of the Sea Beast, enabling it to function. In other words, the Sea Beast does not TAKE power ---- an image of the Sea Beast is GIVEN power. At the time of the end, an IMAGE of the religious system that received the deadly wound will be GIVEN new life by a political power and will have the same agenda as all the other heads have had throughout history – destroy God’s people.
I would suggest that this IMAGE is a hybrid. It represents all the religious entities that will compromise with the world and replace truth with human tradition. With the political backing of the Earth Beast, they will join together to suppress the Truth of God and oppress “those who obey the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” – 12:17
Who is the Earth Beast? There is only one world power that appeared in history in the post-medieval period that fits the description of this lamblike beast – the United States.
The U.S. provided protection and a safe haven for those escaping political/religious persecution in Europe and yet, it will be the primary entity responsible for the healing of the Sea Beast’s deadly wound. It will play a leading role in the re-marriage of church and state that will impact the entire world.
We now have the representatives of the Counterfeit Trinity = the Dragon (Satan) the Sea Beast (End-Time Religious Power) and the Earth Beast (End-Time Political Power). Throughout the rest of Revelation, they will be inseparably linked in their opposition to God and the destruction of his people.
And now to the elephant in the room….. The Mark of the Beast (13:16-17)
All who buy what the Satanic Trinity is selling, will receive a Mark on their right hand or forehead. Just as the Seal of God signifies ownership, so does the Mark of the Beast. Those who receive the Seal of God belong to God. Those who receive the Mark of the Beast, belong to the Beast/Dragon.
The central issue at the end-of-time is worship and obedience – basically speaking, who has your allegiance, God or Satan.
At the heart of the central issue is Satan’s desire to be like God – to be worshipped as God. He wants to be the sole ruler of this world, but that is impossible as long as there are people who refuse to acknowledge his rule. Those people have to go.
The imagery in verses 14-18 reminds us of Daniel 3, which also records forced worship:
An image:
Revelation 13:14b - He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Daniel 3:1a - King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold……
The number 6 associated with the image:
Revelation 13:18 - This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
Daniel 3:1b – (the image was) sixty cubits high and six cubits wide and was set up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
The universal scope of worship:
Revelation 13:14a, 16 - Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth……. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,
Daniel 3:2, 7 - He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up….. 7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The threat of death for refusal to worship the image:
Revelation 13:15 - He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
Daniel 3:5-6 - As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
The story of Daniel 3 will be repeated at the time of the end on a global scale. Popular worship will once again be enforced by political power. People will have to make their choice: worship the image or worship the true God.
The Number 666 (13:18)
Revelation 13 concludes with a call for spiritual wisdom and insight to figure out the number of the Beast, 666.
Six is the number of Babylon –
• In Isaiah 14, Babylon and Satan are linked in character and intent, “I will make myself like the Most High God.” (Isaiah 14:13-14 also see Daneil 3:15, Daniel 4; Daniel 5:18-23)
• The counting system of ancient Babylon is based on the numbers 6 and 60, which explains why the statue of Daniel 3 was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide. We still use Babylonian measurements for angles (90, 180, 360 degrees,) and time (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours).
• The number 6 also has religious significance. 60 was the number of Babylonian supreme gods and Babylonian priests wore an amulet containing a mysterious configuration of numbers which totaled 666:
Six is the number of humanity apart from God –
The Greek phrase “arithmos anthropou” can be translated “the number of a man” or “the number of humanity.” It is “the number of humanity” that applies here.
In the Bible, at large, 7 expresses the perfection of God. Being one short of 7, 6 represents how human effort falls short of divine perfection.
Solomon and 666 –
The only other text in the Bible that mentions 666 is in 1 Kings 10:14, “The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents….” The context of the chapter is Solomon’s accumulation of wealth, including horses and chariots from Egypt – a clear violation of God’s instructions (Deut. 17:16-20). Chapter 11 begins by telling us that Solomon loved many foreign women – 700 wives and 300 concubines – who led him astray to worship other gods. As Solomon turned away from God, he became filled with pride and arrogance, and served other gods. Eventually, the path he chose lead Israel away from God. 666, then, represents Solomon’s attempt to gain success and worldly honor apart from God.
In the context of Revelation 13, 666 refers to a human institution that had once been faithful to God but has turned away from him and now falls short of his divine character. This institution has now become a religious-political system, backed by Satan, that opposes God, exalts itself above God, claims the titles and prerogatives of God, demands worship and is not afraid to use force to secure the loyalty of people.
The Mark of the Beast and the number 666 apply exclusively to the Time of the End – not before. We do not know how each will present themselves, so let us not speculate or make stuff up in the meantime. Let us instead pray for spiritual discernment and understanding to decipher final events as they unfold.
