The thirteenth chapter can be broken down as follows:
1. The Rise of the Antichrist to Power over Ten Kingdoms Inside the Old Roman Empire – Revelation 13:1
2. The Antichrist’s Kingdom, Revived Grecia, the Eighth Kingdom – Revelation 13:2-3
3. The Source of Antichrist’s Power – Revelation 13:4
4. His Blasphemy and the Length of His Reign – Revelation 13:5-6
5. His War on the Saints – Revelation 13:7
6. The Extent of His Reign Limited to Ten Kingdoms Inside the Roman Empire – Revelation 13:8-10
7. The False Prophet – Revelation 13:11-13
8. The Image of the Antichrist – Revelation 13:14-15
9. Three Brands Upon Worshipers of Antichrist – Revelation 13:16-17
10. The Beast and His Number Explained – Revelation 13:18
The Rise of the Antichrist to Power over Ten Kingdoms Inside the Old Roman Empire – Revelation 13:1
John is saying that he saw these things he relates to us. In this instance, the sea is not a body of water; he is referring to a sea of people. “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Revelation 17:15)
Several things mentioned concerning the beast are:
1. He will be a man – Revelation 13:18
2. He will rise out of the sea of humanity – Daniel 7:24; 9:27; 11:36-45
3. He will become ruler of the territory of the seven kingdoms symbolized by the seven heads – Revelation 17:8-17
4. He will become ruler of the ten kingdoms that are yet to be formed inside the Old Roman Empire Territory – Daniel 7:23-24
5. He will be a blasphemer – Revelation 17:3
6. He will revive the Old Roman Empire. The beast is like a leopard, which in the book of Daniel, symbolizes the Grecian Empire – Daniel 7:6; Revelation 17:8-17
7. He will have characteristics of Medo-Persia, which is the bear, and Babylon, represented by the lion – Daniel 7:4-5
8. He will receive his power, throne and authority from satan – 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12; Daniel 8:24-25
9. He will not be assassinated and resurrected from the dead as taught by some. It is one of the heads on the beast that is wounded to death and is healed, not the beast itself according to Revelation 13:3. Therefore, all the theories of the antichrist as being a resurrected man, a reincarnation of some historic man, or an incarnation of the devil, are false.
10. The world will be in awe of him
11. He will be an object of worship – Revelation 14:9-11;15:2; 16:2
12. He will be a supernaturally gifted orator – Daniel 7:8; 8:23
13. He will be given power and success for 42 months – Daniel 7:25; 12:7
14. He will defy God and claim to be God himself – 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Daniel 7:25
15. He will make war on the Jews and Christians. Multitudes will be killed by him – Daniel 7:21; 8:23-25
16. He will be given power over all nations inside the ten kingdoms of the Old Roman Empire – Daniel 7:23-24; 8:23-25; 11:36-45
17. He will be worshiped as God – Revelation 14:9-11; 20:4-6
18. The false prophet will be his religious leader – Revelation 16:13-16; 19:20
19. He will permit image worship of himself – Revelation 14:9; 15:2
20. He will cause the mark of his kingdom or the number of his name to be branded upon the right hand or forehead of his followers – Revelation 15:2; 16:2; 20:4-6
John saw a similar vision outlined in Revelation 12:3. However, there is a difference in these statements. In Revelation 12:3, the heads are crowned. In Revelation 13:1, his horns are crowned, stating that by now, these ten kingdoms represented by ten horns have come into power. So, the seven heads represent seven great empires that have persecuted Israel in the past, namely Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, Rome, and the 10-Horned Kingdom.
Though the ten horns are spoken of separately, they make up the seventh head. His horns are crowned with ten crowns, specifying that these ten nations within the Old Roman Empire have now come into power and are crowned. How do we know that these ten countries will be in the Old Roman Empire Territory? All of these heads, representing empires, are from the same territory, ultimately conquered by the Great Roman Empire. This empire was represented to Daniel, in Daniel 7:7, as a dreadful beast, very difficult to describe. All the others were represented to Daniel in different forms. They were characterized as animals such as the lion, the bear, and the leopard. However, when it came to the Great Roman Empire, it was so dreadful and so different that it could not be symbolized by a beast familiar to us. In Daniel 7:7, as the beast is described, “...it had ten horns.” So, we know the ten horns (ten nations) are in the Old Roman Empire territory from John’s day and also during Jesus’ day.
In the vision seen by Daniel and John, we know the antichrist cannot come from America, the Soviet Union, Central or South America, or the Far East. However, it is conceivable that the antichrist, who we believe will be an apostate Jew, could be born in any of these places but come to power in the area outlined. In the next verse, we are told exactly where he will come from. Upon these heads (past empires as well as the present ten-nation empires, that will come up shortly) the name of blasphemy is inscribed. What does this mean? We see satan controlling these empires, attempting to thwart God’s plan.
The plan of God down through the centuries was that Israel would bring Messiah into the world, give the world the Word of God, and evangelize the world. Israel succeeded in the first two and failed in the last. It was satan’s business to thwart the will of God, hence the name “blasphemy.”
The Antichrist’s Kingdom: Revived Grecia, The Eighth Kingdom – Revelation 13:2-3
Notice the caption above. We mention the “eighth kingdom.” This statement is unexplained in the two verses. It is explained in Revelation 17:8-11, therefore, we will wait to review this explanation.
John calls the antichrist the beast. He is also called “Gog”, “the evil shepherd”, “that wicked”, “the man of sin”, etc. It is from these two verses, Revelation 13:2-3, that we understand, in some measure, who the antichrist will be and the type of power he will have. We also understand a little more concerning Daniel’s visions. “After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.” (Daniel 7:6)
The leopard, symbolically used by Daniel to describe the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great, is also mentioned by John. Does this mean that Alexander the Great will be reincarnated? No. Definitely not. He says he has feet like a bear. Daniel also mentioned in his seventh chapter that the great Medo-Persian Empire was symbolized by a bear (Daniel 7:5).
John said the beast would have the mouth of a lion. Daniel mentioned that the great Babylonian empire was like a lion (Daniel 7:4). The antichrist will have characteristics of the Grecian empire but also of the Medo-Persian empire and of the great Babylonian empire.
You must understand these passages in the spiritual sense. This man will be propelled by the same power that enabled Alexander the Great to conquer the world in a very short period of time. With feet of a bear, he will have the same ferocity as the Medo-Persian empire. With the mouth of a lion, he will have tremendous authority. The dragon (satan) will give him power, position, and great authority. The antichrist will have many powerful fallen angels helping him as well. He will have little or no knowledge of these things. He will not realize he is being helped by fallen angels or that his power and seat and authority are coming from satan. He will assume it is from himself, so he will develop a prideful ego, thinking he is God.
I emphasize that what you are seeing in the book of Revelation is a picture behind the scenes. It is a spirit-world that causes events on earth to transpire. The events seen in the spirit realm in Revelation, Daniel, and elsewhere in the Word of God have been in continuous progress from the beginning. We mortals cannot see it, but we feel the effects of it.
In the third verse, John said that he saw one of the heads, as it were, wounded to death. Then, he talks about the wound being healed and all of the world following the beast. Many people have misinterpreted this as the antichrist being killed and then resurrected from the dead. This is not accurate. Scripture does not say that the beast itself was wounded to death. It said that one of its heads was wounded to death. These seven heads refer to the seven mighty kingdoms in the past that had persecuted Israel including the ten-horned kingdom that is yet to come. This is what it has reference to. We know that the heads symbolize great empires. So, if one was wounded to death, which one was it? The head wounded to death refers to Alexander the Great. However, he, within himself, is not the head. It is the fallen angel who gave Alexander the Great the strength, might, and power to do the great things he did. When he died, the fallen angel, which is symbolized by a leopard (like a leopard), was locked in the bottomless pit (Revelation 17:8). Then, “….his deadly wound was healed:…” This implies his release from the bottomless pit. The fallen angel will be loosed from the pit to give the antichrist great power. The antichrist will suddenly become acutely aware of his mighty power, and at this time, start to do tremendous things, and all the world will start to wonder after the beast. He will be the subject of most conversations. He will be the headlines in multiple thousands of newscasts all over the world. The world will wonder, or be amazed or startled, at the tremendous ability and power this man seems to have.
The Source of Antichrist’s Power – Revelation 13:4
When is says “…they worshiped the dragon (satan)…” it does not actually mean that they will purposely worship satan, but in their worshiping the beast, they will actually be worshiping satan. It is a terrible thing to worship satan and not realize it. However, today, millions of people worship satan when, in reality, they think they are worshiping God. Beast-worship will become the order of the day in the last half of the Great Tribulation period. The Antichrist will come to believe that he is God, and hundreds of millions around the world will worship him as God, “…they worshipped the beast,...” No doubt, many months prior to this, the nation of Israel will announce to the world that this man is the messiah. There is a good possibility that the Muslim world will follow suit, as the Muslims are looking for the coming of the Messiah also. The world will ask the question, “…Who is like unto the beast?...” meaning “Has there ever been anyone like him?” “Is there anyone on the face of the earth like unto him?” Nation after nation will throw its lot with him. Even those who oppose him will not dare to do so openly because of his great power, “…who is able to make war with him?...”
His Blasphemy and Length of His Reign – Revelation 13:5-6
Over and over, it mentions the tremendous speaking abilities of the antichrist “…speaking great things and blasphemies;…” (Daniel 7:8, 11, 20-25; 11:36-45;12:7; Revelation 11:1-3; 13:6)
We should go a little deeper into this to help the reader understand what The Holy Spirit is telling us. When God calls an individual to preach the Gospel, there as an anointing that comes with that call. Of course, the anointing that God gives can be enhanced by consecration and dedication before The Lord. The anointing of The Holy Spirit is what gives the minister of the Gospel power over the powers of darkness. The preacher can be anointed to pray for the sick, hence having power over evil spirits that would congregate in the areas of sickness. All of this unseen by the natural eye. The individual can be anointed to prophesy or to do any specific thing that God would call one to do. Some preachers are anointed powerfully to preach the Gospel. The anointing wears down the resistance of the individual listeners, cuts through his rebellion, pride, and the barriers of darkness. Many times, the individual, by the convicting power of The Holy Spirit, is brought to Christ. Had it not been for the anointing of The Holy Spirit, our work and ministries could not have been accomplished the way it has. This is the work of God.
Satan, using the full thrust of his power, will anoint the antichrist to speak great things. It will not be the first time, but it will be the first time he has done such in this magnitude. Many individuals in the past have been anointed by satan. Adolf Hitler is an excellent example. The beast will startle the world with great things. He will, no doubt, announce he has cure for most diseases. That will not be as difficult as one imagines. This is relevant today. If satan puts diseases on people, and he does, then it would be very easy for him to take them off or to give antichrist the cure.
He will speak, causing economic problems of certain parts of the earth to be instantly solved. He will “speak great things,” but along with these things, there will be blasphemies. He will begin to openly degenerate the Lord Jesus Christ and those who follow Him. He will ban, no doubt, the Word of God. You must remember that upon each head of these great empires of the past was the name of blasphemy (Revelation 13:1). The antichrist will be no different. He will blaspheme God as well. His blasphemy will be carried by newspapers, magazines, radio, and television all over the world.
The reference to “…his tabernacle…” (Revelation 13:6), indicates the temple that will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. He will have taken over and set his own statue up in the tabernacle announcing to the world he is God, blaspheming all who are of God (Daniel 9:27; 11:36-39).
His War on the Saints – Revelation 13:7
Many people have misunderstood the word “saints” thinking it refers to the church. It does not. The church, at this time, is with the Lord in Glory. Thank God. It refers to Israel. In verse 6, the antichrist is blaspheming the tabernacle, which is the temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. In the middle of the Great Tribulation period, the antichrist will break his seven-year non-aggression pact with Israel and other nations and declare war. The term “…and to overcome them…” refers to his invasion and defeat of Israel for the first time since she became a nation in 1948. “…all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” refers to the Roman Empire as well as the Soviet Union and nations in the Far East (Daniel 11:44). The antichrist will desire to take over the whole world, and if not for the second coming of Christ, according to Revelation 19, he would do just that. He will take over most of Europe and the Middle East, minus Jordan. He will also take over a great part of Africa. The Soviet Union will also be overcome according to Daniel 11:44, as will many countries in the east. This could include China. This power is given to him by God, and he will be allowed to continue 42 months, according to Revelation 13:5.
The Extent of His Reign – Revelation 13:8-10
Many have erroneously thought that the eighth verse implies that everyone who is not a Christian will worship the antichrist. In the book of Revelation, we are given many examples of entire nations that will oppose him (Daniel 11:44). If the antichrist controlled the whole world, there would be no nation with the power to oppose him, but he will not control the entire planet. He will desire to do so. He will be well on his way to doing so but will be stopped by the Second Coming of Christ.
Daniel plainly says that the antichrist will be stopped before he is able to accomplish his goal. Daniel 7:26 declares, “But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.” This passage in Daniel 7:26-28 says that he antichrist will be stopped and that his kingdom shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.
It is speaking of the dominion of the antichrist, the old Roman Empire, as well as the Soviet Union and possibly other nations in the Far East. In this area, he will introduce his mark (666 or his name). And in this area, no doubt, hundreds of millions shall worship him. However, true Christians and followers of Christ will not worship him. This will instigate a great bloodbath. Revelation 17:9-17.
The passage referring to the names being written in the Book of Life does not mean that the names of individuals are written there from the foundation of the world but that the slaying of the Lamb of God (the Lord Jesus Christ) was planned from the foundation of the world. John is telling every person on the face of the earth (Revelation 13:9) that “If any man have an ear, let him hear.” In other words, he is saying “This is going to come to pass.”
The 10th verse would probably be better translated “He that is destined to captivity will go into captivity: he that is destined to the sword will be killed by the sword.” Every person and nation with this destiny will see it fulfilled. The patience and faith of saints in Daniel and Revelation, concerns Israel. Their tribulation has been long; many have rebelled against God. Yet, they have given the world the prophets, the law, and above all, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, that patience and faith will be realized and rewarded in the coming of Christ.
The False Prophet – Revelation 13:11-13
The one referred to as “another beast” is the false prophet. He is not called that in this particular chapter, but is elsewhere (Revelation 16:13).
There are several pertinent facts about this second beast (the false prophet):
1. He also, as the antichrist, will be a man. The Greek, “allos” means “another of the same kind.” The first beast, the antichrist, is a man, so the second one also is a man. Personal pronouns are used because they are persons.
2. He will come out of the earth, which is the same as the sea of people. There is no intimation here that he will be from the underworld of departed spirits or that he will be a man resurrected from the dead. Both symbolize natural men born in the last days. Both will fulfill prophesies and die at Armageddon (Revelation 19:20; Daniel 7:11; Isaiah 11:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8)
3. He will come after the first beast and will be his prophet.
4. He will come with a lamb-like appearance to deceive, but will be like the dragon.
5. He will exercise all of the power of the first beast (antichrist).
6. He will cause men on earth to worship the first beast.
7. He will do great miracles, even calling fire from heaven before men, counterfeiting God and His works. He will deceive men with miracles in the sight of the first beast (the antichrist).
8. He will cause men to make an image of the first beast to be worshiped.
9. He will have power to give life to the image causing it to speak and act.
10. He will cause the image to demand the death penalty for all who will not worship the antichrist.
11. He will cause men in the kingdom of antichrist to take a mark, name, or a number of his name in the right hand or in the forehead.
12. He will make a law that no man will buy or sell without taking one of the three brands.
He will parallel the first beast in sending demon spirits, working through ambassadors, to gather the nations to Armageddon.
13. He will be taken with the antichrist at Armageddon and be cast alive into the lake of fire.
14. He will still be in the lake of fire in constant torment 1,000 years later (Revelation 20:10)
The Image of Antichrist – Revelation 13:14-15
Deception has always been one of satan’s greatest methods of destruction, and so deception will be the great method of destruction in God’s Tribulation period. The rise of the extremely religious antichrist will, at first, be by peace (Revelation 6:2). This will deceive millions. When you couple this with the false prophet, who will have two horns like a lamb, deception will be in its highest form.
A lamb has small horns that do no harm. The false prophet will look and act like a harmless lamb, and the world will accept him as such. He will speak with the same power as the antichrist in the 5th verse. The world will hear him, and he will have tremendous persuasive power, but the world will not realize that his “anointing” is from the dragon (satan). His purpose is simple. He will promote the antichrist as God. He will be accepted by hundreds of millions.
Again, the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed, does not indicate the antichrist will be killed and resurrected. The antichrist will be guided by the fallen angel who was predominant during the reign of Alexander the Great about 2,400 years ago. This fallen angel has been released from the pit and is aiding the first beast, the antichrist. When he makes fire come down from heaven in the sight of men, it will be observed, not only by those at the site, which will probably be Jerusalem at the temple site, but by television worldwide.
The church today, as we know it, is strongly prepared to fall in line with the claims of the beast. The stage is being set. Even though there is no record in the word of God that America will come under the direct dominion of the antichrist, America, with its great power, will be involved in all affairs. As the United States is involved in the Middle East in a major way, she will, no doubt, be involved at that time. At the beginning, there will be every indication that America will cooperate with the beast when he signs his seven-year non-aggression pact with Israel and other nations, America will be involved and could even be a signatory to this document. Apostate church leaders in America will applaud the false prophet and the antichrist. The Bible says “And deceiveth them…” The false prophet will make an image to the beast. Scripture says he will “...give life unto the image of the beast,...” The life he gives will not be the type of life God gives. Only God has the power to give life. So, his life will be a pseudo life. The image will speak, seducing the people to worship the beast. Those who do not worship the image of the beast will be executed (those in the domain of the antichrist).
Three Brands Upon Worshipers of the Antichrist – Revelation 13:16-17
We are told in verses 11-13 that the seduction of the antichrist will be religious. Now, we are told in verses 16 and 17 that it will be economic. The “all” he speaks of in verse 16 refers to those in the domain of the antichrist. He will control the territory of the ancient Roman Empire, which included Europe, the Middle East, Iran, parts of India, and down into Africa. By this time, he will control the Soviet Union as well as others. So, those in this area will have to take his mark. The mark could be the name of the beast, and even though many names are given for the antichrist in the Word of God, we are not told what name he will use. The mark could be 666, which is the number of his name. It will not be given until the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. Scripture tells us that no man can buy or sell unless he has the mark. We are speaking of those in the antichrist’s domain.
The Beast and His Number Explained – Revelation 13:18
We are told that 666 is the number of a man. Many Greek and Hebrew names have a numerical value, 666. In the Greek and Hebrew alphabets, there is not a separate system of numbers as in English. The letters of the Greek and Hebrew alphabet stand for numbers so the letters in the name of the antichrist will have a numerical value of 666. We cannot know what his mark or name will be, but we can know the numerical value. Again, it will be 666. Since he will not come until after the Rapture of the Church, the formation of the ten kingdoms inside the Old Roman Empire in the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9:27), we can also know that no man will be able to take his mark before the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation period.
In the middle of the 18th verse, we see the term “…is the number of a man;...” God’s number has always been 7. It denotes completion, fulfillment, and perfection. Man’s number is 6, denoting incompletion, unfulfillment, and imperfection. Man has, from the beginning, tried to institute his own salvation. It started with Adam in the Garden of Eden, when after the fall, he tried to cover his nakedness with fig leaves. Man has been trying to cover his spiritual nakedness ever since. It is “...the number of a man;...” This effort will culminate in the Great Tribulation period when satan, through man, makes his great debut for world dominion. The antichrist will speak great blasphemies against God. At this time, this great struggle of thousands of years, will come to a conclusion. Satan’s rebellion against God and his effort to drag down God’s greatest creation, which is man, will be totally defeated. It will no longer be 666 but 777.
Antichrist
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea,
-not a body of water but a sea of people
and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
-pertains to the antichrist now empowered by satan as no other man ever has been
having seven heads and ten horns,
-represents seven empires that have greatly persecuted Israel in the past with the “ten horns” actually being the seventh head. The “…ten horns,” representing ten nations that are yet future.
and upon his horns ten crowns,
-The horns, now being crowned, show that these ten nations have now come to power and will use that power to help the antichrist. They will be located in the Middle East and in parts of Europe and North Africa, all being the Old Roman Empire territory (Daniel 7:7-8).
and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
-Satan controls these empires and will control the ten nations, therefore the name “blasphemy.”
2 And the beast which I saw
-represents the fallen angel who will be led out of the bottomless pit to help the antichrist according to Revelation 11:7. Both the fallen angel and the antichrist are referred to as a “beast,” but they are two different beings.
was like unto a leopard,
-This fallen angel will help the antichrist to speedily conqueror. Daniel describes this event as well in Daniel 7:6.
and his feet were as the feet of a bear,
-carries the characteristics of the ancient Medo-Persian empire, which is ferociousness
and his mouth as the mouth of a lion:
-portrays the finesse, grandeur, and pomp of the Babylonian empire
and the dragon (satan) gave him (the antichrist) his power, and his seat, and great authority.
-So, the antichrist will have satan helping him as well as this powerful, fallen angel, and no doubt, a host of other fallen angels and demon spirits.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;
-does not refer to the antichrist but rather one of the empires of the past, which greatly persecuted Israel. It pertains to the Grecian empire under Alexander the Great, and in reality, speaks of the same fallen angel helping Alexander. When Alexander died, this fallen angel who helped him to conquer so speedily was locked away in the bottomless pit (Daniel 7:6) Does not reference the bottomless pit.
and his deadly wound was healed:
-refers to the fact that this fallen angel will be released out of the bottomless pit to aid and abet the antichrist (Revelation 17). It is doubtful the antichrist will know or realize the source of his power, taking all the credit unto himself.
and all the world wondered after the beast.
-This refers to the part of the world he has conquered but with the entirety of the world definitely paying him homage as he now seems to exude super-human ability.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast:
-refers to the fact that men worship power
and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
-This proclaims the means by which power is worshiped.
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;
-Powerful claims will be made, with the name of Jesus being ridiculed.
and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
-the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. Despite his (antichrist’s) power, The Lord still controls the timeframes, and in fact, all events.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name,
-He will use all the power of print, radio, television, and computers to demean the God of the Bible. It will be a regiment of blasphemy on a worldwide basis such as the world has never known before.
and his tabernacle,
-refers to Heaven
and them that dwell in heaven.
-Even though it refers to all believers in Heaven, pointedly, it refers to the 144,000 Jews who had been raptured and are now in Heaven. The insults will be thick and fast, in effect, ridiculing Heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:
-This will include all believers all over the world. As well, the text implies by the word “overcome” that The Lord will allow such to happen.
and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
-This does not include the entirety of the world but rather the area over which he has control, which is basically the area of the Old Roman Empire.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,
-First of all, we are speaking here of worship, not dominion of nations. As well, the word “all” does not refer to every single human being but rather, to people from all the nations of the world, however many that number might be.
whose names are not written in the book of life
-refers to the fact that believers will not worship the antichrist
of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
-This tells us that the only way one’s name can be placed in the Book of Life is by accepting The Lord Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior and what He did for us at The Cross of Calvary. Also, the phrase “…from the foundation of the world.” proclaims the fact that the doctrine of “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” is the foundation doctrine of all doctrines. In other words, every doctrine from the Bible must be built on the foundation of The Cross of Christ. Otherwise, it is bogus.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
-refers to the ability to hear Spiritually and to hear properly in this manner. Jesus used the term many times (Matthew 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, etc.)
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity:
-could be translated, “He who is destined to captivity will go into captivity.” It refers to the fact that those who will not hear the Word of The Lord, but rather, the word of the antichrist, are guaranteed the worst spiritual bondage.
he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.
-This pertains to the nations of the world that will follow the antichrist in his quest for world domination and power. The Second Coming of The Lord will bring swift and sure judgment upon them.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
-This refers to Israel. And her redemption is very near, which shall take place at The Second Coming.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;
-refers to the false prophet. By the used of the word “earth,” the Holy Spirit is telling us that this man is not from above, but rather, from the masses of people.
and he had two horns like a lamb,
-He has a lamb-like appearance, which is intended to deceive.
and he spake as a dragon.
-refers to the fact that he will be greatly anointed by the devil. In a sense, the antichrist will claim to be Christ while the false prophet will try to fill the role of The Holy Spirit.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,
-The power or authority exercised by the false prophet will come directly from satan and not through the antichrist.
and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast,
-The false prophet is promoting the earth and not Heaven, meaning he will promise heaven here on earth. The promises he makes will be tied to the “worship” given to the antichrist.
whose deadly wound was healed.
-does not refer to an assassination attempt, or even to the antichrist being killed and raised from the dead as some teach, but rather, that the powerful fallen angel who helped bring the Grecian empire into power under Alexander the Great, and has been locked up for many many centuries, has now been loosed and is helping the antichrist. This “deadly wound” being healed speaks of his release from the bottomless pit according to Daniel 7:6; Revelation 11:7; 13:2
13 And he (the false prophet) doeth great wonders (signs), so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
-will be literal, which means it’s not a trick. He will do this through the power of satan.
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
-refers to the efforts of the false prophet to elevate the antichrist. The word “beast” is used interchangeably between the antichrist, the false prophet, and the fallen angel. Whatever they call themselves, The Holy Spirit refers to them as “beasts.”
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast,
-is an image for the purpose of worship and will probably be set up in the temple built by the Jews in Jerusalem
which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
-refers to the antichrist somehow being wounded. A wound, incidentally, which should have taken his life. That he lives is construed as a miracle with credit probably going to the false prophet. This is not the “wound” of verse 3. That was on “one of his heads” which had to do with an empire, actually the Grecian empire, and not an individual. This wound of verse 14 pertains to an individual. In this case, the antichrist.
15 And he (the false prophet) had power to give life unto the image of the beast,
-should have been translated “for he had power to give spirit unto the image of the beast.” That is the actual word used in the Greek. To give life is solely the prerogative of God.
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.
-By the powers of darkness, this image will be able to somehow speak and will, as well, pronounce the sentence of death upon all who will not worship the image of the beast. This will be probably in Jerusalem.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
-“All” represents only those in his domain, not the entirety of the world. This domain will include virtually the entirety of the area of the Old Roman Empire, which includes North Africa, the Middle East, and most of modern Europe. This will be a literal mark.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,
-We are told in verses 11-13 that the seduction of the antichrist will be religious. Now we are told in verses 16 and 17 it will be economic.
or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
-The thought is that either the “name” of the beast or his “number” will be required as a brand or mark upon all.
18 Here is wisdom.
-This is the wisdom of God.
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:
-The idea that it is the number of a man, not of God, which means that he will give account to Jehovah whom he has repeatedly blasphemed.
for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
-It is the number of a man, not a kingdom, not a religion, not a dispensation, but a man. The number will be 666.
The Book of Revelation
Chapter 13
Revelation
Chapter 13
Key:
Scripture is in BLACK FONT
Words of Jesus in RED FONT
Notes in BLUE FONT