Revelation Chapter 13

Second Divine Punishment

Revelation 13:1-18.

This chapter contains the Lord’s second punishment on the world for rejecting His Written (Holy) Word and His Son, the Living Word of God.
Satan is allowed to punish through 2 Beasts that will rule for 42 months over the people of this world. It will be a time of great evil reigning and ruling over all!

We can divide this chapter into 2 parts. The whole chapter is about the Lamb allowing the Devil to reign for a short season on this earth.

1. The Devil’s first cohort – The Anti-Christ (A False Prince). 13:1-10.

2. The Devil’s second cohort – The False Prophet. Rev 13:11-18.

Clearly we can see the anti-type in that Satan has a son and a false prophet with special powers trying to imitate the second and third person of the Godhead. But they are both a poor substitute and merely a copy as Satan tries to usurp again! We must remember that the Lord is allowing Satan his hour as this all falls within God’s plan and purposes towards Israel and the Nations.

The Beast from the Sea

Verse 1 – As the first Beast rises out of the sea this would infer a Gentile being the Anti-Christ as the waters (cf. Rev 17:15) signify the nations and the land Israel. The second Beast, the False Prophet rises from the land so we are seeing a copy of the One New Man principle of Jew and Gentile (cf. Ephesians 2:14).

The first Beast has seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns (diadems) and upon his heads a blasphemous name. (cf Revelation 12:3).
This imagery is first mentioned by Daniel (see Daniel chapter 7).

Daniel 7:3-7 speaks of four beasts. The fourth beast is the fourth great kingdom on earth with its ten horns which are ten kings who rule for a season. (Daniel chapter 7 verse 23-24).

The first Beast rising from the Sea in Revelation chapter 13 has seven heads and is seen as the revived Roman Empire which will exist in a ten kingdom form, the horns have diadems depicting power to rule.
Daniel 7:23-24 gives the prophecy of a revived kingdom with ten horns (being 10 kings who arise from the last kingdom which shall devour the whole earth).

Verse 2 – Teaches us that the Dragon (Satan) gives his power, throne and great authority to this first beast, the anti-christ, the false Prince whereas the Lord Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The false prince brings false peace followed by persecution as verse 7 subsequently teaches.

Verse 3 – Now we see one of the heads ‘as if it had been mortally wounded’ being healed and the world marvels at this sign and then follows the Beast. There are different views on this so its fulfilment will come in due course.

Verse 4 – Shows the world worshipping the Dragon, so finally Devil worship will encompass the whole earth along with worship towards the Beast who is idolised by people shouting “Who is like the Beast and who is able to make war with him?” Well, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will when our Messiah and Lord returns. The two Beasts will be thrown into the Lake of Fire for a 1,000 years (cf. Rev 19:20) before the Devil joins them for all eternity – Rev 20:10.

Verses 5 and 6 – teaches that the Beast continues with authority for 42 months whilst speaking great things and blasphemous words towards God’s holy name, His tabernacle and those who dwell in Heaven. (He will truly eat his words and gnash his teeth forever and ever! Amen.)

Verse 7 – We must understand this verse in conjunction with Daniel 7:25. Why? Because in verse 7 we are told that the Beast will make war with the saints and overcome them! Is this the Church or Israel or both? Are we in Heaven having been raptured, caught up, taken away, kept from the hour, saved from the wrath of God as promised. If the Church has been raptured then that leaves Israel and the saints of the Great Tribulation period who turn in faith to Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) as the only way of salvation. They will refuse the Mark of the Beast knowing that taking this would exclude them from God’s presence for all eternity.

When we now cross reference with Daniel 7:25 we read:

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall
persecute (wear down) 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. (being 3.5 years)

Now in context we can cross reference with Daniel 12:7b which teaches us:

That it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the
power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these
things shall be finished.

When we again cross reference with Daniel 12:1we find that it is Israel who are in view here and there is to be a time of trouble (cf. Jeremiah 30:4 – Jacob’s Time of Trouble) such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. Daniel is then told his people shall be delivered which sees its fulfilment in Romans 11:26-27 when all Israel are saved when the Deliverer (the Messiah) comes out of Zion and takes away their sin, being His covenant with them.

The last 7 years (the last week of Daniel’s 70 weeks – Daniel 9:27) sees 3.5 years of Israel’s Preparation (a false peace treaty) followed then by 3.5 years of Israel’s Persecution when (Daniel 12:1 and 7) are fulfilled.

Daniel chapter 12 is all about Daniels’ people Israel:-

Daniel 12:1 – And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of the people (Israel): and there shall be a time of trouble (cf. Jeremiah 30:4 – Jacob’s Time of Trouble), such as never was since there was a nation (singular) even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, (condition) every one that shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 12:7b – … that it shall be for a time, times , and a half (3.5 years/42 months); and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

So it can be seen that the saints being overcome in Revelation 13:7 are Israel and the tribulation saints, many of whom shall lay down their lives (cf Rev 20:4) because they will not worship the Beast nor receive his mark as this verse states.
We must also remember that in Revelation Chapter 12:6 the Woman (Israel) is given a place of protection in the desert by the Lord for a time period of 1,260 days (3.5 years being the second part of the Tribulation).
Zechariah 14:1-2 is about the period of the Day of the Lord where the city is taken, the houses are rifled and the women ravished, half of the city shall go forth into captivity and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. This prophetic word will be worked out through the Lord, in His perfect will and timing in the days and years ahead. It is a warning written for Israel to escape now through coming to know the One they have pierced and rejected – L’Adonai Yeshua, Sar Shalom, Melech Yisrael. (The Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the King of Israel).

Verses 8 to 10 – shows that the ones who worship the Beast are not in the Lamb’s Book of Life and those who have an ear should hear for many will be led into captivity and fall by the sword. Verse 10 finishes with an exhortation regarding the patience and faith of the saints of this period.

The Beast from the Land

Verses 11-18 are now given over to the second Beast, the False Prophet.

In verses 11-13 we see that He looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon! We therefore can discern then that the second Beast is truly a symbol of False Religion and a False Priesthood. He causes the world to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed. The False Prophet can perform great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven onto the earth.

In verses 14-15 we are told he deceives the world and instructs them to make an image of the Anti-Christ which then speaks! Any who will not bow down and worship this graven image are killed.

Finally then in verses 16-18 we see the total outworking of satanic dominion for all must now take the ‘Mark of the Beast’ the infamous number 666 on their right hand (denoting the ability to work) or on their forehead (denoting their ability to think freely) to be able to buy or sell. For without the mark, or name or number of the Beast no one, small or great, rich or poor, free or slave can buy or sell. We have a type of a riddle in verse 18 where those who have wisdom and understanding may calculate the number 666 as being the number of a man who has yet to be revealed and take centre stage in the end time scenario.

Clearly as the Lord judges and we see food shortages, earthquakes, wars and pestilences increase, the world’s financial markets will collapse and the first Beast will rise as a great leader, orator, politician, statesman, and economist with a financial and military mind to bring peace for a season and deceive millions – in that he and he alone seemingly has the answer to all the world’s problems.

Yeshua warned His people that another would come in his own name and him they would accept, (John 5:43) rejecting Messiah who came to save them from their sins. Israel will for a season accept a false Messiah who will after a short period turn on them and in their distress they will finally cry out Baruch haba b’shem Adonai. L’Adonai Yeshua (The Lord Jesus) is waiting for that great day when He will then return to save His people. Amen.

Share this page