Daniel 7 and Revelation compared

 

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

a. In the first year of Belshazzar: This vision came to Daniel after the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, but before the Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire.

i. Daniel chapters 1 through 6 describe the life and times of Daniel. Chapters 7 through 12 describe visions Daniel had. In order of events, the vision described in Daniel 7 took place during the time between Daniel chapters 4 and 5.

b. Daniel had a dream and visions: This first vision – one of four described between Daniel 7 through 12 – was the most comprehensive. The other three visions go into greater detail within the general framework of this first vision.

c. Telling the main facts: Daniel could have given us more detail but the Holy Spirit only wanted him to write the main facts. We may wish that Daniel went into greater detail, but he didn’t.

2. (2-3) Four beasts and where they come from.

Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.”

a. Stirring up the Great Sea: This was almost certainly the Mediterranean Sea. Each one of the empires mentioned in this vision had a geographical connection to the Mediterranean Sea.

i. Stirring up has the idea of chaos and tumult. “To the Hebrews the sea was both dangerous and mysterious, a restless element but not beyond the Lord’s power to tame.” (Baldwin)

ii. The sea is sometimes used as a picture of Gentile nations (Psalm 74:13, Psalm 89:9, Isaiah 57:20).

b. The four winds of heaven: Some see these winds as a description of the sovereign power of God striving with men (as in Psalm 35:5, Psalm 48:7, Psalm 107:25 Isaiah 27:8 and Isaiah 41:16). Others (such as Strauss) suggest the four winds were satanic forces, as mentioned in Revelation 7:1.

c. And four great beasts came up from the sea: Four large, ferocious animals emerged from the Great Sea, each one distinct from the other.

3. (4-6) A description of the first three beasts.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: “Arise, devour much flesh!” After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

a. The first was like a lion: The first beast was more majestic than any of the following beasts (lions and eagles are “kings” of their realms). But this majestic beast was humbled (wings were plucked off) and made human (a man’s heart was given to it).

i. A little later (Daniel 7:17) Daniel tells us that these four beasts are four kingdoms ruling over the earth. The first kingdom is the Babylonian Empire, represented by a lion and an eagle. This fits in well with the majesty and authority of Nebuchadnezzar in his reign over the empire of Babylon.

ii. Jeremiah used both the lion and the eagle as pictures of Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 49:19-22), and Babylon’s winged lions can be seen at the British Museum today.

b. A second, like a bear: The second beast didn’t have the majestic bearing of either the lion or the eagle. A bear is slower, stronger, and more crushing than a lion – and this bear had a voracious appetite for conquest (Arise, devour much flesh!).

i. The bear represented the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Babylonian Empire. In this partnership between the Medes and the Persians, the Persians dominated the relationship. Most think the three ribs represent their three great military conquests: Babylon, Egypt and Lydia.

ii. The slow, crushing armies of the Medo-Persian Empire were well known. They simply overwhelmed their opponents with superior size and strength. “The Medes and Persians are compared to a bear on account of their cruelty and thirst after blood, a bear being a most voracious and cruel animal.” (Clarke)

iii. Arise, devour much flesh: “The command to arise and devour much flesh indicates the extreme cruelties often practiced by the Persians, and the wide extent of their conquests.” (Ironside)

iv. Liberal commentators have a vested interest in identifying the bear with only the Median state, and not the combined Medo-Persian Empire. They assign the third beast to the Persian Empire, and the fourth to Alexander’s Greek Empire, so as to remove (even for a second century author) any element of predictive prophecy. Their analysis doesn’t fit. There are many good reasons why the second kingdom could not be exclusively the Median kingdom.

· The Median kingdom did not follow the Babylonian in historical sequence, but was contemporary with it, even rising to strength before the Neo-Babylonian period.

· The Median kingdom never had a world position ranking with the Persian, Grecian or Babylonian Empires.

· The motivation for the interpretation is solely to remove any reference to Rome – and to divinely predictive prophecy.

c. Another, like a leopard: The leopard was known for its sudden, unexpected attacks. This one was especially swift (with four wings), and clever (having four heads).

i. Each animal is mighty, but dominates its prey in a different way. “The lion devours, the bear crushes, and the leopard springs upon its prey.” (Strauss)

ii. The leopard represented the Greek Empire. Alexander the Great quickly conquered the civilized world by age 28. “Nothing in the history of the world, was equal to the conquests of Alexander, who ran through all the countries from Illycrium and the Adriatic Sea to the Indian Ocean and the River Ganges; and in twelve years subdued part of Europe, and all Asia.” (Clarke)

iii. After his death his empire was divided into four parts (four heads). Specifically, the four heads were Casander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy, who inherited Alexander’s domain after his death.

iv. The Babylonian Empire dominated in Daniel’s day. One might have guessed – especially in the reign of Belshazzar – that the next empire would be the Medo-Persian Empire. But how could Daniel know that the next world empire would be like a leopard in its rise and prominence, and that it would be divided into four parts? This shows a plain principle: God knows the future, and reveals certain details of the future through His prophets. It shows that God lives outside our time domain and can see the future as well as the past. He sees the whole parade of human history, not just the part passing in front of a single spectator. The proof of fulfilled prophecy is exceptionally persuasive; no wonder Peter says: We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

4. (7-8) The fourth beast: a dreadful, horned beast, with one conspicuous horn.

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. 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.

a. A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible: The fourth beast was indescribable, and uniquely horrific in its power and conquest.

b. Different… it had ten horns: In the ancient world horns expressed the power and fearsomeness of an animal. This fourth beast was so strong it had ten horns.

i. Different people picture this in different ways. Some suggest that the ten horns were actually two five-pointed antlers, rather than ten separate horns.

ii. In historical fulfillment, the fourth beast represents the Roman Empire, which was the largest, strongest, most unified and enduring of them all.

iii. “There is an unmistakable correspondence between these horns and the ten toes of the dream image (ch. 2), and the mention of iron in the teeth suggests the legs and toes of iron in that image.” (Archer)

c. Another horn, a little one… a mouth speaking pompous words: Among the ten horns, three are replaced by one horn that was conspicuous for its dominance (before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots), intelligence (eyes like the eyes of a man), and its boastful talk (speaking pompous words).

5. (9-10) The Ancient of Days and the scene surrounding his throne.

I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.

a. I watched till thrones were put in place: The King James Version poorly translates this as thrones were cast down. The New King James Version corrected this and indicates that the thrones were established.

i. When the Apostle John saw heaven, he also saw thrones, but he also saw those who sat on those thrones – the 24 elders described in Revelation 4:4. Daniel made no mention of these elders, perhaps because the 24 elders represent the church, and the church was an unrevealed mystery to Old Testament saints (Ephesians 3:1-7).

b. And the Ancient of Days was seated: The Ancient of Days is obviously God, but there is debate as to if He is specifically God the Father or God the Son. Most believe it is God the Father, and the white garments and white hair stress the eternal character of God the Father.

i. Daniel 7:13 seems to make a distinction between the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man, and this supports the idea that the Ancient of Days is God the Father, not God the Son.

ii. “We ought not to imagine God in his essence to be like any appearance to his own Prophet and other holy fathers, but he put on various appearances, according to man’s comprehension, to whom he wished to give some signs of his presence.” (Calvin)

c. His throne was a fiery flame: This was a brilliant manifestation of God’s splendor and the fierce heat of His judgment. There seems to be something lava-like in the stream of fire pouring from the throne; it was like a river of vast destructive power.

i. Isaiah 66:15-16 describes the judgment of God in terms of fire: For behold, the LORD will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword the LORD will judge all flesh; and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

d. Its wheels a burning fire: Many commentators say that in the ancient eastern world royal thrones were often on wheels. Yet it is just as likely that they represent the endless activity of God.

e. A thousand thousands ministered to Him: This describes the innumerable company of angels surrounding the throne of God.

f. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: This describes humanity standing before God in judgment.

g. Court was seated, and the books were opened: The Bible describes several books before God, and any of these or combination of these could be meant.

· The book of the living (Psalm 69:28).

· The book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16).

· The Book of Life (Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27 and 22:19).

6. (11-14) The conspicuous horn is conquered by the Son of Man.

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. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, one like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.

a. They had their dominion taken away: This great passage describes the transition from human dominion on earth to divine dominion. This happens as the Son of Man comes and exercises dominion over the earth. The Son of Man succeeds the reign of the fourth beast.

b. The sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking: Here the “little horn” of the fourth beast again speaks pompous words. The final human dictator we commonly call the Antichrist will be characterized by his boastful, blasphemous speech (Revelation 13:5-6).

i. Because of the distinction between the fourth beast and the horn, some conjecture that the beast of Revelation 13 is not the Antichrist but his government or administration. If this is so, it is a small distinction. To a large extent, a man does represent and personify an entire government or system. When we think of Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, the figures of Hitler as an individual and Nazi Germany as a state are virtually the same.

c. I watched till the beast was slain… the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: The fourth beast is destroyed and the others may continue, but without dominion of their own. When Jesus sets up His kingdom, the empire of the Antichrist will be completely crushed, yet some nations will continue into the Millennium.

d. One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven: The title Son of Man was a favorite self-designation of Jesus, used more than 80 times in the four Gospels. He receives all dominion previously held by the beasts and His reign will be permanent.

e. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away: The reign of Jesus does not last 1,000 years – it is permanent. However, Jesus will rule over this earth before it is remade, with Satan bound for 1,000 years.

B. Interpretation of the dream.

1. (15-16) Daniel’s reaction to the vision and request for understanding.

I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

a. Was grieved in my spirit: Daniel saw all this, and in more detail than he describes for us. He did not really understand all that he saw, and was troubled because of his lack of understanding.

b. Grieved in my spirit within my body: This shows that our spirit indeed dwells within the body. It is true that the spirit is more important than the body (1 Timothy 4:8), but the state of the body generally has an effect on the state of the spirit.

i. Clarke says that the phrase my spirit within my body has the sense of “within its sheath or scabbard.” From this, Clarke says: “Which I think proves, 1. That the human spirit is different from the body. 2. That it has a proper subsistence independently of the body, which is only its sheath for a certain time. 3. That the spirit may exist independently of the body, as the sword does independently of its sheath.”

2. (17-18) Summary of the vision: four kings are conquered by God, and their kingdoms are given to the people of God.

Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”

a. Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth: The divine interpretation of the dream shows that this vision covers the same material as Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in Daniel 2, which also described the rise of four empires, which are succeeded by the kingdom of God.

i. Yet Daniel’s vision was different, seeing the kingdoms from God’s perspective, not man’s. Nebuchadnezzar saw the present and future world empires in the form of a stately and noble statue of a man. Here God showed how He regarded them: as ferocious and wild animals who devour and conquer without conscience.

ii. When man writes his own history, there is often much self-congratulation and man seems to be on the verge of paradise. When God writes human history, a different vision is presented.

iii. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Yet He primarily represents Himself not as a ferocious animal but as a lamb (Revelation 5:5-6 and 5:8-10).

b. The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom: When the day of the fourth beast is over, then God’s people receive the kingdom. Yet we know the Roman Empire is long gone – and it doesn’t seem that the saints have received the kingdom.

i. This is what prompts many to look for either a spiritualized interpretation fulfilled in history, or some kind of restoration of the Roman Empire in the last days, one that will literally fulfill the prophecy of the ten horns and the little horn as well.

ii. Shall receive the kingdom: The saints receive the kingdom. God gives them the kingdom at the return of Jesus. They do not gain dominion over all these earthly kingdoms before the return of Jesus.

3. (19-22) Daniel’s specific request to know about the conspicuous horn.

Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 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. I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

a. I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast: There was much interest in all these four beasts, but Daniel was especially interested in the fourth, most terrible beast – and especially about its conspicuous horn.

b. Exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze: The fourth beast interested Daniel because of its great destructive power, because of the conspicuous horn, and because of its fight against God’s people (the same horn was making war against the saints).

i. If this horn represents the Antichrist, and he fights against the saints, it does not necessarily mean that the church will be on earth as a target of the Antichrist during the tribulation. We can say, “Not necessarily,” because saints can indicate the church or a Jewish remnant in the tribulation (Revelation 12:17; 13:7).

4. (23-27) The meaning of the conspicuous horn and its defeat.

“Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
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.
‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

a. The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth: This initial description of the fourth beast fits well with the Roman Empire of ancient history. It did devour the whole civilized earth, and dominate it completely for about a thousand years.

b. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom: These ten kings do not have a literal fulfillment in the Roman Empire of history. If they are literal, they are still in the future. The only way to say this has been fulfilled is to spiritualize this prophecy and take away its plain sense.

i. Many, like John Calvin, merely spiritualize this. He insisted that what happened in this chapter was fulfilled in history up unto the time of Jesus’ first advent, and supposed that the ten horns merely represent a multiplicity of kings under the Roman emperor, and believed that the conspicuous horn was Julius Caesar and the other Caesars who succeeded him. And for Calvin, the books were opened (verse 10) referred to the preaching of the gospel.

ii. But if there are ten toes (Daniel 2) and ten horns (Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17) associated with the rule of this final world ruler, there is no good reason to spiritualize what God has said in at least four different places.

iii. The same spiritualizing problems apply if one believes that this is fulfilled in the early church and the passing of the Roman Empire (unlike Calvin who saw fulfillment before the first advent of Jesus).

iv. The conspicuous horn must be the Antichrist, arising out of some group of ten nations that is in some way part of a restored Roman Empire.

c. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High: The little horn spoke pompous, blasphemous words, perhaps like the Fascist Creed of Italy (cited in Talbot):

i. “I believe in Rome Eternal, the Mother of my fatherland; and in Italy, her first born; who was born of her virgin womb by the grace of God; who suffered under the barbarian invader, was crucified, slain, and buried; who descended into the sepulcher, and rose from the dead in the nineteenth century; who ascended to heaven in her glory in 1918 and 1922 [by the march on Rome]; who is seated at the right hand of Mother Rome; who will come thence to judge the quick and the dead; I believe in the genius of Mussolini; in our Holy Father, Fascism, and in the communion of its martyrs; in the conversion of the Italians; and in the resurrection of the Empire! Amen.”

d. Shall persecute the saints of the Most High: This speaks of a cruel and systematic pressure, coming from the word “to wear away” or “to wear out,” as friction wears clothes or shoes.

i. “To wear out the saints means to harass them continually so that life becomes a wretched existence.” (Wood)

ii. “Such continual and protracted pressure far more effectively breaks the human spirit than the single moment of crisis that calls for a heroic decision. It is easier to die for the Lord than to live for him under constant harassment and strain.” (Archer)

iii. “The Bible predicts no peace-loving world ruler for the last days. We can expect nothing more than greedy commercialism and political imperialism under the most beastly and barbaric type of warfare.” (Strauss)

e. Shall intend to change times and law: This little horn will intend to change times and law perhaps as at the French Revolution, where radicals wanted to institute a ten-day work week, and declared 1792 (the year of the Revolution) as year 1.

i. Seventh-Day Adventists have historically taught that it was the Papacy which “changed the times and law” by moving the Lord’s day from Saturday to Sunday. Some traditional Seventh-Day Adventists therefore regard Sunday worship as the sign of the Antichrist.

f. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time: The power of the little horn over the saints is limited. It will last for three-and-one-half years (time and times and half a time). This phrase is used in Revelation (11:2-3, 12:6 and 13:5) to refer to half of the last seven-year period of man’s rule on this earth (the seventieth week of Daniel).

g. They shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever: In the day of persecution by this blasphemous ruler, the Messiah will establish His kingdom for His people.

i. Because the kingdom of Jesus immediately succeeds this fourth kingdom, no event in the past answers this prediction in the smallest degree. Certainly, the church did not cause a sudden and catastrophic fall of the Roman Empire. “It is questionable whether the Roman Empire had any serious opposition from the Christian church or that the growing power of the church contributed in a major way to its downfall.” (Walvoord)

ii. There are three options in interpreting the kingdom’s establishment here:

· There is no fulfillment; Daniel is in error.

· The fulfillment is symbolic in church history.

· The fulfillment is literal, and yet future.

h. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High: This must describe the millennial earth, not our current age or heaven. The kingdom and dominion of the earth certainly does not belong to the righteous now. If this describes the eternal state, then what are the dominions that shall serve and obey Him? It therefore must describe the millennial earth.

i. We again notice that the kingdom and dominion… shall be given to the saints. It is something received, not achieved. The church does not convert the world to Jesus’ kingdom and give the kingdom to Jesus; He gives it to them.

5. (28) Daniel’s troubled reaction to the vision and its interpretation.

“This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

a. My thoughts greatly troubled me: Many things might trouble Daniel at this vision – such as the ferocity of the attack to come against his people from the conspicuous horn.

b. And my countenance changed: Daniel was convinced that the prophecy was true, and that it was the word of God. He was so convinced of its truth that his countenance changed and he considered what would happen. 

The wild beast with seven heads introduced at Revelation 13:1 represents the worldwide political system.

•  It has authority, power, and a throne, which point to its being a political entity.​—Revelation 13:2.

•  It rules over “every tribe and people and tongue and nation,” so it is greater than a single national government.​—Revelation 13:7.

•  It combines features of the four beasts described in the prophecy at Daniel 7:​2-8, including the appearance of a leopard, the feet of a bear, a lion’s mouth, and ten horns. The beasts in Daniel’s prophecy are identified as specific kings, or political kingdoms, that rule in succession over empires. (Daniel 7:​17, 23) Thus, the wild beast of Revelation chapter 13 represents a composite political organization.

•  It ascends “out of the sea,” that is, from the turbulent masses of mankind that are the source of human governments.​—Revelation 13:1; Isaiah 17:12, 13.

•  The Bible says that the number, or name, of the beast​—666​—is “a man’s number.” (Revelation 13:17, 18) That expression indicates that the beast of Revelation chapter 13 is a human entity, not a spirit or demon entity.

 Even though nations may agree on few things, they unite in their determination to maintain their authority rather than submit to the rule of God’s Kingdom. (Psalm 2:2) They will also join forces to battle God’s armies commanded by Jesus Christ at Armageddon, but this war will result in the nations being destroyed.​—Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:19, 20.

“Ten horns and seven heads”

 Certain numbers are used symbolically in the Bible. For example, ten and seven represent completeness. The key to understanding the specific meaning of the “ten horns and seven heads” of the beast of Revelation chapter 13 is an “image of the wild beast” identified later in Revelation​—a bright-red beast that has seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 13:​1, 14, 15; 17:3) The Bible says that the seven heads of this red beast mean “seven kings,” or governments.​—Revelation 17:​9, 10.

 Likewise, the seven heads of the beast of Revelation 13:1 represent seven governments: the primary political powers that have dominated through history and have taken the lead in oppressing God’s people​—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Anglo-America. If we conclude that the ten horns represent all sovereign states, small and large, then the diadem, or crown, on each horn shows that each nation rules concurrently with the primary political power of the time.

That horns represent rulers in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 is clear. Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 17:12 interpret the horns are “ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom,” although the precise identity of those kings is open for debate. In Daniel 7, the only horn that is important is the blasphemous little horn which refers to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid ruler who sparked the Maccabean Revolt by outlawing certain Jewish practices. The fourth beast in Daniel 7 is the final kingdom before God’s representative, the Son of Man begins to rule over a kingdom which will never end.

The beast with seven heads and ten horns was introduced in Revelation 12:3 and will appear again in 17:3. In each case the horns wear crowns (διάδημα, diadem or royal headband) as a symbol of their kingship. That there are seven heads seems odd, but the power of this beast comes from the dragon, who had seven heads in 12:3. I discussed some of the possible ways to identify these ten kings in a post on Revelation 17.

One of the earliest interpretations of the first beast identified it as Rome. Both Irenaeus and Hippolytus thought the first beast was Rome, although the ten heads were ten kings who would replace of Rome (Adv. Haer. 5.26.1): “In a still clearer light has John, in the Apocalypse, indicated to the Lord’s disciples what shall happen in the last times, and concerning the ten kings who shall then arise, among whom the empire which now rules [Rome] shall be partitioned.”

Connecting Daniel 2 and 7, Hippolytus says: “A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible; it had iron teeth and claws of brass.” And who are these but the Romans? which (kingdom) is meant by the iron—the kingdom which is now established; for the legs of that (image) were of iron” (de Ant. 25). He then draws the obvious parallels to the great whore (quoting large sections of Revelation 17-18).

Although David Aune points out Roman emperors never wore diadems signifying royal status (Aune 2:733), it is still likely John means the reader to understand the horns as Roman power and the beast as Imperial Rome.

Each of the seven heads has a blasphemous name and in 13:16 the second beast will force people to write a blasphemous name on their foreheads. Later the whore of Babylon will have blasphemy written on her forehead. These names likely refer to the titles used by Roman emperors. For example, Nero minted coins with the phrase “Nero, Savior of the World” and Domitian used the title “Lord and God.”

John exposes the power behind the empire. Although the Roman Empire is the most powerful kingdom in human history, the source of its power is the dragon, Satan. This condemnation of Rome as Satan’s kingdom will become increasingly clear as John moves toward the climax in Revelation 19:11-20:6, the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to establish a real kingdom of peace.

A. The beast rising from the sea.

1. (Revelation 13:1) John’s vision of a beast rising from the sea.

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.

a. Then I stood on the sand of the sea: In Revelation 12, John’s vision mainly had heaven in view. Now the scene of his vision shifted to the earth, and in his vision he stood on the sand of the sea.

i. Many people today love the sea, but as a whole the Jewish people in Biblical times regarded the sea as a wild, untamed, frightening place. While ancient Israel under Solomon had a navy, Hiram the King of Tyre supplied the sailors (1 Kings 9:26-27).

ii. Because ancient Israel was wary of the sea, it was a figure of evil and chaos that seemed to resist God, though the resistance was unsuccessful:

• For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. (Psalm 74:12-13)
• LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them. (Psalm 89:8-9)
• But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. (Isaiah 57:20)

b. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea: From the place identified with evil and chaos and resisting God, a beast comes forth. The ancient Greek word translated beast here has the idea of a wild, dangerous animal. Because John calls him a beast and not a dragon (as in Revelation 12:3), this creature represents someone distinct from Satan who was represented by the dragon (Revelation 12:9).

c. Having seven heads and ten horns: Though this beast is distinct from the dragon of Revelation 12, he is still closely identified with him. He is not the dragon, but he is like him, because the dragon also had seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 11:3).

i. Any creature with seven heads would be hard to kill, because if you wounded one head, six still remained. In Biblical imagery horns express strength and power. A bull with two horns is a powerful creature, but a beast with ten horns has that much more power — just like the dragon of Revelation 12:3.

ii. This likeness to Satan is just one of the things that identifies this beast with the one popularly known as the Antichrist. The word Antichrist only appears in the Bible five times in four verses (1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, and 2 John 7). 1 John 2:18 is a good example: Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming. With this, John referred to an individual who has captured the imagination of many people, some who don’t even know the Bible. But many are ignorant about this person called the Antichrist, except what they have learned from movies like The Omen.

iii. We can begin by understanding what the title Antichrist means. The prefix anti may mean “the opposite of” or “instead of.” The Antichrist is the “opposite Jesus”; he is the “instead of” Jesus. Most people have focused on the idea of the “opposite Jesus.” This has made them think that the Antichrist will appear as a supremely evil person, that as much as Jesus went around doing good, he will go around doing bad. As much as Jesus’ character and personality was beautiful and attractive, the Antichrist’s character and personality will be ugly and repulsive. As much as Jesus spoke only truth, the Antichrist will speak only lies. This emphasizes the idea of the “opposite Jesus” too much. The Antichrist will instead be more of an “instead of Jesus.” He will look wonderful, be charming and successful. He will be the ultimate winner, and appear as an angel of light. In this sense the Antichrist will be a satanic messiah, instead of the true Messiah Jesus Christ.

iv. In 1 John 2:18, John also spoke of the Antichrist and many antichrists. There is a “spirit” of antichrist, and this “spirit” of antichrist will one day find its ultimate fulfillment in the Antichrist, who will lead humanity in an end-times rebellion against God. In other words, though the world still waits to see the ultimate revelation of the Antichrist, there are little “previews” of this man and his mission to come. These are the antichrists with a little “a.”

v. Though we commonly call this coming world leader the Antichrist, the Bible gives him many names or titles. He is known as:

• The little horn of Daniel 7:8.
• The king of fierce countenance of Daniel 8:23.
• The Prince that shall come of Daniel 9:26.
• The willful king of Daniel 11:36-45.
• The one who comes in his own name of John 5:43, whom Israel will receive as a messiah.
• The son of perdition, the man of sin, the lawless one of 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

d. And on his horns ten crowns: This is something different about the beast compared to the dragon of Revelation 12:3, who had seven diadems on his heads. The seven crowns of the dragon expressed his strength and power, because seven is a number associated with strength and completeness. The ten crowns of the beast express his rule over a group of ten nations.

i. Most commentators think that the ten horns are distributed among the seven heads, but David Hocking sees all ten horns upon one of the heads. The figure of ten horns also associates this beast with the beast of Daniel 7:7, which represent the final world empire of the Antichrist, which the Messiah will ultimately conquer: 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. (Daniel 7:7)

ii. In Daniel’s vision, the ten horns specifically represented ten kingdoms that this final world dictator has authority over (Daniel 7:24). In John’s vision the ten crowns on the ten horns emphasize this idea.

iii. The visions of Daniel 7 and Daniel 2 also connect the governments represented by the ten crowns with the ancient Roman Empire. In those visions, Daniel saw three successive world empires, each succeeded by a fourth — which in the context of the visions is plainly the Roman Empire. In the days of that fourth empire the Messiah will come, destroy all earthly rule and reign over the earth. Since we do not see the reign of Jesus on earth in the way Daniel prophesied, we can see that the Roman Empire will “resume” in some way, expressed by this collection of ten crowns.

e. And on his heads a blasphemous name: The seven heads of the beast each advertise blasphemy against God. This speaks of more than the beast’s message; it speaks of his character. He is a blasphemer, who speaks against God (as in Daniel 7:25).

2. (Revelation 13:2) The description of the beast of the sea again connects it to images from Daniel 7.

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.

a. Like a leopard… a bear… a lion: In this vision, God used images from Daniel’s vision of Daniel 7 to communicate the identity and nature of this beast to John. Daniel 7 used four animals (beasts) to describe the course of human government from Daniel’s time until the ultimate reign of Jesus on this earth.

i. The first three animals are a lion (in Daniel, a picture of the Babylonian Empire), a bear (a picture of Medo-Persian Empire), and a leopard (a picture of the Greek Empire). The fourth animal was a dreadful, indescribable beast which shared the most terrifying characteristics of the previous beasts, yet represents the final world empire under the leadership of a Satanic dictator (Daniel 7:7-8).

ii. John presents this beast as the extension of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, connecting his empire with the characteristics of the great empires of the past. This final world empire will have the catlike vigilance of a leopard, the slow and crushing power of a bear, and the authority and ferociousness of a lion.

iii. Since the beasts of Daniel 7 represented empires more than specific men, some have thought that the beast of Revelation 13 is not a person, but a government or a cultural system. Many believe the beast is a broad picture of totalitarian governments, especially the totalitarian states of the 20th century. For example, Mounce writes: “The beast has always been, and will always be, in a final intensified manifestation, the deification of secular authority” (Mounce). But others see the beast as a person, specifically the Antichrist — the final Satanic dictator who leads the world in rebellion against God. Some (like David Hocking) combine the approaches and say that the beast is a modern, world totalitarian government, but the one head that has ten horns is specifically the Antichrist — the leader of this beast of a final satanic dictatorship. But with any empire, especially brief empires, the government is almost totally identified with the ruler. When we think of Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, the figures of Adolph Hitler as an individual and Nazi Germany as a state are virtually the same.

b. Now the beast which I saw: All the indications in Revelation 13 are that the beast is a man, though he is closely identified with his world-dominating government.

i. “The Beast is worshipped as a god; but people never worship an empire as such; neither do they make a succession of emperors into an object of religious devotion. The paying of divine homage to kings has been a common thing in the world’s history, but it has always been rendered to individuals.” (Seiss)

ii. An image is set up of the beast, and the whole world is commanded to worship it. This makes far more sense if the beast is a man more than an empire or a government. Through history, men have often bowed down to an image of a political ruler.

iii. “This Beast also has a proper name — a name expressive of a particular number, and that number ‘a number of a man;’ which cannot be conceived except on the idea of an individual person.” (Seiss)

iv. “This beast is finally damned. He goes to perdition, into the lake of fire, where he continues to exist and suffer, after passing from this earthly scene (Revelation 17:11; 20:10), which cannot be true of systems of government.” (Seiss)

v. The antichrist is also called the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3), as was Judas (John 17:12). Judas was a man, not a system or a government, so it follows that the antichrist will also be a man.

vi. With all this in mind, we agree with Seiss: “We would therefore greatly err from the Scriptures, as well as from the unanimous conviction and teaching of the early Church, were we to fail to recognize this Beast as a real person, though one in whom the political power of the world is finally concentrated and represented.”

c. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority: This world leader is really empowered and supported by Satan. Through this man, Satan will express his own desire and authority. In this, the beast takes the offer that Jesus refused (Matthew 4:8-10).

i. The beast is not an ordinary man. He is called the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit (Revelation 11:7, 17:8), and ordinary men do not come from there. “One who hails from that place must either be a dead man brought up again from the dead, or some evil spirit which takes possession of a living man… In either case, the Beast, as a person, is an extraordinary and supernatural being.” (Seiss)

ii. It may be that Satan himself takes possession of this man, and this is what makes him exceptional. This was the case with Judas, who was possessed by Satan (John 13:27).

3. (Revelation 13:3) The beast and his wound.

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.

a. One of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded: This is a head wound, a mortal wound, not a superficial injury. Perhaps it is the result of God’s judgment against the beast.

b. And his deadly wound was healed: The recovery of the beast increases his fame and authority (all the world marveled and followed the beast). Twice later (Revelation 13:12 and 13:14) this recovery is mentioned in connection to the world’s worship and devotion to the beast.

i. Some who see the beast not as a man but as a government see this as the revival of the Roman Empire, fulfilling Daniel 7. In this perspective, the Roman Empire has been dead but will again be revived, and the world will marvel. Yet the most natural way to understand John’s words in Revelation 13 make us believe that he speaks of a man who will be mortally wounded and then healed. The man will lead a revived Roman Empire, and his personality will dominate it — yet he and the empire are not exactly the same.

c. Wounded… healed: This is truly an Antichrist, who even imitates Jesus in His death and resurrection. The world will believe this, and it will add tremendously to his fame and power.

4. (Revelation 13:4) The authority and popularity of the beast.

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. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast: As people worship this beast and bow down before his government, it may be that they do not know they are bowing down to Satan himself; but it is worship of Satan none the less. They clearly worship both the beast and the dragon, but their worship of the dragon may be unknowing.

i. Though Satan worship becomes more and more popular each year, it is still only a tiny fraction of people who openly worship Satan. But this is because more people expect Satan to appear with ugliness and horror. This is wrong, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

b. Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him? The world will be amazed at the power of the beast, and will believe he is so mighty that he cannot be conquered. For a time, the beast will look like a tremendous winner. When he blasphemes Jesus and persecutes God’s people, they will appear to be complete losers — for a short time.

i. They worship the beast, and the dragon behind the beast, simply because of the beast’s might. “Worship of the devil and the devil’s agent is justified purely on the ground of brute force.” (Robertson)

5. (Revelation 13:5-6) The beast’s blasphemies.

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

a. Speaking great things and blasphemies: “Blasphemer” may be a more accurate title than “Antichrist” for this end-times dictator. This beast is a man who speaks against God and everything God stands for (His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven).

i. Some Roman Emperors blasphemed God this way; but they did not fulfill these prophecies, even if they did prefigure their fulfillment.

b. And he was given authority to continue for forty-two months: The beast continues without restraint by God for a period of forty-two months — the familiar three and one-half years. The duration of the period shows that the beast has full reign for the first half of the final seven years, and that during the whole time he is still under God’s authority.

c. Why does the beast blaspheme… those who dwell in heaven? This means he speaks against those who were taken in the rapture, and are therefore out of his reach.

6. (Revelation 13:7-8) The beast makes war against the saints.

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. 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.

a. It was granted to him to make war with the saints: Revelation 12 described the broad phenomenon of Satanic persecution during the tribulation period. Here, the main instrument of that persecution is revealed: the government of the beast will persecute and kill all those who do not bow in worship to the beast.

b. To overcome them: Overcome does not mean that the beast can overcome the faith of the saints, but that he can destroy their physical lives, and by all appearances defeat the cause of God’s people on this earth.

i. Who are these saints who are overcome by the beast? Various views of the timing of the rapture will determine who these persecuted ones are. Those who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture believe that these saints are God’s people who come to Christ after the church has been raptured. Those who believe in a post-tribulation rapture believe that these saints are God’s people who are on the earth before the final rapture, including what we think of today as the “church.”

ii. Jesus said of the church, that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). If this group of saints (a term not exclusively applied to the New Testament church) is overcome by Satan, perhaps they are not the same New Testament church that Jesus spoke of.

c. All who dwell on the earth will worship him: This final world dictator will demand and receive worship from the whole earth. But those who worship him pay the price: they are whose names have not been written in the Book of Life.

i. How will all who dwell on the earth… worship him? It will probably be after the pattern of the worship demanded by the Roman Emperors in the days of the early church. There were times in the early church when all residents in the empire were required to burn a pinch of incense before a statue of Caesar and say, Caesar is Lord. Christians refused to do this and were persecuted because of it. The Romans saw it as an act of political allegiance, but the Christians rightly saw it as an act of religious worship. After the great and terrible totalitarian rulers of the 20th Century (Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao), it isn’t hard to imagine a dominating world leader demanding such a declaration of allegiance, tantamount to worship.

ii. The Book of Life contains the names of all God’s redeemed (Revelation 20:15). The idea is that worshipping the beast and having your name in the Book of Life are mutually exclusive.

d. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world: This deeply meaningful title for Jesus reminds us that God’s plan of redemption was set in place before He even created the beings who would be redeemed. God wasn’t “surprised” by the fall of Adam or any other evidence of the fallen nature of man. God isn’t making it up as He goes along. It is all going according to plan.

• God the Son had a relationship of love and fellowship with God the Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).
• The work of Jesus was ordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20).
• God chose His redeemed before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
• Names are written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8).
• The kingdom of heaven was prepared for the redeemed before the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34).

7. (Revelation 13:9-10) A warning to all.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 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.

a. He who has an ear, let him hear: This introduces a solemn word of warning, meant to capture the attention of all who hear.

b. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity: This means that the functionaries of the beast are not without guilt. Though these things are prophesied and part of God’s predetermined plan, it does not lessen in the slightest way man’s personal responsibility. If you work for the beast and lead others into captivity, you certainly shall go into captivity yourself. God will measure unto you what you have measured to others.

i. This may have a secondary or additional meaning: there is no hope in fighting against the Antichrist. The only way of victory is steadfast faith and endurance in Jesus.

c. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints: Though they are viciously attacked by the Antichrist and his followers, the saints of God must keep steadfast faith in the ultimate justice of God. He will reward their persecutors with persecution of His own.

B. The beast rising from the land.

1. (Revelation 13:11) John’s initial description of this second beast.

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

a. Then I saw another beast: This creature represents someone like the beast rising from the sea, because the same word beast is used to describe them both. At the same time, this beast is different.

i. They are different in origin, because one comes out of the sea, the other out of the earth.

ii. They are different in rank, because the second is subordinate to the first (causes the earth… to worship the first beast, Revelation 13:12).

iii. They are different in appearance, because the second has a mild, “lamb-like” appearance.

b. And he had two horns like a lamb: The two horns may express the fact that this beast has authority in two realms, such as religious and political authority. Or, he may have two horns simply because that’s how many horns lambs have (two horns like a lamb).

c. Spoke like a dragon: Despite his lamb-like appearance, the message of the second beast is the same as the message of the first beast.

i. This second beast is called the false prophet (Revelation 16:13, 19:20, 20:10), as someone distinct from the first beast (the Antichrist) and the dragon (Satan).

ii. With the dragon, the beast rising from the sea, and the beast rising from the land we have an unholy trinity. The dragon is the anti-Father, the beast rising from the sea is the anti-Christ, and the beast rising from the land is the anti-Holy Spirit.

2. (Revelation 13:12-15) The second beast’s “job description.”

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth — by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

a. He exercises all the authority of the first beast: The beast rising from the earth is essentially a Satanic prophet, who leads the world to worship the beast and the dragon.

i. It may seem fantastic to some that the world will be led into worship of a man and of the devil. But by nature, men have an undeniable religious impulse, and they also have an undeniable rebellion against God. What men want most is not the elimination of religion, but their own religion. They say they want the kingdom, but they don’t want God in it.

b. He performs great signs: The beast rising from the sea has the “signs and wonders” to back up his false teaching. A specific miracle of the false prophet is described: he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. It is important that John highlights this miracle. In the eyes of the deceived world, it answers the miracle of the two witnesses, who minister during this period and are persecuted by the Antichrist and his false prophet (Revelation 11:5). To the deceived world, this also puts this false prophet in the class of Elijah (1 Kings 18). We can imagine the false prophet as saying, “Let the true God answer with fire” and then performing his deceptive wonder.

i. “There is a supernatural power which is against God and truth, as well as one for God and truth. A miracle, simply as a work of wonder, is not necessarily of God. There has always been a devilish supernaturalism in the world, running alongside of the supernaturalism of divine grace and salvation.” (Seiss)

ii. In the days of the Exodus, Aaron performed miracles, and up to a point was matched miracle-for-miracle by the magicians of Egypt (Exodus 7-9).

iii. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5, God assumes there will be supernatural works on behalf of false prophets and idols, and He warns His people to judge a worker of miracles by their message, not only by their works.

iv. Jesus said that some who worked miracles — even in His name — were false followers and would perish in hell (Matthew 7:22-23).

v. Jesus said that in the end times, false prophets would emerge and show great signs and wonders to deceive (Matthew 24:24).

vi. Paul said that the Antichrist will come with all power, signs, and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

vii. Knowing all this, the emphasis on signs and wonders among some Christians is frightening. Some Christians say or think, “You can really know where God is and where His power is by signs and wonders.” Thinking this way is to leave yourself wide open to deception. Years ago there was a large, multi-denominational conference of people who thought this way, and their slogan — on a huge banner over the conference platform — read “Unity Under Signs and Wonders.” That’s a unity that Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet could all join in. Signs and wonders will be present among Christians, but the real marks of God’s work are love and truth.

c. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed: The beast rising from the earth will use a deceptive, animated image as the focus point of the worship of the beast.

i. It may seem strange to us to have the whole world give this kind of worship to the image of a man, but the personality cults of totalitarian governments in the twentieth century are a good example of this kind of worship. All we have to do is remember totalitarian states like the Soviet Union or Communist China, and their omnipresent pictures of Stalin or Mao and we see a pattern that will be ultimately fulfilled by the Antichrist.

ii. The image of the beast is animated in some way, in that it has breath and can speak. Whether the image is animated supernaturally or technologically, the result will be impressive. The Psalmist mocked idol worshippers because the idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not (Psalm 135:15-16). This image of the Antichrist will be a different kind of idol, because the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

iii. This idolatrous image is what Jesus, Daniel, and Paul spoke of as the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). It is an idolatrous image set up in the holy place of a rebuilt temple; it is an abomination in the sense of being supreme idolatry, and it is desolation in the sense that it will bring the judgment described by the seals, trumpets, and bowls.

iv. This is the summation of the power of the Antichrist, whose authority ends after forty-two months (Revelation 13:5). This marks the halfway point of the final seven years of man’s rule of this planet. The Antichrist’s power ends as soon as it peaks.

v. This is not a recent understanding of this passage. The first commentary we have on the Book of Revelation, written by Victorinus in the early church, says of this Revelation 13:15: “He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and that the apostate angel should enter, and thence utter voices and oracles.”

3. (Revelation 13:16-17) The economic strategy of the first beast and the second beast.

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

a. He causes all… to receive a mark: Under the government of the beast and his associate, all will be given a mark. Without the mark, one will not be able to participate in the economy (no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark of his name).

i. Since the ancient Greek word for mark (charagma) isn’t generallyapplied to people, some have taken this as a symbolic mark. But a literal mark needed to buy or sell is certainly conceivable and practical.

ii. The technology to give people a mark that enables them to buy and sell in the electronic economy is available. There are many different ways it could happen, and such programs are proposed and tested constantly.

b. A mark on their right hand or on their foreheads: Satan is not a creative being, all he can do is imitate God. We are not surprised to find that this too is a Satanic parody of something God will do; it imitates God’s mark upon his people (Revelation 7:3-4).

c. The number of his name: This was a common concept in the ancient world. In Greek (and Hebrew as well), letters were assigned a numerical value, such as “A” equaling 1, “B” equaling 2, and so forth. For example, graffiti in the ruins of Pompeii reads “I love her whose number is 545.”

4. (Revelation 13:18) The number of the beast.

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

a. His number is 666: Does this tell us who the beast is, by figuring out the numerical value of a name and seeing if it adds up to 666? Using this method, many candidates for Antichrist have been suggested, such as the Pope or the Papacy, John Knox, Martin Luther, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and so forth. But the schemes for unlocking the number of the beast are as confusing as they are endless.

i. “That as 12, the square root of 144, is God’s number, so 25 is the square root of antichrist’s number 666; and by this enigmatical expression we are taught that antichrist should be a political body, that should as much affect the number 25, as God seemeth to have his church affected the number 12.” (Poole)

ii. “The year of Rome’s ruin is by some held to be 1666. It is plain, saith one, Satan shall be tied up 1000 years; 666 is the number of the beast; Antichrist shall so long reign; these two together make the just number.” (Trapp)

iii. “Here is the solution of this mystery: let him that hath a mind for investigations of this kind, find out a kingdom which contains precisely the number 666, for this must be infallibly the name of the beast. ‘H Latinh basileia, The Latin Kingdom, has exclusively this number.” (Clarke)

iv. Some commentators observe that there are six Roman numerals (I, V, X, L, C, and D). If you add them all up, you get 666. Some take this to say that the Antichrist will be a Roman. Or, they point out that all the numbers from 1 to 36 add up to 666. Beast in the evil sense appears 36 times in the Bible.

b. It is the number of a man: One persistent opinion, especially in the early church, was that this number identified the Antichrist with Caesar Nero. But to make the name “Caesar Nero” fit, one must take a variant spelling of the Greek form of a Latin name, transliterated into Hebrew characters.

c. It is the number of a man: The letters of “Jesus” in Greek add up to 888. 666 may be a Satanic counterpart to the name of Jesus, or 666 may be God’s evaluation of such a Satanic counterpart — it falls short.

i. As compared to the number 888, the number 666 may signify an unholy trinity. It may be a human and demonic imitation of God, inherently falling short of the perfect and true. Seven is the number of completion and totality, and 6 doesn’t quite make it.

d. His number is 666: Or, the number 666 may harken back to Solomon’s wages. 1 Kings 10:14 says that Solomon received yearly six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold. Perhaps this suggests that the Antichrist, like Solomon, is a good man who becomes corrupted.

i. Modern interpretations of the idea of the Antichrist are full of the idea of some demon-child, marked by obvious evil from his birth, such as in the Omen movies. But the Antichrist may be someone whose evil is only seen after his rise to power.

e. His number is 666: Christians need not fear the number 666 in a superstitious way; but it interesting to see the way the world has an attachment to this number — even with things like “666” brand cough syrup.

5. The two beasts are Satanic imitations. We are presented with a false “Christ” and a false “John the Baptist” who promote the false god. Satan can’t create, but he can effectively deceive with imitation.

a. “Imitations have ever formed the gravest perils in the history of the Church and the world, and the devil’s final attempt to gain the government of the race will thus be an appalling attempt to imitate.” (Morgan)

b. Imitations work precisely because they are similar; if they were so obviously different, it would be easy to tell the difference. We must beware and be familiar with the genuine.

c. Instead of obsessing with fear and interest about the imitation — the Antichrist — how much more appropriate is it for Christians to be interested in the genuine: Jesus Christ.

The Dragon of Chapter 12

The first reference is in chapter 12:

Rev 12:3-4 – 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

Rev 12:9 – And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

The seven heads and ten horns belong to a “dragon”, and verse 9 identifies the dragon as Satan. From this, we know at least that this imagery implies a Satanic connection. We can rightfully expect that the other references to seven heads and ten horns will likewise refer to something Satanic.

We will come back to discuss the significance of the dragon’s seven heads and ten horns later on, after we’ve developed an understanding of what this imagery represents.

The Composite Beast of Chapter 13

The second reference is in chapter 13:

Rev 13:1-8 – 1And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

2And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast 4they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 5There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

7It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

Here, the seven heads and ten horns belong to a “beast coming up out of the sea”, apparently coming up in response to the dragon (Satan) who is present on the seashore. Verses 5-8 say that this beast would be given 42 months (or 3 1/2 years) to oppose God and make war against God’s people, confirming a Satanic purpose.

In verse 2, this beast is said to have the appearance of a leopard, a bear, and a lion. No explanation is given for these animal references, which is a clue telling us to see if this imagery is used in the Old Testament. Indeed, this imagery directs us to Daniel 7:1-7, where the prophet Daniel describes a vision he received. In his vision, he saw four beasts rising from the sea. The first three were (1) a lion, (2) a bear, and (3) a leopard. These were followed by a “fourth beast different from the others” — and it had ten horns.

There can be little doubt that Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 are referring to the same things, and the intention is that our understanding of Revelation 13 will be illuminated by first understanding Daniel’s prophecy.

To summarize, Daniel’s vision progressed as follows:

• Daniel sees the first three (lion, bear, and leopard) beasts rising from the sea (Dan 7:1-6).
• Daniel sees a dreadful fourth beast, different from the others, and it had ten horns (Dan 7:7).
• Out from the ten horns, Daniel saw a “little horn” who uttered great boasts (Dan 7:8).
• God will appear with intent to judge (Dan 7:9, 10).
• The fourth beast shall be slain (Dan 7:11).
• The other (first three) beasts will have their lives extended at an appointed time (Dan 7:12).
• Christ returns to set up the kingdom of God on earth (Dan 7:13, 14).

Please note the comment about the other beasts in Dan 7:12 – “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.”  The “rest of the beasts” are the lion, the bear, and the leopard, which are the same three beasts mentioned in Revelation 13. We may thus conclude that the end times is the “appointed period of time” in which these three beasts have their “extension of life“.

After receiving this vision, Daniel asked the angel for an explanation, and it was given to him:

Dan 7:17-18 – 17‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18‘But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’

So, we see that the beasts represent kings (and hence, their kingdoms) that will actually appear on earth. In the context of Daniel, it is not difficult to know exactly what these four kingdoms are, because this vision parallels a dream that Daniel interpreted in chapter 2, and some of the kingdoms are actually mentioned by name in other visions described in chapters 8 and 10.

1. The first kingdom (the lion) is Babylon (Dan 2:36-38).
2. The second kingdom (the bear) is Persia (Dan 2:39, Dan 8:20, Dan 10:13)
3. The third kingdom (the leopard) is Greece (Dan 2:39, Dan 8:21, Dan 10:20)
4. The fourth kingdom (more fierce than the others, with ten horns) is Rome (Dan 2:40-43)

Now, remember that these kingdoms are somehow associated with the seven-headed and ten-horned beast in Revelation 13, which implies a Satanic connection. As we should then expect, the four kingdoms in Daniel’s vision would be characterized by their opposition to God. Indeed, besides being idolatrous, there was one main attribute that these four kingdoms all had in common: They each dominated and persecuted God’s people Israel for a period of time.

To quickly summarize these four kingdoms:

1. Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar, sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. They killed many thousands of Jews and took thousands more into captivity. This attack ended the earthly reign of Israel’s royal line that descended from David. Israel’s kingdom won’t be restored until Christ (David’s descendant and heir to his throne) returns.
2. Persia, under Cyrus the Great, Darius, and Artaxerxes, was in many ways benevolent toward Israel, allowing them to return to Judah and rebuild. However, Israel was still under Persian rule, and it was during this time that they narrowly escaped Haman’s scheme to have the Jews exterminated (all described in the book of Esther, e.g. Esther 3:6, 13, 4:3, 7-8).
3. Greece, after the death of Alexander the Great, was divided and the eventual ruler in Judea was a man named Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who turned out to be a preview of Antichrist. He defiled the temple and sought to destroy the Jewish religion. (He is foretold in Dan 8:21-26 and Dan 11:21-45; see The Antichrist for more information about him).
4. Rome indeed stood out as different and more severe than the others. It was under Roman rule that the promised Christ finally appeared. A direct attempt to murder him was made at birth when Herod ordered all the baby boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem to be killed (Matt 2:16-18). Later, it was Rome that carried out the crucifixion of Christ (John 19:15-16). In 70 AD, Rome sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, killing about a quarter-million Jews and enslaving 90,000 more. In 135 AD, Rome (under emperor Hadrian) waged war on the Jews and killed over half a million of them. Of course, besides persecuting God’s people Israel, the Roman empire became the first kingdom to persecute God’s people, the Christians.

Returning to Daniel 7, we see that Daniel asked for a further explanation of the fourth beast and the ten horns (Dan 7:19-22), and he was given the following:

Dan 7:23-27 – 23“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 25‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’

Here we see that out of the fourth kingdom (Rome), there shall eventually emerge ten kings (represented by the ten horns). Afterwards, another king will emerge (contemporary with the first ten) who will oppose God and God’s people for a time, times, and half a time, which is the 3 1/2 year (or 42-month) period that follows the abomination at the midpoint of the seven-year end-times period (Dan 12:7,11). This is clearly the same person being described as the first beast in Revelation 13 who utters blasphemies and makes war with the saints and overcomes them for 42 months (Rev 13:5). This is Antichrist.

Revelation 13 symbolically links Antichrist with the kingdoms mentioned in Daniel 7, suggesting that Antichrist’s kingdom will share the combined strength and characteristics of those previous kingdoms. The impression given is that Antichrist shall be Satan’s masterpiece, the supreme Satanic earthly king.

The Fatal Wound That Healed

Note that Rev 13:3 remarks the composite beast has one head that appears to have been slain, but the fatal wound had healed. Later, this fatal wound is referenced in Rev 13:12-15, where it indicates that the beast shall be killed (suffer a fatal wound) and then be brought back to life. This “death and resurrection” is certainly reminiscent of the work of Christ, which itself happens to be referenced in this chapter (Rev 13:8).

What do these death and resurrection references mean with regard to the beast? I think it helps to understand that each beast (both in Revelation and Daniel) represents both a kingdom and its king. The notion of “death and resurrection” can, and I believe does, apply to both.

• Death and resurrection of a kingdom – In Dan 7:11, we read that the fourth beast of Daniel’s vision (Rome) was slain, and yet in Dan 7:23-24 we read that ten kings will arise from it, and the “little horn” (Antichrist) shall arise among them. We may thus say that the fourth kingdom itself has, in this sense, attained a new life, or resurrection.
• Death and resurrection of a king – In Rev 13:12, we read about how the False Prophet will lead people to worship the beast. In this context, the word beast refers to the individual Antichrist who is given authority as Satan’s final king (Rev 13:2), and who persecutes the saints for 42 months (Rev 13:5, 7). He is also described as having a fatal wound from a sword (Rev 13:12, 14), and yet he was returned to life as one of the “great signs” performed by the False Prophet (Rev 13:15). In this sense, the future Antichrist himself will appear to have a death and resurrection, as appropriate for a counterfeit Christ.

The Scarlet Beast of Chapter 17

The third reference is in chapter 17:

Rev 17:3 –  3And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

Here, the seven heads and ten horns belong to a “scarlet beast”. This chapter gives extensive additional information about the meaning of the seven heads and ten horns. For one thing, they are associated with idolatry (the harlot who sits on the beast represents idolatry, as discussed in The Great Harlot and Babylon). Then, starting in verse 9, we are given an important explanation of what the heads and horns represent.

Rev 17:9-11 – 9“Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, 10and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11“The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.

With the information gained from the references in chapters 12 and 13, we are ready to approach the explanation given here in Revelation 17. We will break this explanation into its key parts:

9“Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, 10and they are seven kings;

The key point is the understanding of “mountains”. Are these seven literal (geological) mountains, or do they symbolize something else? Given that the seven mountains are also seven kings suggests something other than literal mountains. But we should look to see if scripture ever uses mountains in a figurative way that also makes sense when associated with kings.

Indeed, the word mountain is often used figuratively in Scripture, and in all such cases, the mountain always represents a kingdom (e.g. Isa 2:2, Dan 2:35,45, Jer 51:24-26, Psalm 68:16, Ezek 35:2, Heb 12:22). Certainly, kingdoms go hand-in-glove with kings, and for this reason, I believe it is best to understand “mountains” as a symbol for the kingdoms that correspond to the kings. This idea is further corroborated by the fact that this passage is explaining the scarlet beast, and we know from our discussion of Daniel 7 above that beasts are used to represent kings and their kingdoms.

The passage continues with this summary of the seven kings and kingdoms:

10 … five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

This tells us that the kings and kingdoms represented by the seven heads are seven actual kingdoms on earth that rise and fall at various times:

• five have fallen – That is, at the time that John received this vision, the first five kingdoms had already come and gone (they are discussed below).
• one is – This says that the sixth kingdom was actively in power at the time John received his vision. From this, we know that this sixth kingdom must be the Roman Empire, which ruled over Judea for John’s entire life.
• the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while – The seventh kingdom must come sometime after the Roman Empire falls. Also, it is emphasized that the king of this kingdom must remain a little while, which I take to mean a relatively short time. We’ll discuss this kingdom below.

The First Six Satanic Kingdoms

From the discussion above, we know that the sixth kingdom is Rome, and combining this knowledge with the list of four Satanically influenced kingdoms we identified in Daniel 7 (in which the fourth kingdom was Rome), we can begin to put together a partial list of the seven kingdoms represented by the seven heads:

1. (undetermined — first of the five fallen)
2. (undetermined — second of the five fallen)
3. Babylon (first beast of Daniel 7 — third of the five fallen)
4. Persia (second beast of Daniel 7 — fourth of the five fallen)
5. Greece (third beast of Daniel 7 — fifth of the five fallen)
6. Rome (fourth beast of Daniel 7 — the kingdom that is)
7. (undetermined — has not yet come, but will come and remain for a little while)

Now, of the kingdoms referenced as the “five have fallen” in verse 10, we can see that the final three of those five fallen kingdoms must be Babylon, Persia, and Greece.

But what could the first two of those five fallen kingdoms be? We can answer this by deducing that the first two kingdoms must share the same characteristics common to the four mentioned by Daniel. That is, in order to be included in this list of kingdoms, the first two kingdoms must meet these requirements:

• They must be two actual kingdoms on earth.
• They must both be in power at different times prior to the third kingdom (Babylon).
• They must both be known for dominating and persecuting God’s people Israel.

Does the Bible speak of two such kingdoms? Yes.

1. Egypt — Early in Israel’s history, the Jews settled in the land of Egypt and their numbers grew. However, as explained in Exodus 1, the Egyptian Pharaohs turned against Israel and forced Israel to do hard labor as slaves for about four centuries.
2. Assyria — After being given their promised land and flourishing for centuries under self-rule, the northern kingdom of Israel, comprising ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, fell to the invasion by Assyria. Their land was plundered and Jews were taken into captivity (see 2 Kings 17). Later, Assyria threatened the same against the southern kingdom of Israel (Judah), but Judah was spared only by direct interference by God (see 2 Kings 18 and 19).

At this point, we may identify the first six kingdoms symbolized by the seven heads. They are as follows:

1. Egypt (first of the five fallen)
2. Assyria (second of the five fallen)
3. Babylon (first beast of Daniel 7 — third of the five fallen)
4. Persia (second beast of Daniel 7 — fourth of the five fallen)
5. Greece (third beast of Daniel 7 — fifth of the five fallen)
6. Rome (fourth beast of Daniel 7 — the kingdom that is)
7. (undetermined — “has not yet come, but will come and remain for a little while”)

The Eighth Satanic Kingdom

Revelation 17 continues in a somewhat surprising way:

11“The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.

Now we learn that beyond the seven kings and kingdoms associated with the seven heads, there shall be yet another eighth kingdom, and it is also the last. Being the final Satanic kingdom, this eighth king and kingdom must be the kingdom of Antichrist, which is represented by the composite beast that we saw in Revelation 13.

Here in chapter 17, that composite beast is referred to as the beast which “was and is not, (yet) is”, and this beast was further described in verse 8:

Rev 17:8 – “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.”

This is clearly the same beast of Rev 13:1 who came up out of the sea (or abyss), of which Rev 13:8 said, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain“. As you can see, this eighth beast and the Antichrist beast of Revelation 13 share the same description, nearly word for word. Also, Rev 17:8 and Rev 17:11 stress that he is going to his destruction, which agrees with Dan 7:26, Dan 9:27, and other prophecies concerning the fate of Antichrist.

The curious phrase “was, and is not, (yet) is” further links this eighth king with the composite beast of Rev 13:1. The phrase tersely implies something that existed, passed away, but then returned. This corresponds with the Antichrist beast in chapter 13, who had “a fatal wound which had healed” (Rev 13:12). Thus the phrase “was, is not, is” refers to Antichrist who will live, then be slain, and then return to life. Also, as explained above, the phrase “was, is not, is” can also be understood as a kingdom that once existed, fell, and yet in some sense was restored.

Interestingly, verse 11 says that Antichrist is “of the seven” These words imply that:

• Antichrist’s eighth kingdom shall, in some sense, be a continuation of the previous seven kings and kingdoms in terms of likeness. This agrees with the composite description of Antichrist given in Revelation 13 which refers to the earlier kingdoms, as well as the “was, is not, is” phrase discussed above. The composite eighth is not entirely new since it embodies the first seven.
• Antichrist’s kingdom shall belong with the previous seven, in that it shall likewise dominate and persecute God’s people. In Antichrist’s case, we know that this pertains to both Christians and Israel, although a remnant of Israel shall be divinely protected (Rev 12:13-16).

Side note: This NASB translation says “one of the seven”, although one is an unfortunate addition. Other translations say “belongs to the seven” (e.g. NIV, ESV, HCSB), or “like the other seven” (NLT), or simply “of the seven” (e.g. KJV, DBT, JUB), which convey the meaning better.

This discussion of the seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 17 concludes with this:

Rev 17:12-14 – 12“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13“These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.

This makes it clear that the ten horns (1) symbolize ten kings who would arise on earth, (2) that they would be contemporaries of Antichrist, and (3) that they would take part in the final losing battle against the Lamb (described in Rev 14:14-20, Rev 16:13-16 and Rev 19:11-21). This all agrees with the ten kings we saw symbolized by the ten horns in Dan 7:8 and Dan 7:24.

The Seventh Satanic Kingdom

Our list of Satanically inspired kingdoms (represented by the seven heads, plus the eighth added in Rev 17:11) is nearly complete. So far, it stands as follows:

1. Egypt
2. Assyria
3. Babylon
4. Persia
5. Greece
6. Rome
7. (undetermined)
8. Antichrist’s kingdom

Only the seventh kingdom remains unresolved. Can we say with any confidence that this seventh kingdom has already appeared on earth, or should we still be watching for it?

Recall what Rev 17:10 said about the seventh king: “the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.” In order to satisfy this prophecy and be consistent with all of the other kingdoms included in this list, the seventh king and kingdom must satisfy the following requirements:

• Timing – It must appear on earth sometime after the sixth kingdom (Rome), and yet sometime before the eighth kingdom (Antichrist).
• Activity – Like all of the other kingdoms on this list, it must dominate and persecute God’s people (either Israel, Christians, or both).
• Duration – It must (according to Rev 17:10), appear for a “little while”, suggesting that the reign of the seventh king and kingdom will be short when compared to the previous six kingdoms. Also, the fact that this king is able to even “qualify” to be on the same list with these first six kingdoms suggests that his kingdom must be especially hostile to God’s people to compensate for the fact that it has only a short time to do so.
• Satanic – It must be arguably describable as a Satanically influenced kingdom, promoting some sort of idolatry among other evil intents.
• Biblical Significance – As with the other kingdoms, it should alter the course of history in a manner that fulfills Biblical prophecy.

Given these requirements, I believe that the seventh kingdom has already appeared on the earth, and that it was none other than the Nazi regime led by Adolph Hitler during World War II.

If you read other Revelation commentaries, you will probably notice that this opinion is relatively uncommon. However, I would like to point out that many of the eschatological views commonly held by people today were shaped by commentaries written before World War II.

Please note that Hitler and his Nazi Regime “kingdom” fulfilled the above requirements perfectly:

• Timing – Hitler obviously fulfills the timing requirements. Clearly after Rome, and yet before Antichrist.
• Activity – Hitler surely dominated and persecuted Israel. In fact, we should ask ourselves: If God is making a list of kingdoms that have dominated and persecuted the nation Israel, how could that list not include Hitler’s Nazi regime? About six million Jews were murdered, accounting for the slaughter of about one-third of the entire world’s Jewish population at that time.
• Duration – Hitler fulfilled the “little while” requirement in that his reign of terror was relatively short. The Nazis only held power for about twelve years, whereas the previous six kingdoms had durations that could be measured in hundreds of years. It took the Nazis only about seven years (the 1939-1945 Holocaust) to murder the six million Jews. Without a doubt, the Nazis outdid each of the six earlier kingdoms in terms of sheer murderous efficiency against Israel.
• Satanic – Without question. The Nazis used deception to mask their true intentions (e.g. the “Work will set you free” sign greeting the Jews who arrived at Nazi death camps). Large numbers of people were influenced to either violate their conscience or lose it altogether. Consequently, they engaged in wickedness to a degree and on a scale that we might never have imagined possible in a civilized society. Also, those who might have been expected to assist the innocent victims — and this includes many within the churches — stood by silently. From a religious standpoint, the Nazis promoted what they called “Positive Christianity”, which was an utterly corrupted distortion of true Christianity (see Wikipedia article). Christians who opposed it found themselves classified as a subversive group, and they faced persecution themselves.
• Biblical Significance – As a consequence of the Nazi Holocaust, a most remarkable thing happened. It created a rare period of deep sympathy toward the surviving Jewish population, and this paved the way for the nation Israel to regain a state of self-rule in their Biblical homeland, which started May 14, 1948. In a sense, they regained much of what they lost in the Babylonian invasion about 2,500 years earlier. I believe that this re-gathering of Israel in their Biblical land is a fulfillment of prophecy (e.g. Isa 66:8, Ezek 37:21,22, Jer 16:14,15, Amos 9:14,15).

Note that Israel’s re-emergence in their homeland also opens the door for a literal fulfillment of the end times prophecies that speak about Israel living in their land.

Prior to World War II, it seemed impossible that a literal fulfillment could be correct after so many centuries of Israel being scattered and powerless. I believe that for this reason, Christian theologians devised several philosophies for how Revelation (and other end-times prophecies) could be fulfilled in non-literal ways. This is why we have Preterism, Historicism, Postmillennialism, Amillennialism, Idealism, and other eschatological views that require the prophecies to be fulfilled in “symbolic” or “mystical” ways.

Speculation: During the Nazi holocaust against the Jews, about one-third of Israel’s population was murdered and they received little help from the rest of the world. This is just a thought, but I do notice that during the trumpet events, God will be destroying about one-third of the rest of the world, while He helps His people Israel. Perhaps this relationship is just a coincidence, but it seems like sort of a poetic justice too.

Returning to the Dragon of Revelation 12

We now have an understanding that the seven heads represent seven actual idolatrous kingdoms that appeared on earth, which at various times served Satan’s purposes by dominating and persecuting God’s people. These kingdoms are, (1) Egypt, (2) Assyria, (3) Babylon, (4) Persia, (5) Greece, (6) Rome, and (7) Hitler’s Nazi regime (as I proposed above).

If this understanding is correct, then it should help explain the meaning of the “seven-headed dragon” as depicted in Revelation 12:

Rev 12:4 – And the dragon (with seven heads and ten horns) stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

The imagery of verse 4 depicts a dragon, lying in wait before the woman (Israel), with intent to kill her child (Christ) at birth. That’s the imagery, but how did Satan (the dragon) do this in actuality?

History shows that he did this by raising up idolatrous kingdoms that would dominate and threaten Israel. We see this in Pharaoh’s armies, the Assyrian captivity and Sennacherib’s threats against Judah, Nebuchadnezzar taking Israel into captivity, Haman’s attempt to destroy Israel during the Persian empire, the attack by Antiochus Epiphanes IV in the waning years of the Greek empire, and of course, Herod’s decree to kill children in the vicinity of Bethlehem, where Christ was born during the Roman Empire.

As the birth of the Messiah neared, these kingdoms came one right after the other. With all of these mighty kingdoms threatening little Israel, it’s astounding (from a human standpoint) that they still exist as a nation. One can almost see God’s hand of protection upon Israel. However, with these kingdoms, one can also see Satan making a frantic effort to destroy the child that would be born of Israel.

So why would Satan be so intent on wanting to destroy the Christ at birth?

Going back to Genesis, we see that after Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed Satan (the serpent – or dragon). The final remark of that curse was:

Gen 3:15 – And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.

This is God informing Satan that he will be destroyed. Satan’s destruction would be carried out by a man, although Satan would also cause temporal injury to that man. This man called the “seed of the woman” is an early reference to the promised Messiah. This reference makes it clear that he would be a man born of a woman upon earth. In time, it became clear that this man would be born from God’s chosen people, Israel (which is represented by the woman in Revelation 12).

Having been made aware of this curse, Satan has every motivation to try to avoid his own doom by attempting to destroy the Messiah first. Thus we see him, lying in wait by influencing one kingdom after another to dominate and persecute Israel, in hopes of destroying the seed of the woman.

In the account of Christ’s birth, we do see Satan’s attempt to “devour her child” in Herod’s command to kill all male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem (Matt 2:16), but that failed. Satan then attempted to destroy Christ through temptation (Matt 4:1). but that also failed. Shortly afterward, there was another attempt to kill Christ (Luke 4:29-30), but that failed as well.

Satan did eventually succeed in getting Jesus killed under Roman rule. However, by that time he was too late because Jesus had accomplished his ministry (John 17:4-5). He had proclaimed the coming kingdom of God, and how sinners could be a peace with God and enter the kingdom. He had fulfilled all of the prophecies that confirmed that he was who he claimed to be. Christ wasn’t killed until the only prophecies left to be fulfilled were those relating to his death and resurrection (Psalm 22:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Dan 9:26, Psalm 16:10, Isa 53:10). Even death was only a temporary suffering for Christ, and it only amounted to “bruising his heel”. In contrast, by fulfilling his ministry, Christ shall deliver a fatal blow to Satan (“bruise his head”).

Chapter 13 reveals the most amazing and terrifying image of a beast. The dragon takes his stand on the sand of the sea (12:17), and a beast rises out of the sea. The beast has ten horns and seven heads with ten diadems on its horns. Blasphemous names were written on its heads. The similar number of heads and horns reveals that the beast is from the dragon and like the dragon in wickedness. The symbolism of the heads and horns is the same as with the dragon. The beast has great power, authority, and strength. The beast’s appearance is like a leopard with feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. Further, the dragon gave his power, throne, and great authority to the beast.

Futurists see this description of the beast as a prophecy about the coming Antichrist. This chapter is where much of the speculation comes from concerning the Antichrist controlling the earth and the earth worshiping him. However, we cannot forget what we read at the beginning of the book. The book of Revelation is revealing “things that must soon take place” (1:1) and “the time is near” (1:3). There is nothing soon or near about 2000 years passing by. We have seen the immediacy of the prophecy contained in chapters 6-11, fulfilling the declaration that these things must soon take place. Chapter 13 reveals what is going to happen next. It is not revealing what is going to happen next 2000 years later but what will happen next immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The image of this beast comes directly from Daniel with the intention for the readers to see that this beast is Revelation 13 is the fulfillment or arrival of the beast predicted in Daniel 7. Daniel 7:3 shows four great beasts coming up out of the sea, just as the beast in Revelation 13 comes out of the sea. Notice that the first three beasts in Daniel 7 are a lion, bear, and leopard, the same three animals that make up the beast in Revelation 13. It is the fourth beast (Daniel 7:7) that is of interest in this chapter. The fourth beast is not like the other beasts and it has ten horns, just like the beast in Revelation 13. Daniel sees this vision and wants to know the interpretation of these things (Daniel 7:16). The answer given is that the four beasts represent the four kingdoms that arise out of the earth. We stand at a time where we know the order of the four kingdoms/empires that arose over the earth. Daniel 2:37-38 tells us that we begin with the Babylonian Empire. Therefore the Babylonian Empire is the first beast. The second beast is the empire that conquered the Babylonians, which was the Persian Empire (also called the Medo-Persian Empire). The third beast is the empire that conquered the Persians which was the Grecian Empire. The fourth beast is the empire that conquered the Greeks and that was the Roman Empire. The fourth terrifying beast that Daniel prophesied about and about which Revelation 13 is referring to is the Roman Empire which ruled from around 44 BC to 476 AD.

To show that Daniel and John are seeing the same beast let us quickly look at the parallels in their descriptions. We have already noted that both come out of the sea (Daniel 7:3; Revelation 13:1) and both have ten horns (Daniel 7:7; Revelation 13:1). Both beasts speak blasphemous words (Daniel 7:8,25; Revelation 13:1,5-6). The duration of power is the same for both beasts. Daniel records the power would last for “a time, times, and half a time” (3 ½ years) and John notes the power would last for 42 months (3 ½ years) (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:5). The most important parallel is found in the actions of the beast. Daniel 7:21-22 records that the beast will make war with the saints and prevail over them. Revelation 13:7 records the same point, “It was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.” The beast is Daniel 7 and the beast in Revelation 13 refer to the same kingdom, the Roman Empire.

With this interpretation set, we can look at Revelation 13:1-10 and notice what is being prophesied about the Roman Empire. Verse 1 tells us that the Roman Empire is going to exercise great power and authority. This power and authority is given to it by the dragon (13:2), which was identified as Satan in Revelation 12:9. The scriptures describe Satan as the ruler of this world (Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19). The combination of the animals in the beast’s description reveals that this Roman Empire is more powerful and more dreadful than the previous three empires. The first prophecy about the Roman Empire in the book of Daniel made this significant point.

And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. (Daniel 2:40 ESV)

The Worship of the Beast (13:3-4)

An unusual statement is made about the beast. One of the heads of the beast takes a fatal wound but the fatal wound heals. This is quite a statement. To take a mortal (ESV, NRSV), fatal (HCSB, NASB, NIV, NLT), deadly (NKJV), lethal (NET) wound means certain death but somehow the head heals. Verse 14 says it was wounded by the sword and yet lived. For one of the heads to receive a fatal wound suggests that the beast was about to die but somehow, to the amazement of the world, the beast revives and is healed. The question about this image is this: Does the fatally wounded head that is healed represent a particular emperor of the Roman Empire or is it just a reflection of the state of affairs in the Roman Empire? Verse 3 suggests an event that will happen within the Roman Empire that will cause people to believe it is going to collapse. Rather than collapse, the empire will revive and be as strong as ever. There are a few situations that took place in the Roman Empire that could fit this scenario. I believe this likely refers to the civil war that broke out within the Roman Empire for over one year after the death of Emperor Nero (perhaps the wounded head is the death of Emperor Nero). Four emperors, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian, all seized the throne in less than one year. Two of the these three were murdered and one committed suicide. It was a time of unrest and upheaval within the Roman Empire as the Roman legions were divided in their support of each one claiming to be emperor. Vespasian becomes emperor at the end of 69 AD and stabilizes the empire.

This causes the world to worship the beast. The people perceive the Roman Empire as invincible and unable to collapse. They give their allegiance to the empire and by doing so are giving their allegiance and worship to the dragon (Satan) who is the authority and power behind the beast.

The Authority of the Beast (13:5-8)

The beast has blasphemous names on its forehead (13:1) and speaks blasphemies against God, God’s name, and God’s tabernacle, that is, those who tabernacle in heaven. The empire has no regard for the true and living God. The emperors do not worship Jehovah God. They have no respect for God’s power or his authority. Nor does the empire have any respect for the Christians. The tabernacle is a reference to the people of God and the evil that is spoken against them and their faith. G.K. Beale notes that this blaspheming, “Implies a speaking out against God through self-deification” (NIGTC, 697). Daniel prophesied the same thing about the emperors and the Roman Empire.

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.” (Daniel 11:36–37 ESV)

I believe the apostle Paul was also referring to the great ruling power of the Roman Empire when he called it the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.

For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 ESV)

Further, the beast was given authority “to make war on the saints and to conquer them.” Daniel prophesied the same thing about the Roman Empire.

As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:21–22 ESV)

He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:25 ESV)

Even more, the beast has authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. These descriptions all verify our original interpretation that this beast is the Roman Empire from about 44 BC to 476 AD. The Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan (98-117 AD) expanded the empire to its furthest points over the earth. The Roman Empire was the sole world power especially during the first and second centuries. Because of this great authority and rule, the world worships and pays homage to the Roman Empire as sent from the gods. Everyone gives their allegiance to the Roman emperors. The only ones who are not worshiping the emperors and giving their allegiance to the Roman Empire are those whose names are “in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (13:8).

Prophetic Warning (13:9-10)

The paragraph about this beast concludes with a prophetic warning. Notice the force of the command to listen to this warning. “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” Jesus used to the same language to call people to listen to the important message he was about to teach. The same is true here in Revelation concerning this important message.

“If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.” In summary, this war that the beast will make against the saints is going to be very bad. You are going to be captured or killed. Therefore, Christ calls for faithful endurance. “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” Brace yourselves for the impact of the persecution and suffering that will come from the Roman Empire. The world is standing for the beast, worshiping the beast, and honoring the beast. The Christians will not do this and suffering will come from this.

Life Lessons

Do not worship the government. While we appreciate this country and the freedoms we enjoy, our worship belongs to God alone. We cannot let our worship be tied to the political affairs of this country. We must not worship the president and see him as our personal deliverer or savior from our economic, cultural, or political woes. Our hope is not in this country. Our hope is not in our leaders. Our hope is in God regardless of who our leaders are.

Endure. God calls for his people to endure, even in the most extreme circumstances. We are reading about a government with the policy intent on making war and killing Christians. We must be faithful to God no matter what obstacles stand against us. If we are persecuted, we must endure for Christ. If we are comfortable, we must endure for Christ. Be faithful in times of prosperity and times of persecution.

Stand against the world. Do not go with the direction of this world. Verse 8 shows that only the Christians are the ones not revering and worshiping the Roman Empire and its emperors. Be willing to be different. Be willing to make a stand. Be holy in your conduct and show Christ in our lives.

Revelation chapter 13 begins with a beast (the Antichrist), raising up out of the “sea”, which represents the nations of the world. The beast is the Antichrist or the false messiah. He will be the final world ruler, also known as the little horn (in the book of Daniel; see article “Antichrist”).

Daniel 7:8 "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."

Things during the end times will be chaotic. A time of confusion and uncertainty will cause the people to desperately look for a strong leader that could bring hope and security in a time of fear and apprehension. People will desperately seek a strong, charismatic, authoritative leader who can pull the world back from the very brink of disaster.

Those people will get their wish as a powerful, charismatic leader spouting peace and unity comes on the scene. But he will turn out to be much more than they bargained for. He will be a dictator whose cruelty will be more than any other the world has ever known. This man will be the Antichrist as he will rule the entire world and receive its worship.

 

Verses 1-2: The “sea” here represents the Gentile nations of the world, from which this “beast” comes. The Beast is the Antichrist, the false messiah (compare Matt. 24:5, 24; 1 John 2:18). He is the final Gentile world ruler, also known as the “little horn” (Dan. 7:8, 20-21, 24-25), the willful king (Dan. 11:36), the coming prince (Dan. 9:26), and the man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3). In Revelation, he is both a person and an empire. The description of the Beast connects it closely both to the “dragon” (Satan, 12:3), and to the fourth beast of Daniel chapter 7 (the Roman Empire; Dan. 7:7, 23). Though his actions show him to be somewhat distinct from both. “The “horns” and “heads” are identified (in chapter 17). He speaks “blasphemy” against God (compare verses 5-6). His resemblances to a “leopard”, a “bear”, and a “lion” refer to the first three beasts in the vision of Daniel chapter 7 (representing the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece). This Beast includes the people and cultures of three previous empires, and is an outgrowth of the Roman Empire itself. The “power” and “authority” of the Beast come from Satan himself. Satan has his own false “trinity”: Satan acts as the Father, the Antichrist as the Son, and the False Prophet as the Spirit who attempts to bring glory to the Antichrist (compare verses 11-12).

Revelation 13:1 "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy."

Both Daniel and John also saw political systems and leaders that they described using the term "Beast". John sees this beast coming up "out of the sea." This beast is a Gentile leader of a Gentile system. John didn't call it a beast because it was a Gentile. He called it a beast because It comes up out of the sea of "nations".

In Daniel Chapter 7, the prophet records a dream that he had in which he saw the rise and fall of four gentile world empires. Each was characterized as a beast coming from the sea of nations. So, the beast from the sea is the political part of the Antichrist's system. Satan is a counterfeiter. So he has an "unholy trinity" that consists of himself (Satan), the Antichrist (the political, religious beast), and the false prophet, (the religious, political beast). See article “Daniel’s Prophecies”.

The sea here represents the Gentile nations of the world, from which this beast comes. The beast is the Antichrist, the false messiah (Matt. 24:5, 24: 1 John 2:18). He is the final Gentile world ruler, also known as the "little horn" (Dan. 7:8, 20-21, 24-25), the willful king (Dan. 11:36), the coming prince (Dan 9:26), and the man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3).

This "sea" means large numbers of people. One writer says unstable nations of peoples. This beast has to do with the powers of this earth opposed to Christendom. Whether John or the dragon stood on the edge of the sea is not material, since we are distinctly told that the ten-horned beast rose from the sea.

These "heads" show dominion. We have said before that "ten" has to do with world government and "horns" show power. We know then that this has something to do with world government and rulers of that. "Crowns" show dominion. This "blasphemy" denies the true God. It doesn't matter who the "I" is here, but it is probably John.

We see a terrible vicious world power. I believe this "ten" here is the ten common market nations which were formed from the old Roman empire. The old Roman empire has been reestablished in the ten common market nations. The sad thing is, that it appears, the power that this group has is from the evil one.

It is not difficult to understand where their power comes from. "Upon his heads the name of blasphemy". This beast has the ten horns of power. This is the personification of what Satan does with this world power. The personification of evil when it takes over governments and people who are heads of these governments.

Revelation 13:2 "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."

His resemblance to a leopard, a bear, and a lion refer to the first three beasts in the vision of Daniel 7 (representing the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece). This Beast includes the people and cultures of the three previous empires, and is an outgrowth of the Roman Empire itself.

“Leopard”: A metaphor for ancient Greece, alluding to the Greeks’ swiftness and ability as their military moved forward in conquest, particularly under Alexander the Great (compare Dan. 7:6). The Leopard and subsequent animal symbols were all native wildlife in Palestine, familiar to John’s readers.

“Bear”: A metaphor for the ancient Medo-Persian Empire, depicting that kingdom’s ferocious strength, combined with its great stability (compare Dan. 7:5).

“Lion”: A metaphor for the ancient Babylonian Empire, referring to the Babylonians’ fierce, all consuming power as they extended their domain (compare Dan. 7:4).

The description of the Beast connects it closely both to the dragon (Satan, 12:3), and to the fourth beast of Daniel 7 (the Roman Empire; Dan. 7:7, 23), though his actions show him to be somewhat distinct from both. The horns and heads are identified (in Rev. chapter 17).

As the first scripture indicated a beast with seven heads, the other two earlier empires were Syria and Egypt. To make the next scripture easy to understand, I will name the 6 again. They are Syria, Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. These are the 6 empires of the past.

We will revisit this again (in Rev 17:8-14), which begins:

“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is”.

Be sure to read the next 5 verses as well (in chapter 17).

“The dragon gave him his power” (see notes on verse 1; 12:9).

Just so you know, the sixth beast is Rome. They were, and then they weren't as they were no longer a force, but will be prominent again during the end times.

 

Verses 3-5: The “wound” may refer either to the apparent death of the Antichrist himself or to the decline and apparent disappearance of the Roman Empire. The healing of the “wound” may be either the apparent resurrection of the Antichrist or the revival of the Roman Empire.

“One of his heads” is apparently the Roman Empire (compare 17:10-11). This revival causes amazement throughout the “world”. The “mouth” depicts the blasphemy of the Antichrist against God (compare 2 Thess. 2:4). He will gain some type of worldwide authority for “forty and two months” (three and a half years, the last half of the Tribulation; compare verse 7).

Revelation 13:3 "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."

I believe this means the apparent death of the Antichrist himself and the healing of the "wound" the apparent resurrection of the Antichrist.

“His deadly wound was healed”: This statement could refer to one of the kingdoms that was destroyed and revived (i.e. the Roman Empire). But more likely it refers to a fake death and resurrection enacted by the Antichrist, as part of his lying deception (compare verses 12, 14; 17:8, 11; 2 Thess. 2:9).

Others tend to believe it to be the decline and apparent disappearance of the old Roman Empire, then the revival of the new Roman Empire.

“World wondered after the beast”: People in the world will be astounded and fascinated when Antichrist appears to rise from the dead. His charisma, brilliance, and attractive but deluding powers will cause the world to follow him unquestioningly (verse 14; 2 Thess. 2:8-12).

This revival causes amazement throughout the world.

Revelation 13:4 "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

“Who is able to make war with him”: This confirms the absolute power that Satan will have over the world at this time. No one else will be able to stop the rise of the Beast to world dominion.

Revelation 13:5 "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months."

“Was given”: The sovereign God will establish the limits within which Antichrist will be allowed to speak and operate. God will allow him to utter his blasphemies, to bring the rage of Satan to its culmination on earth for 3-1/2 years (verse 5; 11:2-3; 12:6, 13-14).

Eventually the Beast turns this unbridled animosity toward all the people of God (as Rev. 13:5-7), makes clear.

Earlier John makes it plain that the beast's power, authority and kingdom are given to him by Satan (verse 2). And John also tells us something revealed to no one else. This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation which Daniel spoke about in when the sacrifice and the oblation ceases. This is called the “Abomination of Desolation” (also see Matthew 24:15).

He speaks blasphemy against God. The power and authority of the Beast come from Satan himself. Satan has his own false "trinity".

“Forty and two months”: The final 3-1/2 years, 1260 days, of the “time of Jacob’s distress” (Jer. 30:7), and Daniel’s 70^th week (Dan. 9:24-27), known as the Great Tribulation (see notes on 11:2; 12:6; compare Dan. 7:25). This last half is launched by the Abomination of Desolation (see note on Matt. 24:15).

 

Verses 6-8: The unbelievers of the world will be deceived into believing that the Beast is a god (compare 2 Thess. 2:4, 11). Only those whose “names” are “written in the book of life” will refuse to “worship” the Beast. The Beast will persecute the “saints” of God, and exercise power throughout the world. The “Lamb” was “slain from the foundation of the world”, in the sense that Christ’s redemptive death for mankind was part of God’s plan from eternity past.

Revelation 13:6 "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven."

“His name”: This identifies God and summarizes all His attributes (compare Exodus 3:13-14).

“His tabernacle”: This is symbolic of heaven (compare Heb. 9:23-24).

“Them that dwell in heaven”: The angels and glorified saints who are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night.

"The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty two months. It is Satan's secret desire to have others worship him. The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy because He said He was God, and He was crucified for blasphemy. But declaring that one is God is blasphemous only when untrue.

In the case of Antichrist during the Tribulation period, it will be untrue, but such supernatural powers will be given him by the devil himself that he will appear to have Godlike characteristics and thus deceive many human beings.

Thus, during the first 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation the Antichrist will be merely a man endowed with demonic power. But during the last 3-1/2 years, he will actually be Satan himself, clothed with the Antichrist's body as the antichrist is the second person to be indwelled by Satan. Judas was the first. Remember Satan is not divine. He does not have the power to create, that is, to make something out of nothing.

He can only take what God creates and manipulate it or manufacture it into something else. He can, however, indwell individuals. Even his demonic demons have that power.

Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

“Make war with the saints”: The Antichrist will be allowed to massacre those who are God’s children (compare 6:9-11; 11:7; 12:17; 17:6; Dan. 7:23-25; 8:25; 9:27; 11:38; 12:10; Matt. 24:16-22; see note on Rev. 17:6).

The Power of the Beast: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them." Today the world is prepared for a one world governmental philosophy. That philosophy, propagated by Satan and advocated by the intellectual, godless, atheistic leaders of world governments today, is rapidly spreading across the earth.

The wrath begins immediately after the rapture of the church. I have mentioned before and will state again, here, that the word "rapture" is not found in the Bible. It is just a short way of saying the catching away, or snatching away, of the believers into heaven.

Revelation 13:8 "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

“From the foundation of the world”: According to God’s eternal, electing purpose before creation, the death of Christ seals the redemption of the elect forever (compare Acts 2:23; 4:27:28). Antichrist can never take away the salvation of the elect. The eternal registry of the elect will never be altered, nor will the saved in the Antichrist’s day worship him.

“Book of life” (see notes on Rev. 3:5).

“Lamb slain”: The Lord Jesus who died to purchase the salvation of those whom God had chosen was fulfilling an eternal plan.

The unbelievers of the world will be deceived into believing that the Beast is a god (2 Thess. 2:4, 11). Only those whose names are written in the book of life will refuse to worship the Beast. The Beast will persecute the saints of God, and exercise power throughout the world. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world in the sense that Christ's redemptive death for mankind was part of God's plan from eternity past.

As already seen, humankind has just about come to the conclusion that the only solution to the problem of continuous war is a one world government.

That government will be the devil's government, established during the Great Tribulation. In the midst of that time he will assume control himself and (as verse 7 tells us), will exercise power over "every tribe, people, language and nation."

Satan's "authority" will be all but unlimited, and almost everyone on earth will worship him. This is the very thing Satan has sought from the beginning, worship from angels and men. Of course, believers in Christ will not worship Antichrist, because they will have their names written "in the book of life of the Lamb" (see article “Book of Life – All Books”).

This book of life of the Lamb contains the names of all those who have called on the Lamb of God for salvation.

 

Verses 9-10: God will punish those who do evil. The Beast and his followers will be overthrown and judged. “Patience” (Greek hupomone), is perseverance or endurance. Those who have genuine saving “faith” will endure all the persecution of the Beast (compare 14:12), because they are God’s “saints” (Greek hagion, “holy” ones).

Revelation 13:9 "If any man have an ear, let him hear."

Compare 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). This phrase omits “what the Spirit says to the churches” as in the 7 letters to the churches, perhaps because they have been raptured.

You see, this again is a warning not to let this go in one ear and out the other, but to take heed to this warning. This is emphasizing a very important truth.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel Zechariah and Malachi contribute to our knowledge of Revelation. Also, fulfilled prophecy makes prophecy everywhere easier to understand. Of the Old Testament texts, however, Isaiah makes Revelation more understandable to me than Ezekiel. But there are remarkable parallels between Revelation and Ezekiel, two books written about 600 years apart. Some of them are listed here.

The vision of God. Rev.4. Ezek.1

The seal on the forehead of God's elect. Rev.7. Ezek.9

The Lamb is their shepherd. Rev.7:17. David as shepherd. Ezek.34:23.

Coals from the altar are thrown down. Rev.8:5. Ezek.10:1–2

No more delay in God's judgment. Rev.10:1–7. Ezek.12

The prophet eats the scroll of God's judgment. Rev.10:8–11. Ezek.3

The prophet measures the temple. Rev.11:1–2. Ezek.40–43

Jerusalem is likened to Sodom. Rev.11:8. Ezek.16:46–53

The cup of God's wrath. Rev.14. Ezek.23:32–34

The harlot. Rev.17–18 (Babylon). (Judah and Samaria) Ezek.16, 23

Lament over the Great City. Rev.18 (Babylon). (Tyre) Ezek.27

Earth lit with God's glory. Rev.18:1. Ezek.43:1,2

The scavengers' feast. Rev.19:17,18. Ezek.39

Gog and Magog. Rev.20:7–9. Ezek.38–39

Resurrection. Rev.20:4–6. (Valley of dry bones) Ezek.37

New Jerusalem. Rev.21. (City with 12 gates) Ezek.40–48.

The dwelling place of God is with men. Rev.21:3,4. Ezek.37:27

River of Life. Rev.22. Ezek.47:1–2

The trees which bear fruit every month, with leaves for healing. Rev.22:2. Ezek.47:12

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We have already made an argument that Daniel 2, 7, and 8 predicts the four world empires (Babylonia, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome; see our article “Daniel and the End of Human History”). With this as our foundation, we should look again at chapter 7 to identify Daniel’s main character in the fourth empire: Rome. In Daniel 7, we read about a figure called the “little horn”:

7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts… 11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire…

The “little horn” is not one of the ten horns; he arises after they come into power and deposes three of them. This person comes from the fourth beast (Rome). He also “boasts” (v.8) against God himself (v.25).

19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them

This person attacks and persecutes God’s people.

24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

The “ten horns” are said to be “ten kings” or kingdoms, as in Daniel 2:44 (“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed”).

25 He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

What does the expression “time, times, and half a time” mean?

There are a number of reasons for believing that this expression (“time, times, and half a time”) refers to three and a half years. First, Daniel uses a similar expression earlier in his book, which refers to seven years (Dan. 4:16). Second, the book of Revelation states that this is three and a half years, stating this in multiple different ways:

(Rev. 13:5) There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

(Rev. 11:2) Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.

(Rev. 12:14) But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

(Rev. 12:6) Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Third, Daniel states that the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel is broken halfway through the 70th week, which would make three and a half years. For these reasons, Miller writes, “Most scholars interpret ‘for a time, times and half a time’ to mean three and one half-years.”[1]

Is Daniel’s “little horn” the same as John’s “beast”?

Let’s compare these two figures:

Is Daniel’s Little Horn the same as John’s Beast (or anti-Christ)?
Little Horn	Beast (or Anti-Christ)
Described in Daniel 7.	Described in Revelation 13 & 17.
The little horn is called a “beast” (Dan. 7:7, 11, 19, 23).	The figure in Revelation is called the “beast” (Rev. 13:1-2; Rev. 17:3).
The little horn persecutes the saints (Dan. 7:25).	The beast persecutes the saints (Rev. 13:7).
The little horn is destroyed by the return of Christ (Dan. 7:26-27).	The beast is destroyed by the return of Christ (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:19-20).
(Dan. 7:8) “Another horn, a little one, came up among them [the 10 horns]” (c.f. v.20, 24)	(Rev. 17:12) “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.” (c.f. Rev. 13:1; 17:3, 16).
(Dan. 7:25) “[Authority] will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.”	(Rev. 12:6, 14) “There she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days… Where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time.” (Rev. 13:5) “The beast was given… to exercise his authority for forty-two months.”
(Dan. 7:21)  “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them”	(Rev. 13:7) “He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.”
(Dan. 7:11, 26) “God interrupts his reign to establish his eternal kingdom.”	(Rev. 19:19-20) “God interrupts his reign to establish his eternal kingdom.”
(Dan. 7:8) This horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.	(Rev. 13:5) “There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies.”

Because of these striking similarities, we hold that the little horn is the same person as the Antichrist, spoken of throughout the NT.

THE VISION	EZEKIEL	REVELATION
1. The Word Comes	1:1-4, 28	1:9-19
2. The Appearance of The Lord	1:4, 27; 8:2	1:12-16; 5:6
2. The Throne Scene	1:5-27	4:1-6
3. Four Living Creatures (Cherubim)	1:5-24, Ch. 10	4:6-8
4. The Book (Scroll) Is Opened	2:9-10	5:1-8
5. Eating The Book	2:8-10; 3:1-3	10:8-11
6. The Siege of Jerusalem	4:1-8; Ch. 5, 24	9:4-10
7. The Famine	4:16-17; 5:12; 6:12	6:5-6, 8
8. The 1/3 Destruction	5:2-12	8:6-12
9. The Reproach of Israel	5:5-17	Ch. 18
10. The Wrath of The Lord	Ch. 6 – 7	6:12-17; 14:7-20
11.  Israel’s Abominations	Ch. 8, 16, 20, 22, 33	17:1-7
12. Sealing of the Saints	9:2-4, 11	7:2-8
13. Image of Jealousy / Idolatry	8:3	13:14
14. The Slaughter	9:5-10; Ch. 21	Ch. 8 – 9
15. Coals From The Altar	10:1-7	8:5-10
16. The Gathering of The Remnant	11-16-20; 14:22-23; 34:10-16, Ch. 36	21:1-7
17. No More Delay	12:17-28	10:1-7
18.  False Prophets	Ch. 13	16:16; 19:20; 20:10
19. Four Judgments / Horsemen	14:21	6:2-8
20. Jerusalem’s Fall – The Vine Tree	Ch. 15	14:18-20
21. Jerusalem The Whore / Harlot	16:22-59, Ch. 23	17:3-6; 19:2
22: Comparison to Sodom	16:45-56	11:8
23. Treating With Egypt	17:15-18; Ch. 23	11:8
24. Lamentations	Ch. 19	Ch. 18
25. The Destruction of Jerusalem	22:18-22; 23:46-47; 24:2-14	14:6-8; 17:16; 18:10-19; 20:8-9
26. Downfall of the Nations	Ch. 25-32	10:11; 19:11-15
27. Shepherd Beasts / Land Beast	Ch. 34	13:11-15
28. Resurrection	Ch. 37	14:1-5; 20:4-6, 12
29. Gog of Magog Battles Jerusalem	Ch. 38	20:7-9
30. Judgment of Gog / Sea Beast          (Scavengers’ Feast)	Ch. 39	19:17-21
31. Viewing The New Jerusalem	40:2	21:2, 10
32. Measuring The Temple	Ch. 40 -43	11:1-2
33. The Glory of God in The Temple	Ch. 43	21:22-23
34. The River of Life & Tree of Life	Ch. 47	22:1-2
35. The Four Square Holy City	48:20	21:16
36. The Lord Is There	48:35	21:22-23; 22:3-5

Whereas the restoration of the 2nd city of Jerusalem (city of Salem) from the Babylonian captivity was an earthly city with an earthly tabernacle for the 2nd temple, the new Jerusalem in Revelation is of the new covenant restoration under Christ as the spiritual city of His everlasting kingdom.   The New Jerusalem of Revelation is not an earth bound, land based city.  Revelation does not depict a 3rd earthly temple.

All of these comparisons deserve discussion, but this series will discuss a few key elements which will help focus the context of both prophesies – which focus was Jerusalem.