Revelation 13

Introduction
In chapter 13 we are introduced to two more horrendous creatures that Satan uses to continue his war against believers.  They are beasts and they emerge from the waters and the earth respectively.  The first beast is a dreadful seven headed monster and the second is a little less gruesome in appearance but is still powerful and has the ability to deceive with his miracle working power.  The dragon from chapter 12, and the two beasts of chapter 13 make up an unholy trinity of Satanic wickedness. They are allied powers of evil, who will continue to persecute the saints of God.  
 
The dragon from chapter 12 becomes furious with the escape of the offspring of the woman (the Church/believers) so it stands on the sands of the shore, and it calls upon the dreadful legions to destroy the offspring of the woman.
 
Revelation 13: 1 – 10
 
Vs 1 - 2:  The creature that emerges from the waters has ten horns, seven heads, ten crowns on the horns, and on its head are blasphemous names.  This beast has similarities to the dragon in Revelation 12 and the four beasts of Daniel 7:3 - 8 that emerge from the sea.
 
In the ancient world the sea is associated with evil, a force that is hostile to God, or the final enemy of God’s people to emerge from this evil is entirely appropriate.
 
Ten horns: These represent 10 kings who wear crowns.  The crowns being placed on their horns instead of their heads so, this would suggest that his claims to authority rests on brutal force.
 
Seven heads: The seven heads shows that there is a relationship between the dragon of chapter 12 and the beast of Ch. 13.  In fact, it would suggest that the beast gets his power from the dragon (Satan).  We know the number seven represents completeness; thus, a seven headed beast would be symbolic of for the ultimate or complete enemy of the church.
 
Who or what is the beast?  It receives its power from Satan, blasphemes the name of God, makes war against the saints, and is worshiped by the pagan world, thus it could suggest that the beast is the Roman Empire who persecutes the church.  It is suggested that the beast could also represent the deification of secular authority or government.
 
The written names on the head that blaspheme God tell about the arrogance of this beast. These titles may refer to a title of honor given to Roman emperors in the first Century AD who wish to be recognized as divine within the Caesar cult. This was evident on the imperial coins of the time.  Julius Caesar, Augustus, among others were declared divine at their deaths.  Domitian wanted to be addressed as dominus et deus (‘lord and god’. Many have suggested that this beast symbolizes the Roman Empire, who continually persecuted and oppressed the Christian Church.
 
The beast has the appearance of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and a mouth like a lion.   This creature most likely symbolizes a final empire (since the beasts of Daniel represent four kingdoms) that will be more dreadful than any other.  Yet, it is not an empire that is powered on its own, it is an empire that is powered by evil or Satan, the dragon.
 
Verse 3: One of the heads of the beast was wounded, we do not know how the wound was received, but that is not important…  what is important is that it appeared to be mortal, and it was healed.  Many theologians who attribute the beast as the Roman Empire say that this beast represents Nero.  Nero was an infamous Roman emperor known for his viciousness and depravity.  He was feared by all and when he died people refused to believe his death was final.  Many expected him to rise again and appear in a resurrected form.  Others believe that this goes to show the resiliency of the beast. This secular authority seems to be wounded but returns with increased strength and most likely refers to Rome and one of its emperors. 
 
Vs 4:  This results in the inhabitants of the world worshiping the beast and the dragon.  Deification of secular power is in fact worship of Satan.[1] The people worship the beast because of the authority he wields, and that authority is Satan himself.  The motivation behind the worship is the mere power of his influence.
 
Vs 5 - 6:  In verses 5 to 7 the statements “was given” or “was allowed” is mentioned four times.  This shows that not only the beast is subservient to the dragon (Satan) but to John’s readers, they would know that he speaks of God as the ultimate source of power, or sovereignty.  The reign of the beast is only because God allows it to happen.  He operates within the limits that are set by God.  He is allowed to speak blasphemes against God.  He was allowed to have authority for forty-two months.  This is the traditional period for religious persecution.  It is during this forty-two month that the beast aggressively carries out the will of the dragon.
 
Vs 7 - 8:  The beast is allowed to wage war on the saints and demand universal worship, and this worship extends to every tribe, people, language, and nation.  Everyone on the earth will worship the beast except for those whose names are written in the book of Life.  The saints will be persecuted and killed (overcome) by the beast, but the real victory belongs to them.
 
Vs 11 - 12:  A second creature/beast comes out of the earth. This beast’s job and purpose is to promote and glorify the first beast.  He is a deceiver.  His two horns like a lamb represents or gives the appearance of being harmless and gentle.  He accomplishes his purpose by using his power to work miracles.   In John’s time a reference to this beast would probably suggest a local priest of the imperial cult or the provincial council of Asia Minor who enforced emperor worship.  In the final days the false prophet can stands for the role in false religion and forcing the people to yield to the worship of this secular power.
 
Vs 13:  We are warned throughout the Bible about false prophets who will attempt to (and succeed) lead people astray and worship other gods through signs and wonders.  This second beast deceives people into worshiping the Antichrist by imitating the miracles of true prophets of old. 
 
Vs 14 – 15:  This beast is only able to deceive unbelievers.  Why?  Because if one is truly loyal and obedient to Jesus will not be tricked by the miracles of the hose who deceive.
The second beast then instructs his followers to “make an image of the beast”.  He was given the power to give life to this image so that it could speak.  The grammar of the verse insinuates that the statue not only speaks but it also approved the death sentence upon everyone who would not worship it, or it could mean that the second beast was the one who instituted the death penalty on all who refused to worship. 
 
According to Johannine scholar Stephen Smalley, “The notion of breathing life into the ikon of the beast is a satanic parody of the gift of God’s Spirit to believers… This is a broad and figurative way of depicting the second beast as a kingmaker; by magical deception, the beast from the earth is able to convince people that the image of the first beast represents true deity. The image in the present context refers not simply to the likeness of an individual Roman emperor, who claim divine status, or even first century demand for submission to the imperial powers. The idol in verse 15 represents ‘any substitute for the truth of God in any age.”[2] 
 
Vs 16 - 17:  To identify those who worship the first beast they are required to get a mark on their right hand or forehead.  There are no exceptions.  Religious tattooing was common in the ancient world, and followers of a particular god were often marked to show their steadfast loyalty.  This is a mockery of the sealing of God’s elect in chapter 7.  In chapter 7 the elect are sealed to escape God’s judgment, and now the followers of Antichrist are marked” to escape his wrath against the church.  This loyalty to the beast will certainly and clearly determine the line between God’s people and Satan’s.
 
The mark not only shows loyalty to the Beast, but it also enables the recipient of the mark to buy and sell daily.  Those without the mark cannot get the necessities for daily living.  
 
Vs 18:  The Apostle John now provides a way for the intelligent reader to determine or compute.
the beast’s number.  He does not give much indication other that the fact that it is the number of man, and that number is 666. Recently some texts have translated the number as 616.  It is believed that the number is specific to one certain historical person.  Throughout history there have been multiple guesses as to who this person is or will be.  Some take the number to be more as a symbol than a code. 666 is the number that falls short of perfection in each of its digits.  New Testament scholar Robert Mounce writes, “it seems best to conclude that John intended only his intimate associates to be able to decipher the number. So successful were his precautions that even Irenaeus some one hundred years later was unable to identify the person intended. An additional 1,800 years of conjecture have not brought us any closer to a definitive answer.”[3]
 
Smalley writes, “The repetitive ‘666’ stands for human and secular forces, including the Romes of any period, which are oppressive and unjust, and seek to dethrone the Creator and enthrone the creature.” He continues, “John is not referring here in the first place to individual and historical tyrants; he is speaking of varied types of authority which use power wrongly, so as to introduce doctrinal error and ethical compromise.”[4]
 
Conclusion
As we conclude this morning we are reminded of the seriousness of God’s command against idolatry.  In Revelation 13 we see the beasts working collectively to deceive people into idolatry.  A simple definition of idolatry would be looking to or depending on anything more favorably than God.

We are created beings and we were created to worship God.  Unfortunately, our natural sinful inclination in not to worship God, but to worship things created by God.  Romans 1:18 – 23 says, “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
The sinful tendency for humanity is to worship anything other than God.  We can easily exchange our worship for God with the temporal and fleeting.  We replace God with subtle physical idolatry (people or things) or idols of our hearts (Unseen and possibly good).  
 
My prayer is that you take some time this week and pray about identifying the idols in your life and seek to replace them with the true, life-giving, fulfilling, and joyful worship to the only one who is worthy of praise.  When we faithfully allow God to search our hearts, He is going to deal with us individually and when He does, we need to be prepared to make the necessary changes in our lives so we can be right with God. 
 
Thus, we see the stage is set for the final encounter.  This is a place of tension because for the believer we are living in the already, but not yet.  This simply means that Jesus was victorious on the cross, but the full acknowledgment of that victory is yet to come. The end has not come so evil will persist until that final battle between good and evil concludes.
 
[1] Smalley, Stephen, The Revelation of John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 339.
[2] Smalley, Stephen, The Revelation of John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 349
[3] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 262–263.
[4] Smalley, Stephen, The Revelation of John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 353

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