The Revelation of Jesus
Christ
To the Apostle John
Study 3 Chap.
9-13
At the end
of Rev.8, we were warned of the terrible judgments remaining to be brought upon the earth.
These new trumpets continue to bring war, and the angel has proclaimed, “Woe, Woe, Woe to the inhabitants
of the earth.” Trumpets five and six introduce changes on the earth, which allow Satan’s man,
the Anti-Christ, to become ruler of the earth for a time. In the fifth trumpet
a locust plague is described, unlike anything mankind has ever experienced. Following
that, and army of 200 million horsemen brings death to one-third of the remaining world’s population.
The Fifth Trumpet – Locusts Out
of Hell (9:1-12)
9:1,2
the fifth angel blows
his trumpet, and “a star falls to the earth, and he
was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.” The star represents a fallen angel or even Satan himself. Nothing happens without God’s approval, as the angel is given the key to the abyss (the holding place of the fallen angels). When he
opens the pit, large clouds of smoke billowed out, so much so that the sunlight and air were darkened.
9:3,4 - Swarms of locusts (demons chained in the bottomless pit) - emerged from the smoke; they were given power to inflict
excruciating pain like the sting of a scorpion, but their power was restricted. They
were forbidden to harm vegetation, but to attack all those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads, that is, all
who were unbelievers.
9:5,6 - they were forbidden to kill men, but to torture them for five months with agony similar to a scorpion’s sting. Picture what it would be like if we were to open the doors of all the prisons of the
world and set free all of the criminals, the murderers, rapist, terrorists –set free to do whatever they choose to do. Something even worse than that happens to the world..
Satan, thrown out of heaven, calls his horde of demons, the worst of the worst, to aid him as he sets the stage for
the Beast (Anti-Christ). Remember that he took a third of the angels with him
at his fall- the will all be let loose on the earth, to do his bidding.
9:7 - the description of the locusts is designed to create an impression of take-over
and victory. Like horses prepared for battle, they came to conquer. The gold-crowns on their heads speak of their authority
given them to rule over men’s lives. With human- appearing faces, they were creatures with intelligence.
9:8-10 - with hair like women’s, they were attractive and seductive. With their lion-like teeth, they were ferocious and cruel. With armor of iron, they were difficult to attack and destroy. With
wings that made a great sound, they were terrifying and demoralizing like an army of chariots rushing into battle. Tails like scorpions equipped them to torture both physically and mentally.
They were given the power to torture men for five months.
9:11 - they had a king, an angel from the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (destruction) but in Greek is Apollyon
(destroyer). This is Satan himself, the destroyer.
9:12 – The first of the three woes is past. The worst is yet to come
and the judgments increase in intensity.
The Sixth Trumpet – The Infernal
Army (9:13-21)
9:13 - In the fifth trumpet judgment, men are tormented
but not killed. In the sixth trumpet judgment, a third of mankind
is killed. This totals 1-½ billion people who are destroyed. Since the opening of the seals, 3 billion people have been killed, and much of the earth is laid to waste. And it’s not over!
The sixth angel blows his trumpet, and a voice come from the four horns
of the golden altar. This altar reflects the golden altar of incense, which had
a small horn on each corner (Ex. 30:2). Normally, this was a place for mercy,
but here God responds to the cries and prayers of His people for vengeance.
9:14-16 - The voice from the altar instructs the sixth angel to “Release the four angels who are bound at the great
Euphrates River.” Scripture never refers to “holy” angels
as being bound. They must be “fallen “ angels whom God had bound
but now are released to accomplish His judgment. It is interesting to note that God prepared these angels according
to His perfect plan with the exact hour, day, and month when they were turned loose. One commentator offers the view that these may be the same evil rulers who controlled the Babylonian, Medo-Persian,
the Grecian, and the Roman Empires on Satan’s behalf. Daniel 10:13; 20-21
indicates that the angel princes do exist. The river Euphrates is also significant. It is the area where man first existed. It
is where Satan made his first appearance on earth and where he first deceived man. All
the pain and misery we endure started here. The first murder was committed here;
it is where the Jews lived in exile and where the great city of Babylon flourished.
Following the four angels were two hundred million mounted troops on
horses. Some commentators see this scene as the one described in Rev. 16:12-16hwere
the river Euphrates is seen and where “the kings of the East” are mentioned.
But they appear to be different battles. The battle in chapter 16 is distinctly
named the Battle of Armageddon and the army is the one from out of the East. Here
there is no mention of Armageddon or of this army of the East.
9:17-20 – John sees horses in the vision, with heads of lions, with fire and smoke and brimstone coming from their mouths. They have power in their mouths and in their tails.
Seated on them is an army of –but are these men or demons? Probably
the best view is that they are a literal army of men driven by demons with the four angels at their head. The fire, smoke, and brimstone probably refer to some symbolic reference of modern warfare, emphasis on
the fire and flame. This army will kill a third of man –1 ½ billion people. This could be the battle described in Ezekiel 38-39, the invasion of Israel by Russia
(Magog) and her allies. We see the close alliance of Russia with Iran and other
Islamic nations, all enemies of Israel. This army will be destroyed, whether
by atomic warfare or by super natural means. This will be the most devastating
defeat of all time and will accomplish God’s purpose.
9:20,21 –The Effect on the world
– The survivors of this worldwide war “refuse to repent from their
evil deeds!” What an indictment on this world. The people continue to worship demons and idols. “They
do not repent of their murders or their witchcraft of their immorality or their thefts.” This is a terrible picture of judgment on the depravity of the world.
People read these chapters and declare that God is unjust, harsh and unloving.
On the contrary, this is His warning to all that will hear. It is not
just a warning, but also a blessing as we heard the Lord Jesus proclaim in chap. 1, “blessed are those who hear, and
who keep what is written therein; for the time is near.” It is a picture
of the perfect plan that God has for all mankind. He says, “come to
me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What
a just and loving God He is!
Chapter 10 – The Angel and the Small Scroll (10:1-11)
Chapter 10
and part of Chapter 11 can be called parenthetical chapters, giving additional information as a background to the seal, trumpet,
and bowl judgments. We are now approaching the blowing of the seventh trumpet,
which covers the last three and a half years of the tribulation (this period called the Great Tribulation), the most awful
holocaust of terror, suffering, violence, and catastrophe the world has ever seen (Matt. 24:21).
10:1 – A mighty Angel is introduced. “He comes from heaven surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over His head. His face shone like the sun, and His feet were like pillars of fire.” This “angel” may be Jesus, who in the OT is sometimes described as “the Angel of the Lord.” However, nowhere in Revelation is Jesus described as an angel. He is Lord of the angels. Some believe that this might be
Michael or Gabriel, the name Michael meaning (who is like God). The cloud is a symbol of His divine presence (Ex. 40:34-38; Rev. 7). The rainbow is a sign of God’s Covenant. His shining face an expression of
His unveiled glory. His feet like pillars of fire,, the pillars speak of strength, and the fire
of judgment.
10:2-6 – He held a small
scroll, which He had unrolled –the “small” possibly meaning that much of the message has already been revealed, only a small part remains. But how important this small part is! He
stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land – picturing God’s sovereignty and control over all the earth. This is a preview to the seventh
trumpet’s message, “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forevermore” (Rev. 4:15).
He gave a great shout and seven thunders answered. Apparently, John could understand the message of the seven thunders,
but when he was about to write, the angel forbade him. This may be the
voice of God, seven is His perfect number, telling John to seal up what the thunders uttered.
Unusual, but maybe a message of the terrible sufferings God’s people will have to endure.
The angel then
swore by God:
·
Based on God’s Authority – he swears a sacred oath by the Creator (Rev. 10:6). God’s character and promises are seen here; God will not lie.
·
What he says – there will be no more delay; God is ready to complete His plan for judging the
world. The mystery of God would be finished.
The last plagues of the Day of the Lord (11:15), indicating that the time the disciples anticipated has come (Matt.
24:3; Acts 1:6). The prayers of the saints will be answered (6:9-11; Matt. 6:10). The days of the “seventh angel” are the last three and a half years of
the Trib.
·
The mystery of God – A Greek term meaning to ‘shut” or ‘to close”. Here the mystery is the final consummation of all things as God destroys
sinners and establishes His righteous kingdom on earth as revealed to His servants the Prophets (Rev. 10:7); the
establishment of God’s kingdom on earth with Jesus a Lord & Ruler.
His command -
“You must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
– God’s Word cannot be compromised. The angel calls John to warn
men about the bitter judgment to come in the Seventh Trumpet and the 7 Bowls.
Yes, God’s Word can be harsh for the unbeliever, but He offers a life of unconditional acceptance and love to
those who believe.
Chapter 11 – The Two Witnesses (11:1-13)
This chapter is a continuation
of the Sixth Trumpet Judgment, the “second woe.” After being told,
in chapter 10, to prophesy again, John is told to take a reed, a common implement used as a measuring rod, and to measure
the Temple, it’s altar, and it’s worshipers. John sees what will
happen in the City of Jerusalem before the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet. We
are introduced to the ministry of the Two Witnesses. The world desperately needs
a witness; God is about to unleash His wrath! Satan’s man and God’s
men go head to head.
11:1,2 - Currently
there is no existing Temple in Jerusalem – in fact, the Moslem Dome of the Rock sits on the Temple Mount. Daniel 9:27 implies that a temple will be rebuilt and be in existence during the tribulation period, though
it could be built many years before the tribulation period begins.
Jesus referred to Daniel’s
prophecy in Matt. 24: 15-16, warning of the “abomination of desolation”, the Antichrist
who will break the peace treaty, sit in the Temple, and desecrate it by sitting in the Holy of Holies and declare himself
god. This happens halfway through the Tribulation period. Second Thess. 2:4 proves that the Temple will be rebuilt, “he opposes and exalts himself above
all that is called God, showing himself that he is god.” All along,
it has been him, the Anti-Christ, encouraging the rebuilding of the Temple, even arranging for Israel’s peace with the
nations.
In vs. 2, the angel instructs
John not to measure the outer court of the Gentiles, because it had been given to the Gentiles. This reveals that the Gentiles will once again take control of Jerusalem and it’s holy sites. The measurements indicate God’s protection of His people during the takeover. He draws a “line” around them.
They belong to God!
It is now the middle of the Tribulation
and the Anti-Christ has broken his covenant with Israel and is about to use the Temple for his own purposes (see Rev. 13). This will be a time of trouble and distress for the people of Israel. Jesus prophesied in Luke 21:24, “Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the time
of the Gentiles is filled.” This time of trouble is predicted by Daniel
and refers to the second half of his seventieth “week” (Dan. 9: 27). This
“Time of the Gentiles” began in 606 B.C. when Babylon began to destroy Judah and Jerusalem, and it will
continue until the time Jesus Christ returns to deliver the Holy City and redeem Israel (Zech. 14).
11:3 –
God gives power to His two witnesses. Their preaching takes place during the
first three and a half years of the tribulation period and runs through much of the period covered by the Trumpet Judgments. This may lead to the salvation of the 144,000 Jews who will proclaim God’s message
to the far corners of the world. The Gentiles then overrun Jerusalem for forty-two
months, the last half of the Tribulation. Their Message? Repent! They are clothed in sackcloth as
were the prophets of old. This suggests the need to mourn and lament over
sins and to get right with God. Their message is to Israel and of the
Temple. Not only do these two witnesses declare God’s Word, but they also
do God’s works and perform miracles of judgment.
11:4 - Who
Are They? Vs. 4 is a reference to Zechariah 4. He too preached a message of repentance to Israel. In Zech.
4, we see a lampstand of gold with a bowl on top. Two olive trees were on either
side, from which two gold pipes carried oil to the bowl. As olive trees, they
are filled with the Spirit (oil). As lampstands, they are testimony to
the truth of God in a day of darkness. Joshua and Zerubbabel may be the
two witnesses. Some believe that they could be Moses and Elijah because of Vs
6; Moses had the power to turn the water to blood and to call plagues on the earth.
Elijah had the power to stop rain and fire was a characteristic of his ministry.
Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the mount of transfiguration (Matt 17:30).
In addition, Elijah is to appear once again before the return of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6).
11:5-6 - Their
Power - They are given supernatural powers against harm, with fire coming from their mouths to devour their enemies. They have power to shut heaven, its rain, and they have power to turn the waters to
blood, making them undrinkable and adding to the horror of the past judgments.
11:7-10 - Our
first introduction of the “Beast” comes in Vs. 7. This is the Antichrist,
the beast out of the sea (13:1). This beast, the coming world leader, kills the
two witnesses after their work is done, which is amazing because of their power. But
God’s plan will be played out as power is given to the Anti-Christ and the witness and testimony of the Two to Israel
is complete. The beast now has control over the minds of men and of their hearts. Rev. 13:4 tells us, the Beast (Anti-Christ) is now in power and wants to take over
the Temple; but he cannot succeed until the two witnesses are out of the way. God
will permit him to slay them, for no one will be able to make war against “the beast” and win.
11:8 - Their
bodies are displayed in Jerusalem, called Sodom and Egypt because of the spiritual condition of the city. Their dead, rotting bodies are seen by all the people and nations of the world for three and a half days. The power of television and satellite communication will be evident! Amazingly, the people are thrilled to see them dead and they celebrate by giving gifts to one another. It speaks of the moral depravity of the world.
No one wants to hear God’s message, even after all of the horror that they’ve suffered through. People hate these two because of their message to repent. Now
it’s time to celebrate and celebrate they do, but there time is cut short! They’ve
jumped the gun!
11:11-13
Their Resurrection - The Witnesses preached for three and a half years,
and their bodies lay in the street for three and a half days. God now
“ miraculously intervenes (“the breath of God entered them’).
God shouts, “Come up here” and they triumphantly ascend to heaven.
A great earthquake destroys a tenth of the city, kills seven thousand men and those that remain give glory to God. Man’s celebration suddenly turns to great fear.
It is possible that their resurrection causes a remnant of the Jewish people in Jerusalem to believe in the Lord and
give him glory. The second woe (the sixth trumpet) is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet – (Rev. 11:15-19)
The sounding of this trumpet
opens and covers the last half of the Great Tribulation period. Its
message covers all that transpires during these coming three and a half years, right up to the great and long-awaited event
of the Second Coming of Christ.
11:15 - The
Seventh Trumpet blows and loud voices in heaven proclaim,” The Kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and forever!” The
prophets spoke of the “kingdoms” of this world being conquered by the coming kingdom of the Messiah (Dan.
2: 44; 7:14; Zech. 14:9).
11:16 -The twenty-four elders
fall on their faces and worship God with thanks for three special blessings: that Christ reigns supremely (11:17),
that He judges righteously (11:18), and that He rewards graciously (11:18).
God is the One to be glorified! He will reign over the entire earth in
the kingdom, which will be set up following the Great Tribulation.
11:18 - We are told in Rev. 18 that, “The nations
were angry.” Why? What
do they have to be angry about? God has given them everything, every good thing
of the earth, power, honor, and freedom. He has given them every opportunity
to be saved, sending His own Son to die for their sins and they in turn rejected Him and killed Him. The world continues to reject the Savior throughout all of the judgments.
Why do they reject Him? Because they want to have their own way! Just like today, the future will be no different and God’s wrath will come. “It is time to judge the dead and reward Your servants,” takes
us to the end of prophetic time. The nations (all unbelievers) will be judged
at “The Great White Throne Judgment” at the end of the thousand years Millennial Period (Rev. 20:11-15). There will be a Judgment of God’s children too, know as “The Judgment
Seat of Christ.” This takes place when His children are called home
when they will be judged for their works and rewarded generously by the Lord. The
Judgment for their sins took place at the cross!
His plan is being accomplished (v.18).
What a reason to give thanks! Revelation 11 opens with a temple on
earth and ends with a temple of God in heaven. We see the Ark of the
Covenant inside the Temple and are reminded of His faithfulness and His continuous presence (Psalm 89). On that Ark is the mercy seat on which the blood was sprinkled each Day of Atonement. Even in wrath, God remembers His mercy. God is clearly in
control and His final judgments are about to be brought to the earth. Question
is, is the earth ready? Are you? If
not, what can you do to be assured that you might be ready?
Chapter 12 – The Woman and the Dragon (12:1-17) – Satan’s
War Against Israel
God’s plans have been revealed, and now Satan’s schemes are unmasked. A large part of that plan centers on Israel and Satan’s hatred for
her and for all of her people. Over and over again, he has sought to destroy
them and he pulls out all stops now. God is committed to their survival and will
one day restore the Kingdom to Israel and seat His Messiah on the throne in Jerusalem to rule the entire world. Revelation 12 details Israel’s troubles and survival during the Tribulation
period. A “woman” represents the nation of Israel with a special
child. This child is the Messiah Jesus Himself! It details how the Great Tribulation (the last 31/2 years) are brought about and how the New World ruler,
the Beast or Antichrist, is brought in. How sad that Israel refuses to understand
that she has born the promised Messiah. Because of her rebellion, much sadness,
suffering and death are to be her punishment. Yet, God will remain faithful to
His Covenant with her and restore her to her full inheritance and promise
12:1 - A woman is often used in scripture
to symbolize a religious system or set of beliefs. In Rev. 17: 3-6, the “great
harlot, or “scarlet woman,” is used to picture the false religious system that will dominate
the world in the end time. The believers in Jesus are referred to as the “wife”
of the Lamb” (19:7), and the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, is
described as the “bride, the Lamb’s wife” (21:9). This
woman is the nation of Israel.
She is identified by the references to the sun, moon, and the twelve stars. It
is a reference to Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37: 9-11. Being clothed
with the sun speaks of the glory, dignity, and exalted status of Israel, the people of God’s promise, who will be
given a kingdom. The moon describes God’s covenant relationship
with Israel and the 12 stars represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
12:2 - She cried out in
pain of labor - Israel is often pictured as a mother giving birth (Is. 26: 17,18; Hos. 13: 13; Mic. 4:10; Matt.
24:8). Her pain has been suffered for centuries, waiting for the Messiah to come,
to destroy Satan, sin and death, and to begin a New Kingdom.
12:3,4 – Suddenly, the vision
of the woman is erased and in its place , John sees a fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns,
with seven crowns on his heads. The seven heads and ten horns show his
domination over the seven past worldly kingdoms and ten future kingdoms (Dan. 7: 7; 20,24).
Satan has ruled and will continue to rule the world until the seventh trumpet blows (11:15). He continues from history past to harm Israel - his purpose, to destroy “the woman”
(Israel) before she could bear the child (Jesus) who would destroy him.
The dragon
is Satan, but since it mirrors Rev. 13:1, it may be Satan energizing world power through the Beast. “His great tail dragged down one-third of the stars, which he threw to earth.” This is a reference to the Great War which takes place in heaven in the middle of the Trib. and which
results in the fallen angels being cast out from heaven to earth. “He
stood before the woman who was about to give birth to her child, ready to devour the baby as soon as it was born.” Satan stands ready to devour the Christ child, seen fulfilled by Herod the Greats’
attempt to destroy the newborn King of the Jews.
12:5 - Her Child - Her Son will
“rule all nations with a rod of iron.” This is the promised
Messiah. Psalm 2; 7-9 Identifies Him, “ You are my Son… and you
shall break them with a rod of iron.” Revelation
19:15 says specifically that Jesus Christ “will rule [the nations] with a rod of iron” when he returns
to the earth at the end of the Tribulation. The rod he uses is a symbol
of judgment and correction and is a symbol of His coronation as the King. The
vision jumps from Christ’s birth to His Ascension, bypassing the church age between vv.5, 6. He was “caught up to God and to His throne” – this refers to Christ’s ascension
into heaven (Acts 1:9; 2:33; Heb. 1: 1-3; 12:2).
12:6 – “She fled into
the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God …for one thousand two hundred sixty days years.” This takes place during the Great Tribulation, the last 31/2 years, the mid-point
of which the Antichrist beaks his covenant with Israel, puts a stop to Temple worship, sets up the abomination of desolation,
that is, he being worshiped as God in the Temple (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15), and devastates Jerusalem. Many people believe that they escape to the ancient city of Petra, located down deep in a rocky gorge South
East of Jerusalem. Satan will do his worst to destroy Israel after breaking his
covenant with her, but God will once again take care of His own people for these last 1,260 days, or 42 months.
12:7-9 - Refers back to
12:4, the Great War in heaven between Michael the archangel, the other angels, Satan, and his demonic angels. Satan loses the battle and is thrown down to earth. The horrific
events on earth during the Tribulation find their counterpart in heaven. A state
of war has existed since the fall of Satan (v.4; Dan. 10:13; Jude 9). Something
stirs up and intensifies this war: maybe the new martyred saints joining the ranks of those in heaven. Satan’s original rebellion resulted in one third of the angels joining him and being thrown out of
heaven. Michael, the archangel, the protector of Israel, will finally put an
end to Satan’s access to heaven. While the demons were cast out of heaven
originally, they still had constant access to it (Job 1:6; 2:1). This ends now
and they are forever barred from heaven. Satan can no longer accuse believers
before the throne of God because he will no longer have access to it.
12:10-12 - The victory is based on
the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony of the saints, who did not love their lives to the death. The sacrifice and prayers of the martyrs couple with the sacrificial blood of Christ to give strength to
the angels to overcome Satan in this battle. Heaven rejoices over his removal,
but the earth is warned of his terrible wrath. We have already read about the
countless numbers of martyrs killed during his reign on earth. However, his time
is short and God is in control.
12:13-17 -
Satan is enraged by his defeat and goes after Israel. However, she is
given “two wings of a great eagle,” probably signifying God’s protection of her for the remaining
three ½ years. Vs. 15 and 16 tell us that ‘the dragon tried to drown
the woman with a flood of water that flowed from its mouth,” -probably
refer to a great army that comes against Israel. Since specific times are not
given in the Battle of Ezekiel 38 & 39, this army could be Russia and her allies coming against Israel to destroy her. *Note: We have speculated before hand that the Battle of Ezekiel 38 & 39 might
occur before the Tribulation begins, causing the coming Antichrist to broker peace between Israel and her attackers, and come
into power. The Battle may well be this event.
Either scenario fits.
Nevertheless, we know that the last three ½ years of
this period will all be years of terrible destruction and war. God protects and
nourishes the woman as an eagle takes care of her young. Daniel 11:41 suggests
that the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon will “escape the conquest of Israel during the tribulation period.” This may be where Israel escapes. Satan
then begins his attack on the whole nation of Israel (Vs. 15). This attack is
against the believers, Jewish and Gentile alike. These are the martyrs we saw
in Rev. 6:9, “killed for the Word of God and for the testimony, which they held.” These are the believers of Jesus Christ who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Christ.
Chapter
13 – Satan’s Two Great Beasts,
The
Coming World Leaders (13:1-18)
In Revelation 12, the Dragon was described as having
seven heads and ten horns. That description is important because of what we will
see in Chapter 13. It is Satan himself who will bring two world leaders to power,
one political and one religious. Both are called “beasts,”
one “rising up out of the sea” (13:1) and the other “ coming up out of the earth” (13:11). We have already seen the “beast that ascends from the bottomless pit”
(11:7), to give us three separate and distinct satanic beasts with different roles to play:
·
First Beast (out of the bottomless pit): Satan
·
Second Beast (out of the sea -the Gentile nations):
Antichrist
·
Third Beast (out of the earth, or land, that is, Israel): False
Prophet
13:1 – John sees a beast “rising
up out of the sea.” Daniel 7 describes the “sea”
as the Mediterranean Sea, and it symbolizes the abyss, the source of demonic opposition to God. “It had seven heads and ten horns.” In Rev.12:
2, the dragon was described as “having seven heads and ten horns.”
The only difference between the Dragon (Satan) and the Beast (antichrist) is that the Dragon had crowns on his head
and the Beast had crowns on his horns. The beast combines the features of the
four beasts of Daniel 7: 3-7. The first beast is the head of the revived
Roman Empire, which will exist in a ten-kingdom form. He rises out of the sea,
a type of the Gentile nations. He has ten horns. Daniel predicted that the Roman Empire would be revived in a ten-kingdom form (Dan. 7:24). He has seven heads. In 17:9,10, these are said to be
seven kings, a possible reference to seven world empires or kingdoms in past history, all dominated by Satan. He has ten crowns (diadems) on his horns. The horns
represent the final kingdom out of which will come the world ruler called the “Antichrist. They represent ten kings of the end times (17:12) who rule for a short time but give up their power
to one man- the Antichrist. On each head were names that blasphemed God.
13:2 - The
Appearance of the beast. The imagery of a leopard, bear, and
lion comes from Daniel 7: 3-8, and he adds a fourth beast with ten horns, symbolic of the final government, an alliance of
ten kings out of which comes the Antichrist. The beast is like a leopard, his
feet like a bear’s, and his mouth like a lion’s. The leopard
symbolizes Greece; the bear is a type of Medo-Persia; and the lion represents Babylon. John saw this terrible Beast with seven heads and ten horns as characteristic of all three empires from
the time of Daniel until the time of John.
13:3 - One of the heads as being “mortally
wounded” and then healed. Two viewpoints surround this “head.” The primary view is that the head refers to the Antichrist, the coming world political
leader. Some have identified this person as Judas, Nero, Mussolini, Hitler, or
Stalin. While some of their characteristics are similar in nature, not all of
Antichrist’s deeds are fulfilled by any one of these.
It may also refer to a nation or empire. Revelation reveals a “beast” with seven heads and ten horns.
In Rev. 17: 10 we’ll see five of the heads fallen off by the time of John, one head (the sixth, Rome) was in
power when he wrote, and the seventh head “had not yet come.” The
Antichrist appears to be the “eight” head that will come out of the seven heads (17:11). This sixth head, the Roman Empire in power during John’s day, would be healed and come back to life
as a ten-nation confederacy that would make up the seventh head. In other words,
the ten horns of the beast are on the seventh head. Out of this ten-nation confederacy,
the seventh World Empire, would come the “little horn” of Daniel, the Antichrist. This view says that the “Beast” is world government, the last of which is the Roman
Empire. It will be revived in a ten-nation confederacy and will be embraced by
a world torn apart by the hardships that God has sent. We already have in place
the World Bank, the World Court, and the United Nations; it wouldn’t take much for it all to happen.
13:4 – Men worship the Beast. They are so amazed at his power and supposed resurrection that he is worshipped as
God. He may have a pivotal role in the defeat of the invasion of the north (Ezekiel
38 and 39). This would pave the way for the ten-nation confederacy and its future
world leader.
13:5-6 –The beast makes proud
boast and utters unspeakable blasphemies. He is allowed to make war for forty-two
months (3 ½ years –Daniel’s 70th week). He slanders God’s
name and all who live in heaven, His angels and the glorified saints.
13:7 –The beast is allowed to
make war against God’s holy people and he overcomes many of them. They
die rather than submit to him. He is allowed to rule over all the world- the
last world empire before Christ’s Reign.
13:8 –All who belong to this
world worship the beast. “They are the ones whose names were not written
in the Book of Life (from before the foundations of the world), which belong to the Lamb who was killed before the world was
made (showing God’s eternal plan).”
13:9-10 - This is a warning to everyone
to accept the light of God’s word when it is available. The consequence
for not believing and accepting Christ as Lord is death.
The Second Beast Out of the Earth
The World Religious Leader (13:11-18)
Two leaders are prominent in the Tribulation period;
one is political and one is religious. World government is represented by the
Beast, but upon this Beast sits a harlot (Rev. 7) who represents world religion, and in particular “that
great city which reigns over the kings of the earth [Jerusalem] (17:18). The
leader of the world religious system in its final form is called the “false prophet” (19:20).
13:11 - He is another of the same kind as the first Beast, the same character and the same attitude- two of a kind. He “had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon”- the horns
are symbolic of authority and suggest that his authority possibly was in two places (political and religious). The speech of the Dragon (Satan) has always been one of deception, and this “false prophet”
deceives with religion (2Cor. 11:3). He is given satanic authority by the first
Beast, and does nothing without the approval of the political leader (Antichrist).
13:12-13 - His purpose is to promote the worship
of world government and to support its leader, the Antichrist. He will
use miracles and “great signs” to accomplish this. Jesus warned
of this in Matt. 24:24. He makes fire fall from heaven to earth, attempting to
possibly duplicate Elijah’s miracle. He ordered the people to make a statue
of the first beast (Antichrist). He was permitted to give life to the statue
and caused the image of the beast to speak (13: 15) and all are required to worship it or die. Of course, as always, the great multitude is deceived and willingly obeys.
13:16-18 - All those who refuse to
worship the image of the beast are killed. Now everyone must receive the mark
or the name of the beast or the number of his name. No one may
buy or sell except those who bear the mark. In Rev. 7, we learned that God put
His mark on the foreheads of the 144,000 Jews. Satan once again plays the part
of the deceiver, trying to be like God. Only nonbelievers take the mark; all
others are killed. The number of the beast is the number of man. His number is 666.
This could happen overnight, even to us. Some of what we see in this end time scenario could begin to take place during our lifetime; are we prepared
to withstand the test when and if it comes? Is our faith in the Lamb of God’s
perfect plan for us strong enough to help us withstand persecution? His
plan is perfect, his wrath is swift and powerful, and His love and grace are never ending.
