Revelation 13 – The Two Beasts

Revelation 13:1

(1) And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. (2) Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, (3) having ten horns and seven heads, (4) and on his horns were ten diadems, and (5) on his heads were blasphemous names.

  1. That is, the devil.
  2. A beast reminds us of Daniel 7’s visions.  This beast is both an empire (Rome), and its emperor, or emperors.  It represents a nation and its ruler.
  3. The ten horns will be ten kings, and the heads, hills.
  4. Diadems, or crowns.  Rulers.
  5. The names of the Roman pantheon, their false gods.

Revelation 13:2

(1) And 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. (2) And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

  1. A composite of the four beasts of Daniel 7.
  2. The devil gave all his power, his throne, and great authority, presumably, all of his authority.  This is what empowered the Roman empire to rule the world, because the devil empowered it.  When the dragon is removed in Revelation 20, we see it’s decline.

Revelation 13:3

(1) I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. (2) And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;

  1. This head is Nero, who killed himself by stabbing himself in the neck with his own sword.
  2. The whole world followed after Rome.  How it is, that the enemy has cast such a veil over the children of men, that they should follow after the destroyer.  As Christ said, few shall be saved.  It is not in numbers, but in authority, true power, and truth that the Chrisitan is assured.  He can be alone, but it is that faith that sees the invisible God that proves He is right, though all the world be against him.  When he sees Him, he endures.  When he believes in Him, He does the impossible.  When he gives all to serve Him, nothing is impossible, not even the overthrow of a world power like Rome.  Truly, if we only believe with the faith of a mustard seed, we can say to a mountain to be cast into the sea, and it will be done for us (Mark 11:23-24).

Revelation 13:4

(1) they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and (2) they worshiped the beast, saying, (3) “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”

  1. Those in the empire, whether they knew it or not, worshipped the beast.  Serving the Roman empire, calling Caesar “Lord”.  And, all the pagan practices.  Men had corrupted their way upon the Earth through “civilization”, even as they had tried since the time of Babel.
  2. They worshipped the beast.  In addition to everything else, they built temples to worship the emperors.
  3. Rome was the greatest power in the Earth, the world’s super-power.

Revelation 13:5-6

(1) There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and (2) authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. (3) And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

  1. The beast, Rome, spoke against Jerusalem.
  2. They besieged the city for three and a half years.
  3. The Roman empire hated the rebellious Jews and their city.

Revelation 13:7-8

(1) It 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. (2) All who dwell on the earth will worship him, (3) 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.

  1. Indeed, Christian persecution began under Nero, and was repeated under Domitian, the beast of this chapter.
  2. The entire known world, Rome.
  3. All those, except the Christians, who have been rescued from the dominion of darkness.  Colossians 1:13.

Revelation 13:9-10

(1) If anyone has an ear, let him hear. (2) If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. (3) Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

  1. The call for the prophetic spirit, as through all trials.
  2. “Realm denied, judgment applied.  Realm applied, judgment denied”.  Those who are in Christ, through faith, escape all these things.  Justice is being meted out, and the only escape is in Him.
  3. Only through perseverance, will they be saved.  Habakkuk 3 indicates that it will come to pass, even if it takes a while.

Revelation 13:11

(1) Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and (2) he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.

  1. This second beast is the false prophet.  In view, probably is the cult of the emperor.
  2. It has authority, and also speaks with the power of the dragon.

Revelation 13:12-14

(1) He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And (2) he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (3) He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, (5) telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast (6) who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

  1. The cult of the emperor enforced emperor worship.  Thus, he acted with the emperor’s authority.
  2. In enforcing emperor worship, they made the entire world worship Domitian.
  3. The false prophet coerces the people into worship of the emperor by whatever means necessary.
  4. They also made an image of Domitian and put it in the temple in Ephesus.
  5. Again, this is Nero.  Domitian was referred to as Nero back from the dead.

Revelation 13:15

(1) And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and (2) cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

  1. The exact meaning of the breath is uncertain, but it is clear that a statue of Domitian was created, five meters tall (15 feet tall), and placed in Ephesus.  Emperor was mandatory.
  2. To the point of death.

Revelation 13:16-17

(1) And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and (2) he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

  1. Domitian required a pinch of incense burned once a year by everyone in his name, that he be declared “Lord”, and in return, a notice was given to the person performing this called “the mark of the emperor”, or the mark of the beast, since Domitian was called a “beast”.
  2. This “mark” was required to buy or sell in the empire.

Revelation 13:18

(1) Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, (2) for the number is that of a man; and (3) his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

  1. The number is knowable.
  2. The number is that of a man.
  3. 666 – it would fit Nero under an alternate spelling, but it fits Domitian just fine.  Domitian is the beast, as it seems, and is Nero back from the Abyss.