Introducing a Terrible Beast
Revelation 13:1-10
John provided an extended intermission (Rev 10:1-11:14) before introducing the seventh trumpet judgment (Rev 11:15-19). Though we expect him to introduce the seven bowl judgments next, he provides us with yet another extended intermission (Rev 12-14). This intermission provides us with insightful and figurative descriptions of what will happen during the Tribulation, giving special attention to the second half of this period and the spiritual significance of key persons and events in it.
John first introduces us to a woman (the people of God, esp. believing Israel), a child (the Messiah), and a dragon (Satan himself) (Rev 12:1-17). This dramatic portrayal presents the climactic events of the Tribulation as the climax of an epic spiritual battle that has been waged from the beginning of time between God and Satan, good and evil.
John then introduces us to two human beings whom he visualizes as carnivorous, voracious beasts. These two men will be key players during the Tribulation who carry out Satan’s designs against God and his people. He describes the first beast in Rev 13:1-10 and the second in Rev 13:11-18.
The first beast will be a satanically empowered world leader. (Rev 13:1-4)
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.
Revelation 13:1
In John’s vision, this beast ascended into view from out of the sea. John doesn’t tell us whether the sea here represents anything in particular, but it may represent something like the sea of humanity (Rev 17:15; Dan 7:2-3). If so, then it portrays him as a human being who will arise from the nations and population of the world.
This beast has seven heads and ten horns, which resembles the dragon’s appearance in Rev 12:3. In fact, John explicitly affirms this correlation in Rev 13:2. He points out that the dragon (Satan) will be the source of his influence, governmental position, and extensive political power. This beast of a person will serve as Satan’s ultimate human alternative to God’s Messiah – his ultimate antichrist.
The seven heads represent seven major world empires that run their course, which the book of Daniel explains in more detail. These include (1) Egypt, (2) Assyria, (3) Babylon, (4) Medo-Persia, (5) Greece, (6) Rome, and (7) the Antichrist’s future empire in the Tribulation (Rev 17:9-10). Through these pagan empires, Satan has attempted to derail God’s people and reign.
The ten horns represent ten rulers who will govern during the antichrist’s future reign. He will delegate his authority to them (Rev 13:1; 17:12). John gives no more details about the regions or roles these rulers will have in the antichrist’s system of government, but they do indicate an organized system of some kind with lesser, more localized rulers governing in partnership with him.
These heads featured a blasphemous name in John’s vision, which foreshadows something John explains in more detail just ahead (Rev 13:4-6). Blasphemy entails saying or representing another person in a denigrating, derogatory, and disrespectful way. So, this antichrist and his political deputies will govern the world with blatant disrespect and hatred for God, his tabernacle, and his loyal followers – even those angels and deceased believers who are in heaven. His outspoken revulsion for God will be a prominent feature of his governing policies and style.
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.
Revelation 13:2
The beast looked like a stealthy, powerful, and ferocious animal with the body of a leopard, feet like a bear, and face like a lion. This description is nearly identical to the fourth prophetic beast which Daniel saw (Dan 7:3-7). The first three beasts in that vision represented Babylon, Persia, and Greece empires, each of which persecuted God’s people. The fourth beast appears as a combination of all three. “The picture of all three animals combines qualities of all of Israel’s former oppressors (cf. Hos. 13:7–8): craft, lust for blood, and vicious energy (Moffatt).”[1]
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. 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?”
Revelation 13:3-4
From what John saw, it appeared as though one of this beast’s heads had been wounded. Though the wound appeared to have been a deadly one, it isn’t clear from this vision whether it was actually mortal or just appeared to be so, or whether it had killed him or merely threatened to do so (Rev 13:12, 14). Whatever the case, he will leverage his wound and recovery to impress the world with his apparent power over death, a clear attempt to rival the resurrected Lamb. He will persuade the world to follow him in amazement, acknowledging his supreme authority and worshipping him.
He will attempt to overthrow God and his people. (Rev 13:5-8)
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.
Revelation 13:5-6
While most of the world will follow the antichrist willingly because of his apparent ability to cheat death, something else will happen before the second half of the tribulation (the final 42 mos.). The antichrist will make his blasphemous intentions clear, which seems to be a reference to the “abomination of desolations” when he will enter the temple in Jerusalem at the midpoint of the Tribulation and demand that Israel worship him, in open defiance against God (Dan 7:8, 11, 20, 25; 11:36).
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.
Revelation 13:7
From this point forward to the end of the Tribulation, this beastly person will wage an all-out, global campaign to eradicate and kill anyone who persists in following God rather than him. John seems to describe this same attack on God’s people previously with Satan in view as the originator (Rev 12:13-17), then he recapitulates it here with the antichrist’s role in focus instead.
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.
Revelation 13:8
Here John makes clear that the majority of the world’s population will follow the antichrist. He further describes those who follow him as “whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8).
This reference to the Book of Life deserves some attention because John refers to it seven times in Revelation (Rev 3:5; 5:1; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27). This ‘book’ refers to some sort of written record in heaven of people who will be in God’s eternal kingdom.
This record is the result of an irreversible choice made by God to send Christ as the sacrifice for our sins, a choice he made before he created anything. As such, the Book of Life (as portrayed in the NT) refers to a permanent record of all believers, both Jew and Gentile, from the beginning to the end of time.
This book indicates that the redemptive status of every believer, not just in the NT, has always been an established reality. At no time in history – past, present, or future – is a true follower of God able to “lose” his or her salvation or to somehow get his or her name written into this book and then deleted afterward, neither can a human being alter this record by earning or forcing their name onto this record.
Whether or not a person will be redeemed by God is a matter of permanent, public record in heaven, no matter what masterful campaign or strategy Satan attempts to deploy here on Earth. By highlighting this book, John leads to a pastoral comment he is about to make.
Future certainty inspires endurance through difficulty. (Rev 13:9-10)
If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
Revelation 13:9
Here John echoes what he said in Christ’s former letters to the churches of Asia Minor (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). A key difference is that when John said this in Rev 2-3, he included “what the Spirit says to the churches”; but here he mentions nothing about the church. This vagueness gives credence to the idea that the church is not in view as before, indicating that the church will be removed from the earth before the Tribulation.
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.
Revelation 13:10
There is some legitimate debate over the underlying Greek words in this verse. It seems that the most likely translation resembles something like what the ESV says: “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.” The point is to encourage believing Jews persecuted by the antichrist to accept this treatment that will certainly occur, no matter how much they resist.
This forecast of suffering in light of God’s providence and sovereignty should encourage those who follow God in the tribulation to persist in their faith, even through terrible treatment by the antichrist.
Key Takeaways
Since the people and events of Rev 13 will occur in the future and focus especially on the nation of Israel, how does John’s vision of this beastly world ruler help followers of Christ to persevere through our own suffering today?
Satan is most successful when he mimics God’s plan most closely.
Though Satan has attempted all kinds of approaches throughout history, none will succeed at overthrowing God’s reign. However, Satan will be most powerful and persuasive when he comes closest to mimicking God’s plan. This underscores the effectiveness and wisdom of God and the superiority of his ways. The plan that God has chosen to establish his reign and redeem his people forever is best and right in every way. There are no legitimate alternatives, and even the best alternative is to mimic God’s plan as closely as possible.
Our predetermined suffering makes the most sense when viewed in light of Christ’s suffering.
If it seems unfair or uninspiring to know that those who will follow the antichrist have already been excluded from the Book of Life or that those who will endure excruciating suffering from the antichrist have already been consigned to this experience, then consider one other important, timeless truth. Before God ever made the world or a single human being, Christ himself was appointed to be slaughtered for our sins. This means that God made us knowing full well that we’d rebel against him, knowing that he must then die to redeem us. If anything is unfair, it’s that he made us in the first place knowing that he would die as a result.
God’s sovereignty over our suffering encourages perseverance through suffering.
Though we are not living through the Tribulation, we may still suffer varying levels of persecution for following Christ, even from government leaders and policies. Those who will suffer for Christ will suffer. Yet just as sure as our suffering may be, even so is the certainty of our success with Christ in the end. John will describe our eternal success and bliss in greater depth at the end of Revelation.
[1] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1995), 156.
