Keys to Revelation – Chapter 13
Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New York
International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
BIBLE TEXT COMMENTARY
REV 13:1 And the dragon stood on [dragon] – REV 12:3, 9 identify the
the shore of the sea. And I saw a dragon as Satan. In the last verse
beast coming out of the sea. He had of Chapter 12 we saw Satan enraged
ten horns and seven heads, with ten at Israel and going off to destroy
crowns on his horns, and on each the rest of God’s people– the
head a blasphemous name. remaining Jewish Christians and all
the Gentile Believers. The devil
now summons the rest of his “unholy
trinity” to help him in his efforts
to destroy God’s people.
[beast] – This is the symbol used
for the description of the coming
Antichrist and his kingdom–the
revived Roman Empire.
[coming out of the sea] – Satan calls
the Antichrist from the sea which has
possible significance in that the sea
of prominence to John would have been
the Mediterranean, indicating that
the Antichrist would come from that
area.
[ten horns, seven heads] – Beast has
the same number of horns and heads as
the Red Dragon (Satan) of REV 12:3
and similar to the descriptions found
in DAN 7:7-8, 24. It is a another
clear reference to the Antichrist and
the revived Roman Empire.
The seven heads are a symbol of the
seven hills of the city of Rome (see
REV 17:9) from which the Antichrist
will most likely establish his throne
during this time. The heads also are
used to represent the kings of past
and future of this world empire (REV
17:9)
The ten horns refer to the original
ten kingdoms of the old Roman Empire
of which three were subdued by the
little horn of Daniel 7:8, who is to
be identified with the world ruler of
the great tribulation (Antichrist)
who reigns over the revived Roman
Empire (United Europe?), see REV
17:12
[ten crowns on his horns] – Initially
the Antichrist will come to power
over the ten nations of the old
empire and this seems to be somewhat
of a peaceful takeover, but later he
overthrows three nations and becomes
a dictator in total control (see DAN
7:7-8 and REV 17:12-13).
[blasphemous name] – Shows the nature
of the Antichrist and his kingdom as
being directly opposed to God by
assuming titles of deity much like
the former kings, such as, Augustus
who allowed his eastern subjects to
pay him divine honors and Nero who
was referred to as the Savior of the
World.
REV 13:2 The beast I saw resembled [leopard, bear, lion] – Daniel 7
a leopard, but had feet like those shows that the successive world
of a bear and a mouth like that of empires are described as the lion,
a lion. The dragon gave the beast referring to Babylon, the bear,
his power and his throne and great referring to Medo-Persia, and the
authority. leopard, referring to the Greek
Empire. The fourth empire is a
combination of the previous three
and is the Roman Empire which we
see revived as the kingdom of the
Antichrist.
[dragon gave…power] – It is clear
that Satan is the driving force
behind the Antichrist and the World
System. But we must always bear in
mind that Satan is on a leash which
Jesus holds in His hand. The devil
can only have as much power as the
Lord will allow for His purposes.
REV 13:3 One of the heads of the [fatal wound…healed] – In keeping
beast seemed to have had a fatal with the idea that the heads are
wound, but the fatal wound had been kings of the Roman Empire (REV 17:9)
healed. The whole world was it could be that the Antichrist is
astonished and followed the beast. killed but raised to life by Satan in
order to deceive the world by trying
to “upstage” the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
[world astonished] – Truly if some
world leader would be killed and then
somehow raised to life by some great
power, then the entire world would
follow after him because it would be
their desire to have that power to
help satisfy their needs. One must
remember that the world does not want
the true power of God because of the
cost involved–the turning from sin
and the yielding of one’s life to the
true Savior.
REV 13:4 Men worshiped the dragon [worshiped the dragon] – This has
because he had given authority to always been the goal of Satan to take
the beast, and they also worshiped glory from God so that he may receive
the beast and asked, “Who is like worship. Satan lost his position as
the beast? Who can make war against the greatest of all angels because of
him?” his desire to usurp God (see ISA
14:13-14). In Matthew 4:9 we see the
wicked one trying to get Jesus to bow
down and worship him.
[who is like the beast?] – The world
is greatly deceived at this point
believing that the Antichrist and the
revived Roman Empire are the solution
to all the world’s problems. They
think there is no other force that
can overthrow this great power. But
they do not realize that the problem
with the world is sin and the mighty
Savior Jesus Christ will come and
destroy the entire evil world system.
REV 13:5 The beast was given a [beast given a mouth] – The spokesman
mouth to utter proud words and for the World Government is the
blasphemies and to exercise his Antichrist and he is given what to
authority for forty-two months. say by Satan the Father of Lies. For
three and a half years (42 months) he
boasts of his power and glory.
REV 13:6 He opened his mouth to [blaspheme…slander] – The words of
blaspheme God, and to slander his the Antichrist are directed towards
name and his dwelling place and God and His Kingdom. He hates all
those who live in heaven. that is good and pure.
REV 13:7 He was given power to [he was given power] – Just as God
make war against the saints and to gave Satan the power to harm Job in
conquer them. And he was given order to show to all that Job’s
authority over every tribe, people, love was not based on greed, so here
language and nation. the saints will be given a chance to
testify by their deaths of their
devotion and love for Christ.
REV 13:8 All inhabitants of the [All inhabitants…worship beast] –
earth will worship the beast–all Every unbeliever worships the beast
whose names have not been written who is the Antichrist. But all the
in the book of life belonging to people who were elected for salvation
the Lamb that was slain from the before the earth was formed refuse
creation of the world. to worship the beast. No longer are
there the non-religious and the
religious in the world, for the one
world government demands worship as
a deity.
[book of life] – A book that has all
the names of those who were elected
by the sovereign choice of God for
salvation before the earth began.
[slain from the creation] – Jesus was
slain at the same time the Christians
were elected. Before there was an
earth or any man created God saw that
all men and women He would create in
the future, would reject Him, so in
love He planned for His own death, in
order, that He could save a remnant
for His glory. And what God plans
to do can be considered accomplished
because no power can stop Him.
REV 13:9 He who has an ear, let God now exhorts all readers to give
him hear. these verses their special attention.
They must listen to what the Spirit
of God is saying to them.
REV 13:10 If anyone is to go into God is calling the Christian to
captivity, into captivity he will display faith and patience in the
go. If anyone is to be killed with face of divinely permitted pre-
the sword, with the sword he will dominance of evil. The faithful in
be killed. This calls for patient Christ are assured that their
endurance and faithfulness on the captivity and martyrdom are in
part of the saints. Christ’s will. Some believers will
be put into prison because of their
faith while others will be killed for
their allegiance to Christ.
REV 13:11 Then I saw another [another beast] – Just as the true
beast, coming out of the earth. He Messiah had a forerunner who pointed
had two horns like a lamb, but he others to Him, so also the Antichrist
spoke like a dragon. will have his own prophet, but one
that is a deceiver.
[out of the earth] – In contrast to
coming out of the sea, the second
beast’s origin is not important,
out of the earth (mass of humanity)
versus the possible significance of
coming from a particular area (see
REV 13:1).
[two horns like a lamb] – The beast
has an innocent and harmless appear-
ance. It has two little horns like
a small pet lamb that appears very
harmless.
[he spoke like a dragon] – This false
prophet appears harmless and gentle
but when he speaks he is as dreadful
as a dragon. In fact, he speaks like
his father the dragon himself–the
devil.
REV 13:12 He exercised all the [authority of the first beast] – He
authority of the first beast on his carries out the desires of the first
behalf, and made the earth and its beast (Antichrist) and speaks in his
inhabitants worship the first name, much like the prophets of God
beast, whose fatal wound had been spoke with His authority.
healed.
[made…worship] – His task was to
make the world system (earth) and all
the earth’s people (inhabitants) to
worship the Antichrist. Satan is
trying to mimic John the Baptist who
was to get the people to turn and to
worship the true Lamb of God — Jesus
Christ.
[fatal wound…healed] – See REV 13:3
REV 13:13 And he performed great [he performed…miraculous] – Satan
and miraculous signs, even causing has his prophets perform deceiving
fire to come down from heaven to miracles throughout the history of
earth in full view of men. mankind (DEU 13:1-5; MAT 7:22; 24:24;
MAR 13:22, 2TH 2:9).
[fire from heaven] – The priests of
Baal could not bring fire down from
heaven because God was showing the
world that there was only one true
God–The God of Elijah. Yet here we
see Satan given the power to cause
real fire to come out of heaven.
God has promised that the wicked
will, “perish because they refused
to love the truth and so be saved.
For this reason God sends them a
powerful delusion so that they will
believe the lie and so that all will
be condemned who have not believed
the truth but have delighted in
wickedness” (2TH 2:10-12).
REV 13:14 Because of the signs he [the signs…deceived] – Satan
was given power to do on behalf of deceives the unbelieving world by
the first beast, he deceived the making them think his miracles were
inhabitants of the earth. He by the power of the devil, when in
ordered them to set up an image in fact it was by the power of God, in
honor of the beast who was wounded order to keep the unbeliever deceived
by the sword and yet lived. because they first refused to love
the truth about Jesus (2TH 2:10-12).
[set up an image] – God has declared
that man will not set up an image or
worship idols, yet Satan continues to
defy God. The false prophet uses the
fact of the resurrection of the first
beast (Antichrist) to be a cause of
worship and adoration.
REV 13:15 He was given power to [given power] – From Satan to the
give breath to the image of the false prophet but ultimately from God
first beast, so that it could speak to continue the earned delusion (2TH
and cause all who refused to 2:10-12).
worship the image to be killed.
[give breath] – Either the statue of
the Antichrist “comes alive” (which
seems unlikely) or through some more
deception he makes the idol appear to
be alive and speak. The technology
does in fact exist today for such a
feat (i.e. Disneyworld’s Hall of the
Presidents).
[refused to worship] – The statue
commands that anyone who refuses to
worship it will be killed. It appears
to be very convincing, most likely,
after the first few folks “laughed it
off” and were killed the rest took it
serious.
REV 13:16 He also forced everyone, [forced everyone] – No person was
small and great, rich and poor, allowed to be free, for all must show
free and slave, to receive a mark allegiance to the Antichrist and his
on his right hand or on his government by receiving the “mark.”
forehead,
[mark..hand or forehead] – The evil
one cleverly finds a way to show
allegiance–“The Mark.” It could
be visible or invisible to the naked
eye, but would be effective in
determining who the Christians were.
REV 13:17 so that no one could buy [buy or sell] – All commerce would
or sell unless he had the mark, depend solely on whether you had the
which is the name of the beast or mark or not. Imagine our materialis-
the number of his name. tic society saying no to the mark and
thereby being unable to buy food or
any of their “wants.”
REV 13:18 This calls for wisdom. [wisdom…insight] – This verse seems
If anyone has insight, let him to indicate that the reader could in
calculate the number of the beast, fact identify who the Antichrist is
for it is man’s number. His number by a proper understanding of the
is 666. number 666. However, no one since
the writing of this book has been
able to discover the meaning of the
number. Some scholars note that in
both the Hebrew and the Greek
language the letters also have
numerical equivalents, therefore they
surmise that the Antichrist’s name
will add up to the number 666.
Since different names can equal the
same total of 666 it would be next
to impossible to know his real name
until he is revealed. In 2TH 2:3-7
we learn that the man of lawlessness
will not be revealed until the Holy
Spirit’s special presence on earth
(the Church) is removed by the event
called the rapture. Therefore, one
would waste their time trying to
determine who the Antichrist is.
God’s Word will again be proved true
when the revealed Antichrist’s name
adds up to the sum “666.”
Tony Capoccia
BIBLE BULLETIN BOARD
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