Revelation 13 (Sea Beast)

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 13

The First Beast

13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10  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.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

The Second Beast

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

Of all the chapters in John’s Apocalypse chapter 13 may be the most familiar to us, because, of all the imagery in the Apocalypse, the beast is probably the most widely known. The popular eschatology in our day frequently speculates as to the identity of the beast, and how to avoid receiving the mark of the beast. We immediately think of micro chip implants in our hands and foreheads, a one world government, and restrictions on whether we’ll be able buy or sell if we’re unwilling to receive the mark of the beast.

However, if you’ll been with us since we began our study through the Book of Revelation you’ll know that we’ve taken a different approach to the text. We’ve taken a preterist approach to the book, arguing that this Apocalypse was written primarily for the first century church, and that the events described within it depict primarily the events of the first century. That, just as the Apostle John wrote repeatedly, these events were near, that they were soon to take place in his own day.

Summary

In our last time, we looked at chapter 12, which was meant to place the events of this book in their broader redemptive context. That John zooms out and rewinds the story in chapter 12 to show us how these events fit into redemptive history, so that we don’t miss their significance. John wants the church to understand the spiritual consequences of the Jesus’ first coming, that as Christ ascended to his throne in heaven after his resurrection the devil was thrown down out of heaven to the earth. That Christ had triumphed over him at the cross.

However, that triumph had resulted in the devil being thrown down to the earth in great wrath, because he knew his time was short. Therefore, his intention was to make war on the saints, to make war on those who kept the commandments of God and who hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Therefore, chapter 12 also anchors us in the first century, that what happens next in the chapters that follow describe the devil’s war against the saints in the early days of the church, resulting ultimately in the devil’s binding later in chapter 20 from deceiving the nations any longer. While his war against the church was severe, while the church would face a great tribulation, we were told in chapter 12 that the devil’s time was short, that it wouldn’t last long.

And so, as we reach chapter 13, the devil is described as enlisting two beasts to make war on the saints. At the end of chapter 12 we were told that the dragon stood on the sand of the sea, poised to attack the offspring of the woman from chapter 12, the saints of the Most High.

Beast that rises out of the sea

While there’s a lot of imagery in the Book of Revelation that’s difficult to understand, the beast of Revelation is not one of those images. In fact, I believe the beast is one of the clearest images in John’s Apocalypse, intended to describe Rome and the Emperor Nero. And like a puzzle we should begin with the clearest pieces first in order to help us to fill in the less clear pieces of the puzzle later.

We’ve already seen that this book describes, repeatedly, that these events are near and soon to take place in John’s day, therefore we should expect the imagery to depict events and characters present within the first century. It’s within the first century that we should look for historical correlations, and when we do, I think we find that the imagery of the beast is especially clear, that John is describing the Roman Empire and the Emperor Nero.

That being said, let’s begin there in verse 1,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

There are two beasts here in chapter 13, but most of us typically think of this first beast when we think of the beast of Revelation. This the first of two beasts that the dragon enlists to make war on the church in the first century, the Roman Empire and it’s Emperor Nero.

Beasts

The imagery of a beast is common to scripture, meant to describe the animalistic nature of either a particular person or government. The prophet Daniel, while in Babylon, saw a vision depicting four beasts that represented pagan kingdoms. Back in chapter 6, one of the four horsemen, who was riding on a pale horse, was given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. Wild beasts were a category of judgment throughout the OT. And just like a wild beast John and Daniel described tyrants and kingdoms as beasts, that they’re dangerous and formidable like a wild animal.

And ironically enough, the Emperor Nero was often described by his own citizens as a beast. One writer in the first century described him as “a destructive beast” (Sibylline Oracles), another called him “the great beast”. Later, in the centuries that followed, Nero was described as a “noxious wild beast” and one worse than “even the wild beast.” Nero would even dress himself up as a wild beast in the arena and attack men and women violently, raping and murdering them in public. Nero killed his own mother and even his pregnant wife by kicking her to death. This is the kind of threat the imagery of a beast in scripture is mean to portray, whether at the hands of a particular person or government.

Application: Governments are often referred to as beasts, because of their great power to inflict damage and to destroy. Satan uses nations, or beasts, to threaten the church, to stamp out the people of God. Governments are typically the source of persecution against the church, because it inherently wields the sword, and the devil seeks to wield that sword against the church. This isn’t any different in our day, governments remain some of the most powerful threats to Christianity. However, John’s Apocalypse demonstrates that these beasts will all ultimately fail in their efforts to stamp out the church. The church must remember in every age that the state cannot and will not triumph over the church. If it couldn’t in the first century, it won’t in our day either.

Gentile nations

John also describes this first beast as rising out of the sea. As we’ve seen before the sea is typically a reference to the gentiles, that this beast is arising out of the gentile nations. While the sea was associated with life, it was also associated with great danger. Anyone who’s taken a small boat out into the bay, or outside the bay knows just how terrifying and dangerous the ocean can be. Within minutes the wind can pickup or shift and immediately threaten your life.

Therefore, this beast carries with it the threat that it rises out of the sea of pagan nations, and would have brought to mind Israel’s enemies of the past, the likes of Assyria and Babylon who had taken the Jews into captivity. All of the beasts in Daniel’s vision, which portrayed Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, had all risen out of the sea. It was also true that from the vantage point of Israel, Rome had literally arisen from over the horizon out of the sea.

Combined attributes

Then John goes on to say that this beast had ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on it horns and blasphemous names on its heads. That what he saw was like a leopard, its feet like a bear’s, and its mouth like a lion’s teeth. The imagery here is packed with meaning. We’re immediately meant to realize that this beast mirrors the imagery of the dragon we saw earlier in chapter 12, that this beast is empowered by the dragon, that it’s a satanic kingdom, just like the empires before it, but this time its far more dangerous than the kingdoms that came before.

In fact, this beast possesses the combined attributes of all the beasts before it. In Daniel’s vision of the four beasts he described the Babylonian Empire as a lion, the Persian Empire as a bear, and ancient Greece like a leopard, whereas John describes this beast like all three, combined. What John saw was what Daniel described as the fourth beast in his vision, and wrote,

English Standard Version Chapter 7

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Daniel’s visions were given so that Israel might anticipate the timing of the Messiah, therefore by the time of John’s Apocalypse that time had come. Christ had come, and the fourth beast of Daniel’s vision had arisen to make war on the saints. Listen to how Daniel described these events here in Revelation,

English Standard Version Chapter 7

21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

This war against the saints, described in Revelation 12, is just as Daniel had foreseen in his vision. That this fourth beast that rises out of the sea will make war on the saints of the Most High. However, as we’ve already seen, the devil’s time is short, for the time has come when the saints will possess the kingdom. The devil will fail in his efforts to stamp out the church, and the Gospel will prevail, and the kingdom of heaven will prevail upon the earth.

7 heads

We’ll also see later, in Revelation 17:9-10, that the beast’s seven heads have a dual meaning. We’re told that the seven heads are seven hills, but that they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one who is, and the other who hasn’t yet come. And it’s details like these that give us an even clearer picture of the beast’s identity.

7 hills

The city of Rome was, and still is, famously known as the city of seven hills. This is why some Christians have argued in the past that the beast of Revelation refers to the Roman Catholic church since the Vatican is in Rome. This is also why many Christians have argued that the beast of Revelation will be a revived future Roman Empire, recognizing that the identity of the beast is undoubtedly tied to Rome. However, in the first century there was no Vatican City, or Roman Catholic Church, or revived Roman Empire, there was only Rome and the Roman Empire. Again, John doesn’t give us any reason to look beyond his first century audience and their day. In fact, it would altogether strange to the churches in Asia Minor if he were describing a future, revived Roman Empire, thousands of years in the future. This would have rendered the letter almost meaningless to them.

7 kings

John also says that the seven heads represent seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one who is, and the other who hasn’t yet come. So, not only does John identify the beast of Revelation with the Roman Empire, but even provides us with the reigning emperor at the time. Apparently five kings had already fallen, and the sixth was reigning at that time. While modern historians debate when to start counting emperors within the Roman history, many ancient writers at the time began with Julius Caesar, including the Jewish historian, Josephus. If we begin with Julius Caesar, the emperors that follow are Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, with Nero as the sixth emperor, who was apparently reigning at the time. And as we’ll see at the end of the chapter John will confirm this further when he says that the beast’s number is 666.

And finally, at the end of verse 2 John writes that to this beast, to Nero and the Roman Empire, the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. While Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28, that,

English Standard Version Chapter 28

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

the dragon had given what power and authority he still possessed to this beast that rose out of the sea, in order that he might destroy the church, but we know that while he had struck Christ’s heel at the cross, that Christ would crush his head. That the Gospel would prevail and that ultimately the saints of the Most High would possess the kingdom forever. The tide had turned since Christ had come, despite the tribulation that was coming upon the whole earth.

Mortal wound

Then John goes on in verse 3 and writes,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

What John is likely referring to here is what historians refer to as the year of the four emperors. In AD 68 Nero committed suicide, which threw the empire into anarchy, and it appeared to be a mortal wound for the empire. The significance of his death was that he was the last descendent of Julius Caesar, the Julio-Claudian dynasty had ended with Nero. This resulted in many wondering whether Rome would collapse, and with many of Rome’s lingering enemies, both within and without, seeing Nero’s death as an opportunity to take advantage of Rome’s weakness. Therefore, civil war broke out as many vied for the throne. Rome had four emperors in the span of a single year until Vespasian put his seige against Jerusalem on hold to travel back to Rome and to restore stability to the empire. Vespasian succeeded and took the throne, leaving behind his son Titus to finish the job at Jerusalem.

The whole world thought Rome had suffered a mortal wound when Nero committed suicide, but to everyone’s surprise the empire recovered, which convinced many that the empire was invincible, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” If Rome wasn’t already seen as an invincible foe, it was now. Which served only to intensify the emperor cult worship that was already prevalent in the empire. As the people worshiped the beast, so they worshiped the dragon.

If you were here when we read Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum, you may recall that this city was at the heart of emperor cult worship, even having a temple built to worship the emperor Augustus himself. In fact, Jesus described the city as where Satan’s throne was. Yet, despite the demonic influence in the city Jesus wrote to them and said, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” (Rev. 2:13)

We also know that Nero was worshiped in Ephesus, and that in Thyatira the church was warned about Satan worship, and “what some call the deep things of Satan.” This was deified statism, treating the state as if it were a god, and the dragon gladly received their worship. And the same risks exist today, we’re tempted to deify the state by looking to it for our every need, treating it as if it were our savior, tempted to hang our hopes on every presidential election. And if we’re not careful, the state will gladly assume those roles, as though it were a god. This is why the Apostle Paul describes the proper role of government as a deacon, or servant, or God.

42 months of war on the saints

Then John says picking up there in verse 5,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

So, for a time, the beast is given limited authority to make war on the saints, but only for 42 months. As we’ve seen before, this language is meant to refer, symbolically, to a limited or imperfect amount of time, often associated with judgment or persecution in the OT. The idea here is to communicate that this great tribulation will not last forever, but that the dragon’s authority to make war on the saints and to conquer them is limited by God.

Nero was the only emperor in Roman history to wage war on the saints, to actively make an attempt to destroy them. Not that he was the only emperor under which Christians suffered persecution, but the only emperor in Roman history to launch a direct assault at Christians with the intent to exterminate them. It was rumored that Nero had started a fire in Rome that devastated 71% of the city, so in an attempt to find a scapegoat he blamed the Christian community, leading to the empire-wide persecution of Christians.

It was at that time the Apostle Paul was beheaded, the Apostle Peter crucified upside down, and possibly the reason John was exiled to the Island of Patmos. Christians were tortured and killed in the arenas, and Nero famously covered them in pitch and oil, nailed them to wooden stakes, and then lit them on fire while still alive to light his evening garden parties, which is where we get the phrase Roman candle.

Call for endurance

However, this persecution, this “war on the saints” would not last, the church would not be destroyed. History tells us that Nero’s persecution against Christianity lasted approximately 42 months, until shortly before he died in AD 68. John also reminds the church that everyone on the earth will worship beast, everyone except those who have their names written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. That their faith would not fail, that not matter the persecution that they would be kept, that they would be preserved. This is why John goes on to call on the church to endure,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10  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.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

In other words, if anyone is taken captive or is to be slain with the sword, remember this, your call is to endure. Overcome them by the word of your testimony. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

At the heart of all the letters to the 7 churches is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. This is why they all end with the refrain, “To the one who conquers… I will give you some of the hidden manna.” “To the one who conquers.... I will give him the morning star.” “To the one who conquers… I will grant to eat of the tree of life,” and so on. While the state may appear invincible, it’s not, the church will triumph, the kingdom of heaven will prevail, and the church must remember this in every age.

Beast that rises out of the land

Then John sees a second beast, picking up there in verse 11,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

As the devil stood on the seashore, another beast rose out of the land. While the first beast is one of the clearest images in John’s Apocalypse to discern, the identity of the second beast is far less clear. In fact, not all preterists even agree at this point. Some take this beast to represent the Roman imperial cult, some take it to represent the Roman governor of Judea, and others believe this beast represents Israel and it’s Jewish religious system.

Israel’s religious system

While the identity of the second beast is certainly less clear, I don’t think it’s altogether unclear. Going forward I’m going to argue that the beast rising out of the land is Israel and it’s Jewish religious system. If there were two enemies of the first century church it was Rome and the Jews. The Book of Acts testifies especially to this, and history testifies that it may have even been the Jews that instigated Nero to persecute the Christians.

The second beast also rises out of the land, which is likely a reference to the land of Israel. The identity of the beast is also connected later with the false prophet and the harlot, all of which are identified with Jerusalem, that great city, which is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt elsewhere. Jerusalem and the Jewish religious system had become a false prophet and a harlot. This is why Jesus had told his disciples that Jerusalem would be characterized by many false prophets and false Christs before the great tribulation, writing in Matthew 24:5, “see that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray,” then again in verse 11, “and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” And the obvious assumption is that the source of these false Christs and false prophets would be Jerusalem, not Rome.

John also describes here in verse 12 that this beast exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, in other words, Jerusalem’s authority was derived from Rome’s authority. For example, when the Jewish Council sought to crucify Jesus, they couldn’t do so without Rome’s consent. And we must also understand that Israel had sided with Caesar and the Empire against Christ and his church, declaring that they had no king but Caesar. They were apostates, Jerusalem was a harlot.

John also describes this beast as having two horns like a lamb, but speaking like a dragon. The idea here is that the beast appears as innocent as a lamb, but is as dangerous as a dragon. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or a dragon clothed in a lamb’s fleece, this beast appears docile but it’s as murderous as a dragon. Jesus told his disciples to “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matt. 7:15) This lamb is not harmless, but dangerous, Jerusalem has become a false prophet.

In verse 12 John says that this beast makes the land and its inhabitants worship the first beast. While the Jew offered liturgical worship to God, seeming as though they had a deep allegiance to Yahweh, when they faced the choice between Caesar and their Lord, the Jews chose Caesar. Don’t forget, in Jesus’ letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia described the unbelieving Jews in their cities as a synagogue of Satan. Their worship was pure hypocrisy. So, it wasn’t that the Jews literally bowed down to a graven image, or practiced explicit cultic worship, but the point is that they were serving the beast, that their service to Rome was idolatrous.

Application: And as Christians we should heed this warning, to be careful that our worship doesn’t become a mere outward and hypocritical expression of worship and devotion to God, that we remember that mere attendance and participation in worship on the Lord’s Day is not enough. Our lives, day in and day out, must reflect our worship and devotion to our Lord, otherwise we become hypocrites and idolators.

Great false signs

Then John writes in verse 13 that,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Again, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:24,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

We see several examples of this in the Book of Acts, including Simon the Magician,

English Standard Version Chapter 8

who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

And again in Acts 13 when the disciples come upon a man named Bar-Jesus,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.