Revelation 13-14

The Beast from the Sea

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

The beast being referred here is the 10 nations under the dominion of Satan rising up against Israel. Beast in the OT and NT is any animal other than human. The book of Daniel is also apocalyptic and talks about 4 beasts rising up which was symbolic to 4 Kings rising up to God’s people in the OT and the same goes here. But God’s people will prevail in the end.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear’s, and his mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Satan gave the beast his power over the earth because we will learn that the antichrist will unite all the governments against Israel and we will soon see that everyone on the earth that follows the beast will be marked.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. f 4 They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?”

One of the heads representing a nation against Israel was wounded but it was able to heal and become united again with rest of the nations. The people of earth that worship the beast say who can stand against such as force?

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. He was also given authority to act k for 42 months. 6 He began to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. 7 And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered. t

9 If anyone has an ear, he should listen:

10 If anyone is destined for captivity,

into captivity he goes.

If anyone is to be killed with a sword,

with a sword he will be killed.

This demands the perseverance and faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, a but he sounded like a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

This Beast is considered the false prophet- the antichrist. When it says “out of this earth” it literally means out of society civilized, consolidated and ordered, unlike the sea. It shows this beast having authority over the world on behalf of the first beast and causes people to worship the first beast which shows us the distinction between the first being Satan and this being the antichrist (his representative).

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. 14 He deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. 15 He was permitted to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

The antichrist started setting up a unified expectation of worship of the beast and anyone who did not was executed.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

16 And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom: l The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

Set up a worldwide government unified under the beast and to trade, succeed or do anything in this world you needed the mark of the beast.