Revelation 13.7-The World Rulership of the Antichrist
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 6, 2008
The Day of the Lord: Revelation 13:7-The World Rulership of the Antichrist
Lesson # 15
Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation 13:1.
This morning we will study the Antichrist becoming a world ruler as a result of the power vacuum in the world caused by the destruction of Russia’s military (Rev. 6:1-2; 13:5, 7; 17:12-13).
Daniel 9:27a indicates that he will make a treaty with Israel, which stipulates that he will rush to the aid of Israel in the event of an enemy attack.
However, he will turn against her in the mid way point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and will persecute Israel, occupying Jerusalem for three and a half years.
The Russian led invasion of Israel will cause the Antichrist to break his treaty with Israel and occupy Israel according to Daniel 11:41.
Revelation 13:1, “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
The “dragon” refers to Satan according to Revelation 12:9.
In Revelation 13:1-4, the “beast” refers to the Revived Form of the Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist since it is compared to previous Gentile world powers in Revelation 13:3 and it has “ten horns,” which signifies the Revived Roman Empire in Daniel 7:7, 20, 24, Revelation 17:3, 7, 12 and 16.
Now, when approaching Revelation 13, we must understand that the ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously.
Therefore, the “beast” in Revelation 13 will refer at times to the Revived Roman Empire and at times to the Antichrist who is the leader of it with the context determining which one is view.
The “sea” refers to the Gentile nations according to Revelation 17:15 indicating that this beast is a Gentile kingdom and the “ten horns” refers to the ten nation European Confederacy according to Daniel 7:7, which is the revived form of the Roman Empire.
This beast represents the Revived Form of the Roman Empire because it corresponds to both the feet of iron and clay in the image that appeared in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:40-43.
It also corresponds to the ten horns in Daniel’s vision recorded in Daniel 7:7, both of which as we noted represented the Roman Empire.
The “seven heads” refers to six great Gentile nations throughout history and the one to come in the future: (1) Egypt (2) Assyria (3) Babylon (4) Medo-Persia (5) Greece (6) Rome (7) Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation.
The “ten diadems” signifies that there will be ten independent nations in this European Confederacy, led by Antichrist, each with a ruler of its own and the “blasphemous names” represents the anti-Christ character of this confederacy.
Revelation 13:2, “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. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.”
The statement that the beast was like a “leopard” is a reference to Daniel’s prophecy about Greece in Daniel 7:6 and refers to the fact that like the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great and his generals, the Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist will sum up the brilliancy and speed of Greece.
The statement that the beast’s feet were like those of a “bear” is a reference to Daniel’s prophecy about the Medo-Persian Empire in Daniel 7:5 and refers to the fact that like the Medo-Persian Empire, the Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist will sum up the massive power of Medo-Persia.
The statement that the beast’s mouth was like the mouth of a “lion” is a reference to Daniel’s prophecy about the Babylonian Empire in Daniel 7:4 and refers to the fact that like the Babylonian Empire, the Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist will sum up the absolute autocratic dominion of Babylon.
Revelation 13:3, “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.”
This statement refers to the restoration of the Roman Empire and not the Antichrist since John is speaking in the context of the ten horns that represent the Revived Roman Empire.
Revelation 13:4, “They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’”
Revelation 13:5-9 refers to the Antichrist since the passage emphasizes a personality who speaks arrogant words and receives the worship of men.
Revelation 13:5, “There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.”
The “forty-two months” refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and corresponds with the “for a time (one year), times (two years), and a half time (six months)” in Daniel 7:25 and the “one thousand two hundred and sixty days” in Revelation 12:6 and the “forty-two months” in Revelation 11:2.
Revelation 13:6, “And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”
Revelation 13:5-6 corresponds with Daniel 7:8 and 11.
Revelation 13:7, “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.”
This statement corresponds with Daniel 7:23, which reveals that the little horn will have a world-wide kingdom and it will be an overwhelming conquest, which anticipates a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.
Revelation 13:8-10, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, 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. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
Daniel 7:25 corresponds to Revelation 13:1-10.
Revelation 13:11-12, “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.”
This second beast is called in Revelation 16:13, 19:20 and 20:10 “the false prophet” and will be a religious leader as indicated in that he is depicted as a lamb with two horns.
The horns speak of power and the lamb is a religious symbol, a symbol of sacrifice, so this beast is a religious figure and as a lamb is also symbolical of a mild, lamb like manner, so this second beast will adopt a mild lamb like appearance, but he will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Maybe the Pope)
Revelation 13:13-14, “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, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.”
This passage teaches that the second beast, i.e. the false prophet will promote the worship of the first beast, which refers to the Antichrist and not the Revived Roman Empire since first beast is said to have “had a wound of the sword and has come to life,” which refers to surviving a fatal wound from an act of violence.
Rome was never destroyed by the sword, i.e. militarily but rather disintegrated from division and deterioration from within, thus indicating that Antichrist will survive an assassination attempt.
Revelation 13:15-18, “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 cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 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 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. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
To enforce the worship of the beast and to make life impossible without his worship, men cannot buy or sell without the mark of the beast.
Consequently, millions of believers will be killed because they do not have the mark and re¬fuse to receive it or because they starve to death since they cannot buy or sell.
Some will survive, however, by living off the land or because other believers who have food share with those who do not (cf. Matt. 24:15¬-25 and 25:31 40).
To receive the mark of the beast is tantamount to the worship of the beast, and rejection of Jesus Christ (cf. 13:8; 17:8; 14:9 12; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4).
Revelation 13:17 say that the mark is his number, which is defined in verse 18 as 666 and is one of the options for the mark, either his name or his number and will be the means by which believers in the Tribulation period will identify the beast.
This will not be just a number or identification mark on a plastic card but rather it will be on the person himself and symbolic of the fact that he is only a man and not God as he claims to be.
It is interesting that within the identification numbers of various agencies, the IRS and others, the number 666 is beginning to pop up more and more.
This leads us to the communion service and so therefore, could we have our ushers pass out the communion elements and let us take a few minutes to meditate upon the Lord and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Supper.
1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread.”
1 Corinthians 11:24, “and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:25, “In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it} in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”