Beastly Counterfeits

Today we come to one of those passages in Revelation that has sparked more imaginations than, perhaps, any other passage in this book. Today we come to the infamous beast, his mark, and the number 666. Hollywood has had made a circus out of these passages. So has Christian culture.

In my lifetime I have lost count of all the powerful people I have heard named as the beast – or the antichrist. And there has been so much speculation on what the mark of the beast could be: tattoos, bar codes, chips implanted under the skin, COVID vaccines.

There is a near hysteria that rises out of Revelation 13, and an apparent insatiability for transporting its elements into the 21st century. People seem to be blind to what John was really writing about. As G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Though St. John…saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.”

It is critical to remember that though Revelation has application for us, it was not written to us. It was written to the heavily Jewish churches of Asia Minor sometime during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. And as we move through the passage today, I hope you will see how clearly that comes off these pages.

Purpose

Identify the antichrist and the false prophet.

Read Revelation 13

The First Beast

Revelation 12 ended with the great red dragon, a symbol for Satan, standing on the shoreline, furious with the Jewish Church and hungry to make war on the Gentile Church. From the shore, the dragon looks out over the sea.

Do you remember the symbolic significance of the sea in Revelation? The sea symbolizes the Gentile nations. Already, we’ve seen this symbolism throughout the Bible, but it is explicitly stated right here in Revelation.

The angel said to me, “The waters that you saw…are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.” -Revelation 17:15

The sea symbolized the nations because – from the shores of Israel – there were countless nations across the vastness of the Mediterranean Ocean.

Read vs 1-2

Out of this sea rises a terrible beast. The beast, just like the dragon, is a compilation of the four beasts of Daniel. I have referenced the four beasts of Daniel 7 many times now; let me show you a little glimpse of those beasts.

Four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion…And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear…another, like a leopard…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 7:3,4,5,6,7

As I have said, the four beasts of Daniel represented four kingdoms, or empires: Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece, and finally, Rome. The fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the beast in Revelation 13 is Rome, and it has now taken on the attributes of the preceding three beasts, or empires, that came before it.

Like the empires before it, Rome had many of the same gods, much of the same territory, similar governmental systems, and many of the same oppressive and barbarous practices. Each empire built upon what the previous empires had achieved. Rome, the greatest and most terrible of them all.

Again, just like the dragon, the beast has seven heads and ten horns. As I said last week, this draws a link between the dragon and the beast, for it is the dragon who gives power to the beast, which is what we read down in verse 4.

Though chapter 13 does not directly hint at what the seven heads and ten horns symbolize, chapter 17 tells us.

The seven heads are seven mountains…they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain only a little while…And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings. -Revelation 17:9-10,12

The ten horns are ten kings, and today we will concern ourselves no further with these ten kings.

Instead, we will consider the seven heads, which are seven mountains. Rome was known as the city of seven hills. It was commonly referred to as the “City of Seven Mountains;” as we might call New York, “The Big Apple;” or Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love.”

The seven heads of the beast also symbolized seven kings: five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain only a little while. Let me argue that the seven heads, which are seven kings, are the Roman Caesars.

1. Julius Caesar - fallen

2. Caesar Augustus - fallen

3. Tiberius - fallen

4. Caligula - fallen

5. Claudius - fallen

6. Nero – The one that “is.” Reigned from 54-68 AD.

7. Galba – The one that “must remain only a little while.” Was Caesar for 7 months and 7 days.

These are the seven kings symbolized by the seven heads of the beast. That king that John says “is,” is Nero. Once again, this places the writing of Revelation during the reign of Nero and before the fall of the temple in 70 AD.

The symbolism behind the seven heads of the beast – which are seven mountains and seven kings – would have been obvious to every church in Asia Minor. The beast is Rome.

And like verse 1 says, the beast had blasphemous names on its seven heads – seven kings. Romans worshipped Julius Caesar as a god. They ranked Julius just beneath Jupiter, their highest diety. Augustus made Caesar worship law; officially beginning the state-sanctioned Roman imperial cult. Everyone in the empire was required to worship the Caesar. The names they used to deify themselves were indeed blasphemous.

Relief of Caesar Augustus’ name in Ephesus: Emperor, Caesar, Son of God, Augustus, High Priest, Consul (president), Tribunicia Potestas (holy, indestructible, supreme sovereign).

Blasphemous names! All seven of these Caesars held similar titles. All of them called themselves gods.

You can see that all of the beast’s symbolism points to Rome. Rome is the beast coming out of the sea. And like verse 2 ends, the dragon had given Rome its power, throne, and authority. Rome was wicked, and its truest Caesar was Satan.

Read vs 3

Once again, we see more symbolism that points us to Rome: the beast receives a mortal wound.

The line of Caesars that descended from Julius – commonly called the Julio-Claudian Dynasty – had remained unbroken for nearly 130 years. These Caesars had conquered the known world and established peace and prosperity like the world had never seen before.

Even still, there was one hot-spot of rebellion and strife: Judea. In 66 AD, Nero had sent vast a vast military force to end the Jewish Revolt and destroy Jerusalem.

Back in Rome, Nero was like a mad beast. He had grown far too erratic. In 68 AD, the Roman Senate sentenced Nero to death; but Nero committed suicidefirst. The Julio-Claudian Dynasty was broken. Rome was thrown into upheaval and civil war. Even the Temple of Jupiter was burned during the riots.

And with this mortal wound, the Roman legions withdrew from their war in Judea. For a brief moment it looked like Judea and Jerusalem may have escaped destruction. It looked like Rome had received a mortal wound.

In Rome, it was the year of the four Caesars. When Nero committed suicide, Galba seized the throne. He was murdered seven months later. Then Otho took the throne; but within three months he was dead. Vitellius lasted eight months. Finally, Vespasian – the same general who was leading the war against the Jews – became Caesar. Vespasian brought an end to the civil war, renstored stability, and established the Flavian dynasty. He sent his son, Titus, to finish the job he started in Judea. Rome’s mortal wound was healed.

Look how verse 3 says that the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. The word translated as “earth” in my ESV Bible is the Greek word “ge.” This word can also be translated as “land;” and I believe it should be in verse 3. In Revelation, “the land” is a symbol of Israel, just as “the sea” is a symbol of the Gentiles. For the condition of the Promised Land was a symbol of Israel’s relationship to God. The land symbolizes Israel.

Therefore, I think verse 3 should be translated as such: the land marveled as they followed the beast.

The next verse helps us understand the importance of this distinction.

Read vs 4

Hear how they worship the beast. It is a twisting of how God is to be worshipped. Verse 4 is a corruption, a demonic counterfeit, of worship seen throughout Scripture.

The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high. -Psalm 113:4-5

Now, with similar language, they worship the beast – they worship Rome. The beast had become an idol – a false god. The Bible tells us that worshipping any idol is worship of the demonic.

The “they” that is doing the worshipping in verse 4 – they worshipped the dragon…and they worshipped the beast – “they” are from verse 3: the land that marveled at the healed beast. I am saying the symbols of Revelation 13 tell us that the Jews worshipped of Caesar rather than God.

Listen to what happened when God in the flesh, the King of kings, was presented before the Jews.

[Pilate] said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered Him over to them to be crucified. -John 19:14-16

As they condemn their Messiah, before whom they should be exalting, “Who is like you, O God!” they cried out, “Who is like the beast!” We have no king but Caesar. When they publicly made this declaration, it only proved the point: the religious establishment in Jerusalem had become Satan worshippers.

Remember Christ’s words earlier in Revelation:

“I know…the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” -Revelation 2:9

It is important to note here that the Jews themselves were fractured into three general categories.

1. First was the religious establishment and their devout. They were the ones claiming that Caesar was king.

2. Second were the Zealots. They hated Rome and the religious establishment that was in bed with Rome. These were the ones who had incited war with Rome. Before Rome destroyed Jerusalem, the Zealots had killed, converted, or controlled the entire religious establishment.

3. Finally, the third group of Jews were those that had believed in Jesus – the first fruits of the Church.

The vision of chapter 13 are only concerned with the first category of Jews – those who worshipped the beast.

Read vs 5-7

We come to that symbolic timeframe again: 42 months. It is a period of time where God’s enemies appear victorious, but it is a short time. In the end, God reveals that He is the victor!

There are 5 characteristics of the beast during this 42 month period.

1. The beast is arrogant and blasphemous

2. It has authority

3. It blasphemes God and the Church

4. It makes war on the Church and conquers it (though it is just an apparent conquering).

5. It rules the nations.

As I have said, the beast is Rome. But the beast is given a mouth. Just as the President speaks for the United States, so did Caesar speak for Rome. In verses 5-7, the arrogant and blasphemous person who speaks for Rome is Nero. The beast is personified in Nero. We might also call Nero the antichrist.

Why Nero is the antichrist? Because Jesus is the true King who righteously reigns over the nations now and forever. Nero is the counterfeit king who ruled the nations for a short period. He is antichrist because his reign is wicked and opposed to Christ.

Nero was so opposed to Christ that he was the first to use governmental powers to persecute Christians – to make war on the Church. For after a great fire broke out in Rome, Nero directed his mad and demonic wrath towards Christians:

“Nero [falsely accused] as the culprits and punished with the utmost refinement of cruelty a class hated for their abominations, who are commonly called Christians. Christ, from whom their name is derived, was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius. Checked for a moment, this pernicious superstition again broke out, not only in Judea, the source of the evil, but even in Rome.... Accordingly, arrest was first made of those who confessed [to being Christians]; then, on their evidence, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much on the charge of arson as because of [their] hatred for the human race. Besides being put to death they were made to serve as objects of amusement; they were clothed in the hides of beasts and torn to death by dogs; others were crucified, others set on fire to serve to illuminate the night when daylight failed…All this gave rise to a feeling of pity, even towards men whose guilt merited the most exemplary punishment; for it was felt that they were being destroyed not for the public good, but to gratify the cruelty of an individual.”

-Tacitus, “Annals”

“It was a war against the very name; to be a Christian was of itself crime enough.”

-Tertullian, “Apologeticum”

Both of these quotes come from the 2ndcentury. Tacitus was a boy during Nero’s persecutions.

Interesting that though 42 months is a symbolic period, there was an earthly correlation. The fire in Rome broke out in 64 AD and Christian persecution was ordered by November of that year. Nero died in June of 68 AD. Nero was allowed to make war on the saints and conquer them for a period of about 42 months.

When the dragon wanted to make war on the Church, and he found a very useful tool in Rome and its beastly ruler.

Read vs 8-10

Election

Verse 7 has expansive language: every tribe, people, language, and nation. Verse 8 returns to the word “ge.” Again, we are reminded that the Jews worshipped the beast.

And because they worship the beast, it proves that their names were not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Ah, we could have a whole sermon on just these three verses. Of course, we hardly have time to open everything that is here.

There is ambiguity in verse 8. Some of your Bibles may read all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Other translations read like my own, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. It is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world, or there were names written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world.

I think the context of Revelation points to the second translation: that the names of the elect have been written in the Book of Life since eternity past. I think this because it pulls on a thread woven into the fabric of Revelation. God has an elect, He has chosen them, He is protecting them, and He will finally gather them to Himself. It’s all over Revelation.

And it’s all over Scripture.

Those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. -Romans 8:29

[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will. -Ephesians 1:4-5

The elect were not chosen because of something special within them and not because they have earned God’s favor. The elect are chosen simply because God wants them. It is mysterious and we don’t understand how it works. But this we do know, if you cry out to God as “Abba, Father!” if you love Jesus as your Lord, if you know the freedom of the Spirit, then your name is in the Book of Life! You are God’s elect!

And those who reject Christ are condemned. Their unrepentance proves that God has passed over them, that their names were not written in the Book of Life. As verse 10 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.

Or, as Peter wrote:

For those who do not believe “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. -1 Peter 2:7-8

From before the foundations of the world were laid, God has determined all things – even the fall of humanity. And from the fallen wreckage of humanity, He determined those that He would save through faith in Jesus Christ. And God determined that in all things, and in all contours of history, He would be glorified!

How easily we could get lost in these depths! No man is able to find its bottom or plumb its depths. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen! (Romans 11:34,36)

Read vs 11

The Second Beast

Another beast rises from the earth. Again, this should be translated as “land.” The second beast comes from within the Promised Land – from within Israel. It looks like a sheep, but it speaks like a dragon.

That should remind you of Jesus’ words.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” -Matthew 7:15

The second beast is commonly called the false prophet: a wolf in sheep’s clothing – or better, a dragon in sheep’s clothing.

Read vs 12

Remember, back in verses 3 and 4, we saw the Jewish religious establishment worshipping Rome – the beast who had received the mortal wound. As false prophets, the religious establishment leads the Jews in Satanic worship.

At this point, the Jews had little to do with Biblical faith. Instead they had become a cult of Pharisaical tradition and religious rituals. And the Roman government empowered the Jewish religious establishment, so long as they went on calling Caesar their king. The Jews had utterly destroyed their covenant with God, and were happy to make covenant with the antichrist.

Revelation 13 shows us that the Jewish people were controlled by the religious establishment, and the religious establishment was controlled by Rome, and Rome was controlled by Satan.

Read vs 13-14

Did this second beast perform miraculous signs?

There was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. -Acts 8:9-11

[Barnabas and Saul] came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the (Roman) proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. -Acts 13:6-8

Acts 19 talks about Jewish itinerant preachers going around trying to perform miracles. The seven sons of a Jewish high priest were even beaten-up when an exorcism failed.

These examples from Acts are not exceptional. False-prophets, false miracle workers, and demonic magicians had filled the ranks of the Jewish religious establishment. This is exactly what Jesus warned His followers about:

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.”

-Matthew 24:24-25

False-prophets, false-Christs, and false miracle workers proliferated in those days. We don’t know if there was any individual who actually called down fire from heaven, like Revelation 13:13 says, but that is not the point. The point is that the true prophets of God did such things, and false prophets will always try to counterfeit the true prophets of God.

How many false-prophets, peddling their false miracles, exist in our day! Do not follow after them! They would lead you astray! They would lead you to worship the dragon! And note, not one of these people, or societal establishments, thought they were worshippers of Satan. False religion and Satan worship looks innocent, like a sheep. It takes discernment to see the dragon within.

Verse 14 says that they made an image for the beast. Then, in verse 15, they give this image, breath.

Read vs 15-17

And as the Christian movement continued to grow, Jewish synagogues everywhere began to insist on submission to the Emperor. For if a person refused to say “Caesar is lord,” it likely meant that they were a Christian. Christians would never say such abominable words; and many lost their life because of it. The Jews, and the Romans, used this tactic to smoke out and persecute Christians.

One way Jewish Christians were persecuted was through excommunication from Jewish society. In all the land, dealings with Christians was forbidden. This included a ban on economic interaction – they were not permitted to buy or sell.

You see, the Jews did not literally erect statues and performed rituals to Nero, or to Rome. But the religious establishment was happy to call a false-god their king, and to lead all the people in serving a perverse man calling himself the son of god. Instead of loyalty to the true God, they happily to crucified Him.

All of these false Jews had become the breathing image of the beast. Worshippers of Christ are conformed to the image of God. Worshippers of the antichrist are conformed to the image of Satan.

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me… You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.” -John 8:39-40,44

The Jews have become the image of the beast, who is himself the image of Satan. All of them are of their father the devil, and desire to do the devil’s will.

The Mark of the Beast

Now we can understand the mark taken upon the forehead or right hand. It has nothing to do with an actual mark, or implant, upon the body. It has everything to do with the heart.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart…You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” -Deuteronomy 6:4-6,8

The Jews were to love God so deeply that He was first in the mind, and every movement of the hand was obedience to Him. It was to be a whole-hearted love. A sign, or mark, upon the hand or forehead was just a symbol of whole-hearted devotion unto God.

The mark of the beast is not about bar codes and chips and vaccines. It is about devotion to Satan.

To have the mark is to reject Jesus as the true King. It is to be comfortable with the darkness you were born into. It is to refuse to repent. All you have to do is nothing. It’s so easy. But without even realizing it, in the dark, you live your life at the feet of idols – idols of your own making: your kids, your nest egg, your reputation, your special relationship with god, your influence. All of these seem so innocent, like a lamb. But really, there is a dragon inside, and he is hungry to put his mark on you.

The mark of the beast is to have the devil as your father, to be twisted into his wicked image, and to worship at the synagogue of Satan. The mark of the beast was never meant to be understood literally. It is a symbol, just like the symbolic mark of God in Deuteronomy 6.

But the devotion behind the mark of the beast in Revelation 13, was pointed in a very real direction – to a person. Verse 17 says that the beast has a name, and that there is a number for this name. It is the infamous 666.

Read vs 18

This number is layered, but today I will only touch on one layer.

As verse 17 indicates, 666 is a name. Verse 18 says it is of a man. Now we need to understand a simple game – or code – common to the ancient world, though it seems strange to us today. Nearly every language had its own version of the game. In Hebrew, the game was called Gematria.Even today, Orthodox Jews still play this game.

In Gematria, every letter of the alphabet is assigned a number. The letters of words can then be added up to numerical values. For instance, graffiti found in Pompeii reads, “I love her whose number is 545.” But that graffiti was in Greek. John says that it calls for wisdom to decipher 666 – so it’s not going to be a straightforward answer.

Here is another reason to think that Revelation was written to Churches largely comprised of Messianic Jews. The name of the beast must first be translated in Hebrew for 666 to work. In Hebrew, the beast’s name is Neron Kaesar. Hebrew has no vowels. Therefore, the cumulative value for Caesar Nero is 666.

The Hellenists, as Jews who were not native Hebrew speakers, did not spell Nero’s name in the correct Hebrew manner. When they ran Nero’s name – incorrectly spelled – into the Gematria matrix, it spits out the number 616. It is interesting that in a number of ancient manuscripts of Revelation, the number of the beast is recorded as 616. (See Gematria matrix below)

In both cases, 666 and 616 point to the same person: Nero.

Rome is the beast of Revelation 13, and the beast is personified in Nero – the antichrist, the one who claimed to be the son of god, the one who demanded worship from across an empire, the one who killed Christians for sport, the one who arrogantly defied the Ancient of Days.

The second beast is the Jewish religious establishment. As a whole, they have become the false prophet, leading the people of Israel to worship a false god; for it is not Yahweh they worship at the temple, but an idol constructed of traditions and religious gesticulations.

And both beasts are ultimately servants of the dragon.

Though these beasts belonged to the first century, the dragon has not yet been destroyed. Rome and the Jewish temple system have passed, but there are countless false gods and false prophets that are hungry for your devotion.

With the Bible in your hand and the Spirit of Christ in your heart, stand firm!

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels.” -Revelation 3:5