Revelation 13:1

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads.”

 

Revelation 13:1

• A beast is seen rising out of the sea
• This beast is leopard-like (Rev. 13:2)
• This beast represents a kingdom, which arises out of a populated area
• The sea represents people (Rev. 17:15)
• This leopard-like beast has 10 horns and 7 heads
• The 10 horns are crowned
• Greek “diademata” meaning kingly crowns
• The 7 heads are blasphemous
• 10 horns and 7 heads are also described in Revelation 12:3 and Revelation 17:3
• The crowns on the horns mean that the 10 kingdoms represented have already received power (see Rev. 17:12 where the horns are uncrowned because they “have not yet received royal power”)
• The 10 horns represent the 10 European kingdoms which have already existed prior to this leopard-like beast
• Three of these kingdoms were overpowered by this leopard-like beast (Dan. 7:8,24)
• The 7 heads represent 7 kings (Rev. 17:9,10)
• The 7 heads represent 7 kings of the leopard-like beast
• These 7 kings will blaspheme God by taking His place claiming to be God on earth
• Blasphemy suggests a religious kingdom
• Blasphemy in the scriptures refers to claiming to be God or taking God’s role (forgiving sins, etc.)
• The 7 heads represent 7 leaders of the Papacy: 7 Popes
• These 7 popes will reign after the Leopard-like beast’s wound is healed
• These 7 kings have not yet completed their reigns when John sees this vision because they are not yet crowned
• These 7 kings have completed their reigns in Rev. 12:3 and are crowned because the 8^th king reigns in Rev. 12

 

 

Revelation 13:2

“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.”

 

Revelation 13:2

• The beast is described as like a leopard
• The beast has feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion
• This description is similar to the three beasts of Dan 7:3-8
• These kingdoms were Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greece
• The difference is in the order:
• In Daniel 7 these kingdoms are seen from Daniel’s viewpoint onward into history
• In Revelation 13 these kingdoms are seen from John’s viewpoint backwards in history
• Since John is looking back from a point in the future he sees these kingdoms in reverse order
• This leopard-like kingdom will receive its power from the dragon
• Some suggest that the dragon is Pagan Rome which gave its throne over to Papal Rome however, the context suggests Satan
• The dragon was identified a few verses earlier  as Satan (Rev. 12:9)
• Satan will give this beast its power, its throne and its authority

 

Revelation 13:3

“One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder.”

 

Revelation 13:3

• The leopard-like beast will sustain a mortal wound
• This wound occurred in 1798 when General Berthier overran Rome and captured Pope Pius VI
• The mortal wound was to the head of the Papacy
• The head wounded was the Pope: Pope Pius VI
• This occurred prior to the events of Rev. 13 because the wound is described as healed (in the past)
• The 7 heads of Rev. 13:1 are described as existing after this event suggesting they are not the head that was wounded

 “its mortal wound was healed”

• The Papacy was restored as a political kingdom in 1929 when Mussolini gave back the land on which the Vatican sits (Lateran Treaty)
• The whole world will follow the beast with wonder
• This is happening now

 

 

Revelation 13:4

“Men 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?’”

 

Revelation 13:4

• This verse helps identify the time period of this chapter:
• The world will worship the dragon (Satan)
• The world will worship the leopard-like beast (Papacy)
• This verse tells us that the world is worshipping both Satan and the Papacy at the same time
• This will occur only once in history
• This will occur just prior to the reign of the 8^th king (Satan) after he has convinced the world that he is Christ returned
• This will occur during the reign of the 7^th king (the last king of the Papacy) just prior to the 7^th king giving over his power to the 8^th king (Rev. 17:10,11)
• “Who is like the beast” is a parody of Exodus 15:11, Psalms 35:10;113:5 all of which refer to God
• The leopard-like beast will claim to be God

“who can fight against it?’”

• The beast will be politically powerful

 

Revelation 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.”

 

Revelation 13:5

• The beast is given “a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words”
• This beast is a religious power (Papacy)
• This beast will blaspheme God by claiming to be God
• This beast will be allowed to reign for 42 months or 1260 days
• Historically this has been applied to the 1260 year reign of the Papacy which ended in 1798

 “exercise authority for forty-two months.”

• However, the context of this 1260 days is after the mortal wound has occurred (1798) (Rev. 13:3)    
• Also, the context of this 1260 days is after the mortal wound has healed (1929) (Rev. 13:3)
• Also, this 1260 days will occur after the world wonders after the beast (Rev. 13:3)
• Also, this 1260 days will occur during the reign of the 7 kings described in Rev. 13:1
• Revelation 13:5 (cont.)
• This 1260 days is a literal 1260 day time period during the last days because:
• It occurs after 1929 when the leopard-like beast’s wound was healed (Rev.13:3)
• It occurs during the reign of the 7^th king when the world is worshiping the leopard-like beast and the dragon simultaneously (Rev. 13:4)
• It occurs in association with the lamb-like beast which develops in the last days (Rev. 13:11,12)
• This 1260 days is a literal 1260-day time period during the last days because:       
• It occurs in association with the image to the beast which develops in the last days (Rev.13:14)
• It occurs during the 7th king’s reign or the 7 heads would be crowned (Rev. 13:1)
• The leopard–like beast will reign again in the last days for 1260 days just prior to the reign of the 8^th king
• This 1260-day time period corresponds to the 1260 days the two witnesses are in sackcloth (Rev. 11:3)

 

 

Revelation 13:6 

“it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”

 

Revelation 13:6

• Blasphemy in the Bible means to claim to do something that only God can do (Matt. 9:3) or to claim to be God (Mark 14:62-64)
• This leopard-like beast will claim divine authority
• This beast will blaspheme God and those who dwell in heaven
• Those who dwell in heaven include: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the angels
• The Papacy has claimed:
• That  the Pope is God on earth, which is false
• That its priests can forgive sins, which only Jesus can do
• That it is the interpreter of Scripture, which is the role of the Holy Spirit
• That it has power over the angels, which is untrue

 

 

Revelation 13:7 

“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 tongue and nation”.

 

Revelation 13:7

• This leopard-like beast will make war on God’s people
• This beast will conquer God’s people
• This occurred in the Dark Ages but it is going to occur again in the last days
• This beast will reign 1260 days and persecute God’s people just prior to the dragon’s reign
• The timing of this reign is discussed later in Revelation 13 and involves the image to this beast
• This beast will have authority over “every tribe and people and tongue and nation”
• “every tribe and people and tongue and nation” is the last day audience of the book of Revelation which exists after 1844:
• Rev. 14:6  -- those to whom the 3 angels’ messages are addressed
• Rev. 5:9   -- those involved in Investigative Judgment
• Rev. 7:9   -- those who will stand in the last days
• Rev. 11:9  -- those who exist when the Scriptures are dead during 8^th king’s reign
• This last day audience are the people who are affected by this beast’s authority further connecting this time period (Rev. 13:5) to the last days

 

Revelation 13:8

“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 that was slain.”

 

Revelation 13:8

• This text shows that the world will be divided into two groups in the last days
• The largest group is those “whose name has not been written” in the book of life
• The smaller group is the remnant whose names are written in the book of life
• All the world will worship this beast except the remnant who serve God

“the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.”

• This “book of life of the Lamb that was slain” is described in Rev. 5:1 as a “scroll”
• This “book of life” is one of the “books” involved in the judgment (Dan. 7:10)
• This “book of life” is critical to eternal salvation since those not in the book will be “ thrown into the lake of fire” Rev. 20:15

 “before the foundation of the world”

• This phrase suggests that God has known who will be saved since before the world was created
• Some translations link this phrase to the Lamb which suggests that Jesus decided to die for the world before it was created

 

Revelation 13:9

“if anyone has an ear, let him hear”

 

Revelation 13:9

• A similar phrase is used at the end of each of the 7 messages to the 7 churches
• This phrase emphasizes the importance of the message and the need to listen and  respond
• The phrase “let him hear” means both understanding and responding to the message
• This is similar to Daniel’s “wise” who will understand in the last days Dan. 12:10
• This phrase when used with the 7 churches is always followed by the reward
• The next verse gives the reward for worshipping the beast

 

Revelation 13:10

“If any one is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if any one slays with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”

 

Revelation 13:10

• Those who worship the beast will capture God’s people and kill them
• The reward for doing this to God’s people will be the same
• This text shows that God’s people will be persecuted in the last days
• This persecution will require “endurance” and the “faith of the saints”
• The saints are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12)
• In the last days this means they will keep all ten commandments including the 4^th and worship the true Christ instead of the false Christ

 

Revelation 13 (last part)

The Image and its Mark

Introduction

• Revelation 13 begins by describing a leopard-like beast which will reign in the last days after its wound has healed (Rev. 13:2-4)
• This beast is the Papacy whose mortal wound was healed in 1929
• The mortal wound was to one of its heads or Popes (Pope Pius VI) (Rev. 13:3)
• This beast is seen being worshipped by the world at the same time the world is worshipping the dragon (the false Christ, Satan) (Rev. 13:4)
• This worship will occur at the end of the reign of the 7^th king just prior to the reign of the 8^th king (Satan)
• This leopard-like beast will be allowed to have authority for 42 months just prior to the reign of the 8^th king
• John now introduces another beast which will work with the leopard-like beast in the last days and exist along with it

 

 

Revelation 13:11, 12

“Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 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.”

 

Revelation 13:11,12

• This text introduces a new power which will exist along with the leopard-like beast since it works “in its presence”
• This lamb-like beast is pictured after the leopard-like beast’s mortal wound has healed (after 1929)(described in Rev. 13:3,12,14)
• Second time mortal wound described
• This power “rose out of the earth” which means it developed from an uninhabited part of the earth
• The sea represents population (Rev. 17:15)
• The leopard-like beast rose out of the sea (Rev. 13:1)
• This beast will speak “like a dragon” which means it will be an extremely powerful and dangerous world kingdom
• This beast “exercises all the authority of the first beast”
• The first beast was a world power
• This lamblike beast will be a world power
• Also the lamblike beast will support the first beast’s efforts
• This beast will have “two horns like a lamb”
• Lamblike refers to this kingdom being non-predatory or peace loving originally as opposed to warlike
• The two horns represent the major two characteristics of this kingdom: religious liberty and civil liberty
• This kingdom will “make the world and its inhabitants worship the first beast”
• This beast will have worldwide influence and power
• This beast will enforce worship or religious veiws
• The only worldwide power that fits this description after 1929 is the United States of America 
• The United States will support a religious power (the Papacy) sometime after 1929 (when the first beast’s mortal wound was healed)
• This verse suggests that the United States will change its position on freedom of religion at some point in the future and then make the world “worship the first beast”
• This will occur during the time when the first beast is exercising its authority (Rev. 13:5) because it exercises all the first beast’s authority “in its presence”
• Therefore, they coexist
• This will occur during the last days when the leopard-like beast convinces the world to “drink the wine of her impure passion” (Rev. 14:8) and the United States helps her carry this out
• When the world drinks her wine the second angel’s message has begun
• The wine represents the beast’s falsehoods
• The wine represents the Sunday Law

 

 

Revelation 13:13: 

“It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the site of men”.

 

Revelation 13:13

• This lamb-like beast will do “great signs”
• This kingdom would accomplish many things which have never been done before such as: putting men on the moon, supersonic travel and tremendous technological advances
• This lamblike beast would make “fire come  down from heaven”
• This was fulfilled during WWII with the atomic bomb

 

Revelation 13:14 

”and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived”.

 

Revelation 13:14

• This lamb-like beast will work signs in the presence of the Papacy (the leopard-like beast)
• This means that they will co-exist in time
• These two beasts will deceive the world by convincing the world to drink (accept) the Papacy’s wine (false teachings)
• The most important false teaching will be the Sunday law
• The passage of the Sunday law is the 2^nd angels message (Rev. 14:8)
• The passage of this law represents the Papacy’s exercising of its “authority” (Rev. 13:5)
• Natural disasters (earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.) will lead to a religious crisis in the last days
• The lamb-like beast will become convinced to make an image to the leopard-like beast

“which was wounded by the sword and yet lived”

• “was wounded” further ties these events to the time after 1929
• Third time this healed wound is described
• The leopard-like beast or Papacy is a church-state kingdom
• The lamb-like beast will become an image to the Papacy by becoming a church-state kingdom
• This image of the beast will come into existence when the United States passes the universal Sunday law and becomes a church-state union
• When this occurs the lamb-like beast will have shed its first horn (religious liberty)
• This will occur as the result of natural disasters leading to economic failure and famine causing Americans to conclude that God is punishing them because of their lack of worship
• Once the lamb-like beast has rejected religious liberty it will convince the world to follow thereby, deceiving “those who dwell on earth” to make an image to the beast

 

Revelation 13:15 

“and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who will not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”

 

Revelation 13:15

• The image to the leopard-like beast will be given “breath” by the lamb-like beast
• This means that the United States will create this image
• This will happen when the United States passes the universal Sunday law and becomes the image of the Papacy (church-state union)
• The world then will follow suit
• This image will use its secular power to support its religious ideas
• This image will “speak” by passing further laws
• This image will “speak” by passing a death penalty for those who refuse to worship the image

 

Revelation 13:16

“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”.

 

Revelation 13:16

• This image will cause everyone, rich or poor, small or great, free or slave to be marked
• This mark will be on the forehead or on the hand
• A mark on the forehead represents a belief in and commitment to the beast
• A mark on the hand represents an action to serve the beast without necessarily believing
• The forehead represents commitment
• The hands represent actions
• The mark represents the leopard-like beasts sign or seal of its authority
• This mark is a sign of loyalty to the beast
• God’s sign or seal is His Sabbath day (Exodus 31:13,16-17 and Exodus 20:8-11)
• The beast’s sign or seal is its Sabbath day which is Sunday
• The image will attempt to enforce its sign or mark on everyone

 

Revelation 13:17

“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.”

 

Revelation 13:17

• This is the first severe penalty that will be used to enforce the Sunday Law
• This buy-sell sanction (buy-sell law) will use economic pressure to force people to comply
• Those who refuse to accept the mark of the beast (Sunday) will lose all ability to buy or sell
• This loss of civil liberty used to enforce the Sunday law determines who receives the mark of the beast
• Civil liberty is the second horn of the lamb-like beast (United States)
• The United States loses its first horn (religious liberty) when it enacts the Sunday Law (the second angel’s message)
• The United States loses its second horn (civil liberty)  when it enacts the buy-sell law (the third angel’s message)
• When the United States enacts the buy-sell law:
• The mark of the beast is created
• Religious and civil liberty both are gone
• The third angel’s message has begun
• The preliminary time of trouble has begun
• The sealing time has begun for both the wicked and the righteous
• The final outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit will begin with the mark of the beast and the enactment of the buy-sell
• This is described as the “latter rain” (Joel 2:23,28) which precedes the Second Coming
• This outpouring can now occur because God’s people are forced to empty themselves of everything and depend totally on Him
• The sealing of God’s people ends prior to the 5^th trumpet (Rev. 9:4)
• The sealing of God’s people ends prior to the four angels of Revelation 7 being released (Rev. 7:3) to harm the earth and sea
• The sealing of God’s people is completed prior to the plagues beginning since they are the “harm” to the earth and sea (Rev. 16:2,3)
• The sealing of God’s people is completed at the time of the plagues because they fall on those who have the mark (seal) of the beast (Rev. 16:2) which means everyone is sealed
• The sealing of God’s people is completed at the close of probation when the temple of God is filled with smoke (Rev. 15:8) and the plagues begin

 

Revelation 13:18

”This calls for wisdom; let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.”

 

Revelation 13:18

• This verse calls for “wisdom”
• This is divine wisdom
• Wisdom is also connected to Revelation 17:9 which requires “a mind with wisdom” in order to understand who the 7 kings are in the last days which lead to the 8^th king
• Daniel’s last day saints are called “wise” because they understand (Dan. 12:10) the last day events:
• That the Sabbath will be changed to Sunday
• That a false Christ will reign on earth (Daniel’s abomination and John’s 8^th king)
• John now says that this beast has a special number:
• This is a human number
• The number is 666
• This suggests that this number applies to a man

This number can be found in the popes title: “Vicar of the Son of God”       

“Vicarius”                      112      

 “Filii”                             53

 “Dei”                            501               

                                    666

• However, it can also be found in many other names

 

Summary

• Revelation 13 describes several beasts:
• The dragon                 ---  Satan
• The leopard-like beast  ---  Papacy
• The lamb-like beast      ---  United States
• The image to the beast  --- United States
• The time frame emphasized in Revelation 13 is during the reign of the 7^th king after the dragon (Satan) is seen being worshipped by the world (Rev. 13:4)
• This is why the seven heads are not crowned (Rev. 13:1), since the seventh king is reigning and has not completed his reign
• These events will occur after the leopard-like beast’s mortal wound has healed (1929) --- Papacy restored as a kingdom
• These events will occur after the image to the beast has been created --- the Sunday Law enacted
• The Lamb-like beast has two horns:
• Religious liberty
• Civil liberty
• When the lamb-like beast loses its first horn (religious liberty) it will become the image of the leopard-like beast which is a church-state union, this begins the second angel’s message
• Summary
• When the United States loses its second horn (civil liberty) by enacting the buy-sell law, the mark of the beast will begin and the third angel’s message will also begin
• The buy-sell law will begin the preliminary time of trouble
• When the mark of the beast begins the sealing time will also begin
• When the sealing time begins the latter reign will also begin
• The leopard-like beast of Revelation 13 is seen after its mortal wound to its head is healed
• This wound occurred in 1798 and was healed in 1929
• The head that was wounded was Pope Pius VI
• The leopard-like beast is seen with 7 heads uncrowned which means they have not yet completed their reigns
• The 7 heads are 7 kings once the Papacy regains kingdom status and has kings again
• The leopard-like beast is the Papacy described as a little horn in Daniel 7
• The time frame of the vision of Revelation 13 is during the reign of the 7^th king since the world is seen worshipping both Satan (dragon) and the Papacy (leopard-like beast)
• This will occur only at the end of the 7^th king’s reign just prior to the reign of the 8^th king
• This leopard-like beast is seen co-existing with the lamb-like beast connecting it to the last days
• The leopard-like beast is seen co-existing with the image to the beast connecting it to the last days
• The leopard-like beast is seen as a world power after its wound has healed (1929)
• This world power will persecute God’s people for 42 months after its wound has healed
• This persecution of God’s people will begin after the world drinks the beast’s wine of fornication described in the second angels’ message (Rev. 14:8)
• This persecution begins after the passage of the universal Sunday law
• The leopard-like beast of Revelation 13 is the Papacy seen after the wound has healed, after the world is worshipping it, after the Lamb-like beast is in power, during the reign of the 7^th king (pope) just prior to the reign of the 8^th king (Satan), and seen associated with the image to the beast just after the world has drunk the leopard-like beast’s wine (2^nd angel’s message: Sunday Law passage)