Revelation 17, The Harlot and the Beast

In this chapter, John gets a more detailed look at BABYLON THE GREAT and the beast that God uses to destroy her.

v.1-2 "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.'

With the judgments of God complete, one of the angels used in the deployment of the judgments comes to show John the judgment of the “great harlot.” Which we come to see is the city of Babylon (v.18), and thus the fulfillment of the flying angel’s prophecy that Babylon would fall (Rev.14:8).

She is "the great harlot” because she is a spiritual fornicator that serves and worships gods other than Jehovah God.

She "sits on many waters" because she holds power, authority, and influence over many people, nations, and tongues.

She is the one "with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication" because she has caused world leaders to join with her in her idolatry, spiritual wickedness, and contempt for God and His people.

She is the one who has made the earth “drunk with the wine of her fornication” because she has caused the inhabitants of the earth to become intoxicated (deranged) because of her many idols, and in so doing has led multitudes away from the truth of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

v.3-5 "So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness, And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of the abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

The angel carries John away to the “wilderness” (or as the word implies, a “lonely and desolate” place) that is not identified. Some have suggested that this wilderness place speaks of some remote area of the earth, and others suggest that it might even be the earth itself. We don't know. But it’s not where John was, and it’s clearly far removed from the other activities in heaven (which is not explained).

Okay, let’s examine John’s eyewitness account of the woman, but for our purposes, in the reverse order, beginning with her name.

She is MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. How she came to earn this name is explained in her history.

Babylon first appears in the Bible as a kingdom named “Babel” (Gen.10:10), a word that means “confusion” because of God’s confusion-of-tongues judgment upon the rebellious who lived there (Gen.11:9). Following the great flood, God instructed man to disperse and "fill the earth" in order to replenish it with humanity (Gen.9:1). In blatant disobedience to the will of God, however, a descendant of Cush called Nimrod rallied the people to built a city whose tower “may reach unto heaven” to gain “a name” for themselves, and lest they “be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” (Gen.11:3-4). As a result, God changed their languages to prevent them from communicating amongst themselves, and thus forced them to disperse (Gen.11:5-8).

But not before Satan impregnated them with a taste and irresistible desire for a commercial and pagan “world-system” in defiance of God; which they in turn carried away with them to every region of the planet. The self-same God-less system of materialism, vain philosophy, and malignant religious practices known as “the world” which has opposed God in every generation since (Jas.4:4), and given breath to the spirit of “Babylon” in all ages.

Now let’s consider the rest of her.

She is “sitting on a scarlet beast, which is full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” The beast’s identity is interpreted for us later so allow me to defer a comment about this to another passage (v.15).

And she “was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of the abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.” This speaks of her as both prominent and influentially wicked; with the prominence of a queen she has openly enticed man to drink from her cup of abominations and filthiness (check—Rev.18:3,7).

v.6-7 "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. But the angel said to me, 'Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.”

When the Godless world-system cannot subvert truth by infiltration and false teaching, it will seek to destroy it by persecution. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). As a result, through the ages, so many multitudes of true believers have shed their blood in the cause of Christ and during the Tribulation so many more, that John sees the woman “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”

“And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” It’s uncertain whether John was bewildered by the image of the woman as in dumbfounded, or, merely surprised to see Babylon anywhere in the future. Especially in a place of prominence, for the glory Babylon had during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar had long since vanished many hundreds of years before the time of John.

v.8 'The beast you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

This repeated thought that the beast “was…was not…was again” corresponds with what we read earlier about the Antichrist (see notes—Rev.13:3-4).

That at the height of his political notoriety he is struck down by an assassin, appears to die, then “miraculously” recovers to the awe of the world, or as this passage declares, “those who dwell on the earth will marvel…when they see the beast.” In other words, Antichrist "was" (a living person), "was not" (appeared dead), and "was again" (appeared resurrected back to life).

And the beast “will ascend out of the bottomless pit.” That is, when Antichrist resurrects from "death" he will be bodily possessed by Satan. The man who once ascended from the womb of a woman will now ascend from hell, and therein transform from the man that was into the most vile and evil human being that has ever lived.

And the beast will “go to perdition.” His reign of terror will be temporary, however. After three and a half years, God will judge him, remove him from this planet, and cast him, along with the false prophet, into eternal damnation (Rev.19:20).

v.9-11 'Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eight, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

Some commentators interpret these seven heads that are "seven mountains” to mean the literal city of Rome because it sits upon seven hills; leading them to suggest that the woman in the image is the Catholic Church, because the Vatican is located in Rome. But I don’t agree with that interpretation.

A “mountain” is frequently used in Scripture figuratively to mean a “kingdom”. The kingdom of the Messiah, for example, is figured by a mountain (Dan.2:35), as is the ancient Babylonian kingdom (Jer.51:25). Moreover, this passage says there are “seven kings”, making it more logical to consider these as mountains of kingdoms, and not literal mountains.

At the time of John, five large and influential kingdoms had indeed fallen: Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greece. Rome, a sixth kingdom, was presently in power. And a seventh king—the man Antichrist—had “not yet come.” The woman sits upon these seven kingdoms to show her presiding as queen over these kingdoms; each a kingdom full of her abominations and wickedness.

“And when he comes, he must continue a short time.” This speaks of the seventh king, the man Antichrist. His reign will be a “short time” when compared to all other kingdoms that existed before him, lasting a mere three and a half years.

"And the beast…is himself also the eight." The idea that Antichrist, who is the seventh king, would also become the eighth king seems redundant. After all, if he were already king of an empire, why would he supplant himself?

The answer is that during the first half of the Tribulation, Antichrist is king over a confederation of European states only, not king over the entire world. He is a man, and his kingdom is of man. During the second half of Tribulation, however, having been possessed by Satan with his full authority and power, he will become the beastly eight king as the incarnation of Satan. And will rule, not as a man, but as the devil over the entire world.

v.12-14 'And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.' "

The "ten horns" of the beast are ten kings that comprise the kingdom of Antichrist during the first half of Tribulation. None individually rules the world, but collectively “as kings with the beast”, become an empire that mutually shares in the “hour” of power allotted to Antichrist—perhaps like a United Nations.

The prophet Daniel tells us more about these nations along with the origin of the Antichrist inside two of his visions.

In one, Daniel saw a composite image of a man that had a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly of brass, legs of iron, and ten toes partly of iron and partly of clay which he later interprets to be a succession of Gentile empires: Babylon (the head of gold), Media-Persia (the arms of silver), Greece (the belly of brass), Rome (the legs of iron), and an unnamed empire of the last days being the ten toes of iron mingled with clay (Daniel 2).

In a subsequent vision, the prophet saw the same succession of Gentile empires in the form of animals. Babylon was a lion, Media-Persia was a bear, Greece was a leopard, Rome was a creature identified only as a "dreadful and terrible" beast, and the last day’s empire shown merely as ten horns growing from the head of this fourth dreadful and terrible beast. Then Daniel saw "another horn, a little one" coming up among the ten horns which plucked out three of the first horns, “And there, in this horn, were the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words,” Daniel writes (Dan.7).

This has lead some commentators to conclude that Antichrist’s kingdom and origin consists of a conglomerate of ten nations once a part of the old Roman Empire; comprising a revived form of that Empire (see also notes—Rev.13:2).

Some go further. They see the European Union as the fulfillment of this kingdom. Since it was founded in 1951, the EU not only has become one of this world's most formidable political, economic, and military blocks, but all of the European nations currently in the EU can be traced back to the old Roman Empire. If this is correct, that the EU becomes man's final kingdom on earth, than we are witnesses, dear ones, to what shall become the body of nations from which Antichrist will one day emerge.

“These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast...” Sovereign nations willing to give up their power and authority to one world leader is already becoming a reality in our present day. We need only to look at NATO, the United Nations, or the EU to see how the global quest for peace has brought nations together with treaties and contractual agreements into a single unified body. So the stage is set. The charismatic Antichrist needs only to surface to win them over and lead them, and for Satan to “resurrect” inside him to become their king.

“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." There will be no other power on earth but the kingdom of Satan during the second half of the Tribulation. And only the Lamb, the Lord of Lords, can overcome it.

v.15-18 "And he said to me, 'The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.' "

This chapter ends with additional information about Mystery Babylon: She is a city, and she is destroyed by the government of Antichrist.

We’ve discussed how the harlot Babylon characterizes the corrupt world-system of false religion and commercialism diabolically opposed to God. That she is "seated upon" the beast (v. 3-4) to show her authority and influence over the beast and the masses of people influenced by the corrupt world system she personifies.

We haven't yet considered, however, that she is also a literal city. Nor have we reconciled how a literal city might subject Antichrist, cause people in every nation, culture, and ethnic background to surrender sovereignty, or why Antichrist would destroy it.

Let’s start with a prophecy that concerns the ancient city of Babylon’s destruction.

During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Babylon was at the height of its glory as the capital city of the vast and formidable Babylonian empire. After God brought judgment against her, however, she was over thrown and destroyed. But according to Jeremiah, God's judgment stated that nothing would remain of her, not even a stone to build a foundation (Jer.50:26; 51:26).

Yet, as one commentator points out, stones from Babylon were found in a rock quarry in the 1800’s, suggesting that the prophecy against the city has not yet been fulfilled. Moreover, beginning in 1970 Saddam Hussein spent millions rebuilding Babylon, thus seeming to contradict God’s proclamation to make Babylon “desolate forever” (Jer.51:26). The notion is that God intended to fulfill the prophecy at a future time, and would ultimately destroy the literal city of Babylon during the Tribulation.

Okay, now let's see how a city might influence the people and the beast.

Sometime during the first half of Tribulation, I believe that some event will bring about a consolidated Arab alliance that unites their people and causes them to make Babylon their capitol. The Arabs currently possess half of this planet's oil reserves and Islam is the largest, fastest growing, and most influential religion in the world. So it’s at least conceivable that a merger of these economic and spiritual blocks of powers could give Babylon influential control over the world, including the European government of Antichrist. Yes, such an amalgamation seems unlikely currently because the Arab oil cartels are fractured by greed and Islam is divided. But we can’t deny the ability of spiritual forces to arrange it.

Finally, let’s consider why a composite of nations as civilized as the Europeans would agree to wage war against the Arabs at a literal city of Babylon, and for that matter, why Satan would want to eliminate the world-system (characterized by Babylon) that has long been his virtual "stronghold" of evil throughout the ages.

The answer to the first part is given to us. "And the ten horns…will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked…and burn her with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast.” It's straightforward: God motivates the decision-makers to give their kingdom to Antichrist, and in turn to hate and subsequently destroy any power on earth that controls him, or would prevent him from achieving absolute worship from all men.

As for the second part, I believe the reason why Satan destroys the Babylon-ish world-system of commercialism and false religion is to subject all men to him by the elimination of entrepreneurial and moral freedom. Between the mark of the beast and his image, and no other available choice, all men will be required to seek, serve, and worship him alone.

STUDY QUESTIONS, Chapter 17

1. Which of the following opening statements was NOT made to John concerning Babylon? (vs. 1-2)

• a. She is "the great harlot"
• b. She symbolizes the city of Rome
• c. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her
• d. The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk by her
  

2. True or False. John saw the great harlot beautifully adorned and carrying a scarlet beast upon her shoulders. (vs. 3-4)

3. Complete this statement: "And on her ____________ a name was written: ____________ BABYLON THE GREAT, THE ____________ OF HARLOTS AND OF THE __________________ OF THE _______________.” (v.5)

4. Which of the following might best explain why the great harlot bore such a strange and perverse name? (v.5)

• a. The city was originally founded in rebellion against God
• b. Historically, she is the fountain-head of malignant religious practices and false deities
• c. She has influenced hundreds of thousands away from God
• d. All of the above.
  

5. True or False. For all wickedness attributed to Babylon, at least it can be said that a Babylon-ish society would never consider murdering God's people. (v.6)

6. In his explanation of the "beast" (Antichrist), the angel told John that he "was", "is not", and will "ascend out of the bottomless pit." Which of the following might explain what the angel meant? (v.8)

• a. It is a mystery of God which is not intended to be understood
• b. Antichrist will appear in power, be dethroned, and then again emerge in power
• c. Antichrist will appear to die, then appear to resurrect, and in the process become possessed by Satan
• d. None of the above.
  

7. True or False. The meaning of the "seven heads" of the beast is this: They represent seven kingdoms. Five having passed prior to John's lifetime, the Roman kingdom being the sixth, and yet future kingdom of Antichrist being the seventh. (vs. 9-10)

8. True or False. The Antichrist is the "seventh" king, and then becomes the "eight" king when resurrects as Satan-incarnate. (v.11)

9. Who are the "ten horns" on the head of the beast according to the interpretation of the angel? (v.12)

• a. The European Union
• b. Ten kings who rule with Antichrist for "one hour"
• c. Ten kings who subsequently give their power and authority to Antichrist
• d. Both (b) and (c).
  

10. Which of the following statements is NOT true concerning the desolation of the "harlot" Babylon? (vs. 16-17)

• a. Antichrist and his kingdom of nations will hate her
• b. Antichrist and his kingdom of nations will destroy her
• c. God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose
• d. Antichrist will lose the support of many of his followers as a result
  

11. True or False. Babylon does not represent a literal city. (v.18)

Revelation 13, The Antichrist and the False Prophet

In this chapter, as the signs in heaven continue, John sees the Antichrist and the False Prophet arise from the earth in the form of two hideous beasts that together strive in unison to accomplish the will of Satan.

v.1 "Then he stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name."

This image is a continuation from the last chapter, therefore, it's Satan whom John sees standing on the sand of the sea, and as we'll discover, the Antichrist who is the beast emerging from the sea. Moreover, both idioms "sand" and "sea" are symbolic to mean multitudes of people on this earth (Gen.32:12; Rev.17:15). So the image can be stated this way:

"As the fallen angelic spirit Satan stands upon the people in dominion over them, the Antichrist will be a man he raises up from amongst the people"

Okay, let's look at the Antichrist. Clearly, this beastly characterization of the global leader appears much more deviant to John here at the second half of the Tribulation then what was shown to him earlier at the beginning of the Tribulation (Rev.6:2). In other words, Antichrist, the man John was shown riding upon a white horse has now become a beast emerging from the sea.

I’m going to suggest that this current less human characterization of the Antichrist might be due to the fact that he has become possessed by the devil and thereby becomes the personification of the beast.

Allow me to summarize (details follow in our notes below).

At the start of Tribulation, Antichrist, the man, will possess extraordinary political and militarily skills and personal charisma that will soar his popularity with the ungodly. Moreover, because he is more sinister than most, full of blasphemies and lies and flattering words, it gains him leadership over the New World Order, and with cunning and force, he will subdue kingdoms.

During the middle of the tribulation, however, he will be assassinated. And for some amount of time, at least to the world, he will appear to be dead then shortly afterward will appear to resurrect back to life; thus setting the stage for Satan to deceive the world on a scale as never before.

I believe, given Satan is cast out of heaven knowing little time remains (Rev.12:9), that he seizes the assassination of Antichrist as an opportunity to cut a deal with him, to possess and empower him, and in turn to “miraculously” raise him as the incarnation of himself on earth (more to follow in the notes below).

The heads, and horns, and crowns of the beast are identical to the dragon (Rev.12:3) because of the similar character and purposes and activities of the beast and the dragon. The unknown “blasphemous names” on his heads denotes exaltation of man as a god, thereby blaspheming the true God.

v.2 "Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority."

The form and shape of the beast are interpreted for us by Daniel as four kings and kingdoms.

“And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other…The first was like a lion…And suddenly another beast, a second like a bear…After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard…After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns” (Dan.7:3-7)

“Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth” (Da.7:17)

Four great world empires evolved from Daniel to John: Babylon (the ruling empire when Daniel saw his vision), Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (the ruling empire at the time of John).

Each empire was subsequently conquered by the empire that followed it except for Rome. The Roman Empire (“different from all the beasts that were before it”) merely dissolved and was never conquered by a subsequent kingdom. Thus making Rome the world’s last great empire; thereby conforming to Daniel’s prophecy that just four great kingdoms would rise up out of the earth starting in his day through to the end of the age; and the reason why it is generally agreed that the “ten horns” of the fourth beast in Daniel's prophecy signify ten nations that rise to power in the latter days from territories that were once part of the ancient Roman Empire.

“And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority." No other insight about Antichrist better explains his position of world eminence, powers of deception, and hatred for God during the second half of the Tribulation better then this one. As stated earlier, I believe that Antichrist cuts a deal with Satan following his assassination at the middle of the Tribulation. He agrees to become the personification of the devil, fully possessed, and with the power, throne, and authority of the devil.

One interesting note before we proceed. Compare the order of the beastly kingdoms given by John to that given by Daniel. Whereas Daniel begins with the lion and concludes with the beast, John lists them in reverse order, beginning with the beast and concluding with the lion. As one commentator observed, this is because Daniel was at the head of the line gazing into the future, whereas John was in the future gazing back into the past.

v.3-8 "I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blasphemy His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Some commentators interpret the head of the beast that's mortally wounded and resurrected to be a nation, and not an individual. But I disagree, and later will make the argument that the seventh head is in fact that of the Antichrist (notes—Rev.17:9-11). I also accept the notion that the phrase “mortally wounded” implies assassination and is reminiscent to the following prophecy given by Zechariah.

"A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; His arm shall completely whither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded" (Zech.11:17)

But that raises another question. Does the “mortal wound” kill the Antichrist? And do the subsequent events suggest that he actually resurrects from the dead? I don’t think so. God alone possesses the power to raise the dead, and there’s no Scriptural evidence He has, or ever will give that power to Satan.

From the world’s reaction, however, it does appear that the ungodly believe Antichrist dies and resurrects; and therefore will exalt and worship him as a god from that point forward throughout the entire three and a half years of the second half of the Tribulation (which is “forty-two months”). The result of which will cast the entire world headlong into the darkest, most violent, and ungodly age that humanity has ever known.

"He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time" (Dan.7:25)
“'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord God, 'that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it' " (Amos 8:11-12)

v.9-10 "If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

These will be days of horrendous persecution for the believer. And though God makes no promise of immunity from either death or from any other terror, He does encourage the believer to remain patient inside the assurance that their suffering will not be in vain. God’s purposes are at work. Those who lead into captivity will go into captivity, and those who kill will be killed. In the end, following their judgment, they will become captives of the eternal fires of damnation, sentenced to an eternal death.

v.11-14 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived."

We know that the identity of this second beast is the false prophet because it's stated so later (Rev.19:20). He too will arise out of the earth as the same-type dangerous-beast as the Antichrist, but with a dramatically different appearance.

Upon his head are not the horns of nations but “two horns like a lamb.” This is taken to mean that he will appear Christ-like, or gentle, serene, and deeply spiritual. He will exercise all the authority of Antichrist but for a profoundly different purpose: Antichrist is intended to rule the world as a god; the false prophet is intended to inspire the world to worship him as a god.

His influence will come from an ability to perform great signs. “So that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” Moreover, his sphere of influence will help Antichrist. Keep in mind that the Antichrist is a politician from Europe whose oratory and military skills might have minimal positive affect on his popularity to a religious people in a third world country, and in fact could alienate it.

The false prophet will exalt the Antichrist in the eyes of the world as a god. And with great signs and wonders cause the unbelieving religious-minded and the whole world to believe the lie, and then to erect an image to Antichrist as a form of worship and adoration.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie…” (2Thess.2:9-11)

v.15-17 "He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

The "image of the beast" and the "mark" are both highly speculative. Theories offered by commentators range from the supernatural to a form of advanced technology. Some interpret the false prophet’s “breath of life” as a lofty call to the demons, and others as an act as ordinary as switching on a computer. So let’s examine both events in the light of what Scripture tells us then consider a possible scenario.

According to Scripture, the image of the beast is definitely some form of idol that characterizes the Antichrist. It's made by man as an object of worship, and when set in the holy place of the temple becomes an abomination that desolates the temple (Dan.9:27). What we know of the mark we read here in Revelation. It includes the name of the Antichrist and the number of his name and in turn carries with it the privilege to buy or sell goods. Its purpose will be to identify dissenters. For when one attempts to exchange goods without the mark, they will be branded an enemy of the state and thereby arrested and executed.

Okay, here’s a possible scenario:

In my opinion, given our world’s newly acquired reliance upon the computer, I see both the image and the mark as parts of a computerized system—the image being a computer, and the mark a computer chip implanted under the skin that feeds data into that computer. It’s the swiftest and surest way to monitor the buying and selling activities of every man, woman, and child simultaneously across the globe. Moreover, for his purposes, Satan can accurately separate out from humanity those who worship Antichrist and those who do not.

v.18 "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666."

This chapter closes with possibly the most widely known element in all of the Revelation—the number 666. It might also be the most-widely misunderstood. So, before we dig in, let's first consider what the passage says about the number.

1. It is wisdom - insight about the number is given by God
2. It should be understood – people of understanding will calculate the number
3. It is the number of the beast and a man – the Antichrist
4. It is a real number – "His number is 666"
   

Now let's consider what it might mean.

Most commentators believe (as do I) that the name of Antichrist, when translated into either Hebrew or Greek, will contain letters that total the number six hundred sixty-six. For unlike our alphabet, Hebrew and Greek alphabets assign a number to the letters. The letter 'A", for instance, might be assigned the number "1", "B" the number "2", and so on. Therefore, when a name is translated into either Hebrew or Greek, a number can be calculated simply by adding the numerical values assigned to the letters. In the case of Antichrist, it appears that the name of this man translated into Greek or Hebrew will total the number 666.

Okay, but allow me to stress this about the number:

Those who calculate the names of world leaders hoping to locate and identify the Antichrist are mistaken. God imparted this wisdom for those who are here during the reign of the beast so they can recognize, and not be deceived by him. We should know about these things to teach others, but should keep in mind that the Church is told to watch for Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist.

STUDY QUESTIONS, Chapter 13

1. True or False. The fact that John saw Antichrist rising up out of the "sea" signifies that he will rise up from among the "people." (v.1)

2. Which might best explain why Antichrist is signified to John as a composite of four separate beasts? (v.2)

• a. Because Antichrist will not be human
• b. Because the beasts represent four ungodly kingdoms
• c. Because Antichrist will embody all four ungodly kingdoms
• d. Both (b) and (c).
  

3. True or False. The wounding and subsequent healing of one of Antichrist's heads is probably meant to signify that Antichrist will be assassinated during the Tribulation and then falsely "resurrected." (vs. 3-8)

4. Fill in the blanks. Who is it that grants Antichrist "a mouth" to speak blasphemies and "great authority"? ______________. For how long? ___________________________________. (vs. 3-8)

5. True or False. God promises immunity from persecution for all the believers during the tribulation. (vs. 9-10)

6. Complete this statement: "Then I saw another _______________ coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns _______________________ and spoke like a _________________. (vs. 11-14)

7. Which of the following is a TRUE statement about the second beast? (vs. 11-14)

• a. He is a "false prophet"
• b. He is not a political figure, but appears deeply religious
• c. He will tell the world to worship Antichrist
• d. He will be given the same diabolical power as Antichrist
• e. All of the above
• f. None of the above
  

8. Which might NOT apply to the "mark"? (vs. 15-17)

• a. It will be a computer chip implanted under the skin
• b. It will be applied to the right hand or forehead
• c. People will not be able to buy or sell without it
• d. Everyone will be compelled to have a mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name
  

9. Which does NOT explain the meaning of the number 666? (v.18)

• a. It is the number of a man
• b. It has always been a number associated with evil
• c. God revealed in order to impart wisdom about the identity of the Antichrist
• d. Those with understanding are told to calculate the number