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.

Revelation 12, The Conflict of the Ages

Satan's age-long conflict with God and His nation Israel are the focus of this chapter. And with the use of highly graphic word pictures and symbols it reveals the reason for Satan’s disdain for the Jews and the motive behind his savage attempt to utterly destroy them during the second half of Tribulation.

v.1-2 "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and pain to give birth."

The "sun" the "moon" and the "garland of twelve stars" clothing this woman are all interpreted elsewhere in Scripture to signify the nation Israel (Gen.37:9,10). The child she carries is Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, Who is the true offspring of the nation, and through the ancestral line of Mary was indelibly linked to Israel through every generation back to Abraham (Luke 3:23-34).

Therefore, this great sign shows the Nation of Israel, long in labor, about to give birth to its Messiah the Savior of the world and our Lord Jesus Christ. (See also—Luke 2:25-32).

Allow me to point out why I don't believe that this woman is either the church or the Virgin Mary. The church didn’t exist when Christ was born, but itself was born only after a miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit subsequent to His death and resurrection (Acts 1,2). Plus, it was Christ who gave birth to the church (Matt.16:18), not the other way around. Moreover, the image is a “sign” (a symbol) not a literal person. The image doesn't exclude Mary because she did conceive and give physical birth to Jesus, but the sign is greater than, and extends beyond, the mother in the manger.

v.3 "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads."

This is Satan, who is named the dragon (Revelation 20:2).

He is called "great" because of his great power. Once the “anointed cherub who covers” (Ez.28:14), Satan was corrupted by pride and removed from his angelic office, yet still maintains a great power that even Michael the Archangel dares not challenge (Jude, v.9). He is called a "fiery red dragon" because of his ferocious and cruel nature; a "murderer from the beginning" Jesus said (John 8:44). His "seven [crowned] heads" are seven kingdoms (see notes—17:9-11), and his "ten horns" are ten kings who comprise the ruling world government empowered by Satan during the Great Tribulation (see notes--17:12).

This sign shows Satan as a powerful and ferocious entity that rules over the governmental affairs of man. He is the malignant and sinister force that influences the nations of the earth to oppose God both openly and contemptuously (see Dan.10:13,20-21).

v.4 "His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born."

The two most prominent Scriptural references to the origin, rebellion, and fall of Lucifer are found in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. In this sign, John is shown more.

"His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.” The “stars of heaven” is interpreted to mean angels (Job 38:7), suggesting that Lucifer, staging his rebellion against God, was able to influence one third of the angels against God and in so doing, by “his tail” brought them into contempt before God and thus cast from heaven down to earth.

“And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born." Satan's rebellion against God didn’t end on the earth. In the Garden of Eden, he successfully assaulted man with a temptation that created the enmity between God and man that has existed to this day.

Upon learning that God would deliver One through humanity Who would bring an eternal judgment upon him (Gen.3:15), Satan set out like a roaring lion seeking to devour humanity before it could produce the Offspring. Without hesitation he attacked Eve's family by inspiring the murder of one of her sons, and causing a curse to be brought upon the other (Gen.4:8,11). Later, in an attempt to contaminate man’s bloodline some believe he influenced copulation between women and demons, resulting in the flood that destroyed all but Noah and his family (Gen.6:2-4, 8-12).

When subsequent prophecies made it clear that Jesus would be a descendant of Abraham (Gen.12:3; 18:18), Satan set out to exterminate the nation Israel (the origin of Antisemitism). He murdered their children (Acts 7:19; Matt.2:16), attempted their genocide (Esther 3:6; Ps.83:4), and morally corrupted them as a people (Num.31:16).

Notwithstanding, God’s plan was not defeated, humanity survived, and inside humanity the nation chosen of God from whom the Messiah would come (Israel) survived. Therefore, in a tense confrontation with the woman, having failed in every other attempt, Satan stands ready to devour the Child Himself (check—Matt.2:13).

v.5 "And she bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God as to His throne."

The blessed truth is that Satan failed to prevent the birth, or to devour the Child. Jesus Christ was born (Luke 1:8-14), “The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst man” (Jo.1:14). Moreover, Jesus completed His earthly ministry, and following His death and resurrection was caught up to heaven (Acts 1:9), seated with the Father, and given rule, authority, power and dominion over all things (Eph.1:17-23). Despite every evil intention Satan waged to prevent it, Satan has been defeated.

Okay, let’s consider it.

When Satan failed to avert the birth of Christ, or to devour Him (Matt.2:19-20), he set out to obstruct and spoil His ministry. He was there tempting Jesus to compromise Himself as His ministry began (Matt.4:1-11). Throughout its duration, he influenced many to mock Christ’s Divine authority (Matt.12:24). He silenced others from openly speaking of Him (Jo.7:13), and assaulted some closest to Him (Jo.12:10).

When that failed, he launched his plan to murder Him (Jo.11:53; Matt.12:14); ultimately choosing crucifixion to destroy Him knowing that Christ would be cursed by God in crucifixion (check—Deu.21:23).

But Satan failed to see the true intention of God. For it was the will of God that Christ be crucified (Jo.18:32), and the purposes of the Father for Jesus to be made a curse (Gal.3:13). When God raised Christ from the dead three days later, however, it was too late for Satan. The glorious triumph of God over the works of the devil became one of public record. “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col.2:15). Scripture tells us that Satan "would not have crucified the Lord of glory" had he known (I Cor.2:7-8).

So the Child was born, and having prevailed, was caught up to God and given authority to rule all nations with a rod of iron (Ps.2:9; Rev.19:15).

v.6 "Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days."

The balance of this chapter surrounds the bitter struggle that ensues between the dragon and the woman and the subsequent persecution of her offspring. It marks the middle of the Tribulation throughout the days remaining until the end of Tribulation.

Let's summarize it.

In an unholy alliance with Antichrist, Israel will sign a seven-year agreement with Antichrist at the beginning of the Tribulation. But after three and a half years he will betray Israel and break the agreement by invading Jerusalem, overthrowing the temple worshippers, and placing an image of himself in the Holy of Holies, thereby desecrating it (Isa.28:18; Dan.9:26-27). As a result, in the event also foretold by Jesus (Matt.24:15-21), one-third of the nation will flee Jerusalem and go into hiding (Zech.13:8).

This remnant of Jews will remain in hiding, miraculously cared for by God for the entire last half of the Tribulation, three and a half years, or one thousand two hundred and sixty days. They will surface, refined as silver is refined, fully acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord (Zech.13:9).

v.7-9 "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to earth, and his angels with him."

At the same time Israel flees the Antichrist (during the middle of the Tribulation) a full-scale angelic war erupts in Heaven that enables Michael and his angels to cast Satan and his angels from heaven to earth.

For reasons unknown to us, Satan’s freedom to access heaven and approach God was not revoked after his rebellion. We read that he accused Job before God (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7), stood by to oppose Joshua the high priest before God (Zech.3:1), and accuses us before God (v.10). Moreover, none of his power was taken away; he is able to stand his ground and has power to defend it. Seemingly, he is under no command to relinquish anything, resolved to lose nothing, and all things must be wrestled away from him by the angels of God (check—Eph.6:12).

Let’s take a look his names.

1. He is called the “dragon” because he is the great dragon in the Revelation shown to be the enemy of God from the beginning
2. He is called "the old serpent" because he was the serpent in the Garden of Eden who introduced man to sin
3. He is called “the Devil" (Gr.diabolos, meaning “accuser”) because he accuses man before God, and accuses God before man
4. He is called "Satan" (which means "adversary") because he is the enemy of both God and man.
   

He is said to be the one "who deceives the whole world" because by him, all men have been deceived, and in the days to come, the entire world all at once will reject truth and believe the lie (see—2Thess.2:8-12). "When he speaks a lie," Jesus said, "he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44). There is no truth in Satan.

v.10-12 "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.' "

Satan’s permanent expulsion from heaven gets a thunderous response from God’s angels. Surely, they must dread his presence in heaven and be anxious for this moment, and relieved when it finally does happen. As another puts it, “You can almost see the angels nudging one another and saying, ‘It’s about time.’ ”

But even within the throws of their exuberant celebration, the angels display infinite pity for the inhabitants of the earth. They know Satan is enraged because his time is short, and that the inhabitants of the earth will become the objects of his great and diabolical wrath. This is the third and final prophetic “woe” announced earlier upon the inhabitants of the earth (Rev.8:13).

v.13-15 "Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth."

God’s intervention alone prevents Israel’s annihilation. As Satan, through the person of the Antichrist, attacks Israel and besieges Jerusalem in order to destroy the Nation, God will give Israel “two wings of a great eagle” and deliver a remnant of the Nation—the same idiom used in the Old Testament to describe God's liberation of Israel from Egypt (Ex.19:4). He will prevent the serpent’s "flood" (probably alluding to a military force) from overtaking them, and then in turn will destroy the military force (see also—Ex.14:13-14). And God will nourish this remnant of Israel in the wilderness (from the presence of the serpent) for the entire second half of the Tribulation (see notes—v.6). During which time He will speak comfort and show mercy and as a result will forge unto Himself a holy and godly people. Listen to the prophet,

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her…Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ “ (Hosea 2:14,23).

v.17 "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

The “rest of her offspring” speaks of those believers that come to know Christ as Savior during the Tribulation. The dragon’s war against them speaks of the murderous persecution that causes many of them to be martyred (Rev. 6:9-11; 20:4).

Okay, now let’s consider what might be the root cause behind Satan’s rage with Israel and the rest of her offspring, and his frantic rush to destroy them.

If we take it to be retaliation against Israel for having given birth to Christ, we would have to conclude that Satan’s aim is merely to hurt God by hurting the people of God. But I don’t think so. It’s my opinion that the rage isn’t vengeance, but Satan’s attempt to prevent the Second Coming of Christ. And it's not merely his hatred of the Nation, but the threat it poses to his survival by its very existence, that enrages him.

Just days before His crucifixion, while lamenting over Jerusalem, Jesus seemingly revealed a condition upon which His Second Coming is determined. Listen to what He said:

"See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' " (Luke 13:34,35)

Is it possible that Jesus was disclosing a truth that Satan understood and seeks to prevent, perhaps explaining why Satan so desperately desires to annihilate Israel and their converts? That the Second Coming of Christ will occur, but only after a repentant Nation of Israel is birth and made ready to receive Jesus as their Messiah, and yet not until it does.

It seems so.

In any case, dear ones, the greatest persecution of Jews and Gentile believers this world has ever known is scheduled to occur inside the second half of the tribulation. And it all stems because of this unseen spiritual conflict between God and the devil.