Book of Revelation of John
Compiled by WD Kemner January 2024
Chapter 13 – Two Beasts
There is NO individual in scripture that is called by the name “Anti-christ”. The Apostle John uses the term in his books of 1John and 2John to denote those that “deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”. Based off that definition there are thousands of “anti-christ” on the planet today.
That term is not used in Revelation. However, it has become a term “adopted” to refer to the “man” that Satan will use as his “mockery of Jesus Christ”. He is opposed to EVERYTHING that represents Jesus. Thus he is “Anti” Christ and the name fits very well.
He is often referred in Revelation as the “Beast”. This can be confusing to those who do not pay careful attention to what is read. There are two distinct characters referred to with the term “beast” in Chapter 13.
Many terms throughout scripture refer to this same man of evil. Daniel uses terms: little horn, mighty king. Isaiah calls him a king and Paul calls him “man of lawlessness” in Thessalonians.
First Image / Character
Beast out of the sea
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Revelation 13:1 |
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And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
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This is not Satan because we have already established that Satan here is being described as a “dragon”. The word “sea” does not have to be related to “water”. To say that it did “…rise up out of the sea…”, means that it rose from out of the mass of people.
As to his nationality; that is a subject that is covered well by the Book of Daniel. Verse 2 states that “…the dragon gave him his power…”. Therefore, this beast and the dragon are two distinct things.
Dragon = Satan and the Beast out of the Sea = Anti-christ
Seven heads and ten horns (see Daniel 7:8; 8:23-25; 9:19-27).
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Revelation 13:2 |
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And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
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From the study of Daniel Chapter 7. We now see the same Four Beasts from that chapter of Daniel now being mentioned by John.
John sees the same “images” similar to what Daniel saw only in reverse order.
Where Daniel was looking forward, John gets to see back to what already happened and then look forward.
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Revelation 13:3 |
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And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
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Mockery? He will attempt to “imitate” the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Receives a mortal wound to the head by a sword from verse 14 of this chapter. There will be more detail again in Revelation 17:8.
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Revelation 13:4 |
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And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
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Satan will be worshipped for his part in empowering the Antichrist. All in an attempt to remove attention from God.
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Revelation 13:5 |
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And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
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As already established earlier, he is “allowed” to continue for 42 months or 3 ½ years.
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Revelation 13:6-10 |
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And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
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Corresponding verses in Daniel 7:8; 8:23-25; 9:19-27
He will have absolute authority and power to do as he wishes and desires. This is being given to him by Satan. He will not control the entire planet because we see other events that unfold that create “troubles and conflicts” for the Antichrist during these years, therefore he will not have total “Earth control”.
Second Image/Character
Beast out of the earth
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Revelation 13:11-14 |
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And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
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This is another distinct character. Separate and unique from the other two in this chapter. There are now three distinct characters:
The Beast from out of the Earth, will have all the power of the Antichrist but will point ALL attention upon the Antichrist. This beast will perform miracles within sight of the Antichrist, including calling fire from heaven.
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Revelation 13:15 |
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And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
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Will demand worship of an idol (image) of the antichrist. Will have power to bring the statue to life in that it (the statue) will speak. The statue will demand that those that do not worship the Antichrist should be killed. It will not be until chapter 19:20 that John calls this “beast” – “The False Prophet”.
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Revelation 13:16-17 |
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And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
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Everyone will be required to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. The mark being required to be able to buy or sell.
Three types of “mark” indicated by John:
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Revelation 13:18 |
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Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
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The “number of the beast” (thus the third option in previous verse). This number is the “number of a man”.
God’s number has been Seven throughout the Bible. Man was created on the Sixth day.