Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1. “And the
dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up
out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns
were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.”
This “dragon” is
Satan, the enemy of God and mankind (Revelation 12:9), and in this
verse we find that he is to be instrumental in the re-creation of a
powerful political system that will rule this world. The “sea”
in this imagery represents the nations, the peoples of earth, and it
is very reminiscent of the prophetic visions recorded in Daniel 7,
which included a lion-like beast with eagle’s wings, another like a
bear, a third like a leopard with wings, and a fourth with ten horns
plus a little horn.
This “beast… from the
SEA” will be described in the following verses, and then we
will be introduced to another creature in Revelation 13:11 that will
be “from the EARTH.” Another aspect
of the “beast” will be seen in
Revelation 17. When we studied the “beasts”
in Daniel Chapter 7, we found they were empires described in detail
centuries before some of them even existed. The “lion
with eagle’s wings” in Daniel 7:4, was descriptive of Babylon.
A “bear” (the Medes and Persians)
conquered and “devoured” Babylon
(Daniel 7:5), and then a “leopard”
with “wings” (Greece under Alexander
the Great), in turn destroyed the Persian Empire with great speed.
Verse 2. “And the beast
which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a
bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him
his power and his throne and great authority.”
The “beast” of
this verse is an empire that will emerge during the Great Tribulation
and it will carry aspects of the great world empires of the past.
They are seen in such places as Daniel Chapter 7, when present (at
that time) and future empires on earth, were viewed from the
perspective of the throne of God. Aspects of each “beast”
in Daniel 7 will be seen in this “beast,”
which is still future at the present day, and we will revisit “him”
in Revelation Chapter 17.
The previous empires are gone, but their cultural
and religious influences live on (See Commentary on Daniel Chapter
7). The pantheon of false Babylonian “gods” can be seen in many
modern religions and in the “horoscope” of a daily newspaper.
Media-Persia survives in Iraq, Iran and the culture of Islam. Greece
flowered anew in the Renaissance & in western democracy. The “beast”
of the Great Tribulation will contain elements of all of those empires
of the past.
Verse 3. “I saw one of
his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And
the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;”
The Roman Empire was destroyed, but the world
will be amazed at the similarities between Rome and the Empire that is
yet to come. One of the benefits of the previous empire was what they
called the “Pax Romana” (Roman
Peace). The world wants, HUNGERS for world peace, and the “Rome” that
is yet future will seem to offer just what everyone has been looking
for. Multitudes will follow this “beast.”
The “whole earth” refers to the people
of this world who do not trust in the Lord, referred to collectively
as a “great harlot” in Revelation
Chapter 17. The “fatal wound” of the
Roman Empire will be “healed” and it
will live once more.
How can a world system that hasn’t existed for so
long, come into being once more? We really don’t know, except that
such things have happened in the past. The Athenian (Greek) method of
government was essentially a democratic system of elected officials.
That form has made a comeback in the past few centuries. Israel was
ruined, destroyed and its people were scattered several times, and
yet, thousands of years later, here they are again. In much the same
manner, something very much like the Roman Empire will exist again.
Verse 4. “they
worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and
they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is
able to wage war with him’”
We know from places like Revelation 12:9, that
this “dragon” is one and the same as
the “Devil” and “Satan”
who is often mentioned in Scripture. A comparison of these verses
with places like Daniel Chapter 7 lets us understand that this “beast”
is actually a system of government that will be very similar in form
to the Roman Empire which existed at the time of Jesus. There will be
a key person at the head who will symbolize this government. The
people of the Tribulation will be awestruck by the apparent power of
that person and of the evil empire that will exist at that time.
This verse represents what people WANT, doesn’t
it? Humanity wants someone, a person, group, and/or nation to be so
wonderful, so free of flaws, that they can look to them in complete
trust. Searching for heroes in this world, people study their bosses,
spouses, political and military leaders, placing them under scrutiny
to find every flaw. And when they find them, they will, if possible,
destroy that flawed leader. People don’t like imperfection. At the
time of this verse, the world will find a “beast”
that is very popular. Unfortunately for them, they will choose the
wrong leader. You have to wonder: Why doesn’t the world choose God,
who is perfect in all His ways?
Verse 5. “There was
given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and
authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.”
Notice that the “mouth”
was “given” to him. You wouldn’t
expect that God would allow a “mouth speaking
arrogant words and blasphemies” to speak at all, but the Lord
has a way of causing lasting good to emerge from apparent evil. A
classic example is the Cross of Jesus Christ: He was innocent in all
His ways; yet evil men were allowed to kill Him. And yet, out of His
death came salvation to the world. Our sins were upon Him, and if we
trust in what He has done; if we receive His gift by having faith in
Him, we are saved from sin and death.
All authority is from God. You might not think
so, sometimes, when someone has authority over you, and you don’t like
them. But what you think about them is not the point. Go back and
read places like Romans 13, where we see that ALL authority is from
God, and we are driven to have FAITH in Him, in relation to what He
allows. Your present situation may be very bad, but it is LIMITED, as
reflected in the mere “forty-two months”
(3 ½ years) of this verse. God has a good outcome for you, and at
some point, your trouble will be no more.
Verse 6. “And he opened
his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His
tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”
The “he” is this
verse is not only a political / governmental system that will dominate
the whole earth, but “he” is also a
person, the leader of the government that will rule this planet. The
leader of a people is often the expression of the system and the
people he represents. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream
given by God, in which he not only saw his empire as a “head
of gold,” but he also WAS that “head
of gold” (Daniel 2:32, 38).
The one in this verse represents both the
political entity and the person who will lead the whole world into
terrible sin against God, at the time of the end of this age. You
have to wonder, WHY would God allow such a terrible person to emerge
and blaspheme on earth? For one thing, what we are willing to do,
reveals who we really are, and those who follow him into sin will be
understood in that light. It will be very evident that “ALL
have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (1 Corinthians
3:23). The people of earth will have no defense before a holy God.
Their sinful hearts will be revealed.
Verse 7. “It was also
given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and
authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given
to him.”
The “him” of
these verses is more than just the leader of the empire that is to
come, and more than the empire itself – The power BEHIND the throne is
also addressed here, and that power is Satan himself. All three are
involved in this “war” against the
saints in which they will apparently prevail.
When you think about it, this verse is a
tremendous surprise – Not only will the enemy be allowed to make war
against God’s people, but he will also be allowed to decisively defeat
them. God, however, has a good purpose in all that He allows. The
enemy is like sandpaper in the Hand of God, removing the rough edges
from those who are willing to trust in the Lord, taking away unbelief
from God’s people and replacing it with FAITH in the Lord.
Note that the effective authority of the “beast”
of these verses is to extend far beyond Europe; all over the world.
Several countries in recent history have been so powerful, that it
would seem impossible for a resurgent Roman Empire to control the
whole world. And yet, we may be right at the door of such events and
don’t see it. The dominant British Empire isn’t an “empire” anymore.
Russia has been weakened. The U.S. may be over-extended and China may
not yet be in a position to resist the “beast”
that is to come. The stage may be set right now.
Verse 8. “All who dwell
on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been
written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the
Lamb who has been slain.”
All the world admires a winner, especially in the
early stages of victory. Those who do not know the Lord, will greatly
admire; will actually WORSHIP this leader, this political entity, and
through them, the enemy of mankind, Satan himself. Note that none of
this is a surprise to God. The “Lamb”
of God, Jesus Christ, was intended to die for your sins from before
the foundation of the world, whether we believe it or not. The Lord,
in these verses, is merely revealing those who will not be in His
book.
The phrase “Book of Life”
is only found in the Book of Revelation and in Philippians 4:3. In
the latter reference, Paul the Apostle is commending certain Christian
women and a man named Clement, “Whose names
are in the Book of Life.” In Revelation 3:5, the phrase is
used as an encouragement to Christians in the Church at Sardis. That
reference is interesting, for it suggests that some may be in that “Book,”
but then be blotted out. Jesus said we must “become
as little children” in order to be right with God (Matthew
18:3). The faith of a little child will save us, and this was
intended by God from the foundation of the world.
Verse 9. “If anyone has
an ear, let him hear.”
Do you have an “ear?”
This is an “ear” fashioned deep within
your spirit, your “soul,” if you will, by the Holy Spirit of God,
through your acceptance of Jesus and what He has done for you on the
cross. To be able to “hear” is to
finally understand that only through Him can you be rescued from the
deception of this world. With this “ear,”
you are enabled to “hear,” to
understand the things of God as shown in the Word of God, such as the
words in the Book of Revelation being studied at this time. The Holy
Spirit makes it possible for you to “hear”
God.
Verse 10. “If anyone is
destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the
sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and
the faith of the saints.”
As stated in other contexts, there is PURPOSE in
our suffering. Some of it we bring onto ourselves (our aggressive
natures that “kill” others will be the
death of us). But we do not cause all of our own suffering! Even if
our problem is foolishly self-inflicted, God will still use it for our
good and His glory. Some of the captivity, suffering and death
experienced by mankind is ordained by God – It suits and serves His
eternal purposes in this world.
In such times and circumstances, we are to
patiently endure and keep our faith in God. And if we are truly His “saints,”
(the called-out ones of God), He will ultimately reveal why this
suffering has occurred. Some of those reasons are revealed in 2
Corinthians Chapter 1, where it is shown that OUR suffering may not be
about us at all, but for someone else, who may be drawn to faith in
God, because of the comfort given to us during our distress (2
Corinthians. 1:4-7).
Verse 11. “Then I saw
another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a
lamb and he spoke as a dragon.”
The Lord continues to reveal the future of this
world in word “pictures,” that is, in the form of great parables. We
are being given the “feeling” of what is to come, in dramatic images.
The first “beast,” introduced in
Revelation 13:1, came from the “sea,”
and Dr. J. Vernon McGee was correct when he said, “The
sea represents the people of the world.” This second one comes
“up out of the earth.”
The fact that he “had
two horns like a lamb” suggests that “he”
is a religious entity, whereas the first is the representation of a
political body. The Lamb of God is Jesus Christ, and this “lamb”
is merely an imitation of our Lord. He is the antichrist, who will
pose as the Messiah, fooling most of the people in the world at that
time. His words will reveal “him” to those who have the Spirit of
God, for he will speak “as a dragon,”
and we know from places like Revelation 12:9, that the power behind
him, the “dragon,” is actually Satan,
the enemy of God.
Verse 12. “He exercises
all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the
earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose
fatal wound was healed.”
Again, the “beast... out
of the sea” (Verse 1) is a political entity, whereas the “beast…
out of the earth” is a religious institution. Both are
manifestations of “the dragon”,
who gave “his authority to the beast”
(Verse 4). You have to wonder how the “earth
and those who dwell in it” (in other words, just about
everybody) will follow a religious leader, when the trend of modern
culture is toward the secular? The answer is found in the heart of
mankind.
People have a deep-seated need for religion, but
the problem is that they also want self-direction. They want a “god”
of their own making. It is likely the “fatal
wound” of the “first beast”
represents the collapse of the Roman Empire, centuries ago. The “fatal
wound” that “was healed” is the
restoration of that empire, during the time of Tribulation to come
upon this world. The LEADER of this renewed empire may also be
injured in a manner that will win the praise of the leader of the
second “beast… out of the earth.” The
empire, the religious system and their leaders will reflect and praise
one another.
Verse 13. “He performs
great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the
earth in the presence of men.”
Isn’t it interesting that God will deny something
or someone in one context and then allow something similar in
another? Much is being allowed in our culture at this time, but it
does not bode well for mankind. As a people, we have struggled
against the limitations that God has placed in our lives, which are
actually designed to protect us. Slowly, reluctantly, He has been
releasing His protective hold on mankind.
In 1 Kings Chapter 18, we see an instance in
which the Lord denied the priests of Baal the right to bring fire down
from heaven and light a sacrifice. They cried out for several hours,
“O Baal, hear us! But there was no voice; no
one answered” (1 Kings 18:26). During the time of the Great
Tribulation, false religious leaders WILL be allowed to make “fire
come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.”
Look to the Lord, people of earth, for great deceivers are in the
future of mankind. Miracles are intriguing, but we need God and His
love.
Verse 14. “And he
deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it
was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those
who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound
of the sword and has come to life.”
The essence of sin is deceit. We have been
created by God to do His work in this world. We have no authority to
act, except God gives us utterance and action. To act and speak apart
from God is deceitful and therefore it is sin. From that perspective,
we can see the relevance of the Scripture, “ALL
have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Whatever the “beasts” of these verses are, they’ll be powerful and
totally against God. Utterly self-centered, they will draw all
attention to themselves and away from the Lord.
The “he” (the “beast”)
of this verse is the “antichrist,” the leader of a future religious
system and it is also the religious system itself. The person and his
organization will deceive people all over the world. These verses
take an advance, behind the scenes look at someone who will be enabled
to perform “signs” that will seem
amazing to people. “He” will cause
many to believe that “Rome” exists once more because of the “signs”
that will be performed.
Verse 15. “And it was
given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the
image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not
worship the image of the beast to be killed.”
Years ago, I went to Disneyland, in California,
for the first time, and was amazed at the lifelike qualities of the
robotic figures, such as the one of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
Compared to what can be created now, such figures are primitive. They
were obviously mechanical and yet, for the time, they seemed so real!
Modern computer generated imagery and cartooning, when blended with
ordinary film images in a movie, is very real, and it is difficult to
tell, sometimes, what is computer generated and what is an actual
picture.
Technology is galloping in the direction of this
verse, and it is becoming easy for us to imagine an IMAGE that is so
alive it could fool millions into believing that it is the picture of
a real event. And, of course, the stakes will be very high at the
time of this verse. Self-preservation is important to all, and the
alternative to accepting the “image of the
beast,” whatever it will be, is death – Those who do not
believe will be killed at the order of this “beast”
with the powerful “two horns” and soft
words “like a lamb” (Verse 11 and
forward).
Verse 16. “And he
causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and
the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or
on their forehead,”
It is becoming commonplace for people to
voluntarily place marks on their bodies for various purposes.
Tattoos, holes in ears and various decorations on other parts of the
body are becoming the norm. Here, at the point of this verse in the
time of Great Tribulation that is to come upon the world, the “beast”
of these verses will want to mark the bodies of people further, for
his aims. He will appear to have good purposes in what is done, but
he is not good and neither are his intentions.
These verses depict a time when such marks will
seem quite reasonable to those who receive them. Identifying people
will become quite easy when everyone has a unique bar code that will
quickly reveal who they really are. False identities will seem to be
no more. Missing children will be located with relative ease, and so
on. But the hidden purpose in all this is to isolate and entrap those
who have faith in Jesus and to discourage people from trusting in the
Lord.
Verse 17. “and he
provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one
who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his
name.”
How well received this will be! Our currencies
tend to go out of control and the situation will become much worse.
Credit and the credit ratings of individuals, companies and
governments can be like a bad joke, as more and more are drawn into
deficit spending. It is likely the “mark”
will be some kind of bar code; a built-in credit card, which will be
difficult to steal and will therefore be irresistible to creditor and
consumer alike. But at the time when “no one
will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark”
- CONTROL goes to the “beast” of these
verses. It will be COSTLY to remain true to the Lord.
As it will be seen in Revelation 14:9 & forward,
God’s people will refuse to receive this “mark.”
You may wonder how will they know the difference? How will they
recognize that THIS (the mark given at that time) will be the one that
must be refused? They will know in two ways: 1) They will have these
verses to guide them, and 2) They will also have the Holy Spirit of
God, who will reveal to their hearts: “DON’T take the mark!”
Verse 18. “Here is
wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the
beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred
and sixty-six.”
The number “six hundred
and sixty-six” is “that of a man”
describing a particular person in the time of the Tribulation,
referred to in this and in preceding verses as “the
beast”. There have been many attempts to identify this person
through the centuries, implicating a variety of people. Included have
been Adolph Hitler and Henry Kissinger. Frightening movies have been
made which emphasize the numbers “666” and more are likely to be made.
As we have seen in this Chapter, there are two “beasts”
that will emerge onto the stage of this world. One of them will be a
“beast” from the “sea”
of nations – A political entity led by a specific ruler who will be so
identified with that body that he will BE the empire that is to come.
The other “beast”
is to be a religion led by the “antichrist,” and like in the other
instance, the leader will be so closely identified with the system he
leads, that the two are viewed as one by the Lord, who is giving us
this look at future history. As Dr. J. Vernon McGee indicated, they
won’t know him ‘til they see him! These verses are designed to help
those who trust in the Lord during the future Tribulation to
understand the events and people of the difficult time in which they
will live.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
P.O. Box 92131
Long Beach, CA
90809-2131 USA
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
