Reflections on Revelation 13

Revelation 13 (Contemporary English Version)
1. (12:18) (The dragon stood on the beach beside the sea.) I looked and saw a beast coming up from the sea. This one had ten horns and seven heads, and a crown was on each of its ten horns. On each of its heads were names that were an insult to God.
   
2. The beast that I saw had the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. The dragon handed over its own power and throne and great authority to this beast.
   
3. One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast,
   
4. and they worshiped the dragon who had given its authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, "No one is like this beast! No one can fight against it."
   
5. The beast was allowed to brag and claim to be God, and for forty-two months it was allowed to rule.
   
6. The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God. It even cursed the place where God lives, as well as everyone who lives in heaven with God.
   
7. It was allowed to fight against God's people and defeat them. It was also given authority over the people of every tribe, nation, language, and race.
   
8. The beast was worshiped by everyone whose name wasn't written before the time of creation in the book of the Lamb who was killed.
   
9. If you have ears, then listen!
   
10. If you are doomed to be captured, you will be captured. If you are doomed to be killed by a sword, you will be killed by a sword. This means that God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!
    
11. I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.
    
12. It worked for the beast whose fatal wound had been healed. And it used all its authority to force the earth and its people to worship that beast.
    
13. It worked mighty miracles, and while people watched, it even made fire come down from the sky.
    
14. This second beast fooled people on earth by working miracles for the first one. Then it talked them into making an idol in the form of the beast that did not die after being wounded by a sword.
    
15. It was allowed to put breath into the idol, so that it could speak. Everyone who refused to worship the idol of the beast was put to death.
    
16. All people were forced to put a mark on their right hand or forehead. Whether they were powerful or weak, rich or poor, free people or slaves,
    
17. they all had to have this mark, or else they could not buy or sell anything. This mark stood for the name of the beast and for the number of its name.
    
18. You need wisdom to understand the number of the beast! But if you are smart enough, you can figure this out. Its number is six hundred sixty-six, and it stands for a person.

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The sixth and seventh personages of the end times are introduced in this chapter. Chapter 12 began a parenthetical period which continues in this chapter, presenting events that are concurrent with the sounding of the trumpets which occurred prior to chapter 12. No chronological progress is being made with the description of these events. Such progress will resume in chapter 16.

The Beast Out Of The Sea:  This sixth personage comes out of the sea.  He is a beast with 10 horns and seven heads and diadems on his horns. He was like a leopard but had bear's feet and a lion's mouth. Power was given this beast by the dragon who is Satan along with great authority. The whole world is said to follow this beast, that is, all except those whose names are written in the book of life. The world follows him because it is amazed at the healing of one of his heads that appeared to be fatally wounded. The world worships him saying, "Who is like the beast?"  He was given a mouth to speak, and used it to boast and to blaspheme God. We notice in 13:7 that he is "permitted" to wage war against the saints. So, though Satan gives him great powers, he only does what God permits him to do.

The Beast Out Of The Earth: While the sixth personage came out of the sea, this seventh one comes out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb but sounded like a dragon, or like Satan. His role was to support the first beast. The beast out of the sea is seen as a world political leader and this beast as a world religious leader who supports the political leader. To this purpose, the beast out of the earth is given powers to perform signs on behalf of the beast out of the sea. He compels the worshipers of the world leader to make an image of him and gives this image a "spirit" so it can speak and can kill those who do not worship the world leader. I place the word spirit in quotation marks because I question whether this beast out of the earth has power to actually give life, which I believe only God has power to do. Therefore, I assume this spirit he gave the image was more "smoke and mirrors" that real life.

A world religious system is established by Satan through these two beasts which many see as imitating and trying to take the place of the trinity. Thus they see Satan assuming the role of God the Father, the first beast that of Jesus Christ, and the second beast the role of the Holy Spirit. But unlike God who makes us free and allows people to choose freely whether to follow Him or not, these leaders force people to worship them. A mark is given everyone who worships these leaders "on his right hand or on his forehead," and only those who have this mark are permitted to buy or sell. Therefore, those who do not worship them are not permitted a livelihood or the ability to obtain food or other essentials, giving further evidence that this is a false religion. It resorts to force.