Revelation 13
1 Then I 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.
2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
3 And 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.
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 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.
8 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.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 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.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
12 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.
13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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,
17 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.
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.
Then I stood on the sand of the sea.
Genesis 22:17
17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
Abraham has two lineages, physical heirs (sand by the sea) and spiritual heirs (stars of the heavens). Incidentally, it is these stars that Lucifer claimed he would raise himself above. And for a time, times, and half a time he is given the power to do so (see Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 13:5-10). Since believers in Jesus Christ will not take the mark of the beast... and no one can buy nor sell without it (food, shelter, clothing etc), then 666 is actually a tracking device to find those who refuse to take it.
And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea,
The sea in scripture is the depiction of deep darkness, the unknown (Genesis 1:2, Isaiah 29:15, Daniel 2:22), and of the m***es of peoples of the nations (Revelation 17:14). This is where the tendency to Gentilize the antichrist comes from. Rather, the warnings of the Lord himself and other prophecies suggest the beast will be Jewish (Daniel 11:37, Matthew 24:15-20) but will have influence over the Gentiles. See Revelation 13:4-8.
having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
See Revelation 17 & 18 which describe the Sanhedrin / court of the beast
Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.
Many have undertaken this p***age to determine where he comes from. it may just be describing the kings / kingdoms that will give their power to the beast (Revelation 17 & 18). That being the case, I find the fickle-mindedness of mankind prevents much certainty in these kinds of prophetic studies. Many nations used the symbols (some to purposely align with prophecy).
The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
This is one of the most convincing verses in the Bible (to me) that Judas is the antichrist. What human being would the devil give his power and throne and great authority to except the one man he personally possessed?
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded,
Judas hanged himself. His body burst open on the rocks below (interestingly in the Hinnom valley where Gehenna or hell was a depiction of early on in Hebrew theology).
and his deadly wound was healed.
Revelation 20 clearly states the devil will be loosed again from the abyss for a short season. We call that season Daniel's 70th Week. Half of which is the believer's tribulation which the devil imposes on them. Half is the great tribulation where God's wrath is poured out on the world and the devil.
And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
This would have to be the most convincing evidence of all time to fool skeptics, atheists, and other religions to follow this guy. Think of it. If Judas Iscariot came back from the grave and was able to prove he is who he says he is. DNA or blood content common to 2000 years ago. The world would hang on his every word.
So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
When one comes back from the dead... who can make war with them by physical means?
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
42 months is half the 7 year period known as the 70th Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27).
Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
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.
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.
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.
Revelation 3:10
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
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.
This is a tandem prophecy about one and the same person whose previous life had nothing at all to do with the messianic office. But Judas will blaspheme against God yet somehow still convince the Jews (John 5:43). It will be Jesus he blasphemes claiming he was not Christ. And this "other" beast" will be Judas portrayal of himself as the messiah (note the messianic symbolism of two horns like a lamb...)
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.
It amazes me the 2000 year old prophecies about modern technology like this apparent prophecy of computerized robotics. Like the satellite television capabilities in Revelation 11:9-10, or the nuclear blast (Zechariah 14:12).
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.
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.
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Originally Posted by johnd
), the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, not strictly lunar.
— wouldn't want to waste your precious time having to actually think about or provide evidence for your unsubstantiated ***ertions. It's so much easier to just cast me out as mentally deficient or reprobate for daring to question your infallibility.
