The Beast out of the Earth (Revelation 13:11-18)
- What is the most amazing trick you have ever seen a magician, or an illusionist perform?
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1. What kind of creature did John observe? (Revelation 13:11)
2. How did John describe the beast he saw coming out of the earth?(Revelation 13:11)
3. Who did the second beast represent?(Revelation 13:12)
4. What did the second beast make the inhabitants of earth do?(Revelation 13:12)
5. What powerful signs did the second beast use? (Revelation 13:13)
6. How did the second beast deceive everyone all over the world?(Revelation 13:14)
7. What evil act did the second beast require of everyone all over the world?(Revelation 13:14)
8. How did the beast out of the earth use his Satanic power in relation to the image of the beast out of the sea? (Revelation 13:15)
9. What happened to those who refused to worship the image of the beast out of the sea? (Revelation 13:15)
10. What did the beast out of the earth (also called the false prophet) force every living person to do? (Revelation 13:16)
11. What consequences awaited those who refused to take the mark of the beast? (Revelation 13:17)
12. What difference did it make whether a person took the mark of the beast?(Revelation 13:17)
13. What does the rise of the beast call us to do? (Revelation 13:18)
14. How did John say one could “calculate the number of the beast”?(Revelation 13:18)
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15. What are some chief ways people are deceived or blinded by Satan today?
16. What should we do to be wise about the schemes of Satan?
APPLY IT
17. What actions could you take today to renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?
Commentary
False prophets have plagued God’s people from the beginning of history. But they will proliferate even more as the return of Christ to establish His kingdom approaches. Speaking of that time Jesus said, “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many” (Matt. 24:11). So persuasive will their efforts be that they “will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect” (Mark 13:22). Those false prophets will be energized by some of Satan’s demon hosts. The devil will intensify his efforts to deceive the world as his own doom approaches.
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. (13:11)
Having seen the terrifying vision of the first beast (Antichrist) in 13:1-10, John then saw another beast. Some view this second beast as an institution, a form of government, or an ideology. But the use of allos (another of the same kind) indicates that he, like the first beast, will be a person. Further proof of that comes from 19:20: “And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” Obviously, it is people, not ideologies, institutions, or governments, that God will cast into hell.
In contrast to the first beast, who will come up out of the sea (13:1), the second beast will come up out of the earth. Like Antichrist, the false prophet will be indwelt by a demon out of the abyss. That the false prophet arises from the earth suggests that he will be subtler, gentler, less overpowering, and terrifying than the Antichrist. He will be winsome and persuasive, the epitome of the wolves in sheep’s clothing Jesus warned of (Matt. 7:15).
The description of the first beast, with its ten horns, seven heads, ten crowns, and seven blasphemous names (13:1), was grotesque and frightening. In contrast, the second beast merely had two horns. That indicates that he is not characterized by the same massive might as Antichrist. And unlike the savage, ferocious, fierce, and deadly Antichrist, who is likened to a leopard, bear, and lion (13:2), the false prophet seems as harmless as a lamb. He does not come as a conquering dictator, but on the surface appears as a subtle deceiver, with meekness and gentleness, though not without great authority.
Despite his deceptively mild appearance, the false prophet is no less a child of hell than the Antichrist. That is evident because he spoke as a dragon—a strange voice indeed for a lamb. The false prophet, like Antichrist (13:2, 5), will be the dragon Satan’s mouthpiece, speaking his words. But he will not echo the blasphemous tirades against God that will pour from the lips of Antichrist (Dan. 11:36). Instead, he will speak winsome, deceiving words of praise about the Antichrist, luring the world to worship that vile, satanic dictator.
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. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 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. (13:12-14)
Though primarily a subtle deceiver, the false prophet will not be impotent. John notes that he exercises all the authority of the first beast (Antichrist). Some believe that the false prophet will replace Antichrist and rule alone during the Great Tribulation. That is impossible, however, since the text explicitly says that the false prophet exercises his authority in the presence of Antichrist (v. 14; 19:20). Further, both the false prophet and Antichrist will be alive when Christ returns (19:20).
What is being said here is that the false prophet will exercise the same kind of demonic power and authority as the Antichrist does, since both are empowered by the same hellish source. That he exercises his authority in Antichrist’s presence implies that Antichrist will have delegated that authority to him. The false prophet’s mission will be to use all the means available to him from the Antichrist to cause the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast. He will lead the worldwide cult of Antichrist worship.
The false prophet’s efforts to promote the worship of the Antichrist will receive a tremendous boost from a startling, spectacular event: the apparent healing of the first beast’s (Antichrist’s) fatal wound (v. 3; 17:8). That phrase refers to Antichrist’s supposed resurrection from the dead. That is a satanic imitation not only of Christ’s resurrection, but also that of the two witnesses (11:11). It is most likely that Antichrist’s death will be staged, and hence his “resurrection” is a ruse. It is less likely that God, for His own sovereign purposes, may permit Antichrist to genuinely rise from the dead. In either case, the world will accept Antichrist’s resurrection as genuine, thus greatly enhancing both his prestige and that of the false prophet.
Besides his involvement in Antichrist’s “resurrection,” the false prophet will perform great signs of his own. Those signs mimic not only the miracles performed by Jesus Christ (John 2:11, 23; 6:2), but also those of the two witnesses (11:5-6). These satanic “false wonders … with all the deception of wickedness” will be extremely persuasive “for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thess. 2:9-10). Those who reject the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will eagerly accept the damning false gospel preached by the false prophet—a gospel seemingly verified by spectacular supernatural signs.
Amazingly, the false prophet, imitating the two witnesses (11:5), even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth. The present tense of poieō (makes) suggests that he will repeatedly perform this supernatural act in the presence of men to impress them with his power. God has often demonstrated His supernatural power by sending fire from heaven (11:5; Gen. 19:24; Lev. 10:1-2; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:9-12; 1 Chron. 21:26; 2 Chron. 7:1). Satan’s henchman will perform a similar sign, but his will be one of the “false wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9) that will lure unbelievers to their doom.
The false prophet will succeed dramatically in his efforts to deceive those who dwell on the earth—exactly as Jesus predicted (Matt. 24:5, 11, 24; Mark 13:6). There will be unparalleled disasters and unimaginable horrors, leaving people desperate for answers. Having rejected the true gospel and blasphemed the true God (16:9, 11), the unbelieving world will be eager to believe the deceiving lies propagated by the false prophet.
As the power of Antichrist and the persuasiveness of the false prophet grow, Satan will escalate the false world religion of Antichrist worship. Humanity will eventually come to be so completely under the influence of the false prophet that people will obey his command to make an image to the beast. The world will engage in the most shocking, blatant idolatry ever seen. Like Nebuchadnezzar before him (Dan. 3), but on a global scale, Antichrist, aided by the false prophet, will set up a statue of himself as a symbol of his deity and worldwide worship. This blasphemous image will probably be set up on the temple grounds in Jerusalem (2 Thess. 2:4) and will relate to the abomination of desolation (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15). It will be a tribute to the awesome power of Antichrist, who had the wound of the sword and has come to life (vv. 3, 12), to seemingly conquer death.
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. 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, 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. 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. (13:15-18)
The idolatrous image of the Antichrist will be different from any other idol in human history. The Bible scornfully denounces idols as having mouths yet being unable to speak (Ps. 115:5; 135:15-17; Isa. 46:7; Jer. 10:5; Hab. 2:18-19). But in another display of his power to deceive, the false prophet will give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak. Breath translates pneuma, not zōē or bios, the Greek words normally translated life. The false prophet will animate the image of Antichrist so that it gives the appearance of being alive. With today’s amazing special effects technology and robotics, that is not out of the realm of possibility.
After his immense worldwide success and after dropping his façade of gentleness, the false prophet will cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. As in the case of Nebuchadnezzar’s image (Dan. 3:6), the death sentence will be decreed for those who refuse to worship the image of Antichrist. Many of the martyrs mentioned earlier in Revelation (6:9-11; 7:13-14) are those who will be killed during this terrible time of persecution. But though the death sentence may be decreed on all, not all believers will be killed. Some will survive until Christ returns and will enter His millennial kingdom as living people (Isa. 65:20-23; Matt. 25:31-40). Nor will Antichrist and his henchmen kill all the Jews (12:6-7, 14); two-thirds of them will perish, but the rest will be protected (Zech. 13:8-9).\
As part of his plan to enforce the worship of Antichrist, the false prophet will require all categories of unbelievers, summarized as 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. Mark (charagma; from charassō, “I engrave”) was the term for images or names of the emperor on Roman coins. In the ancient world, such marks (tattoos or brands) were commonly given to slaves, soldiers, and devotees of religious cults (Gal. 6:17). God sealed, with a mark on the forehead, the 144,000 to preserve them from His wrath against the unbelieving world (7:2-3); the false prophet marks the unsaved to preserve them from Antichrist’s wrath against God’s people. The mark will signify that the person bearing it is a worshiper and loyal follower of the Antichrist. In much the same way, the Roman emperors required their subjects to prove their loyalty by offering sacrifices to Caesar. Those who refused, like those who refuse to take the Antichrist’s mark, were subject to execution.
Besides the constant threat of death, refusing to take the mark of the beast will have dire practical consequences in daily living: no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark. Antichrist’s empire will maintain strict economic control over the world. Food, clothing, medical supplies, and the other necessities of life potentially in demand in the devastated earth, which has felt the judgment of God (6:5-6), will be unobtainable for those without the mark. Currency will probably vanish, to be replaced by controlled credit. Instead of a credit card, which can be lost, people will have a mark (possibly a bar code) in their forehead or hand. Scanning people’s foreheads or hands would identify them to a central computer system. Life under totalitarian governments in our time provides a faint glimpse of what is to come.
The pressure to give in to the worship of Antichrist will be far worse than anything ever experienced in human history. Life will be virtually unlivable, so the people are forced to bow to the demonized king, not prompted merely by religious deception, but also by economic necessity.
Further describing the mark, John notes that it will consist of either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Antichrist will have a universal designation, his name within a numbering system. The exact identification of that phrase is unclear. What is clear is that everyone will be required to have the identifying mark or suffer the consequences.
The exclamation here is wisdom is a warning to those alive at that time to be wise and discerning. They will need to recognize what is happening and understand the significance of the number connected with Antichrist’s name. Those with understanding will be able to calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. Perhaps no detail in Revelation has intrigued people more than this number. There has been no end to the speculation as to its significance and how to calculate it. In Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, letters had numerical equivalents, and a myriad of schemes to associate the names of historical individuals with the number 666 have been put forth. Nero, Caligula, Domitian, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and a host of others have been proposed, based on some sort of convoluted mathematical rendering of the letters in their name.
All such speculation is futile; since the Antichrist is still to come, the number 666 cannot be associated with any historical individual. The church father Irenaeus cautioned against speculating about the identity of the person associated with the number 666 until that person arrives on the scene.
NOTE: The better part of wisdom is to be content that the identification is not yet available but will be when the future false Christ ascends to his throne. The person to whom 666 applies must have been future to John’s time, because John clearly meant the number to be recognizable to someone. If it was not discernible to his generation and those immediately following him—and it was not—the generation to whom it will be discernible must have lain (and still lies) in the future. Past generations have provided many illustrations of this future personage, but all past candidates have proven inadequate as fulfillments. Christians from generation to generation may manifest the same curiosity as the prophets of old regarding their own prophecies (1 Pet. 1:10-11), but their curiosity will remain unsatisfied until the time of fulfillment arrives.
There is a tragic mistake with disastrous consequences, for those who persist in worshiping the beast will face the wrath of God. In a sobering passage, Revelation warns of their fate:
Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (14:9-11)
This sobering passage is not intended to be the source of fruitless speculation about its details. Rather, it stands as a warning to the unbelieving world. It also challenges believers to lead careful, watchful, godly lives (1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:11), and to evangelize a hopelessly lost world, headed for destruction. Believers are to faithfully proclaim the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thereby rescue the souls of men and women from the disaster that looms just over the horizon.
THINK ABOUT THIS: What makes it so hard to resist the pressure to conform to this world? How can the church equip Christians to face such persecution with courage, hope, and love?
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